Impedance and polarization analysis of cathode and anode performance in a working direct methanol fuel cell

摘要

A comprehensive and systematic DMFC MEA performance evaluation was conducted based on the effect of the parameter of the major constituent of MEA, such as gas diffusion media and proton exchange membrane. The MEA under fuel cell operating condition have been characterized for electrochemical polarization and impedance spectroscopy of its anode and cathode, simply using a unique single cell stack measurement setup consisting of an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The anode and cathode polarization curves allow separating the anode and cathode contribution to the overall performance of the DMFC MEA. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis further demonstrates the contribution of each component of the anode and cathode to the cell performance.