Mass and heat transport in direct methanol fuel cells

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a better alternative to the conventional battery. The DMFC offers several advantages, namely, faster building of potential and longer-lasting fuel, however, there are still several issues that need to be addressed to design a better DMFC system. This article is a wide-ranging review of the most up-to-date studies on mass and heat transfer in the DMFC. The discussion will be focused on the critical problems limiting the performance of DMFCs. In addition, a technique for upgrading the DMFC with an integrated system will be presented, along with existing numerical models for modeling mass and heat transfer as well as cell performance.

► This article is a wide-ranging review of the most up-to-date studies on mass and heat transfer in the DMFC. ► The discussion focused on the critical problems limiting the performance of DMFCs. ► Techniques for upgrading the DMFC with an integrated system will be presented. ► Existing numerical models for modeling mass and heat transfer as well as cell performance are reviewed.