Fuel Cell Takes a Microfluidic Route to Reducing Operating Costs

摘要

Researchers at the Univ.of Illinois (UIUC;Urbana-Champaign;www.uiuc.edu),working with INI Power Systems,Inc.(Cary,NC;www.inipowersystems.com),have designed a microfluidic fuel cell that operates without a solid membrane to separate the fuel from the oxidant (Figure,left)."Eliminating the membrane will not only reduce fuel-cell costs - typically the membrane accounts for 20-30% of the overall cost - but makes it possible for the fuel cell to operate with either alkaline or acidic chemistry," says Paul Kenis,professor of chemical and biomolecu-lar engineering and project leader.