Direct methanol fuels

Most fuel cells are powered by hydrogen, which can be fed to the fuel cell system directly or can be generated within the fuel cell system by reforming hydrogen-rich fuels such as methanol, ethanol, and hydrocarbon fuels. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), however, are powered by pure methanol. 

Micro fuel cells intended for use, e.g., with portable electronics, will be mentioned below in section 3.6, as they are often based on direct methanol fuel. Direct methanol fuel cells are also PEM fuel cells, as they are based on the transport of hydrogen ions through a solid polymer electrolyte. 

Synthetic liquid Synthetic liquid fuel Direct methanol... 

Fuel cells are usually open systems, and their energy density and specific energy is largely based on the storage of fuel (and oxidant in the case of air-independent systems). Of the fuel cell types considered here, hydrogen PEMs, PAFCs and hydrogen AFCs use hydrogen as fuel, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) use aqueous methanol solution or pure methanol, and (alkaline) direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFC) use sodium borohydride solution as the liquid fuel. 

The schematic diagram of the liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is shown in Figure 13.1. 

Figure 13.1. Liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cell.

Besides chemical catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen, which is already possible in the laboratory, we are exploring a new approach to recycling carbon dioxide into methyl alcohol or related oxygenates via aqueous eleetrocatalytic reduction using what can be called a regenerative fuel cell system. The direct methanol fuel cell... 

Fuel cells can run on fuels other than hydrogen. In the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), a dilute methanol solution ( 3%) is fed directly into the anode, and a multistep process causes the liberation of protons and electrons together with conversion to water and carbon dioxide. Because no fuel processor is required, the system is conceptually vei"y attractive. However, the multistep process is understandably less rapid than the simpler hydrogen reaction, and this causes the direct methanol fuel cell stack to produce less power and to need more catalyst. 

Moore, R. M. Gottesfeld, S. and Zelenay, P. (1999). A Comparison Between Direct-Methanol and Direct Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles. SAE Future Transportation Technologies Conference. Paper 99FTT-48 (August). 

Ren, X. Springer, T. E. and Gottesfeld, S. (1998). Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Transport Properties of the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane and Cell Performance. Vol. 98-27. Proc. 2nd International Symposium on Proton Conducting Membrane Euel Cells. Pennington, NJ Electrochemical Society. 

The dynamic behavior of fuel cells is of importance to insure the stable operation of the fuel cells under various operating conditions. Among a few different fuel cell types, the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been known to have advantages especially for portable... 

The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol has been widely investigated for exploitation in the so-called direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The most likely type of DMFC to be commercialized in the near future seems to be the polymer electrolyte membrane DMFC using proton exchange membrane, a special form of low-temperature fuel cell based on PEM technology. In this cell, methanol (a liquid fuel available at low cost, easily handled, stored, and transported) is dissolved in an acid electrolyte and burned directly by air to carbon dioxide. The prominence of the DMFCs with respect to safety, simple device fabrication, and low cost has rendered them promising candidates for applications ranging from portable power sources to secondary cells for prospective electric vehicles. Notwithstanding, DMFCs were... 

Convert P, Countanceau C, Cromgneau P, Gloaguen F, Lamy C (2001) Electrodes modified by electrodeposition of CoTAA complexes as selective oxygen cathodes in a direct methanol fuel cell. J Appl Electrochem 31 945-952... 

Me Nicol BD (1981) Electrocatalytic problems associated with the development of direct methanol-air fuel cells. J Electroanal Chem 118 71-87... 

Wasmus S, Kiiver A (1999) Methanol oxidation and direct methanol fuel cells a selective review. J Electroanal Chem 461 14-31... 

Lasch K, Hayn G, Jdrissen L, Garche J, Besenhardt O (2002) Mixed conducting catalyst support materials for the direct methanol fuel cell. J Power Sources 105 305-310... 

Direct Methanol Fuel Cells From a Twentieth Century Electrochemist s Dream to a Twenty-first Century Emerging Technology... 

A direct methanol fuel cell consists of two electrodes—a catalytic methanol anode and a catalytic oxygen cathode—separated by an ionic conduc-... 

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of a direct methanol fuel cell working in an acidic medium.

From the above discussion, it is clear that the main objectives of fundamental investigations on the direct methanol fuel cell are to ... 

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