Fuel battery and method of operating same

Claim 1

A FUEL BATTERY ADAPTED TO OPERATE WITH GASEOUS HYDROCARBON, COMPRISING AN OUTER TUBULAR POROUS COMBUSTION-AGENT ELECTRODE HAVING CUMBUSTION-AGENT DUCT MEAND CONNECTED THERETO, A CENTRAL TUBULAR POROUS FUEL ELECTRODE HAVING AN INNER SPACE AND TWWO OPPOSITE ENDS, AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID COMBUSTION-AGENT ELECTRODE AND SAID FUEL ELECTRODE, LIQUID ELECTROLYTE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR SPACE, STEAM CRACKING CATALYTIC SUBSTANCE OF SAID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID INNER SPACE OF SAID TUBULAR FUEL ELECTRODE, FEEDING DUCT MEANS FOR FUEL FLUID AND ADJUVANT FLUID OF THE TWO-BRANCH FORK TYPE CONNECTED TO EITHER OF SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID INNER SPACE OF TUBULAR RUEL ELECTRODE, VALVE MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID FEEDING DUCT MEANS, DISCHARGING DUCT MEANS FOR THE OXIDATION PRODUCTS AND FUMES CONNECTED TO EITHER OF SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FUEL ELECTRODE AND VALVE MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID DISCHARGING DUCT MEANS.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF GENERATING ELECTRIC CURRENT BY USING A FUEL BATTERY COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUPPLYING AIR TO AN OUTER TUBULAR POROUS COMBUSTION-AGENT ELECTRODE, SUPPLYING A MIXTURE OF GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS AND STEAM ALTERNATELY INTO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF FLOW THROUGH THE INNER SPACE OF A CENTRAL TUBULAR POROUS FUEL ELECTRODE FILLED WITH A CRACKING CATALYTIC SUBSTANCE AND RECOVERING THE PRODUCTS OF THE COMBUSTION THEREOF SUCCESSIVELY AND ALTERNATELY AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FUEL ELECTROCDE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF GENERATING ELECTRIC CURRENT BY USING A FUEL BATTERY COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUPPLYING AIR TO AN OUTER TUBULAR POROUS COMBUSTION-AGENT ELECTRODE, SUPPLYING A MIXTURE OF GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS AND STEAM ALTERNATELY INTO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF FLOW THROUGH THE INNER SPACE OF A CENTRAL TUBULAR POROUS FUEL ELECTRODE FILLED WITH A CRACKING CATALYTIC SUBSTANCE AND RECOVERING THE PRODUCTS OF THE COMBUSTION THEREOF SUCCESSIVELY AND ALTERNATELY AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FUEL ELECTROCDE.