A coupled electro-chemical model of a direct methanol fuel cell for portable electronic devices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to optimize the performance of direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications by combining a non-linear, fully coupled circuit model and a stochastic optimization procedure. Design/methodology/approach – A novel non-linear equivalent circuit that accounts for electrochemical reactions and charge generation inside catalyst layers, electronic and protonic conduction, methanol crossover through the membrane, mass transport of reactants inside diffusion layers is presented. The discharge dynamic of the fuel cell, depending on the initial methanol concentration and on the load profile, is modelled by using the mass conservation equation. The equivalent circuit is interfaced to a stochastic optimization procedure in order to maximize the battery duration while minimizing fuel crossover. Findings – In the proposed circuit scheme, unlike semi-empirical models, lumped circuit parameters are derived directly from mass transport and electric equations in order to fully describe the dynamic performance of the fuel cell. Physical and geometrical parameters are optimized in order to improve the system runtime. It is shown that a combined use of fuel cells and lithium batteries can improve the runtime of portable electronic devices compared to traditional supply systems based on lithium batteries only. Research limitations/implications – The one-dimensional model of the micro fuel cell does not take into account possible transverse mass and electric charge flows in the fuel cell layers; most of the geometric and physics model parameters cannot be estimated from direct in situ or ex situ measurements. Practical implications – Direct methanol fuel cells are nowadays a promising technology for replacing or complementing lithium batteries due to their high energy density. Most limiting features of direct methanol fuel cells are the fuel crossover and its slow oxidation kinetics. By using the proposed approach, fuel cell parameters can be optimized in order to enhance the discharge runtime and to reduce the methanol crossover. Originality/value – The equivalent circuit model with optimized lumped non-linear parameters can be used when designing power management units for portable electronic devices.