Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC)

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Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) The technology behind Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) is still in the early stages of development, but it has been successfully demonstrated powering mobile phones and laptop computerspotential target end uses in future years. DMFC is similar to the PEMFC in that the electrolyte is a polymer and the charge carrier is the hydrogen ion (proton). However, the liquid methanol (CH3OH) is oxidized in the presence of water at the anode generating CO2, hydrogen ions and the electrons that travel through the external circuit as the electric output of the fuel cell. The hydrogen ions travel through the electrolyte and react with oxygen from the air and the electrons from the external circuit to form water at the anode completing the circuit. Anode Reaction: Cathode Reaction: CH3OH + H2O => CO2 + 6H+ + 6e3/2 O2 + 6 H+ + 6e- => 3 H2O

Overall Cell Reaction:CH3OH + 3/2 O2 => CO2 + 2 H2O Initially developed in the early 1990s, DMFCs were not embraced because of their low efficiency and power density, as well as other problems. Improvements in catalysts and other recent developments have increased power density 20-fold and the efficiency may eventually reach 40%. These cells have been tested in a temperature range from about 50C-120C. This low operating temperature and no requirement for a fuel reformer make the DMFC an excellent candidate for very small to mid-sized applications, such as cellular phones and other consumer products, up to automobile power plants. One of the drawbacks of the DMFC is that the low-temperature oxidation of methanol to hydrogen ions and carbon dioxide requires a more active catalyst, which typically means a larger quantity of expensive platinum catalyst is required than in conventional PEMFCs. This increased cost is, however, expected to be more than outweighed by the convenience of using a liquid fuel and the ability to function without a reforming unit. One other concern driving the development of alcohol-based fuel cells is the fact that methanol is toxic. Therefore, some companies have embarked on developing a Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC). The performance of the DEFC is currently about half that of the DMFC, but this gap is expected to narrow with further development.

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What is a fuel cell? A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, gasoline, etc.) and an oxidant (air or oxygen) into electricity. In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery however, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce electricity and heat as long as fuel and an oxidizer are supplied. Both batteries and fuel cells are electrochemical devices. As such, both have a positively charged anode, a negatively charged cathode and an ion-conducting material called an electrolyte. Fuel cells are classified by their electrolyte material. Electrochemical devices generate electricity without combustion of the fuel and oxidizer, as opposed to what occurs with traditional methods of electricity generation. Fuel cell construction generally consists of a fuel electrode (anode) and an oxidant electrode (cathode) separated by an ion-conducting membrane. Oxygen passes over one electrode, and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water and heat. Fuel cells chemically combine the molecules of a fuel and oxidizer without burning or having to dispense with the inefficiencies and pollution of traditional combustion. Basic Characteristics Some of the general characteristics of fuel cells have been introduced above; however, to understand the difference between types of fuel cells, several other characteristics must be explained. Charge Carrier The charge carrier is the ion that passes through the electrolyte, and for several types of fuel cells, the charge carrier is a hydrogen ion, H+, which is simply a single proton. The charge carrier differs between different types of fuel cells. Poisoning by Contamination Fuel cells can be "poisoned" (experience severe degradation in performance) by different types of molecules. Because of the difference in electrolyte, operating temperature, catalyst and other factors, different molecules can behave differently in different fuel cells. The major poison for all types of fuel cells is sulfur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbonyl sulfide (COS). Sulfur compounds are naturally present in all fossil fuels, and small quantities remain after normal processing and must be almost completely removed prior to entering the fuel cell. Fuels Hydrogen is the current fuel of choice for all fuel cells. Some gases, such as nitrogen from the air, have only a dilution effect on the performance of the fuel cell. Other gases, such as CO and CH4, have different effects on fuel cells, depending on the type of fuel cell. For example, CO is a poison to fuel cells operating at relatively low temperatures, such as the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). However, CO can be used directly as a fuel for the high-temperature fuel cells such as the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). Each fuel cell with its specific electrolyte and catalysts will accept different gases as fuels and experience poisoning or dilution. Therefore, the gas supply systems must be tailored to a specific type of fuel cell. Performance Factors The performance of a fuel cell depends on numerous factors. The electrolyte composition, the geometry of the fuel cell (particularly the surface area of the anode and cathode), the operating temperature, gas pressure and many other factors. For reference material that covers introductory to highly technical information on different types of fuel cells, refer to the Fuel Cell Handbook, Fifth Edition, published by the U.S. Department of Energy in October 2000. Fuel Reformers