Fuel cell with fuel concentrate metering

• US 20030129469A1
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Powerzyme
• Original Assignee: Powerzyme
• Inventors: Sun, Hoi-Cheong Steve, Lipp, Steven Alan, Coyle, Peter James, Ritts, Rosalyn, Whipple, Richard T., Kaganowicz, Grzegorz
• Application Number:
  US10/123,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20030129469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/34
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1044 Mixtures of polymers, of which at least one is ionically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1051 Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/106 characterised by the chemical composition of the porous support
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1072 by chemical reactions, e.g. insitu polymerisation or insitu crosslinking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Also provided is a fuel cell system comprising (1) a fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment adapted to operate with a least one liquid consumable comprising (i) a liquid fuel composition or (ii) liquid electron acceptor composition, and: (2) one or both of (a) a fuel reservoir comprising liquid fuel composition separated from the anode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid fuel composition or a solvent/solution with which the anode chamber is adapted to operate or (b) a liquid fuel composition reservoir separated from the cathode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid fuel composition or a composition with which the cathode chamber is adapted to operate.

Claims

1. A fuel cell system comprising (1) a fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment adapted to operate with a least one liquid consumable comprising (i) a liquid fuel composition or (ii) liquid electron acceptor composition, and:

(2) one or both of (a) a fuel reservoir comprising liquid fuel composition separated from the anode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid fuel composition or a solvent/solution with which the anode chamber is adapted to operate or (b) a liquid fuel composition reservoir separated from the cathode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid fuel composition or a composition with which the cathode chamber is adapted to operate.

2. The fuel cell system of claim 1, comprising multiple said fuel cells adapted to receive one or both of fuel and hydrogen peroxide from corresponding said reservoirs.

3. The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the liquid fuel composition comprises C₁ compoundas fuel

4. The fuel cell system of claim 1, wherein the liquid electron acceptor composition comprises hydrogen peroxide.

5. A fuel cell system comprising

a fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment and using one or both of (a) a liquid fuel composition or (b) a liquid electron acceptor composition, the fuel cell comprising:

in the anode compartment, an anode electrode adapted to operate with a fuel;

in the cathode compartment, a cathode electrode which, when a conductive pathway to the anode electrode is formed, is effective to convey the electrons to an electron acceptor composition in the cathode compartment; and

a barrier separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment but effective to convey protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment; and

one or both of (a) a fuel reservoir comprising a liquid fuel composition separated from the anode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid fuel composition or a solvent/solution with which the anode chamber is adapted to operate or (b) a liquid electron acceptor composition reservoir separated from the anode compartment by a porous membrane that is selected to not be wetted by either the liquid electron acceptor composition of the reservoir or a composition with which the cathode chamber is adapted to operate.

6. The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein the fuel cell has a said reservoir for fuel.

7. The fuel cell system of claim 6, wherein the fuel is C₁ compound or precursor.

8. The fuel cell system of claim 7, wherein the fuel cell has a said reservoir for the C₁ compound.

9. The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the C₁ compound is methanol.

10. The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the solution in the fuel reservoir consists essentially of methanol and water.

11. The fuel cell system of claim 10, wherein the solution in the fuel reservoir comprises an amount of water adapted to substantially replace the water consumed in operating the fuel cell.

12. The fuel cell system of claim 5, comprising multiple said fuel cells adapted to receive one or both of fuel and liquid electron acceptor from corresponding said reservoirs.

13. The fuel cell system of one of claims 5 or 12, wherein the reservoir of (a) or (b) is formed by two layers polymer, at least one of which is said porous membrane, welded together to provide conduits between the layers for the liquid fuel composition or liquid electron acceptor composition.

14. The fuel cell system of claim 13, wherein the two layer structure further comprises conduits for removing CO₂.

15. The fuel cell system of claim 14, further comprising a CO₂ absorbent positioned to collect CO₂ from said CO₂ removing conduits.

16. The fuel cell system of claim 5, wherein the fuel cell has a said reservoir for liquid electron acceptor composition.

17. The fuel cell system of claim 16, wherein the liquid electron acceptor is a hydrogen peroxide composition.

18. A method of operating a fuel cell comprising:

consuming (i) a fuel molecule or (ii) an electron acceptor molecule during operation of the fuel cell; and

transporting (i) fuel molecule or (ii) electron acceptor molecule via the vapor phase to a chamber in which the respective fuel molecule or electron acceptor molecule is consumed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fuel molecule is C₁ compound or precursor.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the electron acceptor molecule is hydrogen peroxide.

21. A fuel cell system comprising

a fuel cell with an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, the fuel cell comprising:

in the anode compartment, an anode electrode, wherein the anode compartment is adapted to generate CO₂;

in the cathode compartment, a cathode electrode which, when a conductive pathway to the first electrode is formed, is effective to convey the electrons to an electron acceptor composition in the cathode compartment; and

a barrier separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment but effective to convey protons from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment; and

a CO₂ permeable membrane or porous material adapted to allow CO₂ to exit the anode compartment.

22. The fuel cell system of claim 21, further comprising:

a reservoir for C₁ compound or precursor separated from the anode compartment by one or more channels.

23. The fuel cell system of claim 22, wherein the one or more channels have check valves preventing flow from the anode compartment into the reservoir.

24. The fuel cell system of claim 21, comprising multiple said fuel cells adapted to exhaust CO₂ through said CO₂ permeable membrane.

25. The fuel cell system of one of claims 21 or 24, further comprising:

a CO₂ collecting manifold; and

a pump for removing CO₂ from the manifold.

26. The fuel cell system of one of claims 21 or 24, further comprising:

a CO₂ collecting manifold; and

CO₂ absorbent positioned to collect CO₂ from manifold.

27. A method of operating a fuel cell comprising:

consuming in an anode compartment a fuel to generate CO₂ during operation of the fuel cell;

removing CO₂ derived from the C₁ compound from the anode compartment; and

replacing liquid volume in the anode compartment consumed by operation of the fuel cell and CO₂ removal with replacement fuel.

28. A device for metering a reactant concentrate comprising:

a first chamber adapted for containing reactant concentrate;

a second chamber adapted for receiving reactant concentrate from the first chamber; and

a membrane separating the first and second chambers comprising pores traversing from a first chamber side of the membrane to a second chamber side of the membrane, and internal conduit in the membrane effective to deliver gas to the pores.

29. A fuel cell comprising an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, the fuel cell adapted for used with a fuel composition and an anode chamber composition, the fuel cell further comprising the device of claim 28 for metering fuel, wherein the anode chamber is the second chamber, and wherein the material of the membrane is selected to resist wetting by the fuel composition and the anode chamber composition, thereby creating a force that acts to draw gas to the pores via the internal conduit.

30. A fuel cell system comprising (1) multiple fuel cells with an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, the fuel cell adapted for used with a fuel composition and an anode chamber composition, and (2) the device of claim 28 for metering fuel into to anode chambers of multiple said fuel cells, wherein the anode chambers are the second chamber, and wherein the material of the membrane is selected to resist wetting by the fuel composition and the anode chamber composition, thereby creating a force that acts to draw gas to the pores via the internal conduit.

31. A fuel cell adapted for use with an anode composition, the fuel cell comprising:

an anode/cathode barrier that selectively transmits protons;

an anode chamber comprising a grid of porous material selected to not be wetted by the anode composition and to transmit CO₂; and

a manifold connected to the grid to collect CO₂ transmitted through the grid.

32. The fuel cell of claim 31, further comprising:

a pump for reducing the pressure in the manifold.

33. The fuel cell of claim 31, further comprising:

an anode electrode formed by a porous coating of conductor on the grid.