Increasing the Operating Temperature of Nafion Membranes with Addition of Nanocrystalline Oxides for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

2002 ◽  
Vol 756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Baglio ◽  
Alessandra Di Blasi ◽  
Antonino S. Arico' ◽  
Vincenzo Antonucci ◽  
Pier Luigi Antonucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Maximum Power ◽  
Nafion Membrane ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Maximum Power Density ◽  
Nafion Membranes ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells

ABSTRACTComposite Nafion membranes containing various amounts of TiO2 (3%, 5% and 10%) were prepared by using a recast procedure for application in high temperature Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs). The electrochemical behaviour was compared to that of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) based on a bare recast Nafion membrane. All the MEAs containing the Nafion-titania membranes were able to operate up to 145°C, whereas the assembly equipped with the bare recast Nafion membrane showed the maximum performance at 120°C. A maximum power density of 340 mW cm-2 was achieved at 145°C with the composite membrane in the presence of oxygen feed, whereas the maximum power density with air feed was about 210 mW cm-2.

scholarly journals Performance Improvement in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells by Using CaTiO3-δ Additive at the Cathode

Catalysts ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Mazzapioda ◽  
Carmelo Lo Vecchio ◽  
Antonino Salvatore Aricò ◽  
Maria Assunta Navarra ◽  
Vincenzo Baglio
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Oxygen Reduction Reaction ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells

A non-stoichiometric calcium titanate CaTiO3-δ (CTO) was synthesized and used as oxygen reduction reaction co-catalyst (together with Pt/C) in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), equipped with a composite cathode formulation (Pt/C:CTO1:1), was investigated in DMFC, using a 2 M methanol solution at the anode and oxygen at the cathode, and compared with an MEA equipped with a benchmark Pt/C cathode catalyst. It appears that the presence of the CTO additive promotes the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to the presence of oxygen vacancies as available active sites for oxygen adsorption in the lattice. The increase in power density obtained with the CTO-based electrode, compared with the benchmark Pt/C, was more than 40% at 90 °C, reaching a maximum power density close to 120 mW cm−2, which is one of the highest values reported in the literature under similar operating conditions.

3D Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs)

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laam Angela Tse ◽  
David W. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrical Contact ◽  
Handheld Devices ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Electrical Contact Resistance ◽  
Current Collectors ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells

Passive Micro-Direct Methanol fuel cells (micro-DMFCs) can be the power supply solution for the next generation of handheld devices if high volumetric power densities can be achieved. One approach to improve the volumetric power density of passive DMFC designs is to increase the reactive area without a corresponding increase in overall volume by patterning MEAs with corrugated 3-D geometries. In this paper, geometric analysis is presented that demonstrates significant active area gain in fuel cell MEAs patterned with high aspect ratio corrugations. A thermoforming process was used to pattern MEAs with 3-D corrugated geometries using aluminum molds. In order to perform functional tests on 3D corrugated MEAs, the fuel and oxidant reservoirs have been redesigned to accommodate the special packaging requirements of the 3D MEAs. Electrodes were modified to serve as the current collectors and also provided backing layers for catalyst. The simplified design avoids the large clamping force and high strength requirements of the endplate material in order to minimize the electrical contact resistance between the electrodes and the current collectors. Finally, the potential power density gain from the 3D MEAs is illustrated.

Effect of Flow Fields and Scan Rates on Performance of Micro-DMFC

2010 ◽  
Vol 654-656 ◽  
pp. 2879-2882
Author(s):  
Yu Hao Lu ◽  
Ramana G. Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Maximum Power ◽  
Maximum Power Density ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Narrow Channels ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Mems Technology

A micro-DMFC is a promising power source to substitute the lithium battery and used in the portable electronic devices. In this study, the effect of four types of flow fields of bipolar plates in a micro-direct methanol fuel cells (micro-DMFCs) on their performance were experimentally investigated. MEMS technology was applied in fabrication of micro-channel for the micro-DMFCs. The effect of the type of flow field design on the performance of micro-DMFCs was electrochemically evaluated for the four types of flow fields. The micro-DMFCs with double-channel serpentine presented the highest maximum power density and the micro-fuel cells with mixed multi-channel serpentine with narrow channels had the lowest maximum power density.

Modified Nafion Membranes by Catalytic Materials for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 684 ◽  
pp. 90-93
Author(s):  
Ai Hua Tian ◽  
Dong Hui Shen
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Catalytic Materials ◽  
Nafion Membranes ◽  
Dodecyl Sulfate ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells

Sodium dodecyl sulfate/Pt composites and sodium dodecyl sulfate/Pd composites have been synthesized and used to modify the surface of Nafion membrane. Modified Nafion membranes have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The properties of the modified membranes, in terms of their conductivity and the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), have been analyzed and compared with those of the bare Nafion. It is found that the DMFC performance of the membranes modified by two kinds of catalytic materials are better than that of the bare Nafion when operated with 2.0 M methanol. The good conductivity and high cell performance makes the modified Nafion interesting candidates for DMFCs applications.

Micro-Fluidic Assisted Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gladys Garza ◽  
Peiwen Li ◽  
Douglas Loy
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Reaction ◽  
Cathode Side ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Operation Temperature ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
And Control

A novel design of micro-fluidic structure has been proposed to facilitate passive methanol supply and ventilation of carbon dioxide in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Experimental study was conducted for three in-house fabricated cells which have different membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEA) and cathode-side air-breathing current collectors. Low rate of passive methanol supply and control was accomplished through capillary-force-driven mass transfer in the in-plane of carbon paper wicks. The low methanol supply rate using this passive method only meets the need of fuel of the electrochemical reaction, and there is almost no surplus methanol that could cross over the membrane. The micro-fluidic structure on the anode plate also makes passive removal of the CO2 gas from the electrochemical reaction. The influence of the concentration of methanol and cell operation temperature was examined and compared in the study. The results reveal very promising performance in the passive DMFCs when a methanol concentration is above 8M.

Sulfonated polyether ether ketone/strontium zirconite@TiO2 nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (38) ◽  
pp. 20497-20504 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gnana kumar ◽  
Arumugam Manthiram
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells ◽  
Inorganic Filler ◽  
Nanocomposite Membranes ◽  
Polyether Ether Ketone ◽  
Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone ◽  
Direct Methanol ◽  
Ether Ketone ◽  
Methanol Fuel Cells

The use of SrZrO3@TiO2 nanocuboids as an inorganic filler in SPEEK membranes enhances their performance in DMFCs with a power density higher than that achieved with a Nafion 117 membrane.

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