Can a fuel-cell stack and an enzyme electro-membrane reactor be combined into a multi-functional unit?

First results of an attempt to integrate an electro-membrane enzyme reactor with a fuel-cell stack in order to construct a multi-functional unit are presented. The experimental fuel-cell stack consists of nine single polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (with active cross-sectional area of 26 cm2) consuming pure humidified hydrogen as the fuel. The stack is designed to deliver steady electric power of 30 W (stack voltage of about 6 V at current of about 5 A). The electro-membrane enzyme reactor is composed of five flat-shaped compartments: the cathode and the anode compartments, two reactant stream compartments and the gel slab compartment. The active area of all the compartments is 9 cm2. The operating curves (current–voltage and power–current curves) of both sub-units and their dynamical behaviours have been measured over a wide range of operating conditions. A comparison of the operating curves of the fuel-cell stack and of the electro-membrane reactor confirmed that these sub-units are electrically compatible and can be mutually integrated within a multi-functional unit, whilst the fuel-cell stack provides enough electrical energy to power also the necessary auxiliary equipment (pumps, blowers, etc.).