Method of operating a fuel cell utilizing ultrasonic mixing means removed from the fuel cell

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED METHOD OF OPERATING A FUEL CELL HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED-APART FUEL AND OXYGEN ELECTRODES WITH AN ELECTROLYTE COMPARTMENT THEREBETWEEN AND EMPLOYING FUEL AND ELECTROLYTE IN ADMIXTURE WHICH COMPRISES EMPLOYING A FUEL WHICH IS NON-REACTIVE WITH THE ELECTROLYTE AND HAS AN EQUILIBRIUM SOLUBILITY THEREIN OF LESS THAN ABOUT 0.005 MOLE PER LITER, FORMING THE FUEL INTO A FINE STATE OF SUBDIVISION IN A ZONE REMOVED FROM SAID FUEL CELL BY IMPINGING ULTRASONIC WAVES ON THE MIXTURE TO PHYSICALLY AGITATE AND DISRUPT THE SAME, THEREBY TO FORM A FINE DISPERSION OF FUEL AND ELECTROLYTE, FLOWING SAID DISPERSION TO THE FUEL ELECTRODE, THEREBY MAKING SAID FUEL AVAILABLE IN FINELY SIZED FINELY DISPERSED FORM THERETO, COINCIDENTLY THEREWITH PRODUCING A FLOW OF CURRENT THROUGH THE CELL WHICH IS GREATER THAN IF THE FUEL WERE NOT FINELY DISPERSED IN THE ELECTROLYTE, THEN FLOWING THE DISPERSION OUT OF SAID FUEL CELL AND REPLENISHING THE FUEL CONTENT THEREOF, SUBJECTING THE REPLINISHED DISPERSION TO THE ACTION OF SAID ULTRASONIC WAVES IN SAID ZONE, AND RECIRCULATING THE DISPERSION TO SAID FUEL ELECTRODE.