Methods of conditioning direct methanol fuel cells

Patent · Tue Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2005

OSTI ID:1007906

Rice, Cynthia ^[1]; Ren, Xiaoming ^[2]; Gottesfeld, Shimshon ^[3]

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1. Newington, CT
2. Menands, NY
3. Niskayuna, NY

Methods for conditioning the membrane electrode assembly of a direct methanol fuel cell ("DMFC") are disclosed. In a first method, an electrical current of polarity opposite to that used in a functioning direct methanol fuel cell is passed through the anode surface of the membrane electrode assembly. In a second method, methanol is supplied to an anode surface of the membrane electrode assembly, allowed to cross over the polymer electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly to a cathode surface of the membrane electrode assembly, and an electrical current of polarity opposite to that in a functioning direct methanol fuel cell is drawn through the membrane electrode assembly, wherein methanol is oxidized at the cathode surface of the membrane electrode assembly while the catalyst on the anode surface is reduced. Surface oxides on the direct methanol fuel cell anode catalyst of the membrane electrode assembly are thereby reduced.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Los Alamos, NM)
• Patent Number(s): 6,962,760
• Application Number: 10/460,452
• OSTI ID: 1007906
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English