Analysis of the Liquid Flow and By-product Behavior in the Anode-side Passage of a Direct Ethanol Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

A direct ethanol polymer electrolyte fuel cell (DEFC) is an energy conversion system suitable for recycle-oriented society on the point that it uses innocuous bio-fuel, but there exists a problem that its power generation performance is low. One of the causes is the generation and stagnation of by-products in the anode-side passage. In this study, the authors have conducted numerical and experimental analyses of the liquid flow in various types of channels in the anode-side passage for estimating the pressure loss between an inlet and an outlet, and also for investigating the behavior of by-products such as acetic acid produced in the passage. It has been found that a serpentine channel with branches is preferable because the pressure loss in the channel is much lower than in a serpentine channel and also the channel is likely to discharge by-products smoothly.