On the Study of Fuel Cell

In order to obtain the basic data for the development of practical fuel cell, study was made on design of fuel cell, materials for electrode, catalysts, fuels and electrolytes together with the conditions of their reactions. Of the types of fuel cells, hydrogen-oxygen cell was taken up first and study on its practical applicability was made. Using the data obtained as basis, fuel cell using methanol and other alcohols as fuels were designed and study was made on their designs, electrodes and reacting conditions.For hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, by using granular activated charcoal for electrode, platinum or palladium for catalyst, and potassium hydroxide solution as electrolyte, an open circuit electromotive force fairly near to the theoretical value was obtained but the reaction velocity at the electrode was influenced by the surface area of the three phases of gas, liquid and solid. Because it was found that the wetting of the electrode by the electrolyte greatly influenced the efficiency of the cell, by waterproofing the electrode with silicone and other waterproofing agents, a great improvement in the electrode reaction was noted.For methanol fuel cell studies were carried out to design a cell in which the methanol acted both as fuel and ion carrying medium by dissolving the electrolyte, KOH, in methanol in one experiment and dissolving methanol in KOH solution in another. In either case the object was to design a fuel cell to do away with the boundary of three phases. From these experiments, it became evident that there was fairly good prospect of designing a practical fuel cell. In the methanol fuel cell, when KOH is used as electrolyte, the methanol will dehydrogenate, and the evolved hydrogen will form a hydrogen-oxygen cell. The methanol in the process of oxidation will change to formic acid and it was observed that the electrolyte will become rich in potassium formate.