Evaluation of structural aspects and operation environments on the performance of passive micro direct methanol fuel cell.

Passive micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC) which operates based on fuel diffusion is preferred for portable applications for its structural simplicity. In this work, we have systematically investigated multiple variables including the hot-press conditions, current collector channel patterns, current collector open ratios, and their effects on the performance for passive μDMFC by experiments and simulations. Results indicate that vertical stripe pattern (VSP) is preferred for both anodes and cathodes due to the upward reaction products drift by natural convection. Open ratio of 45.6% and 35.8% are found to yield the best performance for anode and cathode, respectively. In addition, the external environmental conditions of vibration frequency, cell orientation, environmental temperature and atmospheric pressure are all discussed in detail in this work. The optimized fabrication, assembly and operation parameters shed light on the design considerations necessary for the wide adaptation of high-performance and durable passive μDMFC for portable applications. • Hot-pressing parameters of pressure, time and temperature are optimized. • A 3D model considering contact resistance is established. • The current collectors with different channel patterns are evaluated. • The current collectors with different open ratios are optimized. • The effects of external environmental parameters are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]