Experiment 5: Create electricity from wine or beer
Try using different types of alcohol such as wines made from grapes or rice instead of the ethanol/water
solution.
Follow up the steps in the experiment 1: create electricity from ethanol and water to create electricity.
WARNING:
1. Alcohols used should stay within the range of 5-15% alcohol. If you are using an alcohol that has a
higher concentration than 20% please mix the adequate amount of water into the alcohol to keep the
required concentration range of 5-15%.
2. Using impure ethanol can damage the performance of the fuel cell. You may want to conduct
experiments using impure ethanol once all other experiments using pure ethanol are completed.
When you have finished all the steps as in experiment 1, you may notice the fan may run very slowly, or
may not run. When using different alcohol types, this can affect performance. This has to do with the
purity of the solution, since some alcohols such as wine contain elements that can clog the membrane
on the fuel cell, limiting its permeability. Use a multi-meter or Horizon’s REM ref. FCJJ-24 to measure
the voltage or current produced by the fuel cell under various conditions and slowing the speed of the
chemical reaction.
See experiment 6: You will be able to prove that at different temperature conditions, different voltages
are produced, and you can plot these results into a chart to determine the optimal temperature
conditions for the fuel cell to generate the best results for each kind of alcohol you use.
Experiment 6: Exploring the effects of temperature.
Note: Before you blow warm air towards the fuel cell, feel the air temperature with your hand first to
make sure the air is not too hot (temperature under 60
℃
are preferred).
Step 1: Use a hair drier to blow warm air towards each side of the fuel cell or place a warmer
ethanol/water solution into the fuel tank. You will observe that the motor and fan will be operating at a
faster speed.
Step 2: Use a multi-meter or Horizon’s fuel cell software adaptor product ref. FCJJ-24 to measure the
voltage produced by the fuel cell. You will be able to test that at different temperature conditions,
different voltages are produced, and you can plot these results into a chart to determine the optimal
temperature conditions for the fuel cell.
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 capability of ethanol fuel cells can be done by increasing their operating temperature, or the
temperature of their fuel.
Troubleshooting
A. The fan begins to run slower or stops running completely
Solution:
a. Disconnect the fuel celll module from any load. Place the outlet tube above a container or suitable
receptacle. Open the clamp to let a few drops of acetic acid flow out, allowing the mixture of the fresh
ethanol solution to re-enter the fuel cell.
b. If the solution level is too low in the fuel tank and it can not flow into the fuel cell chamber, mix new
solution and pour it into the tank to reach proper level. Or you can lift the fuel tank up to make the
solution level in the tank higher than the inlet nozzle on the fuel cell.
d. Wait for 5-10 minutes before reconnecting the loads to the fuel cell. Once reconnected, watch the fan
start rotating again at constant speed. The fuel cell is able to start the reaction once more (and more
hydrogen protons can permeate through the membrane).
B. After all the wires and tubes have been connected, the fan still cannot run.
Solution:
a. Make sure that the red and black wires are connected correctly.
b. Make sure that the tube from the fuel tank is well connected to the fuel cell inlet.
c. Make sure there is enough ethanol solution to circulate into the fuel cell and that the tubing is not
blocked.
C. I opened the clamp, but no soluiton flows out of the tube.
Solution:
a. Add fresh fuel solution to the fuel tank.
b. Lift the fuel tank up to make the solution level in the tank higher than the inlet nozzle on the fuel cell.
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