One of the problems that need to be solved in fuel cell general design is the ability to measure a concentration of fuel, such as methanol that is dissolved in water. Conventionally, electrochemical methods are used for measuring current passing through the cell, which provides an indication of concentration of the compound in the cell. The measurement precision of the conventional methods, however, is low.
Solution
The present invention provides a method of converting a compound (such as methanol) the concentration of which is difficult to measure, into a compound (such as carbon dioxide), concentration of which is easy to measure by conventional methods. The conversion is provided by a diffusion structure that controls the amount of the methanol diffused into an air flow passage. Then, a transfer structure converts the methanol into carbon dioxide on the surface of the transfer structure.
Competitive Advantage
The invention provides a unique approach to high precision, low cost concentration measurement in fuel.
Applications
This technology allows for a high precision, low cost and fast response concentration measurement method. It can be easily utilized outside of fuel cell applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemical synthesis, and food processing.
Patent Status
International patent application
WO2007149544
entitled "MULTI-PURPOSE CONCENTRATION SENSORS AND TEST METHODS" was published on December 27, 2007.
Licensing Opportunity
We are seeking a commercialization partner with capabilities in product development, sales, and marketing. An exclusive worldwide license is available.
About the Inventors
Hongtan Liu received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Miami. During the period from 8/1996 to 8/1997, Dr. Liu was a Senior Research Engineer at Energy Partners, Inc., a PEM fuel cell developer. At present, he is a Professor and the Director of the Dorgan Solar Energy and Fuel Cell Laboratory at the University of Miami. He has supervised 10 Ph.D. dissertations and numerous M.S. theses in the areas of PEM fuel cell, two-phase flows, and solar energy. As a faculty member at the University of Miami, he received the Eliahu Jury Excellence in Research Award two times. Dr. Liu has served as the Principal Investigator and Co-PI in more than ten research projects funded by DOE, NSF, and private entities. He is leading a team on fuel cell research at the University of Miami, where he and his associates first proposed and successfully developed the CFD based PEM fuel cell models using unified domain approach. Currently, he is very active in fuel cell research and has been invited to give nine plenary and keynote lectures in international conferences on fuel cell research. Dr. Liu is the author or co-author of two textbooks, two book chapters, and more than 100 research papers in international journal and conference proceedings, and he is an Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Jiahua Han received a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Miami. His special interests are in fuel cell and other renewable energy technologies, finite element analysis methods and hydraulic system design and test.
Selected References
Jiahua Han and Hongtan Liu, A ultrasound enhanced direct methanol fuel cell, J. Power Sources, Vol. 164, pp. 90-93, 2007.
Jiahua Han and Hongtan Liu, Real time measurements of methanol crossover in a DMFC, J. Power Sources, Vol. 164, pp. 166-173, 2007.
Jiabin Ge and Hongtan Liu, A three dimentional two phase flow model for a liquid-fed direct methanol fuel cell, J. Power Sources, Vol. 163, pp. 907- 915, 2007.
Jiahua Han, Xiangyang Zhou and Hongtan Liu, Ab initio simulation on the mechanism of proton transport in water, J. Power Sources, Vol. 161, pp. 1420-1427, 2006.
Tianhong Zhou and Hongtan Liu, The effects of electrical resistance of GDL in PEM fuel cells, J. Power Sources, Vol. 161, pp. 444-453, 2006.
Jiabin Ge, Hongtan Liu, A three-dimensional mathematical model for liquid-fed direct methanol fuel cells, J. Power Sources, Vol. 160, pp. 413- 421, 2006.
Jiabin Ge, Andrew Higier, Hongtan Liu, Effect of gas diffusion layer compression on PEM fuel cell performance, J. Power Sources, Vol. 159, pp. 922-927, 2006.
Honghui Yang, Liejin Guo, Wei Yan, Hongtan Liu, A novel composite photocatalyst for water splitting hydrogen production, Vol 159, pp. 1305-1309, J. Power Sources, 2006.
Yiliang Liu, Liejin Guo, Wei Yan, Hongtan Liu, A composite visible-light photocatalyst for hydrogen production, Vol 159, pp. 1300-1304, J. Power Sources, 2006.
Hong Sun, Guangsheng Zhang, LieJin Guo, Hongtan Liu, A Novel Technique for Measuring Current Distribution in PEM Fuel Cells, J. Power Sources, Vol. 158, pp. 326-332, 2006.
Lixin You and Hongtan Liu, A two-phase flow and transport model for PEM fuel cells, J. Power Sources, Vol. 155, pp. 219-230, 2006.
Hong Sun, Guo Liejin, Liu Hongtan, Effect of operating parameters on water transport in PEM fuel cells, Heat Transfer- Asian Research, Vol. 35, pp. 89-100, 2006.
Hongtan Liu, Tianhong Zhou and Ping Cheng, Transport Phenomena Analysis in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, ASME J. Heat Transfer, Vol. 127, pp. 1363-1379, 2005.
Hong Sun, Hongtan Liu, Liejin Guo. PEM fuel cell performance and its two-phase mass transport, J. Power Sources, 143:125-135, 2005.
Jiabin Ge, Hongtan Liu, Experimental studies of a direct methanol fuel cell, J. Power Sources, 142, 56-69, 2005.
Tianhong Zhou and Hongtan Liu, A 3D model of PEM fuel cell operated on reformate, J. Power Sources, Vol. 138, pp. 101-110, 2004.
Lin Wang and Hongtan Liu, Performance studies of PEM fuel cell with interdigitated flow fields. J. Power Sources, Vol. 134/2, pp 185-196, 2004.
Lin Wang, Attila Husar, Tianhong Zhou, Hongtan Liu, A parametric study of PEM fuel cell performances, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 28, pp. 1263-1272, 2003
A Kazim, P. Forges and H.T. Liu, Effects of cathode operating conditions on performance of a PEM fuel cell with interdigitated flow fields, Int. J. Energy Research, Vol. 27, pp. 401-414., 2003.
Hongtan Liu and Tianhong Zhou, Fuel Cell Performance Augmentation by Mass Transfer Enhancement, J. Enhanced Heat Transfer, Vol. 10, pp. 257, 2003.
T. Zhou and H. Liu, Heat transfer enhancement in fuel cells with interdigitated flow field design, Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Vol. 2, pp. 97-105, 2002.
Lixin You and Hongtan Liu, A Two-Phase Flow and Transport Model for the Cathode of PEM Fuel Cells, Int. J. of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 45, pp.2277-2287, 2002.
Tianhong Zhou and Hongtan Liu, A General Three-Dimensional Model for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Int. J. of Transport Phenomena, Vol.3, pp.177-198, 2001.
Lixing You and Hongtan Liu, A parametric study of the cathode catalyst layer of PEM fuel cell suing a pseudo-homogeneous model, Int. J. of Hydrogen Energy, pp. 991-999, Vol. 26, 2001.
Vladimir Gurau, Frano Barbir, and Hongtan Liu, An Analytical Solution of a Half-Cell Model for PEM Fuel Cells, J. Electrochemical Society, Vol. 147 (7), pp. 2468-2477, 2000.
A. Kazim, H. Liu and P. Forges, Modeling of Performance of PEM Fuel Cells with Conventional and Interdigitated Flow Field, J. Applied Electrochemistry, Vol. 29, pp. 1409 - 1416, 1999.
Vladmir Gurau, Hongtan Liu and Sadik Kakac, A Two Dimensional Non-Isothermal Mathematical Model for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, AIChE Journal, Vol. 44 (11), pp. 2410-2422, 1998.
