Direct methanol cell with circulating electrolyte
OwnerKarl Kordesch, Viktor Hackerinventors
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Abstract
A fuel cell includes a circulating electrolyte for preventing fuel cross over. The electrolyte is past through a porous spacer positioned between the anode and the cathode. The circulating electrolyte removes any unused methanol fuel from the cell. The methanol may then be reclaimed from the electrolyte in a distillation loop.
Claims52
An electrochemical fuel cell comprising an inlet for a fuel, an inlet for an oxidant, an anode in contact with said fuel, a cathode in contact with said oxidant, and an electrolyte, said anode and cathode being separated and electrically connected and having opposing surfaces, said electrolyte being provided in a stream flowing between said anode and said cathode.
An electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
- an inlet for a fuel;
- an inlet for an oxidant;
- an anode in contact with said fuel;
- a cathode in contact with said oxidant;
- an electrolyte;
- said anode and cathode being separated by a proton exchange membrane and electrically connected and having opposing surfaces;
- said anode and cathode including a respective reduction or oxidation catalyst on each of said opposing surfaces;
- said electrolyte being provided in a stream flowing between said anode and said cathode;
- and,
- a porous medium located between said anode and said cathode through which said electrolyte flows.
An electrochemical fuel cell comprising:
- an inlet for a fuel;
- an inlet for an oxidant;
- an anode in contact with said fuel;
- a cathode in contact with said oxidant;
- an electrolyte;
- said anode and cathode being separated by a proton exchange membrane and electrically connected and having opposing surfaces;
- said anode and cathode including a respective reduction or oxidation catalyst on each of said opposing surfaces;
- said electrolyte being provided in a stream flowing between said anode and said cathode;
- and,
- a channel located between said anode and said cathode through which said electrolyte flows.
A method of electrochemically generating electricity by catalytic oxidation of fuel in a fuel cell, said fuel cell comprising an inlet for said fuel, an inlet for an oxidant, an anode in contact with said fuel, a cathode in contact with said oxidant, and an electrolyte, said anode and cathode being separated and electrically connected and having opposing surfaces, the method comprising:
- providing said fuel and said oxidant to said fuel cell;
- flowing an electrolyte between said anode and said cathode to provide electrical conduction for electrons and protons generated by said catalytic oxidation reaction and for flushing unreacted fuel and reaction byproducts from said cell.
An electrochemical fuel cell comprising an inlet for a fuel, an inlet for an oxidant, an anode in contact with said fuel, a cathode in contact with said oxidant, and an electrolyte, said anode and cathode being separated and electrically connected and having opposing surfaces, and a purging means for removing any unreacted fuel from said fuel cell.
A fuel cell system for the electrochemical production of electricity from liquid and gaseous fuels on the anodic side and oxygen and air on the cathodic side, whereby the electrode reactions are happening in catalyst regions (interfaces) contained in porous electrodes and the reaction products are continuously removed in circulating gas streams which also provide new gas supply and in a circulating electrolyte which serves also as a heat managing liquid stream, thereby characterized, that the speed of electrolyte circulation determines the build-up of the fuel or reactant cross-over gradient in the cell and the removed methanol is reclaimed in a distillation loop.
The fuel feed can be as an aqueous solution of methanol or is methanol vapor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.