Self-Pumping Micro Fuel-Cell System with Scalable Monolithic Construction

具有可扩展整体结构的自泵微型燃料电池系统

• 批准号: 0824269
• 负责人: Chang-Jin Kim
• 金额: $ 33万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-10-01 至 2011-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0824269&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Self; Pumping; Micro; Fuel; Cell

AbstractThe objective of this research is to establish a fuel-cell architecture that maintains the energy density even with miniaturization down to millimeters. The approach is to eliminate all the supporting components (pump, gas separator, membrane electrode assembly, and the interconnections) from the fuel-cell construction, leaving only the active fluidic materials and the housing structure in the system. Such a revolutionary system is proposed feasible by integrating two recent technologies: self-circulation of liquid reactants and laminar-flow fuel cells.Intellectual merit: While already commercialized in regular scale, fuel cells have been encountering serious challenges in system miniaturization below a centimeter. Since most of the components essential in the existing fuel cells cannot be miniaturized to microscale, micro fuel cells would require a completely new architecture free of discrete components. Such a system is proposed by circulating the liquid reactants by the self-generated CO2 bubbles in a membrane-free fuel cell based on laminar flows. When developed successfully, the ultra-compact system can be fabricated without assembly.Broader Impact: Due to the high energy density of their fuels, micro fuel cells are promising to extend the operation time of many small devices ?{ from cell phones to remote sensors. Considering the ever-increasing use of portable devices, the environment friendliness of fuel cells should also be noted. The proposed work requires an interdisciplinary and integrated approach in research and education on the issues ranging from microfluidics, fuel cells, microfabrication, and applications, to societal impact. Students will gain first-hand experience for their future career in miniaturized systems and alternative energies.

摘要本研究的目标是建立一种燃料电池结构，即使在小型化到毫米的情况下也能保持能量密度。该方法是从燃料电池构造中消除所有支撑部件（泵、气体分离器、膜电极组件和互连），仅在系统中留下活性流体材料和壳体结构。这样一个革命性的系统，提出了可行的整合两个最新的技术：自循环的液体反应物和层流燃料电池。智力优点：虽然已经在常规规模的商业化，燃料电池已经遇到了严重的挑战，在系统小型化低于厘米。由于现有燃料电池中的大多数重要组件无法小型化到微米级，因此微型燃料电池将需要一种完全没有分立组件的全新架构。这种系统是通过在基于层流的无膜燃料电池中通过自生CO2气泡循环液体反应物而提出的。更广泛的影响：由于燃料的高能量密度，微型燃料电池有望延长许多小型设备的运行时间。从手机到远程传感器。考虑到便携式设备的使用不断增加，还应注意燃料电池的环境友好性。拟议的工作需要在研究和教育方面采取跨学科和综合的方法，涉及从微流体，燃料电池，微制造和应用到社会影响的问题。学生将获得他们未来在小型化系统和替代能源的职业生涯的第一手经验。