Recent advances in high-performance direct methanol fuel cells

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/460283· OSTI ID:460283

Narayanan, S. R.; Chun, W.; Valdez, T. I. ^[1]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); and others

Direct methanol fuel cells for portable power applications have been advanced significantly under DARPA- and ARO-sponsored programs over the last five years. A liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cell developed under these programs, employs a proton exchange membrane as electrolyte and operates on aqueous solutions of methanol with air or oxygen as the oxidant. Power densities as high as 320 mW/cm{sup 2} have been demonstrated. Demonstration of five-cell stack based on the liquid-feed concept have been successfully performed by Giner Inc. and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Over 2000 hours of life-testing have been completed on these stacks. These fuel cells have been also been demonstrated by USC to operate on alternate fuels such as trimethoxymethane, dimethoxymethane and trioxane. Reduction in the parasitic loss of fuel across the fuel cell, a phenomenon termed as {open_quotes}fuel crossover{close_quotes} has been achieved using polymer membranes developed at USC. As a result efficiencies as high as 40% is considered attainable with this type of fuel cell. The state-of-development has reached a point where it is now been actively considered for stationary, portable and transportation applications. The research and development issues have been the subject of several previous articles and the present article is an attempt to summarize the key advances in this technology.

• Research Organization: Fuel Cell Seminar Organizing Committee (United States)
• OSTI ID: 460283
• Report Number(s): CONF-961107--Absts.; ON: TI97001494
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
ALCOHOL FUEL CELLS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
METHANOL
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PLATINUM
POWER DENSITY
PROPULSION
RUTHENIUM
SERVICE LIFE
STACKS