Fuel cell, electronic appliance and business method

• US 20050074656A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shigeo, Moteki, Ryo, Souma, Kenichi, Koyama, Tohru
• Application Number:
  US10/920,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04097 with recycling of the reactants H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04194 Concentration measuring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04447 of anode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04798 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0687 Reactant purification by the use of membranes or filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosure is concerned with a small type fuel cell for a power source of portable electronic appliances, particularly to a fuel cell using liquid fuel such as methanol etc., an electronic appliance, and a method of doing business. The fuel cell characterized by having a circulating container for supplying liquid fuel of a predetermined concentration to the fuel cell and for recovering and storing the liquid fuel discharged from the fuel cell, wherein the circulating container is replaceable.

Claims

1. A fuel cell characterized by having a circulating container for supplying liquid fuel of a predetermined concentration to the fuel cell and for recovering and storing the liquid fuel discharged from the fuel cell, wherein the circulating container is replaceable.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1, which further comprises a detector for detecting the concentration of the liquid fuel supplied to the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 1, which further comprises a controller for controlling the concentration of the liquid fuel to the predetermined concentration.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 1, which further comprises a filter for removing metal ions and/or impurities contained in the liquid fuel discharged from the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, which further comprises a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode disposed to opposite to the fuel electrode, and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched by between the electrodes.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the liquid fuel is one of methanol, dimethylether, and ethylene glycol.

12. The fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the liquid fuel is one of methanol, dimethylether, and ethylene glycol.

13. An electronic appliance having a fuel cell installed therein, wherein the fuel cell is the fuel cell defined in claim 1.

2. A fuel cell characterized by having a circulating container for supplying liquid fuel of a predetermined concentration to the fuel cell and for recovering and storing the liquid fuel discharged from the fuel cell, and having a fuel container for supplying the liquid fuel to the circulating container, wherein at least one of the circulating container and the fuel container is replaceable.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 2, which further comprises a detector for detecting the concentration of the liquid fuel supplied to the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell according to claim 2, which further comprises a controller for controlling the concentration of the liquid fuel to the predetermined concentration.

10. The fuel cell according to claim 2, which further comprises a filter for removing metal ions and/or impurities contained in the liquid fuel discharged from the fuel cell.

11. The fuel cell according to claim 2, which further comprises a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode disposed to opposite to the fuel electrode, and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched by between the electrodes.

14. An electronic appliance having a fuel cell installed therein, wherein the fuel cell is the fuel cell defined in claim 2.

15. The electronic appliance according to claim 14, which further comprises holders for holding cartridges of the circulating container and the fuel container.

16. The electronic appliance according to claim 14, which further comprises a fuel liquid impermeable polymeric membrane disposed between the circulating container and the fuel container.

17. The electronic appliance according to claim 14, wherein the circulating container has a piston which makes a reciprocating movement in the container to supply the liquid fuel to the fuel cell and to recover the liquid fuel used in the fuel cell as well.

18. A business method, which comprises installing liquid fuel recovering and supplying apparatuses for a fuel cell at one or more of shops, whereby the liquid fuel is recovered from fuel cells and new liquid fuel is supplied to fuel cells.