Fuel cell with a decarbonation cycle, consuming a mixed fuel

Claim 1

METHOD FOR DECARBONATION OF AN ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE OF A FUEL CELL UTILIZING A CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING OXIDANT, THE ELECTROLYTE AND FUEL BEING SUPPLIED TO THE ANODE COMPARTMENT OF THE POWER PORTION OF THE FUEL CELL AND THE OXIDANT BEING FED TO THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT, SEPARATED FROM SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT BY A FIRST MEMBRANE, OF SAID FUEL CELL, THE ELECTROLYTE BEING DECARBONATED DURING OPERATION OF THE CELL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: WITHDRAWING ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT FOR DECARBONATION; ADDING TO THE ELECTROLYTE THUS WITHDRAWN A MATERIAL CONTAINING FORMATE IONS; PASSING THE MIXTURE OF SAID ELECTROLYTE AND SAID FORMATE ION CONTAINING MATERIAL SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS OF A DECARBONATION PORTION OF SAID FUEL CELL SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT AND SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT SEPARATED BY A SECOND MEMBRANE PERMITTING PASSAGE OF OH- IONS, CARBON DIOXIDE BEING REMOVED AFTER PASSAGE OF SAID MIXTURE THROUGH SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT AND BEFORE PASSAGE INTO SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT, AND RETURNING THE DECARBONATED ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID DECARBONATION PORTION OF SAID FUEL CELL TO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT OF SAID POWER PORTION OF SAID FUEL CELL, THE AMOUNT OF SAID FORMATE ION CONTAINING MATERIAL ADDED TO THE ELECTROLYTE BEING SUCH THAT THE SUM OF THE FORMATE ION CONTENT OF THE WITHDRAWN ELECTROLYTE RESULTING FROM THE OXIDATION OF SAID CARBONACEOUS FUEL AND THE FORMATE ION CONTENT ADDED AS AFORESAID TO THE ELECTROLYTE IS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE COOMPLETE DECARBONATION OF THE ELECTROLYTE.