# US 8,771,899 B2 · Fuel cell components and systems having carbon-containing electrically-conductive hollow fibers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,899 B2 - Document ID: US8771899B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/706,626 - Filed: 2010-02-16 - Published: 2011-08-18 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-16 - Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC - Applicants: Kevin C. Langry; Joseph C. Farmer - Inventors: Kevin C. Langry; Joseph C. Farmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771899B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0252: tubular - H01M 8/0234: Carbonaceous material - H01M 8/1065: characterised by the form, e.g. perforated or wave-shaped - H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes - H01M 8/004: {Cylindrical, tubular or wound} - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y10S 977/948: Energy storage/generating using nanostructure, e.g. fuel cell, battery - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a system includes a structure having an ionically-conductive, electrically-resistive electrolyte/separator layer covering an inner or outer surface of a carbon-containing electrically-conductive hollow fiber and a catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber, an anode extending along at least part of a length of the structure, and a cathode extending along at least part of the length of the structure, the cathode being on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the anode. In another embodiment, a method includes acquiring a structure having an ionically-conductive, electrically-resistive electrolyte/separator layer covering an inner or outer surface of a carbon-containing electrically-conductive hollow fiber and a catalyst along one side thereof, adding an anode that extends along at least part of a length of the structure, and adding a cathode that extends along at least part of the length of the structure on an opposite side as the anode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a structure, having an ionically-conductive, electrically-resistive electrolyte/separator layer covering an inner or outer surface of a carbon-containing electrically-conductive hollow fiber and a catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber; an anode extending along at least part of a length of the structure; and a cathode extending along at least part of the length of the structure, the cathode being on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the anode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber is carbonized. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber is not carbonized. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure has a cross-section characteristic of co-extrusion of multiple layers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber is porous. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber is nonporous. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a surface of the hollow fiber is sulfonated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the hollow fiber is also sulfonated interstitially adjacent the surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein an opposite surface of the hollow fiber is fluorinated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a surface of the hollow fiber is fluorinated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the hollow fiber is also fluorinated interstitially adjacent the surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure further comprises a polymer layer along one surface of the hollow fiber for assisting in the ionic conduction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein an opposite surface of the hollow fiber relative to the polymer layer is fluorinated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a bus extending along an inner surface of the hollow fiber along an axis of the hollow fiber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a second catalyst on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the catalyst. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is present in particles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is present as a thin film. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a solid state fuel positioned towards the anode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the anode extends along an inner surface of the hollow fiber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the anode extends along an outer surface of the hollow fiber. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure is cationically conductive. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the structure is anionically conductive. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a support structure coupled to each end of the structure. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a fuel tank in fluid communication with the anode. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is part of a woven fabric comprising multiple of said systems. ### Claim 26 A system, comprising: a structure, having an ionically-conductive, electrically-resistive electrolyte/separator layer covering an inner or outer surface of a carbonized hollow fiber, a first catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber, and a second catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the first catalyst, wherein a first surface of the hollow fiber is sulfonated, wherein a second surface of the hollow fiber is fluorinated; an anode extending along at least part of a length of the structure; a cathode extending along at least part of the length of the structure, the cathode being on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the anode; and a support structure coupled to each end of the structure. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein the system is part of a woven fabric comprising multiple of said systems. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) A method for forming a component of a fuel cell system, the method comprising: creating the structure as recited in claim 1. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising adding the anode and adding the cathode. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising carbonizing the hollow fiber. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising sulfonating one surface of the hollow fiber. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the sulfonating includes at least one of: application of a sulfonating reagent; alkylsulfonation; and arylsulfonation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising fluorinating one surface of the hollow fiber. ### Claim 34 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising modifying one surface of the hollow fiber for assisting in the ionic conduction, the modifying being selected from a group consisting of phosphorylation, Diels-Alder cycloaddition, nitration, and chemical oxidation. ### Claim 35 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising forming a polymer layer along one surface of the hollow fiber for assisting in the ionic conduction. ### Claim 36 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising forming the hollow fiber by extrusion. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein the structure has a cross-section characteristic of co-extrusion of multiple layers. ### Claim 38 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the catalyst is added to the structure by coupling particles of the catalyst to the hollow fiber. ### Claim 39 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the catalyst is formed by at least one of plasma deposition, electrochemical reductive precipitation, and chemically reductive catalyst formation. ### Claim 40 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the structure further comprises a second catalyst on an opposite side of the hollow fiber as the catalyst. ### Claim 41 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the hollow fiber is not carbonized. ### Claim 42 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the hollow fiber is porous. ### Claim 43 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the hollow fiber is nonporous. ### Claim 44 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, further comprising weaving the structure into a fabric. ### Claim 45 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber comprises at least 95% carbon. ### Claim 46 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber comprises carbonized hollow fiber membranes (cHFMs). ### Claim 47 (depends on 25) The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the woven fabric comprises at least 10,000 of the systems. ### Claim 48 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, a surface of the hollow fiber is either: alkylsulfonated, arylsulfonated, phosphorylated, nitrated, or oxidized. ### Claim 49 (depends on 5) The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the hollow fiber is characterized by a pore diameter of about 20 nm at an interface between the cathode and a hollow fiber wall facing the cathode. ### Claim 50 (depends on 26) The system as recited in claim 26, wherein each of the first catalyst and the second catalyst comprises a compound selected from a group consisting of nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), and platinum-ruthenium (PtRu). ### Claim 51 A system, comprising: a structure comprising: a hollow fiber; an electrolyte/separator polymer layer covering at least part of either an inner surface of the hollow fiber or an outer surface of the hollow fiber; and a first catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber; a support structure coupled to each end of the structure; a second catalyst coupled to the hollow fiber; an anode extending along at least part of a length of the inner surface of the hollow fiber, and oriented along a longitudinal axis of the hollow fiber; a solid state fuel positioned near the anode; a cathode extending along at least part of a length of the outer surface of the hollow fiber, and oriented along a longitudinal axis of the hollow fiber; a bus extending along an inner surface of the hollow fiber and oriented along a longitudinal axis of the hollow fiber; and a fuel tank in fluid communication with the anode, wherein the hollow fiber is positioned between the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrolyte/separator polymer layer is positioned between the first catalyst and the second catalyst, wherein the electrolyte/separator polymer layer is electrically-resistive, wherein the electrolyte/separator polymer layer is ionically-conductive, wherein the hollow fiber is electrically-conductive, wherein the hollow fiber is carbonized, wherein the hollow fiber comprises at least 95% carbon, wherein the hollow fiber is porous, wherein an opposite surface of the hollow fiber relative to the electrolyte/separator polymer layer is either fluorinated or sulfonated, wherein the hollow fiber is also either fluorinated or sulfonated interstitially adjacent the opposite surface, wherein the structure is either cationically or anionically conductive, wherein each of the first catalyst and the second catalyst are arranged as either a thin film or a plurality of particles, wherein each of the first catalyst and the second catalyst comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), and platinum-ruthenium (PtRu), and wherein the hollow fiber is characterized by a pore diameter of about 20 nm at an interface between the cathode and a hollow fiber wall facing the cathode.