Miniature fuel cells for portable power applications

This paper reports the development of miniaturized fuel cells for the generation of electric power from methanol. The developed fuel cells are made of flexible polymer materials and are capable of generating a peak power output density of 0.2 mW/cm² from a single device. The output power can be scaled up by employing an array of the developed fuel cells or by connecting them in series or parallel configurations. Due to the small dimensions of the developed device, it can be used for power supply applications for portable devices and appliances. Further, the fabrication of these fuel cells by polymer materials allows some degree of physical flexibility, allowing for stacking of multiple fuel cells in a small volume. This makes the developed devices suitable for powering wearable electronics.