The present invention relates to a fuel cell which uses methanol as its fuel.
Methanol fuel cells in which a solid film having a hydrogen ion- and/or hydronium ion-conductivity is disposed between a positive electrode (cathode) and a negative electrode (anode), have been known before the application of the present invention.
The methanol fuel cell of this type is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,063 entitled "Fuel Cell Using Electrolyte-Soluble Fuels", the inventors of this patent including one of the inventors of the present application.
The prior-art methanol fuel cells, however, have not yet attained satisfactory cell performances and a high utilization efficiency of methanol.