Method of controlling utilization of hydrogen in electrolytic cell

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING UTILIZATION OF HYDROGEN IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL, WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING AN IMPURE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GASEOUS STREAM FROM A SOURCE AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, INTERPOSING A LAYER SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO HYDROGEN BUT IMPERMEABLE TO OTHER GASES DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GASEOUS STREAM AND WITH ONE SIDE OF THE LAYER IN CONTACT WITH THE ELECTROLYTIC MEDIUM OF THE CELL AND WITH SAID STREAM APPLIED TO THE OTHER SIDE, CONTACTING AN OXIDANT ELECTRODE WITH SAID MEDIUM, DRAWING CURRENT IN A CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE SAID LAYER AND SAID ELECTRODE, VENTING GAS FROM SAID STREAM AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID LAYER, CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF VENTED GAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT DRAWN SO THAT THE VENTED GAS FLOW IS SUBSTANTIALLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE CELL, TERMINATING THE DRAWING OF CURRENT, AND PROVIDING A MINIMAL FLOW OF VENTED GAS FROM SAID STREAM AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID LAYER WHILE NO CURRENT IS DRAWN AND WHILE CONTINUING THE FEEDING OF SAID STREAM TO SAID OTHER SIDE AT SAID PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, THE MINIMAL FLOW OF VENTED GAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS FLOW OF HYDROGEN THROUGH SAID LAYER AND SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT REREQUIREMENTS OF SAID CELL WHEN SAID CURRENT IS AGAIN DRAWN.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING UTILIZATION OF HYDROGEN IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL, WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING AN IMPURE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GASEOUS STREAM FROM A SOURCE AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, INTERPOSING A LAYER SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO HYDROGEN BUT IMPERMEABLE TO OTHER GASES DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GASEOUS STREAM AND WITH ONE SIDE OF THE LAYER IN CONTACT WITH THE ELECTROLYTIC MEDIUM OF THE CELL AND WITH SAID STREAM APPLIED TO THE OTHER SIDE, CONTACTING AN OXIDANT ELECTRODE WITH SAID MEDIUM, DRAWING CURRENT IN A CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE SAID LAYER AND SAID ELECTRODE, VENTING GAS FROM SAID STREAM AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID LAYER, CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF VENTED GAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT DRAWN SO THAT THE VENTED GAS FLOW IS SUBSTANTIALLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE CELL, TERMINATING THE DRAWING OF CURRENT, AND PROVIDING A MINIMAL FLOW OF VENTED GAS FROM SAID STREAM AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID LAYER WHILE NO CURRENT IS DRAWN AND WHILE CONTINUING THE FEEDING OF SAID STREAM TO SAID OTHER SIDE AT SAID PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, THE MINIMAL FLOW OF VENTED GAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS FLOW OF HYDROGEN THROUGH SAID LAYER AND SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT REREQUIREMENTS OF SAID CELL WHEN SAID CURRENT IS AGAIN DRAWN.