• 전기학회논문지P
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• 제58권4호
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• pp.592-596
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• 2009

DAFC(direct alcohol fuel cell) takes the same structure and operational principle with PEMFC(Proton exchange membrane fuel cell). However, DAFC, which uses liquid alcohol instead of hydrogen as fuel, is able to be used as a portable power for small-scaled electronic devices such as MP3, PMP, and mobile phone because alcohol is quite convenient steady-state compound to carry and store it. This paper presents the OCV(open circuit voltage) characteristics of the cases which are alcohol species and different weight rate of ethanol, respectively. The OCV of methanol fuel cell is slightly higher 0.2V than ethanol one, and 8% wt. rate ethanol is rated as the most appropriate fuel for DAFC.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.173-180
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• 2009

DMFC (Direct Methanol Fuel Cell)용의 새로운 고분자 전해질 멤브레인을 개발하기 위하여 스티렌 단량체를 poly(tetrafluoroethylene perfluoropropyl vinyl ether) (PFA) 필름에 그라프트 중합 반응시킨 후에 술폰화 반응을 진행하였다. $\Upsilon$-ray를 이용하여 방사선 그라프트 중합 반응시킨 방사선 그라프트 필름의 술폰화 반응은 chlorosulfonic acid/dichloroethane (5 v/v%) 혼합 용액에서 진행하였다. PFA 그라프트 폴리스티렌 멤브레인 (PFA-g-PSSA)의 화학적, 물리적, 전기화학적 및 형태의 특성은 푸리에 변환 적외선 분광기 (FTIR), 이온전도도 측정기 및 주사전자현미경 (SEM)으로 분석하고 함수율과 메탄올 투과도도 측정하였다. PFA-g-PSSA 멤브레인으로 제작한 MEA의 단위전지 성능을 평가하였고, 전지의 셀 저항은 임피던스 분석 장치를 이용하여 측정하였다. PFA-g-PSSA 멤브레인으로 제조한 MEA는 Nafion 112로 제조한 MEA보다 우수한 DMFC 성능을 나타내었다.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.31-39
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• 2005

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is considered as a candidate for portable power sources, that could overcome the disadvantages of lithium battery. But in order to attain commercial viability the long term stability of the DMFC should be achieved. Understanding the long-term behavior of membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) is a prerequisite to this purpose and the optimization of the MEA is also needed. In this study we have investigated the changes in performance and electrochemical properties of the MEA during extended operation and the effects of heat treatment of MEA on the long-term performance. The MEAs have been treated in an autoclave with saturated water vapor at 120$^{\circ}C$, vacuum oven at 140$^{\circ}C$ and boiling in organic solvents. The autoclaved MEA was found to be have the best long term performance. The on-off operation mode also increased the performance probably due to effective removal of products from the electrodes. Physical and electrochemical analyses using a scanning electron microscope, impedance analyser and half-cell technique have been done to characterize the MEAs.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.219-233
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• 2009

Mobile devices in the next generation such as camera, cell phone, network, Note PC, etc. require higher power and energy sources due to convergences of various functions. Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been focused as an attractive power source, but there are critical issues involved in its commercialization with regard to the core technologies of materials, components, and system. The requirements of key technologies are differentiated from applications and fuel supply methods. Here, the roles of the proton-conducting membrane are discussed and the current status of DMFC systems is discussed in terms of proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and water management. Materials such as perfluorinated and partially fluorinated membranes, hydrocarbon membranes, composite membranes, and other modified ionomers have been studied. These would explain the critical issues of DMFC and the role of membranes for commercialization.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.769-774
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• 2011

NaOH 활성화법을 이용하여 다공성 탄소나노섬유(carbon nanofibers; 이하 CNF)를 온도 범위 700~$900^{\circ}C$에서 합성하였고, 상기 제조된 다공성 CNF를 담지체로 하여 직접메탄올 연료전지의 연료극용 촉매를 제조하고 평가하였다. NaOH 활성화에 의한 CNF 표면 특성의 변화를 비표면적 및 기공 크기 분포 자료를 통하여 조사하였고, 형상 및 구조의 변화를 전자현미경을 통하여 관찰하였다. 활성화 CNF에 담지된 촉매의 활성을 메탄올 산화 특성 및 단위전지를 통하여 평가하였다. 본 활성화 방법에 의한 기공의 형성과 이에 담지된 촉매의 활성과의 관계에 대한 고찰을 하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.319-322
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• 2009

