FUEL CELL WITH FLOW-THROUGH POROUS ELECTRODES

• US 20090092882A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UVic Industry Partnerships Inc. (University of Victoria)
• Original Assignee: University of Victoria Innovation and Development Corporation
• Inventors: Sinton, David, Djilali, Nedjib, Kjeang, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 10,079,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/506
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A microfluidic fuel cell with flow-through architecture is provided. The anode and the cathode are porous electrodes and comprise an interstitial pore network. A virtual insulator is located between the electrodes, in an electrolyte channel. The virtual insulator is comprised of a co-laminar flow of an electrolyte. An inlet directs substantially all the flow of liquid reactant through the porous electrode.

Claims

1. A fuel cell for use with liquid reactants, the fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode are porous electrodes;

an electrolyte channel, defined by said anode and cathode;

a virtual insulator, wherein the virtual insulator is comprised of a co-laminar flow of an electrolyte through the electrolyte channel;

at least one inlet for directing substantially all the flow of liquid reactant through the porous electrode; and

an outlet.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein both the anode and the cathode are porous electrodes.

3. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the porous electrode comprises an interstitial pore network.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the porous electrodes and outlet are positioned to provide orthogonally arranged flow of liquid reactants towards the outlet, in use.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 3 further comprising a catalyst on at least one porous electrode.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 5 further comprising at least one ion-conducting polymer on at least one porous electrode.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 5 wherein the catalyst is an electrocatalyst.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 7 wherein the catalyst is a biological catalyst.

9. The fuel cell according to claim 5 wherein said porous electrode is a hydrophilic porous electrode.

10. The fuel cell according to claim 9, further comprising an ion-conducting membrane at least partially interposed between the electrodes of the fuel cell.

11. The fuel cell according to claim 9, further comprising a permeable spacer at least partially interposed between the electrodes of the fuel cell.

12. A fuel cell comprising:

liquid reactants, wherein there is an anodic reactant and a cathodic reactant;

an anode;

a cathode, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode are porous electrodes;

an electrolyte channel, defined by said anode and cathode;

a virtual insulator, wherein the virtual insulator is comprised of a co-laminar flow of an electrolyte through the electrolyte channel;

at least one inlet for directing substantially all the flow of liquid reactant through the porous electrode; and

an outlet.

13. The fuel cell according to claim 12 wherein the anode and the cathode are porous electrodes.

14. The fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein the electrolyte and the anodic reactant are mixed as they flow through the anode, and the electrolyte and the cathodic reactant are mixed as they flow through the cathode.

15. The fuel cell according to claim 13 wherein the flow through at least one of the anode and cathode is two-phase flow.

16. The fuel cell according to claim 12, wherein both the anodic reactant and the cathodic reactant mix with the electrolyte as they flow through both the anode and the cathode.

17. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the liquid reactants flow orthogonally towards the outlet.

18. The fuel cell of claim 12, further comprising one reactant outlet per electrode.

19. The fuel cell of claim 12 wherein the flow of reactant through the porous electrode is directed in parallel with the electrolyte towards a reactant outlet.

20. The fuel cell of claim 12 further comprising an ion-conducting membrane at least partially separating the flows of the co-laminar flow.

21. The fuel cell of claim 12 further comprising a permeable spacer at least partially separating the flows of the co-laminar flow.

22. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the reactants are V²⁺ and VO₂⁺.

23. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the reactants are formic acid and hypochlorite.

24. A fuel cell comprising:

an anodic reactant V²⁺;

a cathodic reactant, VO₂⁺;

an anode, and a cathode, wherein;

(i) the anode and the cathode are porous electrodes;

(ii) the anode and the cathode are hydrophilic; and

(iii) the anode and cathode comprise an interstitial pore network;

an electrolyte channel, defined by said anode and cathode;

a virtual insulator, wherein the virtual insulator is comprised of a co-laminar flow of an electrolyte through the electrolyte channel;

at least one inlet for directing substantially all the flow of liquid reactant through the porous electrode; and

an outlet.