TY - GEN
T1 - Model-based analysis of electrode design in a direct methanol microscale fuel cell
AU - Hollinger, Adam S.
AU - Willis, Michael G.
AU - Doleiden, Daniel G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 by ASME.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - The performance of microscale fuel cells with high-aspectratio electrodes, defined as the ratio of electrode length to width, is often limited by the depletion of fuel along the length of the anode. Here we present a mathematical model to study electrode aspect ratio in a direct methanol microscale fuel cell. The model is supported with experimental data to show that low-aspect-ratio electrodes achieve higher power densities via improved mass transport to electrodes. The influence of electrode width on overall cell performance was investigated by varying the catalyst deposition region in low-aspect-ratio electrodes. The performance of our experimental fuel cell is consistent with our modeling studies, achieving a maximum power density of 25.3 mW/cm2 at room temperature with 1 M methanol. The model presented here can be used to further improve the geometric design of electrodes in a microscale fuel cell.
AB - The performance of microscale fuel cells with high-aspectratio electrodes, defined as the ratio of electrode length to width, is often limited by the depletion of fuel along the length of the anode. Here we present a mathematical model to study electrode aspect ratio in a direct methanol microscale fuel cell. The model is supported with experimental data to show that low-aspect-ratio electrodes achieve higher power densities via improved mass transport to electrodes. The influence of electrode width on overall cell performance was investigated by varying the catalyst deposition region in low-aspect-ratio electrodes. The performance of our experimental fuel cell is consistent with our modeling studies, achieving a maximum power density of 25.3 mW/cm2 at room temperature with 1 M methanol. The model presented here can be used to further improve the geometric design of electrodes in a microscale fuel cell.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962179621&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84962179621&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1115/FUELCELL201549496
DO - 10.1115/FUELCELL201549496
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84962179621
T3 - ASME 2015 13th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2015, collocated with the ASME 2015 Power Conference, the ASME 2015 9th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, and the ASME 2015 Nuclear Forum
BT - ASME 2015 13th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2015, collocated with the ASME 2015 Power Conference, the ASME 2015 9th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, and the ASME 2015 Nuclear Forum
PB - American Society of Mechanical Engineers
T2 - ASME 2015 13th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2015, collocated with the ASME 2015 Power Conference, the ASME 2015 9th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, and the ASME 2015 Nuclear Forum
Y2 - 28 June 2015 through 2 July 2015
ER -
