Power generation characteristics and optimum alcohol concentration in bio-direct alcohol fuel cell using chitin family electrolyte

Abstract

Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) have the potential to become the next-generation portable energy device. However, the development of DAFC requires the explore new electrolytes without fuel crossover. In this study, DAFC with bio-electrolyte have been fabricated and their characteristics have been investigated. Ethanol impermeability measurements revealed that the crossover of ethanol in the chitin and chitosan electrolytes is extremely low. This result indicates that the chitin family electrolyte has the potential of DEFC electrolytes. Furthermore, DAFCs using the chitin electrolyte have been investigated for various alcohol fuels (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and 1-butanol fuels), and the optimum fuel concentrations to achieve the maximum power density in these DAFCs have been determined. In addition, these results and viscosity measurements clarify the optimum alcohol fuel concentration can be obtained by adding the water molecules required for the proton generating reaction to the water molecules required to stabilize alcohol in water.

Keywords

• Biomaterial
• Ethanol impermeability
• Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs)