Static vapor control for fuel cells

Claim 1

A FUEL CELL COMPRISING: A HOUSING ENCLOSING A FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODE SPACED BY AN ELECTOLYTE CONTAINING MEMBER, SAID ELECTROLYTE SPACED BY AN ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING MEMBER, SAID ELECTROLYTE DEFINING A REACTION BOUNDARY INTERFACE WITH SAID FIRST ELECTRODE, A CAPILARY MEMBRANE IN SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID FIRST ELECTRODE TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN A GAS CHAMBER; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING GASEOUS REACTANT TO SAID GAS CHAMBER; SAID CAPILLARY MEMBRANE SATURATED WITH A SOLUTION OF A NONVOLATILE SOLUTE BEFORE OPERATION OF SAID CELL SO THAT GASES WILL NOT PASS THROUGH SAID CAPILLARY MEMBRANE; SAID SOLUTION OF A NOVOLATILE SOLUTE HAVING A CONCENTRATION SUCH THAT THE VAPOR PARTICAL PRESSURE AT SAID REACTION BOUNDARY INTERFACE EXCEEDS THE VAPOR PARTICAL PRESSURE AT THE CAPILLARY MEMBRANE SURFACE FACING SAID FIRST ELECTRODE; HOUSNG MEMBER SPACED FROM SAID CAPILLARY MEMBRANE TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN A VAPOR COLLECTING CAVITY IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MEMBRANE; MEANS FOR LIMITING THE PRESSURE IN SAID VAPOR COLLECTING CAVITY TO A PRESSURE LESS THAN THE VAPOR PARTIAL PRESSURE AT THE CAPILLARY MEMBRANE SURFACES FACING SAID CAVITY SO THAT VAPOR PRODUCED DURING OPERATION OF SAID CELL CONDENSES ON ONE SIDE OF SAID MEMBRANE AND THE CONDENSATE IS REVAPORIZED ON THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF TO PRODUCE VAPOR WHICH PASSES FROM SAID CAPILLARY MEMBRANE INTO SAID CAVITY; AND MEANS TO EXHAUST SAID VAPOR FROM SAID CAVITY.