Hydrogen/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a first source to supply hydrogen;
a second source to supply hydrogen peroxide;
a fuel cell, including;
an anode subassembly coupled to the first source, the anode subassembly including an anode with a first catalyst and a proton exchange membrane to convert at least a portion of molecular hydrogen from the first source into hydrogen ions, the proton exchange membrane being selective to the passage of hydrogen ions therethrough relative top molecular hydrogen;
a cathode subassembly coupled to the source of hydrogen peroxide, the cathode subassembly including a cathode with a second catalyst and an ion-selective arrangement to convert at least a portion of liquid hydrogen peroxide from the second source into hydroxyl ions, said ion-selective arrangement comprising an ion-selective membrane and a molecular sieve layer, said ion-selective membrane being selective to the passage of hydroxyl ions therethrough relative to hydrogen peroxide molecules; and
a reaction region separating the anode subassembly and the cathode subassembly and being positioned between the proton exchange membrane and the ion selective-arrangement to receive hydrogen ions from the anode subassembly and hydroxyl ions from the cathode subassembly,wherein the fuel cell is effective to generate an electric potential between the anode and the cathode to provide electrical power by reaction of the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions when in the reaction region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention includes a technique of performing a catalytic oxidation reaction at an anode to provide hydrogen ions from molecular hydrogen and a catalytic reduction reaction at a cathode to provide hydroxyl ions from liquid hydrogen peroxide. Passage of the molecular hydrogen to a reaction region is impeded with a proton exchange membrane and passage of the hydrogen peroxide to the reaction region is impeded with an ion-selective arrangement. Electric potential is generated between the anode and the cathode to provide electric power from a reaction of the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions in the reaction region. In one variation, a regeneration technique is also provided.
121 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first source to supply hydrogen; a second source to supply hydrogen peroxide; a fuel cell, including; an anode subassembly coupled to the first source, the anode subassembly including an anode with a first catalyst and a proton exchange membrane to convert at least a portion of molecular hydrogen from the first source into hydrogen ions, the proton exchange membrane being selective to the passage of hydrogen ions therethrough relative top molecular hydrogen; a cathode subassembly coupled to the source of hydrogen peroxide, the cathode subassembly including a cathode with a second catalyst and an ion-selective arrangement to convert at least a portion of liquid hydrogen peroxide from the second source into hydroxyl ions, said ion-selective arrangement comprising an ion-selective membrane and a molecular sieve layer, said ion-selective membrane being selective to the passage of hydroxyl ions therethrough relative to hydrogen peroxide molecules; and a reaction region separating the anode subassembly and the cathode subassembly and being positioned between the proton exchange membrane and the ion selective-arrangement to receive hydrogen ions from the anode subassembly and hydroxyl ions from the cathode subassembly, wherein the fuel cell is effective to generate an electric potential between the anode and the cathode to provide electrical power by reaction of the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions when in the reaction region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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performing a catalytic oxidation reaction at an anode to convert molecular hydrogen to hydrogen ions; performing a catalytic reduction reaction at a cathode to convert liquid hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl ions; impeding passage of the molecular hydrogen to a reaction region relative to hydrogen ions with a proton exchange membrane; impeding passage of the hydrogen peroxide to the reaction region relative to the hydroxyl ions with an ion-selective arrangement; and generating an electric potential between the anode and the cathode to provide electric power from a reaction of the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions in the reaction region. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method, comprising:
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performing a catalytic oxidation reaction at an anode to convert a hydride to hydrogen ions; impeding passage of the hydride to a cathode relative to hydrogen ions with a proton exchange membrane; and generating an electric potential between the anode and the cathode to provide electric power by a catalytic reduction reaction at the cathode to convert liquid hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen ions, and electrons to water. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first source to supply a hydride; a second source to supply hydrogen peroxide; a fuel cell, including; a discharge anode coupled to the first source and a first catalyst to convert at least a portion of the hydride from the first source to hydrogen ions, a discharge cathode and a second catalyst to convert at least a portion of the hydrogen peroxide from the second source to hydroxyl ions, and a proton exchange membrane separating the discharge anode and the discharge cathode and being selective to passage of hydrogen ions therethrough relative to the hydride, the hydrogen ions passing through the proton exchange membrane reacting with the hydroxyl ions to provide electrical power to an electrical load when electrically coupled to the discharge anode and the discharge cathode; a first regeneration electrode coupled to the first source and a third catalyst; a second regeneration electrode coupled to the second source and a fourth catalyst; an electrical energy source coupled to the first regeneration electrode and the second regeneration electrode to selectively generate a first electric potential between the first regeneration electrode and the discharge anode and a second electric potential between the second regeneration electrode and the discharge cathode to provide regenerated hydride and regenerated hydrogen peroxide. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method, comprising:
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(a) discharging electricity from a fuel cell by; performing a first catalytic oxidation reaction with a discharge anode of the fuel cell to generate hydrogen ions from a source material, passing at least a portion of the hydrogen ions through a proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell, and performing a first catalytic reduction reaction with a discharge cathode of the fuel cell to generate hydroxyl ions from hydrogen peroxide, the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions reacting to generate an electric potential between the discharge anode and the discharge cathode to provide the electricity; and (b) recharging the fuel cell with an electric power source by; performing a second catalytic reduction reaction at a first regeneration electrode with the electric power source to provide regenerated source material, and performing a second catalytic oxidation reaction at a second regeneration electrode with the electric power source to provide regenerated hydrogen peroxide. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification