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US 7,413,824 B2Granted
Direct oxidation fuel cell with a divided fuel tank having a movable barrier pressurized by anode effluent gas
AssigneeTel Aviv University Future Technology Development L.P.
InventorsEmanuel Peled, Tair Duvdevani, Avi Melman, Adi Aharon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides improved, low-cost fuel cells having reduced fuel crossover, reduced sensitivity to metal ion impurities and ability to operate under a broad range of temperatures. The invention further provides improved methods for catalyst preparation and a new integrated flow field system for use in H2/O2 fuel cells.
Claims9
An orientation independent direct oxidation fuel cell system, comprising:
- an anode chamber including an anode, an inlet for a liquid fuel serving as a source of hydrogen, and an outlet for the product resulting from the oxidation of said liquid fuel;
- a cathode chamber including a cathode and an inlet for oxygen or air;
- an electrolyte membrane between said anode and cathode;
- and
- a fuel tank including an outlet connected to the inlet of the anode chamber for supplying liquid fuel thereto and an inlet connected to the outlet of the anode chamber;
- said fuel tank including a moveable barrier dividing the interior of said fuel tank into a gas compartment adapted to contain a pressurized gas, and a liquid fuel compartment including a liquid fuel outlet for supplying liquid fuel under the pressure of said pressurized gas to said anode chamber via said liquid fuel inlet of said anode chamber, and said outlet from the anode chamber is connected to the inlet of the fuel tank to pressurize the gas therein;
- wherein the fuel tank gas compartment is substantially full of atmospheric air until operation, upon which the fuel tank gas compartment is substantially filled with CO2 from oxidation of the fuel.
4 more elements
A direct oxidation fuel cell system, comprising:
- an anode chamber including an anode, an inlet for a liquid fuel serving as a source of hydrogen, and an outlet for the product resulting from the oxidation of said liquid fuel;
- a cathode chamber including a cathode and an inlet for oxygen or air;
- an electrolyte membrane between said anode and cathode;
- a fuel tank including an outlet connected to the inlet of the anode chamber for supplying liquid fuel thereto, and an inlet connected to the outlet of the anode chamber to pressurize the gas therein;
- said fuel tank including a moveable barrier dividing the interior of said fuel tank into a gas compartment adapted to contain a pressurized gas, and a liquid fuel compartment including a liquid fuel outlet for supplying liquid fuel under the pressure of said pressurized gas to said anode chamber via said liquid fuel inlet of said anode chamber, wherein the fuel tank gas compartment is substantially full of atmospheric air until operation, upon which the fuel tank gas compartment is substantially filled with CO2 from oxidation of the fuel and
- a water tank including an outlet connected to the inlet of the anode chamber for supplying water thereto.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.