Claims
- 1. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a membrane electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and a vessel disposed around the membrane electrode assembly, the vessel defining a first storage area in fluid communication with the first electrode and the membrane electrode assembly defining a second storage area in fluid communication the second electrode.
- 2. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1, wherein the membrane electrode assembly is tubular.
- 3. The electrochemnical cell system of claim 2, wherein the vessel, the first storage area, the membrane electrode assembly, and the second storage area are coaxially aligned.
- 4. The electrochemical cell system of claim 2, wherein the vessel, the first storage area, the membrane electrode assembly, and the second storage area are concentric.
- 5. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1, wherein the first storage area, the second storage area, or both comprises porous material.
- 6. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1, wherein the first storage area comprises metal hydride.
- 7. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1, wherein the first storage area comprises carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, metal hydrides, or mixtures of at least one of the foregoing materials.
- 8. The electrochemical cell system of claim 2, further comprising a tubular screen pack adjacent to the second electrode, a tubular perforated sheet adjacent to the screen pack, and a hollow area within the perforated sheet.
- 9. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a tubular membrane electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and a vessel disposed around the membrane electrode assembly, the vessel defining a first storage area in fluid communication with the first electrode and the membrane electrode assembly defining a second storage area in fluid communication the second electrode.
- 10. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a tubular membrane electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and a vessel disposed around the membrane electrode assembly, the vessel defining a first storage area in fluid communication with the first electrode and the membrane electrode assembly defining a second storage area in fluid communication the second electrode, wherein the vessel, the first storage area, the membrane electrode assembly, and the second storage area are coaxially aligned.
- 11. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a tubular membrane electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and a vessel disposed around the membrane electrode assembly, the vessel defining a, first storage area in fluid communication with the first electrode and the membrane electrode assembly defining a second storage area in fluid communication the second electrode, wherein the vessel, the first storage area, the membrane electrode assembly, and the second storage area are concentric.
- 12. A method of operating an electrochemical cell system comprising:
introducing, to the first electrode of a membrane electrode assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with the first electrode and the second electrode, a first fluid from a first storage area in fluid communication with the first electrode, wherein the first storage area is further defined by a vessel disposed around the membrane electrode assembly; reacting the first fluid on the first electrode to form ions that migrate across a membrane to the second electrode; forming a second fluid at the second electrode; and passing said second fluid into a second storage formed by the second electrode.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reaction is electrolysis, and water for the electrolysis is water present in the second storage area.
- 14. The method as in claim 13, wherein water is present in a stoichiometric quantity.
- 15. The method as in claim 12, wherein the voltage applied for electrolysis is released after electrolysis.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the Provisional application Ser. No. 60/171,369 filed Dec. 22, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60171369 |
Dec 1999 |
US |