• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.31 no.10
• /
• pp.981-985
• /
• 2007

We present a MEMS-based portable Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (micro-DFMC), featured by a platinum sputtered microcolumn electrode and a built-in fuel chamber containing a limited amount of methanol fuel. Also presented is a micro-DMFC stack structure having a common electrolyte sandwiched by the microcolumn electrodes. The single cells with ME16 and PE16 electrodes show the maximum power densities of $31.04{\pm}0.29{\mu}W/cm^2$ and $9.75{\pm}0.29{\mu}W/cm^2$, respectively; thus indicating the microcolumn electrode (ME16) generates the power density (3.2 times) higher than the planar electrode (PE16). The single cell tests of ME16 and ME4 electrodes (Fig.8) show the maximum power of $31.04{\pm}0.29{\mu}W/cm^2$, and $25.23{\pm}2.7{\mu}W/cm^2$, respectively; thus demonstrating the increased window frame reduces the normalized standard power deviation (standard deviation over the average power). The normalized deviation of 0.11 in ME4 cell has been reduced to 0.01 in ME16 cell due to the increased window frames. The maximum power density of 4-cell stack is 15.7 times higher than that of the single cell. 4-cell stack produces the power capacity of 20.3mWh/g during 980min operation at the voltage of 450mV with the load resistance of $800{\Omega}$.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 1999.07d
• /
• pp.1870-1872
• /
• 1999

Performance of 20-cell stack for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was tested at constant temperature. Electrode evaluation used to the stack was tested by the performance of a single cell. A new composite electrode prepared from active carbon cloth and high porous active carbon was developed for hydrophilic layer of the cell. Characteristics of a single cell using the composite electrode showed the current density of $500mA/cm^2$ at the cell voltage of 0.4V at $120^{\circ}C$. For the operating of 20 days. the cell voltage at constant cell current densty of $100mA/cm^2$ was slightly reduced from 0.62V to 0.53V with the cell voltage decay rate of 14.5%. Power of 20-cell stack at 5.3V, $100^{\circ}C$ was about 180W.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.34-37
• /
• 2003

The development and improvement of advanced fuel cell systems is a major topic of current research, since fuel cells are considerably more efficient than other energy converters$^1$. In proton exchange membrane fuel cell and direct methanol fuel cell the polymer membrane represents a key component. The membrane materials fulfill complex requirements. It has to combine electrochemical stability, workability, high ionic conductivity, low permeation of the reactants (methanol etc.) (omitted)

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.31 no.11
• /
• pp.3145-3150
• /
• 2010

Ruthenium catalysts modified by selenium have been introduced as alternative materials to Pt in Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). RuSe nano-particles were synthesized on the Vulcan XC72R carbon supports via polyol method. The prepared catalysts were electrochemically and physically characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV,) linear sweep voltammetry, methanol tolerance test, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energydispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Increasing the Se concentration up to 20 at % increased the electro-catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction. By increasing Se amount, Ru metallic form on the surface was increased. The $Ru_{80}Se_{20}$/C catalysts showed the highest oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and outstanding methanol tolerant property in half cell tests as well as single cell test.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.8
• /
• pp.419-424
• /
• 2011

Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on $RuO_2$ nanowire support were successfully synthesized and their electrochemical properties, such as methanol electro-oxidation and electrochemically active surface (EAS) area, were demonstrated for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). After fabricating $RuO_2$ nanowire support via an electrospinning method, two different types of incorporated Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts were prepared using a precipitation method via the reaction with $NaBH_4$ as a reducing agent. One electrocatalyst was 20 wt% Pt/$RuO_2$, and the other was 40 wt% Pt/$RuO_2$. The structural and electrochemical properties of the Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts incorporated on electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support were investigated using a bright field transmission electron microscopy (bright field TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry. The bright field TEM, XRD, and XPS results indicate that Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts with sizes of approximately 2-4 nm were well incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support with a diameter of approximately 50 nm. The cyclic voltammetry results showed that the Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support give superior catalytic activity in the methanol electro-oxidation and a higher electrochemically active surface (EAS) area when compared with the electrospun Pt nanowire electrocatalysts without the $RuO_2$ nanowire support. Therefore, the Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support could be a promising electrode for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2004.03a
• /
• pp.123-134
• /
• 2004

