Fuel cells based on hollow conductive carbon fibres
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Abstract
An improved fuel cell structure uses a first sheet of carbon fibres separated by an electrolyte from a second sheet of carbon fibres. A fuel cell catalyst is coated on the outside of the fibres and the fuel passed down one set of fibres and oxygen or air passed down the second sheet of fibres.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18-29. -29. (canceled)
- 30. A fuel cell which comprises a plurality of first hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibres which are coated on the outside with a fuel cell catalyst and which have a means to enable a fuel vapour or gas to be passed down the inside of the fibre and a plurality of second hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibres which are coated on the outside with a fuel cell catalyst and which have a means to enable oxygen or an oxygen containing gas to be passed down the inside of the fibber with the first hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibres arranged side by side, so as to form a first sheet of the fibres, and with the second hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibres arranged side by side to form a second sheet of the fibres, with the fibres in each adjacent sheet at an angle to each other and in which first electrically conductive has permeable fibber sheet (anode) and the second electrically conductive has permeable fibber sheet (cathode) are separated by a fuel cell proton conducting layer which is positioned in between them.
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35-44. -44. (canceled)
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45. A fuel cell which comprises two electrodes separated by an electrolyte medium, wherein:
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(a) the first electrode comprises at least one first hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibre, the fibre consisting essentially of carbon which is coated on the outside with a fuel cell catalyst and which has a means to enable a fuel vapour or gas to be passed down the inside of the fibre and; (b) the second electrode comprises at least one second hollow electrically conductive gas permeable carbon fibre, the fibre consisting essentially of carbon which is coated on the outside with a fuel cell catalyst and which has a means to enable oxygen or an oxygen containing gas to be passed down the inside of the fibre; (c) the first and second carbon fibres being separated by the electrolyte medium. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A fuel cell according to claim 55 in which the inside diameter of the individual fibre is from 70 to 250 microns.
Specification