Micro & Nano-Engineering of Fuel Cells

This edited book brings together leading researchers discussing the recent trends and needs in micro and nano-engineering fuel cells, creating new engineering knowledge, and optimizing the system on a micro and nano-scale. The small scales discussed in this book are particularly important, because most of the underlying interactions governing the fuel cell performance occur at a scale from nanometers to microns; and  some engineering tasks that cannot be accomplished in macro-scale are proven achievable in micro and nano-scales. The book can be categorized into two subject areas: theoretical foundation research and applications research.

Fuel cells are clean and efficient energy conversion devices expected to be the next generation power source. During more than 17 decades of research and development, various types of fuel cells have been developed with a view to meet the different energy demands and application requirements. Scientists have devoted a great deal of time and effort to the development and commercialization of fuel cells important for our daily lives. However, abundant issues, ranging from mechanistic study to system integration, still need to be figured out before massive applications can be used. Miniaturization is one of the main bottlenecks for the advancement and further development of fuel cells. Thus, research on miniaturization of fuel cells as well as understanding the micro and nano structural effect on fuel cell performance are necessary and of great interest to solve the challenges ahead.

In this book, internationally acclaimed experts illustrate how micro & nano engineering technology can be applied as a way of removing the restrictions presently faced by fuel cells both technically and theoretically. Through the twelve well designed chapters, major issues related to the miniaturization of different types of fuel cells are addressed. Theory focusing on micro and nano scale mechanics are outlined to better optimize the performance of fuel cells from laboratory scale to industrial scale. This book will be a good reference to those scientists and researchers interested in developing fuel cells through micro and nano scale engineering.