One of the engineering challenges in fuel cell development is improving performance in power generation. For example, one of the largest obstacles in commercializing Direct Methanol Fuel Cells is its poor performance due to low anode reaction activity. Conventional methods that increase current density include increased fuel and oxygen pressure, flow rate or operating temperature of the cell. Unfortunately, the effects of these methods are limited.
Solution
This invention applies ultrasound to the liquid fuel to improve the performance of the cell. Experimental results indicate that the current density is increased by 15-25% under different operating voltages when the fuel cell is enhanced by the ultrasound.
Competitive Advantage
This invention is a low cost and simple design solution that improves fuel cell performance by 15-25%.
Applications
The method is applicable to different types of liquid fueled fuel cells and liquid electrolyte fuel cells.
Patent Status
International patent application
WO2008105790
entitled "ULTRASONICALLY ENHANCED FUEL CELL SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE" was published on September 4, 2008.
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
Dr. 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.
Jiabin Ge received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Miami. His Ph.D. dissertation is in the area of direct methanol fuel cells. He is currently a senior engineer with Oorja Protonics, a private company that specializes in direct methanol fuel cells, located in California.
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 (corresponding author), "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.
