Abstract
The design of the anode flow field is critical for yielding better performance of micro direct methanol fuel cells (µDMFCs). In this work, the effect of different flow fields on cell performance was investigated by the simulation method. Compared with grid, parallel and double-serpentine flow fields, a single-serpentine flow field can better improve the mass transfer efficiency of methanol and the emission efficiency of the carbon dioxide by-product. The opening ratio and channel length also have important effects on the cell performance. The cells were manufactured using silicon-based micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technologies and tested to verify the simulation results. The experimental results show that the single-serpentine flow field represents a higher peak power density (16.83 mWcm−2) than other flow fields. Moreover, the results show that an open ratio of 47.3% and a channel length of 63.5 mm are the optimal parameters for the single-serpentine flow field.
Highlights
47.3% and a channel length of 63.5 mm are the optimal parameters for the single-serpentine flow field
The effects of channel patterns and open ratios on the performance of passive μDMFCs were investigated by experiments and simulations in [9]
Results indicate that the vertical stripe pattern (VSP) is preferred for anodes, and the best performance had an open ratio of 45.6%
Summary
Micro direct methanol fuel cells (μDMFCs) have attracted much attention in portable and mobile electronic products such as notebook computers and mobile phones due to their high efficiency, high energy density, room-temperature operation and simple structure [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Flow field parameter optimization and new pattern design were considered to be effective methods to improve cell performance. The effects of channel patterns and open ratios (ratio of perforation area to current collector area) on the performance of passive μDMFCs were investigated by experiments and simulations in [9]. Parameter optimization and new pattern design anode flow fields have great effects on the performance of μDMFCs. Different flow fields result in different pressure distributions. Based on the above considerations, we investigated different anode flow fields of selfbreathing μDMFCs. The model with different flow fields was built to analyze the effect of flow field parameters on the performance of μDMFCs. The simulation results show that the single serpentine design gave a better performance and open ratios and channel lengths affect the anode flow field structure.
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