Electrolyte-particulate fuel cell anode

• US 20040053097A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zinc8 Energy Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cinergy Ventures II, LLC (Duke Energy Corporation), Josh Lampl, Micro-Generation Technology Fund, LLC, New Juno LP, Nth Power Technologies Fund II, L.P., Perseus 2000, LLC, Teck Cominco Metals Ltd., Thomas Page, Utech Climate Challenge Fund, L.P.
• Inventors: Smedley, Stuart I.
• Granted Patent: US 6,787,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/27
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/065 with plate-like electrodes or stacks of plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/225 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An improved electrolyte-particulate fuel cell where the fuel cell includes an anode, cathode, a bottom surface area formed by the anode and cathode where fuel flows from top to bottom, and a screen where the screen is located near the anode'"'"'s bottom and has a surface area greater than the cell'"'"'s bottom surface area.

Claims

1. An improved electrolyte-particulate fuel cell comprising electrolyte, a particulate fuel, an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode comprises a screen and a channel through which electrolyte flows and wherein the screen is located within the flow of electrolyte, the screen having a surface area greater than the average cross-sectional area of the channel.

2. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein the screen has a surface area at least about 40% greater than the average cross-sectional surface area of the channel.

3. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein the particulate fuel has an initial pre-consumption average particle diameter that becomes smaller as the particles migrate through the cell under electrical load, and wherein the screen has a plurality of openings, at least one of plurality of openings having an area size that enables some consumed and some partially consumed particulate fuel particles to pass.

4. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein the particulate fuel comprises zinc particles.

5. The improved cell of claim 4 wherein the pre-consumption zinc particles have an average diameter of about 0.5 mm.

6. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein the electrolyte comprises potassium hydroxide.

7. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein the channel has an average width of about 2.0 mm.

8. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of screen openings has a diameter between about 0.6 mm and about 1.0 mm.

9. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen has a surface area at least about 20% greater than the average cross-sectional area of the channel.

10. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen has a surface area at least about 40% greater than the average cross-sectional area of the channel.

11. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen has a contoured shape.

12. The improved cell of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of screen openings has a diameter between about 1.4 mm and about 2.0 mm.

13. The cell of claim 11 wherein the contoured screen is mounted on an angle to the flow direction.

14. The cell of claim 11 wherein the contoured screen is mounted generally perpendicular to the flow direction.

15. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen has a planar shape and wherein the screen is mounted at an angle to the flow.

16. The cell of claim 15 wherein the angle is no more than 45 degrees with respect to the flow direction.

17. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen is mounted within the channel.

18. The cell of claim 1 wherein the screen is mounted adjacent the channel.

19. A method of forming a fuel cell with a particulate fuel that flows through an electrode through a channel, the method comprising placing a screen in the flow of the particulate fuel wherein the screen has a surface area greater then the average cross-sectional area of the channel.