Claims
- 1. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
at least one electrochemical cell having a hydrogen electrode and an oxygen electrode with an electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween and in intimate contact therewith; and a compartmentalized storage tank having a first fluid storage section and a second fluid storage section separated by a movable divider, wherein said compartmentalized storage tank is in fluid communication with said electrochemical cell.
- 2. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 1, wherein said electrochemical cell further comprises a hydrogen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said hydrogen electrode, an oxygen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said oxygen electrode, and a media divider disposed adjacent to and in fluid and electrical communication with said oxygen flow field.
- 3. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider is selected from the group of materials consisting carbon, nickel, cobalt, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tungsten, carbon, hafnium, iron, and oxides, mixtures, and alloys comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.
- 4. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider is up to about 0.5 inches thick.
- 5. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider is about 0.001 inches to about 0.3 inches thick.
- 6. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider is about 0.001 inches to about 0.05 inches thick.
- 7. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider is about 0.001 inches to about 0.03 inches thick.
- 8. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 9. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 8, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure of about 7.0 psi to about 8.0 psi.
- 10. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 8, further comprising a mechanical force bias capable of maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to said bubble pressure.
- 11. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said movable divider is a bladder, a bellows, a piston, or a diaphragm.
- 12. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said gas storage section is in fluid communication with said oxygen flow field.
- 13. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 2, wherein said gas storage section is in fluid communication with said hydrogen flow field.
- 14. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 1, wherein said electrochemical cell further comprises a hydrogen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said hydrogen electrode, an oxygen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said oxygen electrode, and a media divider disposed adjacent to and fluid and electrical communication with said hydrogen flow field.
- 15. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said media divider is selected from the group of materials consisting carbon, nickel, cobalt, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tungsten, carbon, hafnium, iron, and oxides, mixtures, and alloys comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.
- 16. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said media divider is up to about 0.5 inches thick.
- 17. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said media divider is about 0.001 to about 0.3 inches thick.
- 18. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 19. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 18, further comprising a mechanical force bias capable of maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to said bubble pressure.
- 20. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure of about 7.0 psi to about 8.0 psi.
- 21. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said movable divider is a bladder, bellows, piston, or diaphragm.
- 22. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said gas storage section is in fluid communication with said oxygen flow field.
- 23. An electrochemical cell system as in claim 14, wherein said gas storage section is in fluid communication with said hydrogen flow field.
- 24. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a hydrogen electrode; an oxygen electrode; an electrolyte membrane disposed between and in intimate contact with said hydrogen electrode and said oxygen electrode; an oxygen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said oxygen electrode; a hydrogen flow field disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with said hydrogen electrode; a water flow field disposed in fluid communication with said oxygen flow field; and a media divider disposed between said oxygen flow field and said water flow field.
- 25. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said media divider is selected from the group of materials consisting carbon, nickel, cobalt, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tungsten, carbon, hafnium, iron, and oxides, mixtures, and alloys comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.
- 26. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said media divider is up to about 0.5 inches thick.
- 27. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said media divider is about 0.001 to about 0.3 inches thick.
- 28. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 29. An electrochemical cell as in claim 28, further comprising a mechanical force bias capable of maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to standard bubble pressure.
- 30. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said media divider has a bubble pressure of about 7.0 psi to about 8.0 psi.
- 31. An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said movable divider is a bladder, bellows, piston, or diaphragm.
- 32. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system, comprising-.
introducing water to an oxygen electrode; electrolyzing said water to form oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons, wherein said hydrogen ions migrate through a membrane to a hydrogen electrode; directing said oxygen to an oxygen storage section of a compartmentalized storage tank, wherein said oxygen increases the pressure in said storage tank and moves a movable divider which forces said water to move from said compartmentalized storage tank to said oxygen electrode; moving said electrons to said hydrogen electrode; and reacting said hydrogen ions and said electrons to form hydrogen.
- 33. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 32, further comprising passing said water from said compartmentalized storage tank to a water flow field, through a media divider and an oxygen flow field to said oxygen electrode.
- 34. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 33, wherein said media divider is porous, electrically conductive, and has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 35. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 34, further comprising maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to said bubble pressure.
- 36. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 32, wherein said movable divider is a bladder, bellows, piston, or diaphragm.
- 37. A method for operating an electrochemical cell, comprising:
introducing water to a water flow field disposed adjacent to an oxygen flow field with an electrically conductive, porous media disposed therebetween; passing said water through said media divider and said oxygen flow field to an oxygen electrode; electrolyzing said water to form oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons, wherein said hydrogen ions migrate through a membrane to a hydrogen electrode; passing said electrons to said hydrogen electrode; and reacting said hydrogen ions and said electrons to form hydrogen.
- 38. A method for operating an electrochemical cell as in claim 37, wherein said media divider is porous, electrically conductive, and has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 39. A method for operating an electro chemical cell system as in claim 38, further comprising maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to said bubble pressure.
- 40. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system, comprising:
introducing oxygen to an oxygen electrode; introducing hydrogen to a hydrogen electrode; ionizing said hydrogen to produce hydrogen ions and electrons, wherein said hydrogen ions migrate across a membrane to said oxygen electrode while said electrons pass through an electrical connection to said oxygen electrode; combining said oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons to form water; and directing said water to a water storage section of a compartmentalized storage tank, wherein said water increases the pressure in said storage tank, moving a movable divider, and forcing said oxygen to move from said compartmentalized storage tank to said oxygen electrode.
- 41. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 40, further comprising passing said water from said oxygen electrode through an oxygen flow field and a media divider, and to said compartmentalized storage tank.
- 42. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 40, wherein said media divider is porous, electrically conductive, and has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
- 43. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 42, further comprising maintaining a gas/liquid pressure differential of up to said bubble pressure.
- 44. A method for operating an electrochemical cell system as in claim 40, wherein said movable divider is a bladder, bellows, piston, or diaphragm.
- 45. A method for operating an electrochemical cell, comprising:
introducing oxygen to an oxygen electrode; introducing hydrogen to a hydrogen electrode; ionizing said hydrogen to produce hydrogen ions and electrons, wherein said hydrogen ions migrate across a membrane to said oxygen electrode while said electrons pass through an electrical connection to said oxygen electrode; combining said oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons to form water; and passing said water from said oxygen electrode through an oxygen flow field and a media divider to a water flow field.
- 46. A method for operating an electrochemical cell as in claim 45, wherein said media divider is porous, electrically conductive, and has a bubble pressure greater than about 0.01 psi.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the Provisional Application Serial No. 60/171,122 filed Dec. 16, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60171122 |
Dec 1999 |
US |