Fuel cell and fuel cell operation oxidizing hydrogen sulfide

Claim 1

A FUEL CELL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POWER FROM THE OXIDATION OF A GASEOUS FUEL COMPRISING SPACED ANODE AND CATHODE REGIONS EACH HAVING AN ELECTRON CONDUCTOR EXTENDING THEREIN, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING OXIDATION GAS TO THE CATHODE REGION, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL GAS TO THE ANODE REGION, AN ELECTROLYTE IN EACH REGION AND DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN COMPRISING A POROUS ION-CONDUCTIVE CRYSTALLINE ALUMINOSILICATE ZELOITE OF ORDERED STRUCTURE HAVING A PORE DIAMETER OF AT LEAST 5 ANGSTROM UNITS, SAID ZEOLITE BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED AND IN THE FORM OF FINE PARTICLES, SAID ZEOLITE BEING ACTIVE TO CATALYZE THE OXIDATION OF THE FUEL GAS IN THE ANODE REGION, THEREBY PRODUCING ELECTRONS, SAID ZEOLITE ALSO BEING ACTIVE TO CATALYZE THE REDUCTION OF THE OXIDIZING GAS IN THE CATHODE REGION, THEREBY CONSUMING ELECTRONS, AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING DIFFUSION OF THE GASES FROM ONE REGION OF THE OTHER COMPRISING MEANS FOR ADMITTING AN INERT SWEEP GAS TO SAID ELECTROLYTE INTERMEDIATE SAID REGIONS, AND MEANS FOR VENTING SAID INERT GAS ADJACENT SAID ADMITTING MEANS, SAID INERT GAS SERVING TO PREVENT MIXING OF SAID FUEL AND OXIDIZING GASES.