Gas blocking anode for a direct liquid fuel cell
OwnerAlexander Bluvstein, Gennadi Finkelshtaininventors
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Abstract
An anode for a direct liquid fuel cell in which hydrogen gas is generated as a result of a fuel oxidation or decomposition reaction. The surface of the anode which is intended to face the electrolyte chamber of the fuel cell is substantially completely covered with a polymeric material which prevents at least about 80% of the generated hydrogen gas to pass through the polymeric material into the electrolyte chamber. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
Claims94
An anode for a direct liquid fuel cell in which hydrogen gas is generated as a result of a fuel oxidation or decomposition reaction, wherein a surface of the anode which is intended to face an electrolyte chamber of the fuel cell is substantially completely covered with a polymeric material which prevents at least about 80% of the generated hydrogen gas to pass through the polymeric material into the electrolyte chamber.
An anode for a direct liquid fuel cell in which hydrogen gas is generated as a result of a fuel oxidation or decomposition reaction, wherein a surface of the anode which is intended to face an electrolyte chamber of the fuel cell is substantially completely coated with one or more layers of a material which comprises at least one of an at least partially crosslinked homopolymer and an at least partially crosslinked copolymer of vinyl alcohol with a content of vinyl alcohol units of at least about 50 mol-%, the one or more layers preventing at least about 90% of the generated hydrogen gas from penetrating the one or more layers into the electrolyte chamber, and the anode with the one or more layers thereon having an electric resistivity of not higher than about 0.9 Ohm·cm2
A direct liquid fuel cell for use with a liquid fuel that is prone to undergo decomposition with generation of hydrogen gas, the fuel cell comprising:
- a cathode;
- an anode;
- an electrolyte chamber arranged between the cathode and the anode;
- a fuel chamber arranged on a side of the anode which is opposite to a side which faces the electrolyte chamber;
- and
- one or more layers of polymeric material arranged on a surface of the anode which faces the fuel chamber,
- wherein the one or more layers of polymeric material prevent an at least substantial portion of the hydrogen gas that is present in the fuel chamber when liquid fuel is present in the fuel chamber from passing through the one or more layers into the electrolyte chamber.
A method of reducing or substantially preventing an increase in an electrical resistance of an electrolyte in an electrolyte chamber of a direct liquid fuel cell which comprises a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte chamber arranged between the cathode and the anode, and a fuel chamber arranged on a side of the anode which is opposite to a side of the electrolyte chamber, wherein the increase in the electrical resistance is caused by hydrogen gas bubbles which are formed as a result of a generation of hydrogen gas by a liquid fuel in the fuel chamber and a migration of the hydrogen gas through the anode into the electrolyte chamber, wherein the method comprises providing a surface of the anode which faces the electrolyte chamber with one or more layers of a polymeric material which prevent a substantial portion of the generated hydrogen gas from passing therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.