# US 9,437,895 B2 · H2—Cl2 proton exchange membrane fuel cells, fuel cell assemblies including the same and systems for cogeneration of electricity and HCL

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- Number: US 9,437,895 B2
- Document ID: US9437895B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/584,404
- Filed: 2014-12-29
- Published: 2016-06-30
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-29
- Assignees: Southwest Research Institute
- Applicants: Southwest Research Institute
- Inventors: Francis Y. Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437895B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/22: Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
- H01M 4/8668: {Binders}
- H01M 4/92: Metals of platinum group (H01M4/94 {, H01M4/9058} take precedence)
- H01M 8/04291: Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/08: Fuel cells with aqueous electrolytes
- H01M 8/1009: with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged (H01M8/12 takes precedence)
- H01M 8/1039: halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
- H01M 8/1058: characterised by a porous support having no ion-conducting properties
- H01M 8/1067: characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- 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

## Abstract

Fuel cells and, more particularly, the H2—Cl2 proton exchange membrane fuels cells are described. In some embodiments the fuel cells include a flow through electrolyte assembly that is configured to allow the introduction of a first (relatively dilute) electrolyte into the cell, and the remove of a second (relatively concentrated) electrolyte from the cell. Fuel cell stacks and systems for cogenerating electricity and hydrochloric acid using such fuel cells are also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A H2—Cl2 fuel cell, comprising:
an anode assembly comprising a catalyst to catalytically oxidize H2 to H+
a cathode assembly comprising a catalyst to catalytically reduce Cl2 to Cl−;
a proton exchange membrane between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly; and
a flow through electrolyte assembly between the proton exchange membrane and the cathode assembly, the flow through electrolyte assembly comprising a frame and a porous flow through field;
and wherein:
the frame comprises an inlet for receiving an incoming electrolyte and providing said incoming electrolyte to said flow through field; and
the frame comprises an outlet for receiving an outgoing electrolyte from said flow through field and transporting said outgoing electrolyte out of said flow through electrolyte assembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said incoming electrolyte comprises a relatively dilute concentration of hydrochloric acid, and said outgoing electrolyte comprises a relatively concentrated concentration of hydrochloric acid, wherein said relatively dilute concentration is less than said relatively strong concentration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said porous flow through field is formed from porous polyethylene.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said frame comprises polycarbonate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, wherein:
said anode assembly comprises an anode conductive support having opposing sides;
an anode gas diffusion layer is formed on one side of the anode conductive support;
an anode catalyst is formed on the side of the anode conductive support opposite the anode gas diffusion layer; and
the anode catalyst comprises at least one binder polymer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said proton exchange membrane comprises an ionomer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 6, wherein said ionomer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises an ionomer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 8, wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said anode catalyst comprises platinum.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said cathode assembly comprises a cathode catalyst, the cathode catalyst comprising ruthenium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said cathode assembly comprises:
a cathode conductive support having opposing sides;
a cathode gas diffusion layer formed on one side of said cathode conductive support; and
a cathode catalyst formed on the side of the cathode conductive support opposite the cathode gas diffusion layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said fuel cell produces a voltage ranging from about 1.2 to about 1.3 volts.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising cooling equipment to receive and cool said outgoing electrolyte from said output, and a recirculator to recirculate at least a portion of said outgoing electrolyte back to said inlet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The H2—Cl2 fuel cell of claim 14, wherein said recirculator comprises an HCl separator to process said outgoing electrolyte into at least a concentrated HCL fraction and a relatively weak electrolyte fraction, and to recirculate the relatively weak electrolyte fraction back to said inlet.

### Claim 16

A fuel cell stack, comprising a plurality of H2—Cl2 fuel cells coupled in series, wherein each of said plurality of H2—Cl2 fuel cells comprises:
an anode assembly comprising an anode catalyst to catalytically oxidize H2 to H+
a cathode assembly comprising a cathode catalyst to catalytically reduce Cl2 to Cl−;
a proton exchange membrane between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly; and
a flow through electrolyte assembly between the proton exchange membrane and the cathode, the flow through electrolyte assembly comprising a frame and a porous flow through field;
and wherein:
the frame comprises an inlet for receiving an incoming electrolyte and providing said incoming electrolyte to said flow through field;
the frame comprises an outlet for receiving an outgoing electrolyte from said flow through field and transporting said outgoing electrolyte out of said flow through electrolyte assembly; and
said fuel cell stack produces a collective voltage output ranging from about 2.4 to about 240V.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, wherein said collective voltage output is about 12V.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, further comprising an electrolyte distribution system to deliver said incoming electrolyte to said input of each of said H2—Cl2 fuel cells and a collection system to receive said outgoing electrolyte from said output of each of said H2-Cl2 fuel cells.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, wherein said incoming electrolyte comprises a relatively dilute concentration of hydrochloric acid, and said outgoing electrolyte comprises a relatively concentrated concentration of hydrochloric acid, wherein said relatively dilute concentration is less than said relatively concentrated concentration.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, wherein the porous flow through field is formed from porous polyethylene.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, wherein said frame comprises polycarbonate.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, wherein:
said anode assembly comprises an anode conductive support having opposing sides;
an anode gas diffusion layer is formed on one side of the anode conductive support;
an anode catalyst is formed on the side of the anode conductive support opposite the anode gas diffusion layer; and
the anode catalyst comprises at least one binder polymer.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The fuel cell stack of claim 22, wherein said proton exchange membrane comprises an ionomer.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The fuel cell stack of claim 23, wherein said ionomer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The fuel cell stack of claim 22, wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises an ionomer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The fuel cell stack of claim 25, wherein said at least one binder polymers comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The fuel cell stack of claim 25, wherein said anode catalyst comprises platinum.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The fuel cell stack of claim 25, wherein said cathode assembly comprises a cathode catalyst, the cathode catalyst comprising ruthenium.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The fuel cell stack of claim 25, wherein said cathode assembly comprises:
a cathode conductive support having opposing sides;
a cathode gas diffusion layer formed on one side of said second conductive support; and
a cathode catalyst formed on the side of the cathode conductive support oppose the cathode gas diffusion layer.

### Claim 30 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, each fuel cell in said fuel cell stack produces a voltage ranging from about 1.2 to about 1.3 volts.

### Claim 31 (depends on 16)

The fuel cell stack of claim 16, further comprising cooling equipment to receive and cool outgoing electrolyte from each output of said plurality of fuel cells and a recirculator to recirculate at least a portion of said outgoing electrolyte back to the inlet of each of said plurality of fuel cells.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The fuel cell stack of claim 31, wherein said recirculator comprises an HCl separator, the HCl separator to process said outgoing electrolyte into at least a concentrated HCL fraction and a relatively weak electrolyte fraction, and to recirculate the relatively weak electrolyte fraction back to the inlet of each of said plurality of fuel cells.