Estimating the methanol crossover rate of PEM and the efficiency of DMFC via a current transient analysis

This work describes a relatively easy transient method for estimating the methanol crossover rate of proton exchange membrane (PEM) and the efficiency of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The method uses a DMFC that includes an anode and cathode chamber; a PEM arranged between the anode and the cathode, and a small motor fan connected to the DMFC. An aqueous solution of methanol is fed into the anode chamber while the motor fan is operated in a loading state, allowing the methanol to crossover to the cathode. The methanol crossover rate of PEM and the efficiency of DMFC are obtained by the current transient analysis.