Abstract
The structure of realizing gas-liquid separation in the anode side of DMFC (Direct Methanol Fuel Cell) by installing a hydrophobic porous media between fuel flow channel and GDL, and CO_2 emission apertures in the anode-side separator plate, is newly developed and the mechanism of the separation is illustrated. The conditions required for controlling both the gas leak to the fuel and the liquid leak to CO_2 emission apertures are investigated experimentally by using test section which imitated this structure of the gas-liquid separator. As a result, it turned out that permeability of the hydrophobic porous media that is important for estimating condition of controlling of gas leak is affected by compression ratio and wetting of the porous media and optimal conditions exist in prevention of liquid leak. The validity of the conditions is inspected in real DMFC cell.
