An Experimental Study of Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Stacks

• Main Authors: Ho-Chieh Wu, 吳和桔
• Other Authors: Shou-Shing Hsieh
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/48899802676449370120

博士 === 國立中山大學 === 機械與機電工程學系研究所 === 101 === ABSTRACT A novel design, fabrication and characterization of micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC) stack with a total active area of 3.84 cm2 was proposed. The fuel cell stack with eight flow field plates of μDMFC were fabricated on copper metal sheet substrates by MEMS and micro-electroforming technique, and then assembled into a spider-foot-like planar micro direct methanol fuel cell stack. An experimental investigation was carried out to observe the formation of CO2 bubbles at the anode and water flooding at the cathode and to examine the effect of the operating parameters of the methanol feeding rates, methanol concentration, as well as single cell and cell stack temperatures through both steady VI/PI measurements and transient (dynamic) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy examination. The experimental results show that eight cells in series on the substrate achieved an open circuit voltage of 4.5 V and a maximum power density of 27.5 mW/cm2) under a specific working condition. One of the cases studied herein was used for demonstration. It can power the LED at a methanol solution flow rate of 16 ml/min with 0.5 M concentration at room temperature. It recognized that the spider-foot-like planar micro direct methanol fuel cell stack in the present study is feasible for powering electronic devices. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a planar micro direct methanol fuel cell stack, and apply the experimental results to solve the power sources problem of the 3C electronic devices.