Fuel cells with improved resistance to fuel crossover
First Claim
1. A fuel cell comprising:
- an anode in an anode region of the cell and a cathode in a cathode region of the cell, the anode being separated from the cathode by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an alcoholic fuel and the cathode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an oxidant;
an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; and
a non-volatile catholyte solution in flowing fluid communication with the cathode in the cathode region of the cell, the catholyte solution comprising a redox couple, wherein the redox couple is at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, and wherein the redox couple comprises a polyoxometallate species;
wherein at least one of the redox couple and the concentration of the redox couple in the catholyte solution is selected so that the current density generated by the cell in operation is substantially unaffected by the oxidation of alcoholic fuel due to crossover of the alcoholic fuel from the anode region of the cell to the cathode region of the cell across the polymer electrolyte membrane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a fuel cell comprising an anode in an anode region of the cell and a cathode in a cathode region of the cell, the anode being separated from the cathode by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an alcoholic fuel, the cathode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an oxidant, the cell being provided with means for generating an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode and with a non-volatile redox couple in solution in flowing fluid communication with the cathode in the cathode region of the cell, the redox couple being at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, the redox couple and/or the concentration of the redox couple in the catholyte solution being selected so that the current density generated by the cell in operation is substantially unaffected by the crossover of the alcoholic fuel from the anode region of the cell to the cathode region of the cell across the polymer electrolyte membrane.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A fuel cell comprising:
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an anode in an anode region of the cell and a cathode in a cathode region of the cell, the anode being separated from the cathode by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an alcoholic fuel and the cathode region of the cell being supplied in use thereof with an oxidant; an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; and a non-volatile catholyte solution in flowing fluid communication with the cathode in the cathode region of the cell, the catholyte solution comprising a redox couple, wherein the redox couple is at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, and wherein the redox couple comprises a polyoxometallate species; wherein at least one of the redox couple and the concentration of the redox couple in the catholyte solution is selected so that the current density generated by the cell in operation is substantially unaffected by the oxidation of alcoholic fuel due to crossover of the alcoholic fuel from the anode region of the cell to the cathode region of the cell across the polymer electrolyte membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification