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New Battery systems => Fuel Cells => Topic started by: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 10:18:14 AM

Title: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 10:18:14 AM

Here's a demonstration of an ethanol / alcohol powered fuelcell.

The chemical process takes place in an alkaline environment, the anion exchange membrane has been sourced from Membranes International Inc. â„¢, while the Gas Diffusion Layer is a SIGRACET Gas Diffusion Media â„¢ and has been provided by SGL CARBON GROUP:

Typical Performance Measures:

         20-30 mA per sqcm
         1...1.5 V per Cell Layer
         15 ... 40 °C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ikivavbfw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiAEEjPiyvs

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: hartiberlin on July 12, 2010, 12:24:45 PM

Many thanks Frank,

I would like to build also some kind of alcohol fuel cell
like this.

Could you please tell us, where these membranes and gas diffusion layers
can be got and what their price is ?
Many thanks.


Vielen Dank Frank,
wo bekommt man diese Membranen und was kosten die circa ?

Würde auch gerne mal eine grössere Zelle bauen, die wenigstens 1 Watt liefern
kann.

Kann man dazu auch Brennspiritus benutzen oder
sind die dort drinnen enthaltenen Vergällungsstoffe
eine Belastung für die Membranen und verkleben
oder verunreinigen die ?

Vielen Dank.

Gruss, Stefan.

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: hartiberlin on July 12, 2010, 12:41:49 PM

Here is a pricelist of the anion membrane:

http://www.membranesinternational.com/tech_pricelist.htm

Pretty expensive.
I wonder if it is possible to selfbuild this somehow ?

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 12:47:19 PM

.....correct, the membrane topic is one of the issues to optimize. Concerning the GDL you could simply take some graphit and make a thin film on the electrode.

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 12:48:38 PM

...the alcohol can be anything between whiskey and rum :))

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: hartiberlin on July 12, 2010, 04:39:50 PM

Quote from: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 12:48:38 PM

...the alcohol can be anything between whiskey and rum :))

Does clear transparent  40 % Vodka also work ?
What must be the ethanol concentration in the cell ?

Many thanks.

Regards, Stefan.

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: hartiberlin on July 12, 2010, 04:41:49 PM

Quote from: fuelzell on July 12, 2010, 12:47:19 PM

.....correct, the membrane topic is one of the issues to optimize. Concerning the GDL you could simply take some graphit and make a thin film on the electrode.

Okay, I have graphite electrode like graphite paper or graphite plates made with a acrylic binder.

What film should I put on there best ?
Some nickel metal film or maganese or silver or something simular ?

What have you tried already and what works best ?

Many thanks.

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: hartiberlin on July 12, 2010, 04:43:40 PM

And what akaline concentration must be inside the cell ?

Is water-NaOH or
water - KOH
better for the alkaline solution ?

Many thanks.

Title: Re: alcohol powered fuelcell -- demo vehicle and a single stack (1W)
Post by: fuelzell on July 13, 2010, 10:11:25 AM

well, I've done the the following:

stainless steel-cathode/GDL--in your case graphit//catalyst: carbon/Nickel(II)-chlorid - mix
Anion-Exchange Membrane
Titan-Zinc-anode//catalyst:Vanadium(V)-oxid/Fer/carbon - mix

Apply water to the cathode-catalyst
Apply ethanol to the anode-catalyst -- later add NaOH and it will make a significant difference

Using the GDL I had 1....1.4V per stack

cheers Frank