Characterisation of micro direct methanol fuel cells with silicon plate supported integrated ionomer membranes

This work deals with the investigation and fabrication of Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (μDMFC). They are investigated as a possible alternative for zinc-air batteries in small size consumer devices such as hearing aids. In such devices the conventional rechargeable batteries such as lithium-ion batteries have insufficiently low energy density in the range 240 Wh/L to 300 Wh/L Methanol is a promising fuel for such devices due to the high energy density, with pure methanol having an energy density of 4400 Wh/L. Using a liquid fuel also allows refueling, which can be achieved much faster than battery recharging. These features make μDMFC a suitable replacement energy source for small scale devices. Presented are two devices that delivered a peak performance of 1.7.7 mW/cm² and 2.5 mW/cm² while having drastically different perforated areas; 09% and 40% respectively.