Manufacture of tubular fuel cells with structural current collectors

A method of manufacturing a hydrogen fuel cell comprising a self-supporting shaped, layered electrode structure in which a solid-phase proton-transporting electrolyte is sandwiched between a porous anodic electrode and a porous cathodic electrode, comprising the steps of

• a) coating a first, shaped self-supporting electrode with a curable, liquid-phase, proton-transporting electrolytic material to provide an electrolytic coating;
• b) curing said electrolytic coating to the solid phase;
• c) assembling said coated electrode with a second, mating, shaped electrode to provide said layered structure;
• d) and assembling said electrode structure with a support base.

A method of manufacturing a shaped, non-flat, layered fuel cell of the wet-electrolyte type, having fuel cell components comprising current collecting electrodes and a wet-operating electrolytic member compressed between said electrodes, wherein oxygen is reduced by a combustible gas, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a first gas-pervious, load bearing, current collecting electrode to a first shape;
• b) forming a second gas-pervious, load bearing, current collecting electrode to a second shape mateable with said first shape;
• and
• c) assembling said first and second current-collecting electrodes with said electrolytic member into a self-supporting structure.

A method of manufacturing a shaped, non-flat, layered fuel cell of the wet-electrolyte type, having fuel cell components comprising current collecting electrodes and a wet-operating electrolytic member compressed between said electrodes, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a first gas-pervious, load bearing, current collecting wound titanium wire electrode to a coiled tapered open-ended tube;
• b) forming a second gas-pervious, load bearing, current collecting titanium wire electrode to a coiled tapered tube sized to receive said first electrode and to mateably clamp said electrolytic member between said electrodes;
• and
• c) assembling said first and second current-collecting electrodes with said electrolytic member by inserting one component into another lengthwise;
• d) pressing said components together lengthwise to compress said electrolytic member radially;
• and
• e) plugging said tube endwise to seal said cell against loss of combustible gas.