A Strategy for Homogeneous Current Distribution in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells through Spatial Variation of Catalyst Loading
A Strategy for Homogeneous Current Distribution in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells through Spatial Variation of Catalyst Loading
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DOI：
10.33961/jecst.2017.8.4.331
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发表时间：
2017-12
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Sang-min Park;Sang-Kyung Kim;D. Peck;D. Jung
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Sang-min Park;Sang-Kyung Kim;D. Peck;D. Jung
本文提出了一种简单的策略，通过改变电极上的催化剂负载量来实现直接甲醇燃料电池的均匀电流分布。为了对蛇形流场使用相同的总催化剂量，选择了三种空间变化类型的催化剂负载：（i）在阴极出口附近，（ii）在阴极入口附近，和（iii）在横向区域附近增强阴极催化剂负载。催化剂负载的这些变化被示出为改善电流分布的均匀性，特别是在较低电流和较低空气流速下。在这三种变化中，侧向区域附近的负载增加对实现均匀的电流分布贡献最大。每种催化剂负载量变化方法的机制是不同的;显示非常高的催化剂负载量降低了分布的均匀性，这可能是由其厚催化剂层中的水管理引起的。
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.