A new direct methanol fuel cell with a zigzag-folded membrane electrode assembly

We propose a new direct methanol fuel cell with a zigzag-folded membrane electrode assembly. This fuel cell is formed by a membrane, which is made up of anode and cathode electrodes on a zigzag-folded sheet, separated by insulation film and current collectors. Individual anodes, cathodes and membranes form a unit cell, which is connected to the adjacent unit cell. The fuel cell can achieve high output voltage through easy in-series connection. Since it is not necessary to connect electrodes, as in the manner of conventional bipolar plates, there is no increase in fabrication cost and no degradation in reliability. The fuel feeds for the anode and cathode are achieved through methanol and air feeds on each electrode, which do not require electricity to run a pump or blower. The experimental cells were formed with an active area of 16 cm × 2 cm on membrane-folded cells. Filter papers with slits were inserted between anodes to improve their methanol supply. A power density of 3 mW cm⁻² was obtained at a methanol concentration of 2 M at ambient temperature. The cell power was affected by the slit area on cathode.