Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for passive direct methanol fuel cells. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Braz, B.A.; Moreira, C.S.; Oliveira, V.B.; Pinto, A.M.F.R.
• Is Part Of: Energy reports. Volume 8(2022)
• Page Start: 7964
• Page End: 7975
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: Passive direct methanol fuel cell -- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy -- Impedance spectrum -- Equivalent electric circuit -- Review; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.04205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2022.06.045
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-4847

Abstract

Abstract: Passive direct methanol fuel cells (pDMFCs) are a promising power source for portable electronic devices since they achieve higher power densities than the traditional batteries, and use a liquid fuel, methanol, which is easy to handle, storage and distribute. However, some key challenges, such as fuel and water crossover through the membrane and the system durability/lifetime and costs, need to be overcome in order to introduce these systems in the market. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used in fuel cell systems as a powerful tool to diagnose the cell behaviour and acquire useful information regarding the different losses that negatively affect the cell performance, towards its optimisation. This paper presents a review of the work developed with pDMFCs using the EIS technique as a diagnostic tool, including the EIS fundamentals and the equivalent electric circuit concept. Highlights: This work presents a review of the work in pDMFCs using the EIS technique. EIS is a tool used to diagnose the fuel cell behaviour towards its optimisation. EIS allows the identification of the losses that affect the cell performance. Fitting an EEC to the EIS data allows the quantification of the different losses. The different EEC elements should be selected accordingly to the impedance spectrum.