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US 5,208,112 AGranted
Thermally regenerated fuel cell
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsFrank A. Ludwig, Robert A. Osteryoung, Carl W. Townsend, Andrew Kindler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermally regenerated fuel cell for converting thermal energy into electrical energy. A hydrogen reactive cathode reacts with a solvent-free catholyte and a hydrogen reactive anode reacts with a solvent-free anolyte. Reactants consumed at the electrodes during the electrochemical reaction are regenerated thermally below about 250.degree. C. to replenish the reactants consumed during the generation of electrical energy.
Claims23
A thermally regenerated fuel cell for generating an electric current, said fuel cell comprising:
- an electrochemical cell having an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, said cathode compartment and said anode compartment separated by a common ion conducting separator;
- a porous hydrogen-reactive anode located in said anode compartment and a porous hydrogen-reactive cathode located in said cathode compartment;
- a first current collector and a second current collector each having a first and second surface wherein each of said first surface of said first and second current collectors contacts, respectively, said anode and said cathode,
- a solvent-free catholyte selected from the group consisting of gaseous acids and molten conductive acids, said catholyte located in contact with said cathode and in said cathode compartment wherein hydrogen gas is generated and said catholyte is consumed during generation of said electrical current;
- a solvent-free anoyte selected from the group consisting of gaseous bases and conductive molten bases, said anolyte located in contact with said anode and in said anode compartment wherein said base and said hydrogen are consumed at said anode during generation of said electrical current and said base and said acid combine to form a salt which can be thermally decomposed to form said acid and said base;
- and
- thermal regenerator means for thermally converting said salt back to said acid and said base to replenish said acid consumed during generation of said electrical current.
4 more elements
A thermally regenerated fuel cell for generating an electrical current said fuel cell comprising:
- an electrochemical cell having an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, said cathode compartment and said anode compartment separated by a common ion conducting separator;
- a porous hydrogen-reactive anode located in said anode compartment and a porous hydrogen-reactive cathode located in said cathode compartment;
- a first current collector and a second current collector each having a first and second surface wherein each of said first surface of said first and second current collectors contacts, respectively, said anode and said cathode, and each of said second surface of said first and second current collectors contacts respectively said anode compartment and said cathode compartment;
- a catholyte comprising gaseous HCl located in contact with said cathode and in said cathode compartment wherein said hydrogen gas is generated and gaseous HCl is consumed during said electrical current generation;
- a molten anolyte comprising a mixture of ImCl and ImHCl.sub.2 located in contact with said anode and in said anode compartment wherein ImCl and hydrogen are consumed and wherein ImHCl.sub.2 is formed at said anode during generation of said electrical current;
- thermal regenerator means for thermally converting ImHCl.sub.2 directly to HCl and a mixture of ImCl and ImHCl.sub.2 ;
- means for transferring ImHCl.sub.2 from said anode compartment to said thermal regenerator;
- anode recycle means for transferring said mixture of ImCl and ImHCl.sub.2 formed in said thermal regenerator back to said anode compartment to replenish ImCl consumed during generation of said electrical current;
- cathode recycle means for transferring HCl formed in said thermal regenerator back to said cathode compartment to replenish said HCl consumed during generation of said electrical current.
6 more elements
A method for generating an electrical current comprising the steps of:
- contacting a porous hydrogen-reactive cathode with a solvent-free catholyte selected from the group consisting of gaseous acids and molten conductive acids, said porous hydrogen-reactive cathode and solvent-free catholyte being located in a cathode compartment, said cathode compartment having a common ion conducting separator in common with an anode compartment, and wherein hydrogen gas is generated and said solvent-free catholyte is consumed;
- contacting a porous hydrogen-reactive anode with a solvent-free anolyte selected from the group consisting of molten conductive bases and gaseous bases, said porous hydrogen-reactive anode and solvent-free anolyte being located in said anode compartment, wherein said solvent-free base, an anion of said solvent-free acid, and hydrogen gas are consumed and a salt of said base and said acid is formed during generation of said electrical current;
- introducing hydrogen gas into said anode compartment;
- collecting said electrical current on a first current collector and a second current collector, said first and second current collectors each having a first and second surface wherein each of said first surface contacts, respectively, said anode and said cathode, and each of said second surface of said current collectors contacts respectively said anode compartment and said cathode compartment;
- thermally converting said salt to said solvent-free base and said solvent-free acid to replenish the catholyte and anolyte consumed during generation of said electrical current.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.