US4818637A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hydrogen/halogen fuel cell with improved water management system
Assignee: RTX Corp
•
Filing: 1988-05-20
•
Granted: 1989-04-04
•
Expires: 2008-05-20
Abstract
Abstract The present invention discloses an improved method for operating a conventional solid polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen/halogen fuel cell. The improvement comprises humidifying the hydrogen gas prior to it entering the anode chamber thereby providing additional water to be protonically pumped through the membrane to the cathode where it dilutes the acid produced by the cathodic reaction.
Inventors
- 👤 Trent M. Molter
- 👤 Anthony B. LaConti
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:21
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/04; H01M8/04291; H01M8/22; H01M2300/00; H01M2300/0017; H01M2300/0065; H01M2300/0082; H01M8/04082; H01M8/04089; H01M8/04119; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
An improved method of operating a hydrogen/halogen fuel cell comprising a. introducing hydrogen fuel into the anode chamber of a fuel cell; b. introducing a halogen oxidant into the cathode chamber of a fuel cell; c. contacting said hydrogen fuel with the catalytic anode thereby catalytically disassociating the hydrogen into hydrogen ions and electrons; d. transporting the hydrogen ions through a solid polymer electrolyte membrane to the cathode electrode; e. passing the electrons through an external circuit to the cathode; f. reacting the oxidant with the hydrogen ions in the presence of the catalytic cathode to produce an acid; wherein the improvement comprises humidifying the hydrogen gas prior to its introduction into the anode chamber thereby providing excess water which maybe protonically pumped through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane with the hydrogen ions to the cathode and thereby diluting the acid produced at the cathode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
An improved method of operating a hydrogen/halogen fuel cell comprising a. introducing hydrogen fuel into the anode chamber of a fuel cell; b. introducing a halogen oxidant into the cathode chamber of a fuel cell; c. contacting said hydrogen fuel with the catalytic anode thereby catalytically disassociating the hydrogen into hydrogen ions and electrons; d. transporting the hydrogen ions through a solid polymer electrolyte membrane to the cathode electrode; e. passing the electrons through an external circuit to the cathode; f. reacting the oxidant with the hydrogen ions in the presence of the catalytic cathode to produce an acid; wherein the improvement comprises humidifying the hydrogen gas prior to its introduction into the anode chamber thereby providing excess water which maybe protonically pumped through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane with the hydrogen ions to the cathode and thereby diluting the acid produced at the cathode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the hydrogen gas is humidified by passing the gas over the surface of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane whose opposite surface is in contact with liquid water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the water contacting the solid polymer electrolyte is under pressure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is a fluoropolymer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-04-03 | 1992-10-03 | 1993-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-04-03 | 1996-10-03 | 1997-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-04-03 | 2000-10-03 | 2001-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |