Investigation of key parameters influence on performance of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC)

Direct ethanol fuel cell has been declared as a new alternative for other fuel cells such as direct methanol fuel cell and proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In this paper, effects of key parameters such as temperature, anode and cathode flow rate, molarity and cathode pressure have been investigated on ethanol fuel cell performance. Maximum power density and fuel cell performance will increase by temperature rising because of ion conductivity, diffusion and reaction rate increase. Molarity augmentation will increase ethanol concentration in catalyst layer and reaction rate which leads to better performance of the cell. Anode and cathode flow rate and cathode pressure will slightly increase fuel cell performance.