FUEL CELLS – DIRECT ALCOHOL FUEL CELLS | Direct Methanol Fuel Cell: Overview Performance and Operational Conditions

Abstract

Owing to tireless efforts by researchers working on direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) worldwide, the performance of the cells has improved over the past decade. This article describes the general performance of liquid-feed DMFCs and associated energy losses, including activation losses, methanol crossover and internal currents, ohmic losses, and mass transport losses. Various operating conditions of DMFC systems and their effects on the fuel cell performance are then discussed. The operating temperature, concentration of the feed methanol solution, and the flow rates of the fuel and the oxidant all have significant effects on the performance of DMFCs.