Aerospace Power Scholarly Research Program. Delivery Order 0013: Volume 1. Development of Performance/Design Equations for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell.

摘要

This first volume, of a two volume report, consists of the development and prediction of the reversible open-circuit voltage equation for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). This equation, applicable when the effects of electrode poisoning and methanol crossover are not present, includes the effects of nonideal behavior of the fluid phases and differing total pressures in the anode and cathode compartments of the fuel cell. The developed equation is capable of predicting the open-circuit voltage at any desired fuel cell temperature, pressure, and methanol concentration. The optimal DMFC conditions, based on the thermodynamic development, occur when the cathode pressure is high, the anode pressure is low, the concentration of methanol is high, and the cell temperature is low. Other factors affect the actual optimal fuel cell conditions due to electrode kinetics and methanol crossover, but, the effort here delineates the true maximal thermodynamic potential available.