Separator-free fuelcell stacks operating in a mixture of hydrogen and air

Abstract

Fuel cells for vehicular and residential applications have encountered a key technical challenge in cost reduction. This challenge can be avoided by operating a fuel cell stack without the use of gas separators, which are expensive and voluminous and therefore comprise a significant portion of the cost of a fuel cell stack. Single-chamber fuel cells (SCFCs) have the potential of realizing such operation, because there is no need for separation between fuel and air. In this paper, we present a selective anode (PtAu/C) and cathode (Pr-doped Mn₂O₃/C) for respective electrochemical hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions in a SCFC. A single cell with these electrodes operated at 50 °C generated an open-circuit voltage of 1204 mV and a peak power density of 50 mW cm⁻² in a feed mixture of 80% hydrogen and 20% air at a flow rate of 30 mL min⁻¹. The high selectivity of these electrodes also enabled the design of two different separator-free fuel cell stacks, parallel and perpendicular to the gas stream. Both cell stacks exhibited increasing stack voltage and power output almost proportionally to the increase in the number of single cells. These results demonstrate that the separator-free fuel cell stack shows high potential for a significant reduction of the cost of fuel cell systems.