Development and experimental investigation of a new direct urea fuel cell
Ayse Sinem Meke, İbrahim Dinçer
Abstract
This study concerns the development and experimental investigation of Direct Urea-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cells (DUHPFC), with a particular emphasis on electrode preparation using nickel zinc iron oxide coated on stainless steel foil via the electrochemical deposition method, and the performance evaluation of single cells under varying operational conditions is also performed. This electrochemical deposition helps achieve a uniform and stable anode coating, which exhibits the high catalytic activity and stability, resulted in significantly enhanced urea oxidation reaction. The research further identifies an optimal performance for a single cell at 25 °C with 9 M KOH and 0.5 M urea, achieving a peak power density of 46.38 mW/cm 2 . The single cell demonstrates an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.72 V. Both energy and exergy efficiencies are further investigated for the cell performance and found to be 58% and 24%, respectively, at 5 M KOH. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results reveal a significant reduction in impedance, from 30-Ωcm 2 at 25 °C to 15-Ωcm 2 at 65 °C, indicating an enhanced ionic conductivity and a reduced resistance. The present study results suggest that optimizing the electrode composition and operational parameters significantly improves the DUHPFC's performance, offering valuable insights for future fuel cell development. • Urea and H₂O₂ enhance electrochemical reactions in DUHPFC systems. • Nickel zinc iron oxide catalyst boosts urea oxidation and cell efficiency. • Optimizing electrode composition and conditions improves DUHPFC performance. • Temperature and KOH concentration affect urea oxidation and cell efficiency. • Testing confirms the stability and durability of the developed anode.