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Project Title:

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC)

Ref.No.: 214

Project Type and Category:

Fuel cell development

Project Duration:

Not specified

Project Participants:

Forschungszentrum Jülich (PBZ, IWV)

Sponsor:

Industry

Project Budget and
Funding:

#

Project Description and Objectives:

The shown Direct Methanol Fuel Cell has the main characteristics as a possible real system:
· methanol/water tank with removal of carbon dioxide
· series connexion of single cells
· pump
no additional auxiliary energy , use of ambient air as oxygen supply
A power system based on a fuel cell is a promising alternative to an internal combustion engine. Even at low operating temperatures a better efficiency than e.g. with a combustion machine can be obtained, so that emissions and fuel consumption can be reduced.
However, the most frequent fuel cells need hydrogen as input fuel, which can be stored directly only under high pressure in special tanks.
To avoid the difficulties of hydrogen storeage it is possible to derive the hydrogen from liequid fuels as e.g. methanol by means of a reformer.
A further simplification of the fuel cell system is to feed the fuel cell directly with methanol. i.e. without passing it through a seperate reformer.

Technical Goals:

The permeation of methanol through the membrane is a specific problem of the DMFC because it is accompaigned with faradaic losses and with a decrease of the cell voltage. A further improvement of the power characteristics and efficiency can therefore be obtained by advances in the permeation properties of the membrane and by improvement in the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer.
Studies on the behaviour of a DMFC under wordking condietions help to show under which circumstances there is an optimum of power and efficiency. In Jülich, electrodes are tested under various operating conditions, i.e. temperatures up to 130°C and pressures up to 4 bar are used.
The shown fuel cell stack shows the simple system design of a DMFC:
It consists of eleven single cells which are connected in series. Each cell has an active area of 120 cm2. The methanol/water mixture is stored in a tank in a simple manner. A pump feeds continously this mixture through the stack. The necessary energy for the pump is taken from the stack, the system is fully self-supporting. The ambient air is used as a supplier of the oxygen. The air reaches the cell by diffusion and convection.

Project Status

In progress

Preliminary or Final Results:

#

Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:

http://www.kfa-juelich.de/ttb/messen_e.html#DMFC

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Project Title: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC)		Ref.No.: 214
Project Type and Category:	Fuel cell development
Project Duration:	Not specified
Project Participants:	Forschungszentrum Jülich (PBZ, IWV)
Sponsor:	Industry
Project Budget and Funding:	#
Project Description and Objectives:	The shown Direct Methanol Fuel Cell has the main characteristics as a possible real system: · methanol/water tank with removal of carbon dioxide · series connexion of single cells · pump no additional auxiliary energy , use of ambient air as oxygen supply A power system based on a fuel cell is a promising alternative to an internal combustion engine. Even at low operating temperatures a better efficiency than e.g. with a combustion machine can be obtained, so that emissions and fuel consumption can be reduced. However, the most frequent fuel cells need hydrogen as input fuel, which can be stored directly only under high pressure in special tanks. To avoid the difficulties of hydrogen storeage it is possible to derive the hydrogen from liequid fuels as e.g. methanol by means of a reformer. A further simplification of the fuel cell system is to feed the fuel cell directly with methanol. i.e. without passing it through a seperate reformer.
Technical Goals:	The permeation of methanol through the membrane is a specific problem of the DMFC because it is accompaigned with faradaic losses and with a decrease of the cell voltage. A further improvement of the power characteristics and efficiency can therefore be obtained by advances in the permeation properties of the membrane and by improvement in the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer. Studies on the behaviour of a DMFC under wordking condietions help to show under which circumstances there is an optimum of power and efficiency. In Jülich, electrodes are tested under various operating conditions, i.e. temperatures up to 130°C and pressures up to 4 bar are used. The shown fuel cell stack shows the simple system design of a DMFC: It consists of eleven single cells which are connected in series. Each cell has an active area of 120 cm2. The methanol/water mixture is stored in a tank in a simple manner. A pump feeds continously this mixture through the stack. The necessary energy for the pump is taken from the stack, the system is fully self-supporting. The ambient air is used as a supplier of the oxygen. The air reaches the cell by diffusion and convection.
Project Status	In progress
Preliminary or Final Results:	#
Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:	http://www.kfa-juelich.de/ttb/messen_e.html#DMFC