JAPANESE JOURNAL OF MULTIPHASE FLOW
Online ISSN : 1881-5790
Print ISSN : 0914-2843
ISSN-L : 0914-2843
Papers:
Study on Two-Phase Flow in Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
(Influence of Wettability of Anode Channel Wall on Flow and Generating Performance)
Shinsuke HIRANOShigeaki ITOHEiji EJIRI
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2013 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 160-167

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Abstract
The direct methanol fuel cell is one of the most promising candidates of the next-generation power sources for small electric appliances. However, there still remain some issues, one of which is regarding carbon dioxide bubbles generated in the anode channel. They tend to cover the gas diffusion layer (GDL) surface, obstruct the reaction and deteriorate the overall fuel cell performance. Therefore, it is important to clarify the flow mechanisms of the gas-liquid two-phase flow of methanol solution. In this study, the influence of wettability of the anode channel walls on the fuel cell performance was investigated along with flow visualization and pressure measurements using a special experimental setup. The results showed that a higher and more stable output voltage was obtained in the fuel cell with hydrophobic channel walls. The results also showed that CO2 bubbles tended to detach from the GDL surface, merge and attach to the hydrophobic channel walls, which probably led to facilitate fuel supply and CO2 gas emission.
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© 2013 by The Japanese Society for Multiphase Flow
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