Experimental study of a liquid fed direct methanol fuel cell has been conducted in different gravity environments. A small single cell with 5 cm x 5 cm active area has single serpentine channel on the graphite cathode polar plate and 11 parallel straight channels on the graphite anode flow bed. Cell voltage and current have been measured and two-phase flow in anode channels has been in situ visually observed. The experimental results indicate that the effect of gravity on power performance of the direct methanol fuel cell is large when the concentration polarization governs fuel cells operation. Gravitational effect becomes larger at higher current density. Increasing methanol feeding molarity is conducive to weaken the influence of gravity on performance of liquid fed direct methanol fuel cells. Increasing feeding flow rate of methanol solution from 6 to 15 ml/min could reduce the size of carbondioxide bubbles, while the influence of gravity still exist. Transport phenomena inside direct methanol fuel cells in microgravity is also analyzed and discussed.


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    Title :

    Experimental investigation of performance of a miniature direct methanol fuel cell in short-term microgravity


    Additional title:

    Experimentelle Untersuchung der Leistung einer DMFC-Miniaturbrennstoffzelle bei kurzzeitiger Mikrogravitation


    Contributors:
    Ye, Fang (author) / Wu, Feng (author) / Zhao, Jian Fu (author) / Guo, Hang (author) / Wan, Shi Xin (author) / Lv, Cui Ping (author) / Ma, Chong Fang (author)


    Publication date :

    2010


    Size :

    6 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 16 Quellen




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English