Fuel cell using organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte

Claim 2

A fuel cell, adapted to be operated at a temperature of from room temperature to about 100° C., comprising: (a) a fuel electrode placed so that a fuel in a fuel chamber is in contact therewith, (b) an oxidizer electrode placed so that an oxidizer in an oxidant chamber is in contact therewith, and (c) an electrolyte between said fuel electrode and said oxidizer electrode, the electrodes facing each other via said electrolyte, wherein said electrolyte is an organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte having a molecular weight of at least 1000, which electrolyte is at least partially soluble in water thereby to generate low-molecular weight ions and high-molecular weight ions being separated from each other in water, said ions being hardly permeable through the electrodes, whereby leakage of the electrolyte from between the electrodes can be avoided.

Claim 3

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, further including means for feeding fuel to the fuel chamber and means for feeding an oxidizer to the oxidizer chamber, and wherein at least one of the fuel feeding means and oxidizer feeding means includes means for feeding a liquid fuel to the fuel electrode or means for feeding a liquid oxidizer to the oxidizer electrode, respectively.

Claim 4

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, further including means for feeding liquid fuel to the fuel electrode, said means including means for feeding water contained with the liquid fuel.

Claim 5

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte is of a strong acid or base type.

Claim 6

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte contains water in which it is partially dissolved.

Claim 7

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte is in the form of a paste containing water and a thickening agent.

Claim 8

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte is mixed with an inactive thickening agent.

Claim 9

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 7, wherein said inactive thickening agent is an inorganic powder having a high specific resistance.

Claim 10

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte has a dissociated radical of a sulfonic or phosphine group.

Claim 11

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said high-molecular weight electrolyte has a dissociated radical of an amino group, a quaternary ammonium group, --CH 2 N(CH 3 ) 3 Cl or --CH 2 N(CH 2 CH 2 OH)(CH 3 ) 2 Cl.

Claim 12

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjacent sides of said fuel electrode and said oxidizer electrode carry said organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte in the form of a film.

Claim 13

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for utilizing capillary action to supply said fuel electrode with fuel or a mixture of fuel and water.

Claim 14

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 12, wherein said means for utilizing capillary action comprises a porous member extending into a supply of said fuel or a mixture of fuel and water.

Claim 15

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a fuel controlling fastening positioned adjacent said porous member for controlling the flow of fuel or mixture of fuel and water from said supply to said fuel electrode.

Claim 16

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 13, wherein said porous member also is a porous substrate for the fuel electrode, having a catalyst layer on the porous substrate.

Claim 17

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one membrane positioned between the fuel electrode and oxidizer electrode.

Claim 18

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 16, wherein said membrane is an ion exchange film.

Claim 19

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 16, wherein the high-molecular weight electrolyte is in the form of a paste, and is coated on at least one surface of a membrane.

Claim 20

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 16, wherein the fuel cell contains two membranes, and the high-molecular weight electrolyte is sandwiched between the two membranes.

Claim 21

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein a high-molecular weight residue of said high-molecular weight electrolyte is polystyrene, polyethylene, polyacryl, polymethacryl, a styrene-butadiene copolymer or a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer.

Claim 22

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for feeding fuel to the fuel chamber is a means for feeding a mixture of methanol and water to the fuel chamber, whereby electric energy is generated as a result of electrochemical reaction producing carbon dioxide gas at said fuel electrode and water at said oxidizer electrode.

Claim 23

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein said organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte has a minimum ionic conductivity of 4×10 -3 S/cm, where S is siemens (Ω -1 ).

Claim 24

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 7, wherein said thickening agent is utilized in an amount to provide a paste having a viscosity of 10 2 and 10 4 poises.

Claim 25

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte also contains a low-molecular weight electrolyte in an amount of 5-20% by weight based on the total amount of the electrolyte.

Claim 26

A fuel cell as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of said organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte.

Claim 27

A fuel cell, adapted to operate at a temperature from room temperature to about 100° C., comprising: (a) a fuel electrode adapted to be placed in contact with a fuel in a fuel chamber, (b) an oxidizer electrode adapted to be placed so that an oxidizer gas in an oxidant chamber is in contact therewith, and (c) an electrolyte between said fuel electrode and said oxidizer electrode, said electrodes facing each other via the electrolyte, wherein said electrolyte is an organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte having a molecular weight sufficiently high such that said organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte does not leak out from between the electrodes, which high-molecular weight electrolyte is at least partially soluble in water thereby to generate low-molecular weight ions and high-molecular weight ions being separated from each other in water, said ions being hardly permeable through the electrodes, whereby electric energy is generated as a result of electrochemical reaction at the electrodes.

Claim 28

A fuel cell, adapted to operate at a temperature from room temperature to about 100° C., comprising: (a) a fuel electrode adapted to be placed in contact with a fuel in a fuel chamber, (b) an oxidizer electrode adapted to be placed so that an oxidizer gas in an oxidant chamber is in contact therewith, and (c) an electrolyte between said fuel electrode and said oxidizer electrode, said electrodes facing each other via the electrolyte, wherein said electrolyte is an organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte having a molecular weight sufficiently high such that said organic, high-molecular weight electrolyte does not leak out from between the electrodes, which high-molecular weight electrolyte is at least partially soluble in water thereby to generate low-molecular weight ions and high-molecular weight ions being separated from each other in water, said ions being hardly permeable through the electrodes, whereby electric energy is generated as a result of electrochemical reaction at the electrodes.