Fuel substance and associated cartridge for fuel cell

A method of supplying fuel to a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) providing a fuel substance suspended within a gel such that when contacting air, fuel is evaporated out of said gel;
• (B) directing said evaporated fuel substance into a fuel cell using a fuel vapor permeable layer “FVPL” coupled to a fuel cell which FVPL allows fuel substance to pass through it into said fuel cell;
• (C) providing as said fuel substance neat methanol;
• (D) mixing a thickening substance into said neat methanol;
• (E) adding a pH balancing substance to said neat methanol mixture to form a gel fuel;
• (F) placing said gel fuel in a cartridge that has at least one FVPL having a methanol permeable wall;
• and
• (G) attaching said cartridge to a fuel cell with said methanol permeable wall contiguous to an anode aspect of said fuel cell to thereby direct said evaporated fuel substance into the fuel cell.

A direct oxidation fuel cell system, comprising:

• (A) a direct oxidation fuel cell including:
• (i) a membrane electrolyte intimately interfacing with a catalyst layer along each of membrane's major surfaces, being a catalyzed membrane electrolyte, having an anode aspect and a cathode aspect;
• (ii) an effective water supply from cathode to anode within said fuel cell, so that water management in said fuel cell is achieved without water collection from the cathode and/or water transport from cathode to anode external to the active volume of the fuel cell;
• (B) a fuel supply cartridge having means for removably attaching said cartridge to said fuel cell, including:
• (i) a compartment for holding a fuel substance suspended in a gel;
• and
• (ii) a fuel vapor permeable layer “FVPL” forming one aspect of said compartment, said FVPL being permeable to the fuel substance that is released out of said gel, and said aspect of said compartment being coupled with said fuel cell in such a manner that the fuel travels through said FVPL into said fuel cell;
• and
• (C) an electrical coupling across said fuel cell for supplying power to an application device.

A fuel cartridge for use with a fuel cell, the cartridge comprising:

• (A) means for removably attaching the cartridge from an associated fuel cell;
• (B) a compartment for holding a fuel suspended in a gel;
• and
• (C) a fuel vapor permeable layer “FVPL” forming one aspect of said compartment, said FVPL being permeable to a fuel substance that is released out of said gel, and said aspect of said compartment being coupled with said fuel cell in such a manner that the fuel travels through said FVPL into said fuel cell.