연로로부터 화학에너지를 직접 전기에너지로 바꾸는 연료전지(Fuel Cells)중 고체형 고분자 전해질 연료전지(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell: PEMFC)와 직접 메탄올 연료전지(Direct Methanol Fuel Cell: DMFC)는 효율이 높고, zero emission 가능성으로 차세대 수송용 전원으로 각광받고 있는 미래 환경친화적 에너지원이다. 수소와 산소(또는 공기)와의 반응을 이용한 것이 PEMFC이고, 수소를 연료로 쓰지 않고 액체상 메탄올을 직접 연료로 사용하는 것이 DMFC이다. (중략)

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• 2022.11a
• /
• pp.162-163
• /
• 2022

Maritime transportation is going to transfer to alternative fuels as a result of the worldwide demands toward decarbonization and tougher maritime emissions regulations. Methanol is considered as a potential marine fuel, which has the ability to reduce SOx and CO₂ emissions, reduce climate change effects, and achieve the objective of green shipping. This work proposes and combines the innovative combination system of direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), gas turbines (GT), and organic Rankine cycles (ORC) for maritime vessels. The system's primary power source is the SOFC, while the GT and PEMFC use the waste heat from the SOFC to generate useful power and improve the system's ability to use waste heat. Each component's thermodynamics model and the combined system's model are established and examined. The multigeneration system's energy and exergy efficiency are 76.2% and 30.3%, respectively. When compared to a SOFC stand-alone system, the energy efficiency of the GT and PEMFC system is increased by 19.2%. The use of PEMFC linked SOFC has significant efficiency when a ship is being started or maneuvered and a quick response from the power and propulsion plant is required.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
• /
• v.5C no.4
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2005

A series of inorganic-organic hybrid membranes were prepared with a systematic variation of titanium dioxide nanoparticle content. Their water uptake, methanol permeability and proton conductivity as a function of temperature were investigated. The results obtained show that the inorganic oxide network decreases the proton conductivity and water swelling. It is also found that increase in inorganic oxide content leads to decrease of methanol permeability. In terms of the morphology, membranes are homogeneous and exhibit good adhesion between inorganic domains and the polymer matrix. The properties of the composite membranes are compared with the standard nafion membrane.

• 한국전기화학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.07a
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2003

PtRu alloy and $PtRu-WO_3$ nanocomposite thin-film electrodes for methanol electrooxidation were fabricated by means of a sputtering method. The structural and electrochemical properties of well-defined PtRu alloy thin-film electrodes were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical measurements. The alloy thin-film electrodes were classified as follows: Pt-based and Ru-based alloy structure. Based on structural and electrochemical understanding of the PtRu alloy thin-film electrodes, the well-controlled physical and (electro)chemical properties of $PtRu-WO_3$, showed superior specific current to that of a nanosized PtRu alloy catalyst, The homogeneous dispersion of alloy catalyst and well-formed nanophase structure would lead to an excellent catalytic electrode reaction for high-performance fuel cells. In addition, the enhanced catalytic activity in nanocomposite electrode was found to be closely related to proton transfer in tungsten oxide using in-situ electrochemical transmittance measurement.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.172-175
• /
• 2001

Nanophase catalyst layer for direct methanol fuel cell has been fabricated by magnetron sputtering method. Catalyst metal targets and carbon were sputtered simultaneously on the Nafion membrane surface at abnormally higher gas (Ar/He mixture) pressure than that of normal thin film processing. They could be coated as a novel structure of catalyst layer containing porous PtRu or Pt and carbon particles both in nanometer range. Membrane electrode assembly made with this layer led to a reduction of the catalyst loading. At the catalyst loading of 1.5mg $PtRu/cm^2$ for anode and 1mg $Pt/cm^2$ for cathode, it could provide $45 mW/cm^2$ in the operation at 2 M methanol, 1 Bar Air at 80"C. It is more than $30\%$ increase of the power density performance at the same level of catalyst loading by conventional method. This was realized due to the ultra fine particle sizes and a large fraction of the atoms lie on the grain boundaries of nanophase catalyst layer and they played an important role of fast catalyst reaction kinetics and more efficient fuel path. Commercialization of direct methanol fuel cell for portable electronic devices is anticipated by the further development of such design.