DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology, being a promising technology to play one of the most important roles to power next generation electronic devices, more specifically handheld portable electronic devices, is rightly getting utmost importance from leading researchers and technologists all over the world. Developments in all aspects of this prospective device, including materials, components, design, efficiency, and marketing, have been taking place at a rapid pace; as a result, this device technology is gradually getting promoted from laboratory to industrial scale for potential commercialization. Nevertheless, there still exist some performance-hindering critical drawbacks that are serving as serious resistance to the widespread commercialization goal of this device technology. Therefore the need of the hour is to work on these drawbacks and ensure rapid progress of this prospective device technology. The aim of this book is to provide a thorough and in-depth discussion and analysis of the DMFC device technology. This book discusses almost every single aspect of this device technology, the associated advantages and drawbacks over the state-of-the-art materials and design, application potentials in portable electronic devices, commercialization aspects, and possible future directions of research and development. Starting with a general introduction in Chapter 1, Introduction to direct methanol fuel cells, the readers will be led through discussions and presentations of up-to-date developments in membrane electrolytes (Chapters 25), electrodes (Chapter 6: Carbonbased electrodes for direct methanol fuel cells), catalyst systems (Chapter 710), gas diffusion layer (Chapter 11: Gas diffusion layers for direct methanol fuel cells), designing of stacks and bipolar plates (Chapter 12: Stack and bipolar plates design for direct methanol fuel cells), passive DMFCs (Chapter 13: Technology of passive micro-direct methanol fuel cells), mathematical modeling (Chapter 14: Mathematical modeling approaches in direct methanol fuel cells), electrochemistry, reaction mechanisms and kinetics (Chapter 15: Electrochemistry, reaction mechanisms, and reaction kinetics in direct methanol fuel cells), and application in portable electronic devices to commercialization aspects (Chapter 16: Direct methanol fuel cells in portable applications: materials, designs, operating parameters, and practical steps toward commercialization). Containing critically analyzed contributions from several well-known experts around the world, this book is likely to serve as one of the most comprehensive and authoritative literature that has ever been published in the field of DMFCs and will undoubtedly serve as a potent source of information for engineers, technologists, scientists, professors, and graduate students in the domain of DMFCs, and also for general readers who are interested in this field. Therefore, as the editor, I believe that this book will enjoy readerships from all concerned sectors of our society, that is, academia, industries, policymakers and general public. I wish you all an enriching reading experience!