Development and Application ofTransport Modeling inDirect Methanol Fuel Cell Diffusion Layers

摘要

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are an appealing power source for portable devices as they exhibit high energy density, have low refuel times, and operate at relatively low temperature; however, their design properties must be optimized if they are to achieve their efficiency potential. Researchers in Texas have developed a one-dimensional, two-phase model of methanol, water, and carbon dioxide transport in the DMFC anode diffusion layer for the purpose of analyzing DMFC performance sensitivity to variations in the layer's physical properties.