Activation of Carbon Porous Paper for Alkaline Alcoholic Fuel Cells

Deva Harsha Perugupalli, Tao Xu and Kyu Taek Cho
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Deva Harsha Perugupalli: Electrochemical Thermal Energy Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
Tao Xu: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
Kyu Taek Cho: Electrochemical Thermal Energy Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: In this study, various treatment methods to increase the reactivity of carbon porous electrodes for alkaline alcoholic fuel cells were investigated with commercially available carbon papers to understand the characteristic electrochemical behaviors of the treated carbon electrodes and to find the best method to enhance the cell performance. Effects of thermal treatment, potassium hydroxide (KOH) treatment, N 2 doping, and reaction-area control via a multi-layered structure were compared in the cell-based tests, and a huge improvement in the cell performance (i.e., 64% increase of open circuit voltage (OCV) and 320% increase of max power density) was found from the thermal-treated four-layered carbon porous electrode. The results were compared with those from platinum on carbon (Pt/C)-based cells, and a discussion on the direction of research in the future was conducted. The results of this study are expected to provide key guidelines for alcoholic fuel cell (AFC) developers to develop cost-effective AFC with a carbon electrode.

Keywords: alcoholic fuel cell; carbon porous paper; multi-layered electrode; nitrogen doping; potassium hydroxide treatment; thermal treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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