US EPA

1120570 

Journal Article 

A study on the overall efficiency of direct methanol fuel cell by methanol crossover current 

Seo, SH; Lee, CS 

2010 

Yes 

Applied Energy
ISSN: 0306-2619
EISSN: 1872-9118 

Elsevier Science, The Boulevard Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom 

87 

8 

2597-2604 

10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.01.018 

WOS:000279134200019 

This paper was presented to determine the methanol crossover and efficiency of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) under various operating conditions such as cell temperature, methanol concentration, methanol flow rate, cathode flow rate, and cathode backpressure. The methanol crossover measurements were performed by measuring crossover current density at an open circuit using humidified nitrogen instead of air at the cathode and applied voltage with a power supply. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an active area of 5 cm super(2) was composed of a Nafion 117 membrane, a Pt-Ru (4 mg/cm super(2)) anode catalyst, and a Pt (4 mg/cm super(2)) cathode catalyst. It was shown that methanol crossover increased by increasing cell temperature, methanol concentration, methanol flow rate, cathode flow rate and decreasing cathode backpressure. Also, it was revealed that the efficiency of the DMFC was closely related with methanol crossover, and significantly improved as the cell temperature and cathode backpressure increased and methanol concentration decreased. 

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC); Methanol crossover; Efficiency; Operating conditions