A Miniature Methanol/Air Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

A design for a miniaturized methanol/air polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is described. The design incorporates all the basic parts of a large methanol/air PEFC in a smaller, simpler package. The electrodes for the mini‐HPEFC are constructed via standard microelectromechanical systems and microelectronic fabrication techniques using silicon substrates. Testing results show that the design successfully miniaturizes a large methanol/air PEFC and that such mini‐PEFCs are able to perform to the levels of large cells in terms of current density. ©2000 The Electrochemical Society