The Effect of the Anode Loading and Method of MEA Fabrication on DMFC Performance

✍ Scribed by T. V. Reshetenko; H.-T. Kim; U. Krewer; H.-J. Kweon

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 472 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1615-6846
• DOI: 10.1002/fuce.200600030

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The influence of the Pt‐Ru anode loading and MEA preparation techniques on direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance is studied. Two different anode catalyst layer preparation techniques are employed. One is the direct coating of anode catalyst ink on a membrane to form a catalyst coated membrane, CCM~anode~, and the other is the coating of the ink on the diffusion layers, which generates a catalyst coated substrate, CCS~anode~. The power density of a combined CCM~anode~/CCS~cathode~ MEA is higher than for a CCS~anode~/CCS~cathode~ MEA. The main difference in the performance is observed in the high current density region, where two‐phase flow is present and mass transfer processes govern the performance. The CCM~anode~ and CCS~anode~ have different macroscopic structures, while showing the same microscopic morphology. Based on their morphological differences, it is expected that the combination of the CCM~anode~ and carbon paper provides the more homogeneous removal of CO~2~ at high currents. The authors suggest that the application of the CCM~anode~ with an optimal anode loading improves anode mass transfer, reduces methanol crossover, and enhances the electrochemical reactions.