Fuel cell comprising a device for detecting the concentration of methanol
First Claim
1. A fuel cell having a fuel cell fuel electrode and a fuel cell oxidant electrode which are arranged on both sides of an electrolyte, and a device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means, said device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means comprising:
- a fuel cell concentration detection portion including a detection oxidant electrode which directly contacts with air at one main surface thereof, and a detection counter electrode which is disposed in opposition to said detection oxidant electrode, an ion-exchange membrane interposed between said detection oxidant electrode and said detection counter electrode, an interspace between another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode and said ion-exchange membrane being supplied with the fuel which is to be fed to said fuel cell and which contains an electrolyte, thereby to detect the fuel concentration by an electrode potential lowering phenomenon caused by a direct reaction of the fuel with an oxidant on said another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode, means for detecting a potential between the detection electrodes, andmeans for controlling said fuel from said fuel supply means to said fuel cell in such a way that said potential is held at a constant value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a fuel cell having a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode, and an electrolyte which is located between both the electrodes, a methanol concentration control device is disposed, at a pipe which supplies the fuel to the fuel cell for controlling the amount of the methanol in the pipe by detecting the open-circuit voltage of the unit cell or the open-circuit potential of the oxidant cell at the methanol concentration control device.
116 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A fuel cell having a fuel cell fuel electrode and a fuel cell oxidant electrode which are arranged on both sides of an electrolyte, and a device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means, said device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means comprising:
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a fuel cell concentration detection portion including a detection oxidant electrode which directly contacts with air at one main surface thereof, and a detection counter electrode which is disposed in opposition to said detection oxidant electrode, an ion-exchange membrane interposed between said detection oxidant electrode and said detection counter electrode, an interspace between another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode and said ion-exchange membrane being supplied with the fuel which is to be fed to said fuel cell and which contains an electrolyte, thereby to detect the fuel concentration by an electrode potential lowering phenomenon caused by a direct reaction of the fuel with an oxidant on said another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode, means for detecting a potential between the detection electrodes, and means for controlling said fuel from said fuel supply means to said fuel cell in such a way that said potential is held at a constant value. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. In a fuel cell having a fuel cell fuel electrode and a fuel cell oxidant electrode which are arranged in opposition, an electrolyte which is located between the electrodes, and a device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means, said device comprising:
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a fuel concentration detection portion including a detection fuel electrode one main surface of which directly contacts with a portion of the fuel before the fuel is fed to said fuel cell, a detection oxidant electrode one main surface of which directly contacts with air, and an electrolyte which comprises an ion-exchange membrane and which contacts directly with another main surface of said detection fuel electrode and with another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode, respectively, at both main surfaces thereof, a further fuel concentration detection portion which includes a further detection fuel electrode one main surface of which directly contacts with a standard solution, a further detection oxidant electrode one main surface of which directly contacts with air, and an ion-exchange membrane between said further detection fuel electrode and said further detection oxidant electrode and facing another main surface of each of said further detection fuel electrode and said further detection oxidant electrode, means for detecting a potential difference between the detection fuel electrode and the detection oxidant electrode, and means for controlling said fuel from said fuel supply means to said fuel cell in such a way that said potential difference is held at a constant value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a fuel cell having a fuel cell fuel electrode and a fuel cell oxidant electrode which are arranged on both sides of an electrolyte, and a device for controlling a concentration of fuel to be fed to the fuel cell from a fuel supply means, said device comprising:
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a fuel cell concentration detection portion including a detection oxidant electrode which directly contacts with air at one main surface thereof, and a detection counter electrode which is disposed in opposition to said detection oxidant electrode, an ion-exchange membrane interposed between said detection oxidant electrode and said detection counter electrode, an interspace between another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode and said ion-exchange membrane being supplied with the fuel which is to be fed to said fuel cell and which contains an electrolyte, a standard electrolytic solution being located between said ion-exchange membrane and said detection counter electrode, thereby to detect the fuel concentration by an electrode potential lowering phenomenon caused by a direct reaction of the fuel with an oxidant on said another main surface of said detection oxidant electrode, means for detecting a potential between the detection electrodes, and means for controlling said fuel from said fuel supply means to said fuel cell in such a way that said potential is held at a constant value.
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Specification