Direct liquid fuel cell power generating device and method of controlling the same

• US 20040013928A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Yoshihiko, Goto, Yasuhiro, Yamauchi, Takashi, Takashita, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,544,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The invention is capable of suppressing drop of power in power generation for a long period of time, and suppressing discharge of harmful substances.

A direct liquid fuel cell power generating device of the invention comprises an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, an electrolyte membrane held by the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, an anode passage for passing a fuel, a cathode passage for passing an oxidizer, a fuel container connected to the feed port of the anode passage, and a cathode recovery container connected to the discharge port of the cathode passage for collecting the fuel supplied to an electromotive force section, an unreacted oxidizer, and a product of battery reaction, the device further comprising at least a mechanism for achieving gas-liquid contact by making contact between the substance discharged from the cathode discharge port and water existing in the cathode recovery container, and a mechanism for feeding the aqueous solution collected in the cathode recovery container into the fuel container.

Claims

1. A direct liquid fuel cell power generating device comprising:

an electromotive force section unit composed of an anode electrode formed of an anode catalyst layer and an anode substrate, a cathode electrode formed of a cathode catalyst layer and a cathode substrate, and an electrolyte membrane carried in contacting with the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer;

an anode passage plate forming a fuel passage disposed in contact with the anode substrate;

a cathode passage plate forming an oxidizer passage disposed in contact with the cathode substrate;

an anode feed port for feeding fuel to one end of the fuel passage, and an anode discharge port disposed at the other end of the fuel passage;

a cathode feed port for feeding an oxidizer to one end of the oxidizer passage, and a cathode discharge port disposed at the other end of the oxidizer passage;

a fuel container connected to the anode feed port; and

a cathode recovery container connected to the cathode discharge port for collecting the fuel supplied to the electromotive force section unit, an unreacted matter of the oxidizer, and a product of battery reaction in the electromotive force section,

the device further comprising at least;

a mechanism connecting the cathode discharge port and the Cathode recovery container by piping for achieving gas-liquid contact by making contact between the substance discharged from the cathode discharge port and water existing in the cathode recovery container; and

a mechanism for feeding the aqueous solution collected in the cathode recovery container into the fuel container.

2. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 1, wherein the fuel is a methanol aqueous solution.

3. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 1, further comprising another fuel container containing fuel of high concentration connected to the fuel container through liquid feed means.

4. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 1, further comprising fuel flow rate control means disposed between the fuel container and the anode feed port.

5. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fuel container and cathode recovery container is composed of a container main body, and a partition board disposed in the container main body for separating into gas and liquid, and part or whole of the partition board is composed of a gas-liquid separation membrane.

6. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 5, wherein the gas-liquid separation membrane is an organic film.

7. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device of claim 1, wherein a second fuel container is connected to the fuel container by way of a fuel passage having fuel flow rate control means, and fuel of high concentration from the fuel contained in the fuel container is charged in the second fuel container.

8. A direct liquid fuel cell power generating device comprising:

an electromotive force section unit composed of an anode electrode formed of an anode catalyst layer and an anode substrate, a cathode electrode formed of a cathode catalyst layer and a cathode substrate, and an electrolyte membrane carried in contacting with the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer;

an anode passage plate forming a fuel passage disposed in contact with the anode substrate;

a cathode passage plate forming an oxidizer passage disposed in contact with the cathode substrate;

an anode feed port for feeding fuel to one end of the fuel passage, and an anode discharge port disposed at the other end of the fuel passage;

a cathode feed port for feeding an oxidizer to one end of the oxidizer passage, and a cathode discharge port disposed at the other end of the oxidizer passage; and

a fuel container connected to the anode food port,

the device further comprising at least;

a mechanism connecting the cathode discharge port and fuel container by piping for achieving gas-liquid contact by making contact between the substance discharged from the cathode discharge port and water existing in the fuel container.

9. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 8, wherein the fuel is a methanol aqueous solution.

10. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 8, further comprising another fuel container containing fuel of high concentration connected to the fuel container through liquid feed means.

11. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 8, further comprising fuel flow rate control means disposed between the fuel container and the anode feed port.

12. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the fuel container and cathode recovery container is composed of a container main body, and a partition board disposed in the container main body for separating into gas and liquid, and part or whole of the partition board is composed of a gas-liquid separation membrane.

13. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 12, wherein the gas-liquid separation membrane is an organic film.

14. The direct liquid fuel cell power generating device of claim 8, wherein a second fuel container is connected to the fuel container by way of a fuel passage having fuel flow rate control means, and fuel of high concentration from the fuel contained in the fuel container is charged in the second fuel container.

15. A method of controlling a direct liquid fuel cell power generating device, comprising:

an electromotive force section unit composed of an anode electrode formed of an anode catalyst layer and an anode substrate, a cathode electrode formed of a cathode catalyst layer and a cathode substrate, and an electrolyte membrane carried in contact with the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer;

an anode passage plate forming a fuel passage disposed in contact with the anode substrate;

a cathode passage plate forming an oxidizer passage disposed in contact with the cathode substrate;

an anode feed port for feeding fuel to one end of the fuel passage, and an anode discharge port disposed at the other end of the fuel passage;

a cathode feed port for feeding an oxidizer to one end of the oxidizer passage, and a cathode discharge port disposed at the other end of the oxidizer passage;

a fuel container connected to the anode feed port; and

a recovery container connected to the cathode discharge port for collecting the fuel supplied to the electromotive force section, an unreacted matter of the oxidizer, and a product of battery reaction in the electromotive force section unit,

wherein power electric energy of the fuel cell power generating device is measured, and the consumption of the fuel is estimated on the basis of a cumulative value of the electric energy, and the supply of the fuel from the fuel container into the anode feed port is increased when exceeding a predetermined consumption.

16. A method of controlling a direct liquid fuel cell power generating device according to claim 15, wherein the remaining volume of the fuel contained in the fuel cell power generating device is estimated and displayed, from the consumption of the fuel estimated on the basis of the cumulative value of the power electric energy of the fuel cell power generating device.