Materials and Manufacturing Challenges of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

摘要

Fuel cells are attractive power sources for a variety of Department of Defense (DoD) needs. Among the various types of fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are particularly well-suited for mobile applications (such as soldier power, unmanned underwater systems, and communication devices) since DMFCs employ easily manageable liquid methanol fuel with excellent energy storage densities. However, the adoption of DMFC technology has been hampered by high system costs and complexity, low operating voltage and efficiency, and durability issues. Several of these problems are directly linked to materials, manufacturing, and system challenges. This article focuses on the materials and manufacturing challenges and the development of new materials to overcome these technical problems, thus making DMFC technology viable for the DoD and consumer applications.