DEVELOPMENT OF A LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO PLATINUM FOR THE AS A FUEL CELL ELECTROCATALYST.

Información del proyecto

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: EN3E0148

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Julio 1986

Fecha de finalización 31 Diciembre 1988

Financiado con arreglo a

• Research and development programme (EEC) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy, 1985-1988

Coste total

Sin datos

Aportación de la UE

Sin datos

Coordinado por

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Ireland

Objetivo

THE DIRECT METHANOL FUEL, OPERATING IN AN ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT, IS BASED ON THE REACTION : CH3OH + 1.502 = CO2 + 2H2O. THE OXYGEN GAS, REACTING AT THE CATHODE, WILL BE SUPPLIED FROM THE AIR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OXYGEN GAS REACTION IS SLUGGISH. FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION CURRENT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POTENTIAL, AS COMPARED WITH THE THEORETICAL VALUE 1.23 V (RHE). THIS LOSS CAN BE REDUCED, BUT NOT ELIMINATED, BY THE USE OF ELECTROCATALYSTS OF WHICH, ESPECIALLY FOR ACID MEDIA, PLATINUM IS BY FAR THE BEST TO DATE. THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH PLATINUM IS THAT OF EXPENSE AND THE MAIN ECONOMIC BENEFIT EXPECTED FROM THE PRESENT PROJECT IS THAT BY MINIMIZING THE USE OF NOBLE METALS THE CAPITAL COST OF THEDMFC WILL BE REDUCED TO A LEVEL AT WHICH SUCH A SYSTEM WILL BE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE FOR CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL APPLICATIONS, E.G. THE REPLACEMENT OF SOME CONVENTIONAL BATTERY SYSTEMS.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE WORK WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED POROUS ELECTRODE SYSTEMS, AND BETTER METHODS FOR DISPERSING PLATINUM IN A STABLE ACTIVE FORM IN SAME. SPECIAL ATTENTION WILL BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF PLATINUM NECESSARY FOR SUSTAINED ACTIVATION AND SOME ATTENTION WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING IMPROVED PERFORMANCE BY THE USE OF ALLOY SYSTEMS.ONE OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE DMFC IS EXPECTED TO BE ITS ABILITY TO SUPPLY POWER DIRECT AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE USING A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE, EASILY STORED FUEL.

THE AIR CATHODE IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN THE DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL (DMFC). THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A PLATINUM (OR PLATINUM ALLOY) ACTIVATED POROUS ELECTRODE SYSTEM FOR OXYGEN REDUCTION FROM AIR SUPPLIED TO ONE SIDE OF THE ELECTRODE. THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT HERE IS TO MINIMIZE THE QUANTITY OF EXPENSIVE ELECTRO-CATALYST NEEDED TO PROMOTE THE REACTION IN QUESTION. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY (A) DISPERSING THE METAL AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE IN A STABLE FORM ON THE SUPPORT, AND (B) RESTRICTING THE METAL, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO THE ACTIVE REGION OF THE POROUS ELECTRODE STRUCTURE. IN A COMPLEMENTARY PROJECT (BONN UNIVERSITY) AN ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE TO DEVELOP ACTIVE ELECTRODES FOR THIS REACTION BASED ON NON-NOBLE METALCATALYSTS : HOWEVER, THE STABILITY OF THE LATTER IN THE ACID ENVIRONMENT OF THE DMFC REMAINS TO BE TESTED. THE PRESENT PROJECT SHOULD, THEREFORE, ENSURE THAT A SATISFACTORY AIR CATHODE OF THE CLASSICAL TYPE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FUNCTIONING DMFC. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS TYPE OF POROUS ELECTRODE MAY BE OF INTEREST AT THE OTHER SIDE, I.E. AT THE METHANOL ANODE END, OF THE FUEL CELL.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › ciencias químicas › catálisis › electrocatálisis
• ciencias naturales › ciencias químicas › química inorgánica › metales de transición
• ciencias naturales › ciencias químicas › química orgánica › alcoholes
• ingeniería y tecnología › ingeniería ambiental › energía y combustibles › pila de combustible

Programa(s)

• FP1-ENNONUC 3C - Research and development programme (EEC) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy, 1985-1988

Tema(s)

Datos no disponibles

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinador

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: WESTERN ROAD, PRESENTATION BUILDINGS ; 30 CORK ; Irlanda
• Coste total: Sin datos