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Michael Reinig, Dabir Viswanath, Tushar Ghosh, and Sudarshan Loyalka
NSEI - University of Missouri-Columbia
Advisors: Dr. Dabir Viswanath and Dr. Tushar Ghosh
Abstract
Abstract
Advances in fuel cell technology have been taking place at a rapid pace during the past few years, particularly in the automotive industry. Among the various types of fuel cells, direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) based on methanol (direct methanol fuel cell, DMFC) has received considerable attention. Methanol has many disadvantages such as a high fuel crossover rate, toxic and high vapor pressure as a fuel. For these reasons, other fuels have been investigated, and the one using dimethyl oxalate (DMO) shows significant potential as a DOFC fuel to replace methanol. DMO has a lower fuel crossover rate, higher fuel utilization, is non-toxic and has a higher boiling point compared to methanol. Feasibility of a DMO DOFC has been experimentally evaluated by Peled et al.
In this investigation, thermodynamic calculations for the anode reaction for the DMO fuel cell were carried out and a model based on the dissolution of CO2 was found to be appropriate. Thermodynamic properties of DMO are reviewed and correlations are presented. Experimental vapor pressure data fitted the Antoine's equation for the temperature range of 270 - 400 K and 400 - 500 K resulted in the constants A = 7.9684, B = 2303.38 and C = -145.910 for the first temperature range and A = 11.6186, B = 4616.69 and C = -39.013 for the second temperature range. The data fits the Antoine's equation with a maximum error of 21.1% and an average absolute deviation of 7.8 %.
Michael Reinig St. Louis, MO. He will be graduating in May of 2010 with his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri. In June of 2010 he will be attending the NSEI graduate school at the University of Missouri in the pursuit of his MS in Nuclear Engineering.
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