Key Thermophysical Phenomena Research in PEMFCs und DMFCs

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Werner Lehnert
• Subject Area: Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering
• Term: from 2004 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5418508

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have received extensive attentions for their advantages such as near ambient operation temperature, quick start, high efficiency, zero or low emission etc.. The performance of fuel cells depends to a great extent on thermal and fluid processes with chemical reaction in microchannels encountered in fuel cells. Advanced measurement technologies will be applied to investigate the characteristics of heat and mass transfer and multiphase flow with chemical reaction in microchannels inside fuel cells. The measurement techniques include high-speed camera technology, infrared thermal imaging technology, thermochromatic liquid crystal technology, micro surface thermocouple technology micro heat flux gauge technology and mass transport characterization techniques for porous media. The purpose of our project is to characterize the thermal and fluid phenomena and testify its effects on fuel cell performance in experimental and numerical aspects.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants