Fuel cell comprising a hydrogen diffusion anode having two layers of dissimilar metals and method of operating same

Claim 1

A HYDROGEN-OXIDANT FUEL CELL FOR THE DIRECT GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY CONTAINING AN IN SITU HYDROGEN GENERATOR COMPRISING AN ELECTROLYTE, A THREE-LAYER ANODE UNIT COMPRISING A NON-POROUS HYDROGEN DIFFUSION MEMBRANE, ONE MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID MEMBRANE BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTROLYTE, A LAYER OF METAL BACK IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE SECOND MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID MEMBRANE, SAID METAL BLACK BEING AN ELEMENT OF GROUP VIII OF THE MENDELYEEV''S PERIODIC TABLE, AND A LAYER OF CATALYST IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE SECOND MAJOR SURFACE OF SAID LAYER OF METAL BLACK LAYER AND CAPABLE OF ANALYZING HYDROGEN FROM HYDROGEN CONTAINING MATERIAL, A CATHODE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND OXIDANT TO SAID ANODE UNIT AND CATHODE RESPECTIVELY, SAID ANODE UNIT ANALYZING SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL INTO HYDROGEN AND BY-PRODUCTS AT THE CATALYST LAYER AND CONSUMING SAID HYDROGEN AT THE METAL BLACK LAYER AND HYDROGEN DIFFUSION MEMBRANE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY DIRECTLY FROM A FUEL AND OXIDANT IN A FUEL CELL COMPRISING A CATHODE, A THREE-LAYER ANODE UNIT, AND ELECTROLYTE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING A HYDROGEN CONTAINING MATERIAL INTO SAID THREE-LAYER ANODE UNIT COMPRISING A NON-POROUS MEMBRANE IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT ONE MAJOR SURFACE WITH A METAL BLACK LAYER, AND AT THE SECOND JAJOR SURFACE WITH THE ELECTROLYTE OF THE CELL, SAID METAL BLACK LAYER BEING AN ELEMENT OF GROUP VIII OF THE MENDELYEEV''S PERIODIC TABLE AND BEING IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT ITS SECOND MAJOR SURFACE WITH A CATALYTIC LAYER WHICH IS DISSIMILAR FROM SAID METAL BLACK LAYER, WHEREBY HYDROGEN IS FORMED AT SAID CATALYTIC LAYER AND CONSUMED AT THE METAL BLACK LAYER AND HYDROGEN DIFFUSION MEMBRANE AS IT IS FORMED THEREBY UNBALANCING THE EQUILIBRIUM OF THE HYDROGEN FORMING REACTION, SAID METHOD BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 25*C. AND NOT OVER 400*C.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY DIRECTLY FROM A FUEL AND OXIDANT IN A FUEL CELL COMPRISING A CATHODE, A THREE-LAYER ANODE UNIT, AND ELECTROLYTE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING A HYDROGEN CONTAINING MATERIAL INTO SAID THREE-LAYER ANODE UNIT COMPRISING A NON-POROUS MEMBRANE IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT ONE MAJOR SURFACE WITH A METAL BLACK LAYER, AND AT THE SECOND JAJOR SURFACE WITH THE ELECTROLYTE OF THE CELL, SAID METAL BLACK LAYER BEING AN ELEMENT OF GROUP VIII OF THE MENDELYEEV''S PERIODIC TABLE AND BEING IN INTIMATE CONTACT AT ITS SECOND MAJOR SURFACE WITH A CATALYTIC LAYER WHICH IS DISSIMILAR FROM SAID METAL BLACK LAYER, WHEREBY HYDROGEN IS FORMED AT SAID CATALYTIC LAYER AND CONSUMED AT THE METAL BLACK LAYER AND HYDROGEN DIFFUSION MEMBRANE AS IT IS FORMED THEREBY UNBALANCING THE EQUILIBRIUM OF THE HYDROGEN FORMING REACTION, SAID METHOD BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 25*C. AND NOT OVER 400*C.