Dissolved fuel alkaline fuel cell

Abstract

A dissolved-fuel alkaline fuel cell that comprises four main components: a) a fuel anode; b) a first oxygen cathode; c) an electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode and the first cathode, wherein the electrolyte comprises an alkaline solution and a first fuel dissolved in the alkaline solution; and d) a fuel reservoir comprising a solid fuel in physical contact with or in feeding relation to the alkaline solution. The first fuel and/or the solid fuel may be selected from the group consisting of NaBH4, KBH4, LiAlH4, KH, NaH, LiBH4, NaAlH4, (CH3)3NHBH3, NaCNBH3, CaH2, LiH, Na2S2O3, Na2HPO3, Na2HPO2, K2S2O3, K2HPO3, K2HPO2, NaCOOH and KCOOH. However, NaBH4 and KBH4 are the best choices for use as a fuel. The fuel reservoir can readily replenish a fuel into the electrolyte-fuel mixture or solution to ensure that the fuel cell continuously generates electrical current without an interruption or a voltage spike. The present fuel cell is simple in design, inexpensive to make, capable of providing a relatively high output voltage, and an exceptionally long service life.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.