Design of a New Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Utilizing MEMS Technology

In this paper, a special micro DMFC using MEMS technology is designed to work in circumrotating condition, which providing power using inertia over-load. The designed cell is a cylinder, anode channel is inside, cathode is outside and exposes to the air. When the overload exceeds the critical value, the liquid inside reserve tank will splash and comes into the two electrodes, and then the cell will be activated. The voltage, current density and work time of DMFC are calculated, fuel tank and active system are designed to satisfy the working condition, and the DMFC performance of serpentine and parallel flow fields is analyzed preliminary. A current collector open ration of 70% is chosen in the design of the DMFC, and effect of the open ratio on the performance of the DMFC is analysed simultaneously. Furthermore, cathode and anode plates are fabricated using a MEMS technology--3D KOH- etching. Although there are many experimental works to do to testify its performance, it is true that the flow field simulation is authentic and the primary design is feasible.