Effects of Anode Flow Field Design on CO2 Bubble Behavior in μDMFC.docVIP

Sensors 2009, 9, 3314-3324; doi:10.3390/OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Effects of Anode Flow Field Design on CO2 Bubble Behavior in μDMFC Miaomiao Li 1，Junsheng Liang 1,2，Chong Liu 1,2,*,Gongquan Sun 3 and Gang Zhao 3 1 Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning Province, 116023, P.R. China; E-Mail: limiaomiao_mems@163.com (M.L.) 2 Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning Province, P.R. China 3 Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Laboratory, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning Province, P. R. China * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail address: chongl@ (C.L.); Tel.: +86 411 fax: +86 411 Received: 15 April 2009; in revised form: 24 April 2009 / Accepted: 27 April 2009/ Published: 6 May 2009 Abstract: Clogging of anode flow channels by CO2 bubbles is a vital problem for further performance improvements of the micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC). In this paper, a new type anode structure using the concept of the non-equipotent serpentine flow field (NESFF) to solve this problem was designed, fabricated and tested. Experiments comparing the μDMFC with and without this type of anode flow field were implemented using a home-made test loop. Results show that the mean-value, amplitude and frequency of the inlet-to-outlet pressure drops in the NESFF is far lower than that in the traditional flow fields at high μDMFC output current. Furthermore, the sequential images of the CO2 bubbles as well as the μDMFC performance with different anode flow field pattern were also investigated, and the conclusions are in accordance with those derived from the pressure drop experiments. Results of this study indicate that th