Electrolytic and fuel cell arrangements

Details Electrolytic and fuel cell arrangements Electrolytic and fuel cell arrangements

1997-07-31

2000-03-21

Kalafut, Stephen

Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and

With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation

429 27, 429 35, 429 39, 429 40, 429162, 429210, H01M 810, H01M 824, H01M 1206

Patent

active

060400757

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to galvanic and electrolytic cell arrangements such for example as fuel cells, dry cell batteries, rechargeable batteries and redox flow cells.
In fuel cells, a fuel such as hydrogen is reacted with an oxidant (oxygen or air) under conditions such that an electric potential is generated, for example by feeding the hydrogen and oxygen to opposite faces of a proton conducting or ion exchange membrane. The faces of the membrane may be made conductive as by coating with carbon or platinum which also acts as a catalyst.
While fuel cells have been developed for some decades, they have essentially been regarded as special purpose devices.
Battery arrangements are manufactured in a wide range of formats and, for voltages higher than that (usually around 1 volt) of a single cell, comprise series assemblies or stackings of individual cells. Usually, different types of battery have quite different formats. Where rechargeables are designed to substitute for conventional dry cell e.g. torch batteries, they will have the same outward form, but the internal components will be different.
It is noted in passing that some batteries normally regarded as non-rechargeable may, with care, be recharged.
The present invention provides fuel cell and electrolytic cell arrangements that lend themselves to mass production, flexibility of design using, however, standard parts, with limitless choice of voltage and current capacities, indeterminate lifetime and compactness for any given power output.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided an electrolytic or fuel cell arrangement comprising a stacking of bipolar elements, each element comprising an anode part and a cathode part, the anode part of one element cooperating with the cathode part of the next adjacent element.
Each element may comprise an anode plate and a cathode plate joined by a step.
The elements may be monolithic, and may be moulded elements. Otherwise, the elements may be assembled from an anode plate part, a cathode plate part and a step part bridging the anode and cathode plate parts. In an electrolytic cell arrangement the assembly may be effected by deposition of layers on a substrate.
In an electrolytic cell arrangement the anode part and cathode part may confine between them an electrolytically active material.
An electrolytic cell arrangement may comprise conventional dry cells in which the anode and/or cathode and/or electrolyte material is/are consumable. The cells, however, may equally well be conventional rechargeable cells such as lead-acid, nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride cells. The cells may be metal-air cells such as zinc-air, aluminium-air or iron-air cells, in which the cathode part is air-breathing, as by a perforate, such as a grating, construction.
The cells may be redox flow cells - the stacked elements in this case may require to be electrically insulated from each other, anode-to-anode and cathode-to-cathode. Adjacent anodes may be insulated from each other by ducting for the electrolyte, as may adjacent cathodes.
The elements may be made from an electrolyte-resistant material, and may be comprised in graphitic or other carbon material or in plastics material, which may be rendered electrically conductive by including a filler such as carbon or an electrically conductive insert such as a metal plate or gauze.
The elements may, however, be comprised in a metal material such as an oxide-coated titanium foil or plate. Nickel plating or nitriding could also be used as protective coatings.
In a fuel cell arrangement the elements may have working fluid supply and exhaust ducting. The anode part and the cathode part of each element may have working fluid supply and exhaust ducting or, in the case where the oxidant is ambient air, the anode part alone may have supply and exhaust ducting while the cathode part has an ambient air access arrangement, the cathode part may then have a grating structure.
In a fuel cell arrangement a proton conducting or ion exchange membrane may be held between the anode part of one el

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patent: 5405712 (1995-04-01), Yoshimura et al.
patent: 5567543 (1996-10-01), Constable

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