Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Having magnetic field feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2002-11-05
Kalafut, Stephen (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Having magnetic field feature
C429S051000, C429S070000, C429S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06475653
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical fuel cells.
BACKGROUND
The applicant has applied for a patent with Application Number PCT/AU97/00488 for a FUEL CELL AND A PROCESS OF USING A FUEL CELL under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The patent was published on Feb. 12, 1998 with Publication Number WO 98/06145.
The above fuel cell consisted of a separate anode cell and a separate cathode cell with two electrodes in each cell adjacent to each other. Fuel is fed into the anode cell and oxidant is fed into the cathode cell. Ions produced in one cell are transported to the other cell to provide the ion transfer for the fuel cell reactions. The electronic circuit is completed through the load, the connection of the one electrode in the anode cell to another electrode in the cathode cell by an external conductor, and through the electrolyte between the adjacent electrodes at the anode cell and at the cathode cell.
This fuel cell eliminated the diffusion of ions through a media common to prevailing conventional fuel cells such as the proton electrolytic membrane fuel cell, the molten carbonate fuel cell, and the solid oxide fuel cell. The fuel cell not only reduced the high impedance common to conventional fuel cells but the simple and relatively low temperature of operation allowed for low cost construction of the fuel cell using available materials and hardware.
This simple fuel cell can be built in much larger sizes than conventional fuel cells.
PRIOR ART
The conventional fuel cells, namely the proton electrolytic membrane fuel cell, the molten carbonate fuel cell, and the solid oxide fuel cell and their operating principles were described in PCT/AU97/00488 and will not be repeated in this patent application. The fuel cell covered in PCT/AU97/00488 is a major improvement over conventional fuel cells; however, there is further room for improvement as the electronic circuit had to pass through the electrolyte between the adjacent electrodes at the anode cell and again at the cathode cell. While this impedance may not be as great as conventional fuel cells, it was desirable to remove this impedance if possible and make the electronic circuit independent of the conductivity of the electrolyte. It would then be possible to use less corrosive electrolytes and also the possibility of using gases to conduct the ions between the anode cell and the cathode cell. This feature would also result in a higher fuel cell efficiency and higher power density.
It is the object or one of the objects of this invention to provide such an improved fuel cell.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one form therefore the invention is said to reside in a fuel cell comprising a separate anode cell and a separate cathode cell, the anode cell including an anode tank for containing an electrolyte and having an anode electrode immersed therein, means to supply electrolyte to the anode tank and means to supply fuel to the anode tank, the cathode cell including a cathode tank for containing the electrolyte and having a cathode electrode immersed therein, means to supply electrolyte to the cathode tank and means to supply an oxidant to the cathode tank, means to withdraw reacted electrolyte from the anode tank and to supply it to the cathode tank, means to withdraw reacted electrolyte from the cathode tank and supply it to the anode tank, each of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode having a central current collector and a coating of catalyst thereon, each of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode having a first end and a second end, means to connect the first end of the anode electrode and the first end of the cathode electrode to a first electrical load outside of the fuel cell, and means to connect the second end of the anode electrode to the second end of the cathode electrode to a second electronic load as part of a complete electrical circuit of the fuel cell.
In one embodiment the second electrical load may comprise an ionic or semiconductor membrane or a diode device.
Each of the anode electrode and cathode electrode may have a composite cubical or cylindrical construction comprising an outer conductor current collector or collectors and a catalyst coating applied to its or their surfaces and an inner current collector electrically connected to the two outer conductor current collectors through an ionic or semiconductor membrane wherein the outer conductor current collector or collectors comprise the first end of the respective electrode and the inner current collector comprises the second end of the respective electrode.
To achieve the highest power output from the fuel cell the electrical loads may be connected to either the outer conductor current collector or collectors or the inner current collector depending on the specific ionic reactions occurring at each electrode.
Alternatively the respective inner current collectors may be connected directly together with the ionic or semiconductor membranes between the respective inner current collectors and outer conductor current collector or collectors providing the second electrical load.
In another embodiment the anode tank and the cathode tank may be separated by a common wall and the central collector of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode partially or completely connected through the common wall by an ionic or semiconductor membrane or a diode device providing the second electrical load.
In one preferred embodiment the means to supply electrolyte to the anode tank comprises the means to withdraw electrolyte from the cathode tank and the means to supply electrolyte to the cathode tank comprises the means to withdraw electrolyte from the anode tank.
There may be further included a reaction tank and wherein the respective means to supply electrolyte to the anode tank and to the cathode tank comprises means to withdraw electrolyte from the reaction tank and the respective means to withdraw reacted electrolyte from the anode tank and from the cathode tank transfers reacted electrolyte to the reaction tank.
There may be further included means for recovering excess fuel from the reacted electrolyte discharged from the anode cell and a means of removing reaction products from the anode tank, the cathode tank, or the reaction tank.
The anode tank and the cathode tank may be constructed to provide an efficient contact between the electrolyte containing the fuel or oxidant and the electrodes immersed in the electrolyte.
The anode electrode and the cathode electrode may be made from a material selected from the group comprising solid, porous, fibre, gauze, tiny particles of various shapes, or woven cloth of metal or alloys of metals, carbon, vitreous carbon, conducting plastics material or a slurry comprising fine particles comprising catalyst or coated with catalyst fluidised in the respective tanks.
The anode electrode and the cathode electrode may be electroplated, sputtered or coated with the catalyst selected from platinum, nickel, cobalt, lithium, lanthanum, strontium, palladium, rhodium, yttrium, or any mixtures of these.
The liquid electrolyte may be selected from the group comprising acidic electrolytes including sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, methane sulphonic acid, other organic and inorganic acids, alkaline electrolytes including sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, molten electrolytes including lithium-potassium carbonate, and mixtures of electrolyte and colloids or fine solid catalyst or fine particles coated with catalyst being a catalyst for the anode reaction and the cathode reaction.
Characteristics of the electrolyte may be altered by the addition of modifiers either as ions or colloids such as surfactants and metal ions such as vanadium oxide.
The electrolyte may be a gas selected from the group comprising nitrogen, helium, argon, or mixtures of these gases and other gases such as carbon oxides.
The fuel may be selected from the group comprising hydrogen, natural and refined hydrocarbons such as methane, propane, butane, liquid hydrocarbons, methanol, ethanol and other alcohols, and natural and manufactured carb
Kalafut Stephen
RMG Services Pty Ltd
Tsang-Foster Susy
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