Two dimensional point of use fuel cell : a final LDRD project report.

Zavadil, Kevin Robert ; Hickner, Michael A. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA) ; Gross, Matthew L. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA)

Sandia National Laboratories

关键词: 30 Direct Energy Conversion;    Proliferation;    Oxidation;    Nanotubes;    Carbon;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1011683
RP-ID  :  SAND2011-1269
RP-ID  :  AC04-94AL85000
RP-ID  :  1011683

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The Proliferation Assessment (program area - Things Thin) within the Defense Systems and Assessment Investment Area desires high energy density and long-lived power sources with moderate currents (mA) that can be used as building blocks in platforms for the continuous monitoring of chemical, biological, and radiological agents. Fuel cells can be an optimum choice for a power source because of the high energy densities that are possible with liquid fuels. Additionally, power generation and fuel storage can be decoupled in a fuel cell for independent control of energy and power density for customized, application-driven power solutions. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are explored as a possible concept to develop into ultrathin or two-dimensional power sources. New developments in nanotechnology, advanced fabrication techniques, and materials science are exploited to create a planar DMFC that could be co-located with electronics in a chip format. Carbon nanotubes and pyrolyzed polymers are used as building block electrodes - porous, mechanically compliant current collectors. Directed assembly methods including surface functionalization and layer-by-layer deposition with polyelectrolytes are used to pattern, build, and add functionality to these electrodes. These same techniques are used to incorporate nanoscale selective electrocatalyst into the carbon electrodes to provide a high density of active electron transfer sites for the methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions. The resulting electrodes are characterized in terms of their physical properties, electrocatalytic function, and selectivity to better understand how processing impacts their performance attributes. The basic function of a membrane electrode assembly is demonstrated for several prototype devices.