This paper investigated environmental effects for passive, air-breathing, and vapor-feeding direct methanol fuel cells. In these experiments, experimental parameters are temperature($30^{\circ}C$, $40^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity(25%, 50%, 75%). From these experimental results, the water contents play a key role in terms of optimal ionic conductivity at the cathode catalyst layer. In case of pure methanol feeding, the performance is inversely proportional to the relative humidity. The water generation resulting from methanol crossover maintains ionic conductivity at the cathode. On the contrary, diluted methanol solution (50wt.%) lowers methanol crossover to the cathode. In order to increase ionic conductivity, the relatively high humidity is required to the cathode catalyst layer for the water generation. The relative humidity scales with the performance.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2012년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.803-804
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• 2012

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.331-337
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• 2017

A simple strategy is proposed herein for attaining uniform current distribution in direct methanol fuel cells by varying the catalyst loading over the electrode. In order to use the same total catalyst amount for a serpentine flow field, three spatial variation types of catalyst loading were selected: enhancing the cathode catalyst loading (i) near the cathode outlet, (ii) near the cathode inlet, and (iii) near the lateral areas. These variations in catalyst loading are shown to improve the homogeneity of the current distribution, particularly at lower currents and lower air-flow rates. Among these three variations, increased loading near the lateral areas was shown to contribute most to achieving a homogenous current distribution. The mechanism underlying each catalyst loading variation method is different; very high catalyst-loading is shown to decrease the homogeneity of the distribution, which may be caused by water management in the thick catalyst layer thereof.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2008년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.33-36
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• 2008

The transient behavior of a passive air breathing direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operated on vapor-feeding mode is studied in this paper. It generally takes 30 minutes after starting for the cell response to come to its steady-state and the response is sometimes unstable. A mathematical dynamic one-dimensional model for simulating transient response of the DMFC is presented. In this model a DMFC is decomposed into its subsystems using lumped model and divided into five layers, namely the anodic diffusion layer, the anodic catalyst layer, the proton exchange membrane (PEM), the cathodic catalyst layer and the cathodic diffusion layer. All layers are considered to have finite thickness, and within every one of them a set of differential-algebraic governing equations are given to represent multi-components mass balance, such as methanol, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide, charge balance, the electrochemical reaction and mass transport phenomena. A one-dimensional, isothermal and mass transport model is developed that captures the coupling between water generation and transport, oxygen consumption and natural convection. The single cell is supplied by pure methanol vapor from a methanol reservoir at the anode, and the oxygen is supplied via natural air-breathing at the cathode. The water is not supplied from external source because the cell uses the water created at the cathode using water back diffusion through nafion membrane. As a result of simulation strong effects of water transport were found out. The model analysis provides several conclusions. The performance drop after peak point is caused by insufficiency of water at the anode. The excess water at the cathode makes performance recovery impossible. The undesired crossover of the reactant methanol through the PEM causes overpotential at the cathode and limits the feeding methanol concentration.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.11-15
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• 2008

The composite membrane for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was developed using $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ powder and perfluorosulfonylfluroride copolymer (Nafion) resin. The perfluorosulfonylfluroride copolymer (Nafion) resin was mixed with $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ powder and it was made to sheet form by hot pressing. The electrodes were prepared with 60 wt% PtRu/C and 60wt% Pt/C catalysts for anode and cathode, respectively. The morphology and the chemical composition of the composite membrane have been investigated by using SEM and EDXA, respectively. The composite membrane and $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ were analyzed by using FT-IR and XRD. The methanol permeability of the composite membranes was also measured by gas chromatography (GC). The performance of the MEA containing the composite membrane (2wt% $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$) was higher than that of normal pure Nafion membrane at high operating temperature (e.g. $110^{\circ}C$), due to the homogenous distribution of $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$, which decreased the methanol permeability through the membrane and enhanced the water contents in the composite membrane.