Fuel cell and supplementary electrolyte container and method for supplementing fuel cell with electrolyte
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsHiroaki Suzuki, Keizou Ohtsuka, Toshiki Kahara, Tadashi Yoshida
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Abstract
Molten carbonate type or phosphoric acid type fuel cells and a method for supplementing these fuel cells with an electrolyte are disclosed. A fuel cell having an extended life is provided by scattering a plurality of sealed supplementary electrolyte containers made of a material which is soluble in the electrolyte at elevated temperatures, and supplying the supplementary electrolyte from the dissolved containers to the fuel cell while the cell is working.
Claims23
A fuel cell comprising an electrolyte member impregnated with an electrolyte, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the electrolyte member, and separators, each being disposed facing to one of the electrodes on the side thereof remote from the electrolyte member and having channels formed, through which a reaction gas passes to the adjacent electrode, wherein a plurality of sealed supplementary electrolyte containers made of a material soluble in the electrolyte at elevated temperatures and filled with the electrolyte are disposed scatteredly inside the fuel cell.
A sealed supplementary electrolyte container to be disposed within a fuel cell which comprises an electrolyte member impregnated with an electrolyte, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the electrolyte member, and separators, each being disposed facing to one of the electrodes on the side thereof remote from the electrolyte member and having channels formed thereon, through which a reaction gas passes to the adjacent electrode, said container being made of a material soluble in the electrolyte at elevated temperatures and filled with the electrolyte.
A method for supplementing a fuel cell with an electrolyte, said fuel cell comprising an electrolyte member impregnated with the electrolyte, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the electrolyte member, and separators, each being disposed facing to one of the electrodes on the side thereof remote from the electrolyte member and having channels formed thereon, through which a reaction gas passes to the adjacent electrode, wherein said method comprises disposing at least one of sealed supplementary electrolyte containers made of a material soluble in the electrolyte at elevated temperatures and filled with the electrolyte within said fuel cell, and supplying the supplementary electrolyte from the dissolved containers to said fuel cell during cell working.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.