Renewable, energetic, nanodimensional dispersion

• US 7,435,491 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Deck Rendina
• Original Assignee: David Deck Rendina
• Inventors: Rendina, David Deck
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mercado; Julian
• Application Number:
  US10/409,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 429/17, 429/12
• US Class Current: 429/483
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/225 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Fuel cells, and renewable-semi-liquid fuel mixtures, useful as anode materials, for said fuel cells are disclosed. The fuels are comprised in part of materials intercalated with hydrogen, alkali metals, or alkali metal hydrides, dispersed in liquid carriers. The chemical energy generated by the reaction of the fuel mixtures with oxygen, or an oxygen carrier such as air, water, or hydrogen peroxide, can be converted into electrical energy in fuel cells. Once converted, the by-products of the reaction may be collected and those components that where chemically modified in the reaction can be renewed by conversion or re-intercalation of hydrogen, alkali metals, or alkali metal hydrides.

Claims

1. A mixture having a viscosity in the range between 0.28 cP and 10,000 cP and comprising of three components (a) (b) and (c) where;

(a) is an intercalation host particle, with dimensions in the range of 0.5 nanometers and 10 microns, capable of repeatedly accepting the insertion and removal of an intercalate, (b) is about 0.6% by weight of an intercalate, selected only from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, and alkali metal hydrides, (c) is a liquid that does not react chemically with components (a) and (b) that comprises a sufficient quantity of the mixture to provide a viscosity in the said range.

2. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalation host (a) is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of C, Si, Sn, Mg, Ca, MoS₂, WS₂, TaS₂, TiS₂, Ti_1.1S₂, ZrS₂, HfS₂, NbS₂, TiSe₂, VSe₂, NbSe₂, HfSe₂, TaSe₂, TiTe₂, HfTe₂, VTe₂, MoTe₂, WSe₂, MoSe₂, ReSe₂, PtSe₂, V₃S₈, TiS₃, ZrS₃, ZrSe₃, HfS₃, HfSe₃, NbS₃, NbSe₃, Bi₂Te₃, VS₄, LiAl, and other modified or standard AB, AB₂, AB₅, alloys and chemical hydrides.

3. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalation host (a) is carbon.

4. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalation host (a) is MoS₂.

5. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalate (b) is hydrogen.

6. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalate (b) is lithium.

7. The mixture of claim 1 where the intercalate (b) is lithium hydride.

8. The mixture of claim 1 where the liquid (c) is selected from the group consisting of liquid hydrocarbons, alcohols, mineral oils, ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), tetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane), gamma-butyrolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and tri- and tetraglymes, hexane, methanol, and mixtures and combinations of these liquids.

9. A mixture having a viscosity in the range between 0.28 cP and 10,000 cP comprised of three components (a) (b) and (c) where;

(a) is an intercalation host particle, with dimensions in the range of 0.5 nanometers and 10 microns, capable of repeatedly accepting the insertion and removal of an intercalate (b) is an intercalate, selected only from the group hydrogen, alkali metals, and alkali metal hydrides (c) is a liquid that does not react chemically with components (a) and (b) that comprises a sufficient quantity of the mixture to provide a viscosity in the said range,

the mixture being further comprised of components (d) (e) and (f) where;

(d) is comprised of materials selected on the basis of their ability to enhance the movement of ions through liquid (c) and forms 0-20% by weight of the mixture, (e) is comprised of materials selected on the basis of their ability to enhance the safe transportation characteristics of the mixture and forms 0-20% by weight of the mixture, (f) is comprised of materials selected on the basis of their ability to improve the stability of the mixture for extended periods of time and forms 0-20% by weight of the mixture.

10. The mixture of claim 9 where component (d) is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts or alkali earth metal salts.

11. The mixture of claim 9 where component (e) is selected from the group consisting of oils, mineral oils, vegetable oils, and surfactants.

12. The mixture of claim 9 where component (f) is selected from the group consisting of gelling agents, swelling agents, diluents, and surfactants.

13. A fuel cell employing the mixture of claim 9 as the anodic reactant.

14. A fuel cell employing a mixture having a viscosity in the range between 0.28 cP and 10,000 cP comprised of three components (a) (b) and (c) where;

(a) is an intercalation host particle, with dimensions in the range of 0.5 nanometers and 10 microns, capable of repeatedly accepting the insertion and removal of an intercalate (b) is an intercalate, selected only from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, and alkali metal hydrides (c) is a liquid that does not react chemically with components (a) and (b) that comprises a sufficient quantity of the mixture to provide a viscosity in the said range, wherein said mixture is employed in the fuel cell as the anodic reactant.

15. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalation host (a) is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of C, Si, Sn, Mg, Ca, MoS₂, WS₂, TaS₂, TiS₂, Ti_1.1S₂, ZrS₂, HfS₂, NbS₂, TiSe₂, VSe₂, NbSe₂, HfSe₂, TaSe₂, TiTe₂, HfTe₂, VTe₂, MoTe₂, WSe₂, MoSe₂, ReSe₂, PtSe₂, V₃S₈, TiS₃, ZrS₃, ZrSe₃, HfS₃, HfSe₃, NbS₃, NbSe₃, Bi₂Te₃, VS₄, LiAl, and other modified or standard AB, AB₂, AB₅, alloys and chemical hydrides.

16. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalation host (a) is carbon.

17. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalation host (a) is MoS₂.

18. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalate (b) is hydrogen.

19. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalate (b) is lithium.

20. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the intercalate (b) is lithium hydride.

21. The fuel cell of claim 14 wherein, within the mixture the liquid (c) is selected from the group consisting of liquid hydrocarbons, alcohols, mineral oils, ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), tetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane), gamma-butyrolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and tri- and tetraglymes, hexane, methanol, and mixtures and combinations of these liquids.

22. A fuel cell employing a mixture having a viscosity in the range between 0.28 cP and 10,000 cP, said mixture comprising of three components (a) (b) and (c) where;

(a) is an intercalation host particle, with dimensions in the range of 0.5 nanometers and 10 microns, capable of repeatedly accepting the insertion and removal of an intercalate, (b) is an intercallate, selected only from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, and alkali metal hydrides, (c) is a liquid that does not react chemically with components (a) and (b) that comprises a sufficient quantity of the mixture to provide a viscosity in the said range.

23. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalation host (a) is comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of C, Si, Sn, Mg, Ca, MoS₂, WS₂, TaS₂, TiS₂, Ti_1.1S₂, ZrS₂, HfS₂, NbS₂, TiSe₂, VSe₂, NbSe₂, HfSe₂, TaSe₂, TiTe₂, HfTe₂, VTe₂, MoTe₂, WSe₂, MoSe₂, ReSe₂, PtSe₂, V₃S₈, TiS₃, ZrS₃, ZrSe₃, HfS₃, HfSe₃, NbS₃, NbSe₃, Bi₂Te₃, VS₄, LiAl, and other modified or standard AB, AB₂, AB₅, alloys and chemical hydrides.

24. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalation host (a) is carbon.

25. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalation host (a) is MoS₂.

26. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalate (b) is hydrogen.

27. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalate (b) is lithium.

28. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the intercalate (b) is lithium hydride.

29. The fuel cell of claim 22 where the liquid (c) is selected from the group consisting of liquid hydrocarbons, alcohols, mineral oils, ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), tetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane), gamma-butyrolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and tri- and tetraglymes, hexane, methanol, and mixtures and combinations of these liquids.