Study on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell (Micro-DEFC) performance

Abstract

The direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is selected for this research. DEFC uses ethanol in the fuel cell instead of the more toxic methanol. Ethanol is more attractive than methanol by many reasons. Ethanol is a hydrogen-rich liquid and it has a higher specific energy (8.0 kWh/kg) compared to that of methanol (6.1 kWh/kg). Ethanol can be obtained in great quantity from biomass through a fermentation process from renewable resources such as sugar cane, wheat, corn, and even straw. The use of ethanol would also overcome both the storage and infrastructure challenge of hydrogen for fuel cell applications. The experimental apparatus on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell for measuring the cell performance has been set for this research. The objective is to study the micro direct ethanol fuel cell performance for applying with the portable electronic devices. The cell performance is specified in the terms of cell voltage, cell current and power of the cell at room operating temperature and 1 atm for the pressure and also includes the ethanol fuel consumption. The effect of operating temperature change on the electrical production performance is also studied. The steady-state time for collecting each data value is about 5-10 minutes. The results show that with the increase of concentrations of ethanol by volume, the reactant concentration at the reaction sites increases so the electrochemical rate also increases but when it reaches the saturated point the performance gradually drops.

Parametric Simulation and Exergy Analysis of a 30w Ethanol Fuel Cell: A Theoretical Approach

“…Traditionally, in energy generation, biomass and waste constitute 74% while oil, natural gas and hydropower consist of 13%, 12% and 1%, respectively (Oyegoke, Dabai, Muhammed, & Jibril, 2017).Ethanol is a biofuel chiefly gotten via the biochemical process of fermentation and biodegradation of agro-allied products: palm-wine, food crops, plant parts, biomasses, and even municipal waste. The advent of ethanol heralds an era of renewable and clean energy fuel with relative equivalent performance and efficiency (Saisirirat & Joommanee, 2018) with other energy sources hence the arrival of the Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC).There is yet no fuel cell that has met the optimum parameter (conditions and materials) for an ideal fuel cell in terms of operating temperature and pressure, electrolyte and membrane type, cell structure, the exchangeable ions, and the reactants in the electrolyte; hence fuel cells are classified based on these parameters. Every operating condition and material consideration for a fuel cell has its demerits, thus, substantial considerations in simulations, models, and designs are based on availability and convenience.…”