Prediction of methanol and water fluxes through a direct methanol fuel cell polymer electrolyte membrane

Development of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) mass flux model, using conventional transport theory, is presented and used to predict the fluid phase superficial velocity, methanol and water molar fluxes, and the chemical species (methanol and water) dimensionless concentration profiles in the polymer electrolyte membrane, Nafion® 117, of a DMFC. Implementation of these equations is illustrated to generate the numerical data as functions of the variables such as the pressure difference across the membrane, methanol concentration at the cell anode, temperature, and position in the membrane.