Rechargeable fuel cell

• US 8,962,211 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Eickhoff, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARKS, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US12/335,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 429/497
• US Class Current: 429/466
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/004 Cylindrical, tubular or wound
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0297 Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other H01M8/0271 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04216 characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2465 Details of groupings of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2475 Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A device and method of forming a power generator includes a container, a fuel cell stack within the container, a metal hydride hydrogen producing fuel within the container, wherein the fuel cell stack is sandwiched between the container and an anode support surrounding the fuel and in close thermal contact with the fuel. The fuel cell stack has a cathode electrode for exposure to oxygen and an anode electrode for exposure to hydrogen. A cathode is electrically coupled to the cathode electrode of the fuel cell stack and supported by the container such that at least a portion of it is exposed on an outside of the container. An anode is electrically coupled to the anode electrode of the fuel cell stack and supported by the container such that at least a portion of it is exposed on the outside of the container spaced apart from the exposed cathode.

Claims

1. A method of forming a power generator, the method comprising:

forming a multiply perforated container having a desired shape;

wrapping a fuel cell stack around a multiply perforated anode support within the container, the fuel cell stack having a multiply perforated cathode electrode for exposure to oxygen and a multiply perforated anode electrode for exposure to hydrogen; and

placing a metal hydride hydrogen producing fuel within the anode support, wherein the fuel cell stack is in close thermal contact with the metal hydride fuel through the anode support wherein the fuel cell stack is formed by the method comprising;

forming a multiply perforated anode electrode layer comprising an anode electrode portion and a non-electrode portion;

forming an anode double sided adhesive having a non-adhesive anode gas diffusion layer in an opening therein, said double sided adhesive adhered on one side to the anode electrode layer such that a portion of the anode electrode is in contact with the anode gas diffusion layer;

forming an ion exchange membrane adhered on a first side to the side of the anode double sided adhesive opposite the anode electrode layer;

forming a cathode double sided adhesive having a non-adhesive cathode gas diffusion layer in an opening therein, said double sided adhesive adhered on one side to a second side of the ion exchange membrane; and

forming a multiperforated cathode electrode layer comprising a cathode electrode portion and a non-electrode portion adhered to the cathode double sided adhesive having a non-adhesive cathode gas diffusion layer in an opening therein, on the side opposite the ion exchange membrane, such that a portion of the cathode electrode is in contact with the cathode gas diffusion layer;

pressing the formed layers together to form a flexible fuel cell stack.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the layers are adhered together forming a gas tight stack.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the anode layer is formed with fuel cell anodes, each with a tab for facilitating an electrical series connection between two fuel cells in the fuel cell stack.

4. The method of claim 3 and further comprising including a conductive ring at one end of the fuel cell stack to facilitate the series electrical connection between the fuel cells.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the stack is approximately 1mm or less and wherein the container is cylindrical and the stack is conformed to a cylindrical shape.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the stack is comprised of two series connected fuel cells.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the power generator is self regulating.

7. A method of making a power generator, the method comprising:

forming a multiply perforated anode electrode layer;

comprising an anode electrode portion and a non-electrode portion

forming an anode double sided adhesive having a non-adhesive gas diffusion layer therein, said double sided adhesive adhered on one side to the multiply perforated anode electrode layer such that a portion of the anode electrode is in contact with the anode gas diffusion layer;

forming an ion exchange membrane adhered on a first side to the side of the the anode double sided adhesive opposite the anode electrode layer;

forming cathode double sided adhesive having a non-adhesive cathode gas diffusion layer in an opening therein, said double sided adhesive adhered on one side to a second side of the ion exchange membrane;

forming a multiply perforated cathode electrode layer comprising a cathode electrode portion and a non-electrode portion adhered to the cathode double sided adhesive and having a non-adhesive cathode gas diffusion layer in an opening therein, on the side opposite the ion exchange membrane such that a portion of the cathode electrode is in contact with the cathode gas diffusion layer;

pressing the formed layers together to form a flexible fuel cell stack; and

wrapping the flexible fuel cell stack around a metal hydride hydrogen fuel in close thermal contact with the fuel.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the thickness of the stack is approximately 1 mm or less.

9. The method of claim 7 and further comprising conforming the fuel cell stack to a cylindrical shape.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the layers are formed such that the fuel cell stack is comprised of two series connected fuel cells.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the layers are adhered together, forming a gas tight stack.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the anode layer and the cathode layer are formed by depositing a titanium or aluminum layer and depositing gold on such layer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the anode layer has two fuel cell anodes, each with a tab and a ring for facilitating an electrical series connection between two fuel cells in the fuel cell stack.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the gas diffusion layers are formed with carbon paper.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the ion exchange membrane is formed with Nafion.