(Invited) Recent Advances on Energy Conversion Using Microfluidic Fuel Cells Technology, Case: Glucose Membraneless Micro Fuel Cell Stack

• Published in: ECS transactions Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 865 - 874
• Main Authors: Cuevas-Muñiz, Francisco Mherande, Chavez, Abraham Ulises, Guerra-Balcázar, Minerva, Godínez Mora-Tovar, Luis Arturo, Ledesma-García, Janet, Arriaga, Luis Gerardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2014
• ISSN: 1938-5862; 1938-6737
• DOI: 10.1149/06403.0865ecst

A no-flow membraneless fuel cell stack for energy conversion is evaluated integrating bimetallic materials as selective electrocatalysts based on Ag-alloys. TGA and XRF characterization allowed know the composition of the catalysts. XPS studies were performed to determinate the electronic state of the metals in the electrocatalyst. The stack was machined using low-cost techniques and non-expensive materials. The batch feeding mechanism considers a unique fluid composed of glucose and oxygen in alkaline medium at room temperature. The stack was able of delivering up to 60 µW for 10 minutes on a single charge of the fuel-oxidant mixture at room temperature. When the stack was fueled by glucose at 10 mM, the device harvested 0.053 mAh after 40 minutes of operation; furthermore when it was fed by glucose at 100 mM a 0.065 mAh charge was reached after 75 minutes. The results encourage the possibility of building a membraneless stack regardless of external power supplies such as micro-pumps.