Fuel cells and their method of operation

Abstract

Abstract A FUEL CELL ADAPTED FOR OPERATION WITH A REDUCING GAS AND AN OXIDIZING GAS AND A CIRCULATING LIQUID AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE CONSTRUCTED OF POROUS GAS-DIFFUSION POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODES WITH THE MAJOR, GENERALLY PLANAR, SURFACES OF THE ELECTRODES OF OPPOSING POLARITY IN CONTACT WITH SUCH ELECTROLYTE AND SPACED APART AT A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM THICKNESS OF THE IONIC DIFFUSION LAYER OF SUCH ELECTROLYTE, E.G. ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.5 MM., WITH THE OXIDIZING AND REDUCING GASES BEING SUPPLIED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ELECTRODES AT THE SURFACE THEREOF OPPOSITE SUCH MAJOR SURFACE. SUCH A FUEL CELL IS OPERABLE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM AMBIENT TO ABOUT 70* C. AND AT GAS OVERPRESSURES LESS THAN ABOUT 1 KILOGRAM PER SQUARE CENTIMETER AND INSUFFICIENTLY GREATER THAN THE PRESSURE ON THE ELECTROLYTE TO CAUSE THE GASES TO PASS ENTIRELY THROUGH THE ELECTRODES WITH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED POLARIZATION THAN IF THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES'' MAJOR SURFACES WAS GREATER THAN STATED.

Inventors

• 👤 Douchan Stanimirovitch
• 👤 Jean Francois Laurent
• 👤 Patrice Robert Jean Verrez

Bibliographic Details