24
23
Experiment 6: Exploring the effects of temperature.
Step 1. Use a hair drier to blow hot air towards each side of the
fuel cell or place a warmer ethanol/water solution into the etha-
nol storage tank. You will observe that the motor and fan will be
operating at a faster speed. (see 6A)
6. Troubleshooting
A. The fan begins to run slower or stops running completely.
Solution:
a. Place the purge tube (exhaust tube) over a container and empty the contents of the acetic acid
solution. Open the valve to let a few drops of acetic acid flow out, allowing the mixture of the fresh
ethanol solution to re-enter the fuel cell. Tap the fan’s blade to get it started and watch it go at con-
stant speed.
b. If the fan still stops running after purging, exchange the two clips.
c. If the solution level is too below in the container, mix new solution and pour it into it to reach the
proper level.
B. After all the wires and tubes have been connected, the fan still can not run.
Solution:
a. Make sure that the red and black plugs are connected on the two separated terminals located
on the upper part of the fuel cell.
b. Make sure that the tube from the solution container is well connected to the nozzle of the fuel
cell on the same side.
At higher temperatures, atoms tend to move faster and are more likely to interact with the catalysts
located on the surface of the membrane. With more interactions, the reaction accelerates and more
electricity can be produced, which means the fan starts to turn faster.
Conclusions:
(1) Higher temperature will make it more likely for ethanol molecules to interact with the catalysts located on the
surface of the membrane, which accelerates the speed of the chemical reaction.
(2) High temperature can also make the membrane more active, so it will demonstrate an increased ability of
proton exchange within the membrane and an increase the speed of the fan motor. Increasing the power capabil-
ity of ethanol fuel cells can be done by increasing their operating temperature, or the temperature of their fuel.
Step 2. Use a multi-meter or Horizon’s fuel cell software adap-
tor product ref. FCJJ-24 to measure the voltage produced by
the fuel cell. You will be able to test that at different tempera-
ture conditions, different voltages are produced, and you can
plot these results into a chart to determine the optimal tem-
perature conditions for the fuel cell.
Note: Before you blow warm air towards the fuel cell, try to blow your hand first to make sure the
air is not too hot. ( below 60
℃
is preferred)
6A