Recovering water formed in a fuel cell and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING POTABLE WATER FROM THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION OF A FUEL CELL FOR USE UNDER SPACE FLIGHT CONDITIONS, SAID WATER BEING FORMED THEREIN BY THE REACTION OF A FUEL AND OXIDANT MATERIAL COMPRISING: PASSING SAID ELECTROLYTE UNDER PRESSURE INTO ALTERNATE DISTILLATION CHAMBERS OF A MEMBRANE DISTILLATON UNIT, SAID DISTILLATION ALTERNATE BEING SEPARATED AND DEFINED FROM THE ADJACENT ALTERNATE VAPOR CHAMBERS BY SEMI-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, SAID MEMBRANE CONSISTING OF A HYDROPHILIC ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO WATER SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERMEABLE TO DISSOLVED SALTS, MAINTAIN AT LEAST A PARTIAL VACUUM IN SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS CAUSING WATER OF THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION TO PASS THROUGH SAID MEMBRANES INTO SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS AS A WATER VAPOR THEREIN, WITHDRAWNG SAID VAPOR FROM SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS, AND CONDENSING SAID VAPOR TO RECOVER THE WATER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING POTABLE WATER FROM THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION OF A FUEL CELL FOR USE UNDER SPACE FLIGHT CONDITIONS, SAID WATER BEING FORMED THEREIN BY THE REACTION OF A FUEL AND OXIDANT MATERIAL COMPRISING: PASSING SAID ELECTROLYTE UNDER PRESSURE INTO ALTERNATE DISTILLATION CHAMBERS OF A MEMBRANE DISTILLATON UNIT, SAID DISTILLATION ALTERNATE BEING SEPARATED AND DEFINED FROM THE ADJACENT ALTERNATE VAPOR CHAMBERS BY SEMI-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, SAID MEMBRANE CONSISTING OF A HYDROPHILIC ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO WATER SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERMEABLE TO DISSOLVED SALTS, MAINTAIN AT LEAST A PARTIAL VACUUM IN SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS CAUSING WATER OF THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION TO PASS THROUGH SAID MEMBRANES INTO SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS AS A WATER VAPOR THEREIN, WITHDRAWNG SAID VAPOR FROM SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS, AND CONDENSING SAID VAPOR TO RECOVER THE WATER.

Claim 3

THE APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING POTABLE WATER FORMED IN THE ELECTROLYTE OF A FUEL CELL FOR USE UNDER SPACE FLIGHT CONDITIONS, SAID CELL COMPRISING SPACED POROUS CATALYTIC ELECTRODES HAVING AN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION BETWEEN THE SAME AND COMPRISING: THE COMBINATION OF SAID FUEL CELL WITH A MEMBRANE DISTILLATION UNIT PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID FUEL CELL INTO A MANIFOLD WITH MEANS FOR PASSING SAID ELECTROLYTE INTO ALTERNATE DISTILLATION CHAMBERS OF SAID DISTILLATION UNIT, SAID DISTILLATION CHAMBERS BEING SEPARATED AND DEFINED FROM THE ADJACENT ALTERNATE VAPOR CHAMBERS BY SEMI-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, SAID MEMBRANE CONSISTING OF HYDROPHILIC ORGANOC PLASTIC MATERIAL SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO WATER AND SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERMEABLE TO DISSOLVED SALTS, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AT LEAST A PARTIAL VACUUM IN SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID DISTILLATION CHAMBERS AND RECIRCULATING THE SAME BACK TO THE ELECTROLYTE CHAMBER OF SAID FUEL CELL, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE WATER VAPOR PASSING INTO SAID VAPOR CHAMBER FROM SAID DISTILLATON CHAMBERS, AND MEANS FOR RECOVERING THE SAME FOR FURTHER USE.

Claim 4

THE APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING POTABLE WATER FORMED IN THE ELECTROLYTE OF A FUEL CELL FOR USE UNDER SPACE FLIGHT CONDITIONS, SAID CELL COMPRISING SPACED POROUS CATALYTIC ELECTRODES HAVING AN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION BETWEEN THE SAME AND COMPRISING: THE COMBINATION OF SAID FUEL CELL WITH A MEMBRANE DISTILLATION UNIT PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID FUEL CELL INTO A MANIFOLD WITH MEANS FOR PASSING SAID ELECTROLYTE INTO ALTERNATE DISTILLATION CHAMBERS OF SAID DISTILLATION UNIT, SAID DISTILLATION CHAMBERS BEING SEPARATED AND DEFINED FROM THE ADJACENT ALTERNATE VAPOR CHAMBERS BY SEMI-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES, SAID MEMBRANE CONSISTING OF HYDROPHILIC ORGANOC PLASTIC MATERIAL SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO WATER AND SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERMEABLE TO DISSOLVED SALTS, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AT LEAST A PARTIAL VACUUM IN SAID VAPOR CHAMBERS, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID DISTILLATION CHAMBERS AND RECIRCULATING THE SAME BACK TO THE ELECTROLYTE CHAMBER OF SAID FUEL CELL, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE WATER VAPOR PASSING INTO SAID VAPOR CHAMBER FROM SAID DISTILLATON CHAMBERS, AND MEANS FOR RECOVERING THE SAME FOR FURTHER USE.