The effect of anode and cathode flow fields on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC)was experimentally investigated.Serpentine flow field(SFF)

parallel flow field(PFF)and interdigitated flow field(IFF)were designed

fabricated and tested.The studies were conducted in a DMFC with an active membrane area of 25 cm2

working at ambient temperature

using two kinds of methanol concentration solution(1 mol稬-1 and 2 mol稬-1)

of methanol flow rates(2.1 ml穖in-1and 7 ml穖in-1)and of oxygen flow rates(100 ml穖in-1and 300 ml穖in-1).The results show that SFF as anode flow field has a positive effect on cell voltage and power as better removal of CO2 bubbles.It is also found that CO2 bubbles block flow channels in both PFF and IFF at high current densities

which leads to worse cell performance.For cathode flow field

it is found that water drops block flow channels in PFF

but this channel-blocking phenomenon is never found in both SFF and IFF.The DMFC equipped with both SFF and IFF yields much better performance than that with PFF.The IFF can enhance oxygen transport and cells gain better performance than that with SFF at high current densities.So

it could be deduced that SFF as anode flow field and IFF as cathode flow field would be one of the best choice for the DMFC.