Advancements in the direct hydrogen redox fuel cell

An alternative type of fuel cell in which the air cathode is replaced by the ferric ion was investigated. This hybrid between a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell and a redox battery showed promising performance even though components such as the membrane were not optimized. Power densities greater than 0.17 W/cm(2) were achieved with no platinum on the cathode. In addition, the liquid-redox cathode can eliminate the need for humidification and cooling for the fuel cell and provides greater design flexibility. Different aspects of the redox cathode were characterized and showed opportunity for further performance improvement. (c) 2007 The Electrochemical Society.