sandwich-type solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Sandwich-type solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell Applicants: Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo KK,

Japan; Stonehart Associates Inc, USA; M.

Watanabe (Japan)

The patent describes a sandwich-type solid

polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a

cathode current collector, a cathode containing

an ion exchange resin and cathode catalyst

particles, an ion exchange membrane, an anode

containing an ion exchange resin and anode

catalyst particles, and an anode current collector.

The ion exchange resin in the cathode and/or

anode contains catalyst metals to promote the

reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gases to

produce water. The catalyst metals are insulated

from the current collectors by the ion exchange

resin, which has no electrical conductivity.

Patent number: US 5800938

Publication date: 1 September 1998

Inventor: M. Watanabe

of the fuel cell units, to form an anode chamber

between the separator plate and the anode, and a cathode chamber between the opposite face of

the separator plate and the cathode of an adjacent fuel cell unit. The anode chamber is

supplied with a fuel gas which exits through

internal manifolds, while the cathode chamber is

supplied with an oxidant gas supply which exits through external manifolds. The electrolytes and

separator plates both have a number of aligned perforations, which form a manifold wet seal.

Each of the separator plates, in addition to the

wet seal structure to provide sealing between the separator plates and the electrolyte in operation,

also comprises a dry peripheral seal structure at a

distance from the peripheral wet seal structure.

Patent number: US 5811202 Publication date: 22 September 1998

Inventor: VJ. Petraglia

reduced manufacturing cost. The solid-polymer-

electrolyte membrane can therefore be effectively

applied to construct PEM fuel cells.

Patent number: US 58 177 18

Publication date: 6 October 1998 Inventors: S. Nau, M. Gondo

Gas distribution in a stack

Electric contact layer material Applicant: Forschungszentrum Jiilich GmbH,

Germany

Individual cells in a stack of solid oxide fuel cells

are electrically joined to each other by

intercalated interconnectors. Normally, irregularities on the surfaces of the

interconnector and the electrode impede a

reliable electrical connection. These irregularities

are smoothed out by an electrical contact layer

arranged between the electrode and the

interconnector. This layer is made of a composite

substance with at least two phases. The first

phase consists of glass or glass ceramics, while

the second exhibits electrical conductivity.

Patent number: WO 98/40921


Inventors: U. Diekmann, G. Blass

Fuel cell with pulsed anode potential ApplicantDnventor: U. Stimming (Technische

Universitat Miinchen), Germany

The invention concerns a fuel cell comprising an

electrode-electrolyte unit with an anode catalyst

whose catalytic activity is reduced by carbon

monoxide. It is possible to vary the anode

potential in a pulsed manner, such that carbon

monoxide which has been adsorbed on the

catalyst is oxidised. In this way, power losses

resulting from carbon monoxide adsorption at

the anode catalyst are reduced.

Patent number: WO 98142038


Inventors: K.A. Friedrich, W. Unkauf

Applicant: MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-

Union Friedrichshafen GmbH, Germany

The patent relates to a fuel cell assembly with a

number of fuel cells arranged in a stack. Each

fuel cell has anode and cathode inputs and

outputs, by which fuel gas and cathode gas can

enter or leave. The fuel gas is conveyed to the

anode input of the fuel cells via an internal gas

distribution device which distributes the gas

current inside the fuel cells. The cathode gas, on

the other hand, is led to or away from the

cathode input and/or cathode output by external

gas distribution devices which distribute the gas

current to the fuel cells outside. Different

designs are described, in which the fuel and

cathode gases run through the fuel cells in a

cross-, counter- or direct current manner.

Additional measures are taken for the integrated

catalytic oxidation of fuel gas residues.


Publication date: 8 October 1998

Inventors: I? Kraus, S. Rolf

Methanol concentration sensor Applicant: California Institute of Technology,

Pasadena, CA, USA

High-temperature composite cathode

Gas turbine/fuel cell system Applicant: Southern California Edison

Company, USA

A system for generating electricity is described

which combines a fuel cell, a heating stage and

an integral power generator. The power

generator includes a compressor, an electricity

generator and a turbine. Hot exhaust gas from

the fuel cell is used to drive the turbine, which in

turn drives the generator and the compressor.

Thus both the fuel cell and the generator

produce electricity. The compressor is used to

compress air for use in the fuel cell. Part of the

waste heat from the turbine is used to preheat

the air used in the fuel cell.

Patentnumber:US 5811201

Applicant: Siemens AG, Miinchen, Germany

The patent relates to a high-temperature fuel cell

with a cathode comprising a layer containing

30-60 wt% of zirconium oxide (ZrO,)

electrolyte and a small amount of scandium

oxide (Sc,O,). This results in the cathode having

a high ionic conductivity, which is well preserved

independent of operating time.



Inventors: H. Landes, F. Richter, H. Schichl

The patent describes a sensor that is capable of

fast and reliable sensing of the concentration of a

substance under analysis, in aqueous

environments containing high concentrations of

the substance. A key application is as a methanol

concentration sensor device coupled to a fuel

metering control system for use in a liquid

direct-feed fuel cell.



Inventors: S.R. Narayanan, W. Chun, T.I.

Valda


Inventor: M.J. Skowronski

Hybrid MCFC with unique sealing Applicant: M-C Power Corporation, USA The patent covers a hybrid internal/external manifolded fuel cell stack. A plate separates each

Solid-polymer-electrolyte membrane Applicant: Aisin Se& Kabushiki KK, Japan

A solid-polymer-electrolyte membrane is formed

from a synthetic resin, which includes a main

chain and a hydrocarbon-based side chain. The

main chain is formed as a film, from a

copolymer made from a fluorocarbon-based

vinyl monomer and a hydrocarbon-based vinyl

monomer. The hydrocarbon-based side chain

involves a sulfonic group. The membrane

possesses high strength and flexibility but low

electric resistance, and can be produced at a

Cooling/wetting PEM fuel cells Applicant: Magnet-Motor Gesellschaft fiir

Magnetmotorische Technik mbH, Germany

Here a polymer-electrolyte fuel cell using air as

oxidising agent (under low overpressure) and

different combustion gases, in particular

hydrogen, is cooled by feeding liquid water

directly into the air passages and possibly also the

fire1 gas passages. The water introduced into the

gas passages also serves to wet the solid polymer

electrolyte.



Inventors: A. Koschany, C. Lucas, T.

Schwesinger

Fuel Ceils Bulletin No. 3

sandwich-type solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell

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