Direct methanol fuel cells passive

R. Ghen and T. S. Zhao. A novel electrode architecture for passive direct methanol fuel cells. Electrochemistry Communications 9 (2007) 718-724. 

H. Kim, J. Oh, J. Kim, and H. Ghang. Membrane electrode assembly for passive direct methanol fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources 162 (2006) 497-501. 

Figure 3.54. Direct methanol fuel cell designed for passive operation (no forced flows), with two membrane-electrode assemblies MEA) and a central fuel container.

The electrical performance figures of active direct methanol fuel cells are much higher than those of passive ones. Yet owing to the need to use many auxiliary pieces of equipment, such as pumps, valves, and controllers, power plants with active direct fuel cells are much more complex and, in a number of cases, are less reliable in their operation. Also, part of the electrical energy generated by them is getting used in the auxiliary equipment. 

At the University of Hong Kong, China, a direct methanol fuel cell with passive supply of the methanol solution was built. The solution was supplied to the fuel cell by natural convection from a vessel, situated above the fuel cell. Carbon dioxide evolved... 

Chan YH, Zhao TS, Chen R, Xu C (2008) A small mono-planar direct methanol fuel cell stack with passive operation. J Power Sources 178 118-124... 

Zhao TS, Chen R, Yang WW, Xu C (2009) Small direct methanol fuel cells with passive supply of reactants. J Power Sources 191 185-202... 

Kim D, Cho EA, Hong SA, Oh IH, Ha IH (2004) Recent progress in passive direct methanol fuel cells at KIST. J Power Sources 130 172-177... 

Arbizzani C, Donadio A, Pica M, Sganappa M, Vatzi A, Casciola M, Mastragostino M (2010) Methanol permeability and performance of Nafion-zirconum phosphate composite membranes in active and passive direct methanol fuel cells. J Power Sources 195 7751-7756... 

Higa M, Hatemura K, Sugita M, Maesowa S, Nishimura M, Endo N (2012) Performance of passive direct methanol fuel cell with poly(vinyl alcohol)-based polymer electrolyte membranes. Int J Hydrogen Energ 37 6292-6301... 

Lufrano F, Baglio V, Staiti P, Stassi A, Arico AS, Antonucci V (2010) Investigation of sulfonated polysulfone membranes as electrolyte in a passive-mode direct methanol fuel cell ministack. J Power Sources 195 7727-7733... 

Cai W, Li S, Feng L, Zhang J, Song D, Xing W, Liu C (2011) Transient behavior analysis of a new designed passive direct methanol fuel cell fed with highly concentrated methanol. J Power Sources 196 3781-3789... 

MTI Micro introduced in 2004 the integrated direct methanol fuel cell technology Mobion , and in 2007 the Mobion Chip . This small device, with a volume of only 9 cm, is fed with pure methanol to produce 84 mW.cm. These prototypes are passive DMFC and their design include a fuel conditioning system which allows operate in a temperature range of 0 0 °C, independent of the humidity and cell position, which is particularly useful in portable applications, such as mobile phones [40]. 

Achmad F, Karamudin SK, Daud WRW, Majlan EH (2011) Passive direct methanol fuel cells for portable electronic devices. Appl Energy 88 1681-1689... 

Chen R, Zhao TS. Performance characterization of passive direct methanol fuel cells. J Power Sources 2007 167(2) 455—60. 

Chu D, Jiang R. Effect of operating conditions on energy efficiency for a small passive direct methanol fuel cell. Electrochim Acta 2006 51(26) 5829-35. 

From a perasal of Fig. 24, it is apparent that the Pd/MWCNT anode is particularly suitable for the oxidation of ethanol which shows the highest open circuit voltage (OCV, 0.74 V) and peak power density (18.4 mW cm at 0.2 V) out of the three fuels investigated. Notably, the performance trend in the passive DAFC is different from that observed in the half cell where glycerol provides the highest peak current density (Fig. 13). On the other hand, the lower performance of both the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and the direct glycerol fuel cell (DGFC) as compared to the DEFC is in line with the chronopotentiometric experiments illustrated in Fig. 13. 

Guo, Z. and Faghri, A. (2007) Vapor feed direct methanol fuel cells with passive thermal-fluids management system. J. Power Sources, 167 (2), 378-390. 

Eccarius, S., Krause, F., Beard, K., and Agert, C. (2008) Passively operated vapor-fed direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications. J. Power Sources, 182 (2), 565-579. 

Kim, H. (2006) Passive direct methanol fuel cells fed with methanol vapor. J. Power Sources, 162 (2), 1232-1235. 

Zhao TS (2009) Micro fuel cells principles and applications. Elsevier, Amsterdam Zhou Y, Wang X, Wu Z, Wu X, Liu L (2011) Passive fuel delivery based on hydrophobic porous silicon for micro direct methanol fuel cells. In TREE 24th international conference on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), Cancun, Mexico Zhu L, Lin KY, Morgan RD, Swaminathan VV, Kim HS, Gurau B, Kim D, Bae B, Masel RI, Shannon MA (2008) Integrated micro-power source based on a micro-silicon fuel cell and a micro electromechanical system hydrogen generator. J Power Sources 185 1305-1310... 

Bambagioni V, Bianchini C, Marchionni A, Filippi J, Vizza F, Teddy J, Serp P, Zhiani M (2009) Pd and Pt-Ru anode electrocatalysts supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their use in passive and active direct alcohol fuel cells with an anion-exchange membrane (alcohol = methanol, ethanol, glycerol). J Power Sources 190(2) 241-251... 

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) produce power directly from ethanol without prior reforming. Compared with methanol used as the fuel for DMFCs, ethanol is nontoxic, environmentally friendly, and universally available, and making the handling easy. Since ethanol is also a liquid alcohol like methanol, the technological issues of crossover, discharge of carbon dioxide, and passive operation are comparable. 

Bambagioni, V, Bianchini, C., Marchionni, A., et al. (1990). Pd and Pt-Ru Anode Electrocatalysts Supported on Multi-waUed Carbon Nanotubes and their Use in Passive and Active Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells with an Anion-exchange Membrane (Alcohol = Methanol, Ethanol, Glycerol), J. Power Sources, 190, pp. 241-251. 

The fuel cell does not contain its own fuel therefore fuel storage and delivery system are very important to a successful system. One of the first questions that needs to be addressed is whether the fuel cell will operate on hydrogen, reformed fuel, or direct methanol. Another important question is whether the system will be active or passive with regard to the oxidant. 

Kim J, Momma T, Osaka T (2009) Cell perfOTmance of Pd-Sn catalyst in passive direct methanol alkaline fuel cell using anion exchange membrane. J Power Sources 189(2) 999-1002... 

The simplest approach to a liquid-fed DMFC is to supply an aqueous solution of methanol directly to the fuel cell anode and use it in combination with an air-breezing cathode without any auxiliary equipment in a so-called passive design. 

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