Claims
- 1. A method of operating a liquid feed fuel cell, comprising adding a quantity of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid to a fuel of the fuel cell.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said perfluorooctanesulfonic acid is provided with a concentration of at least 0.0001 M.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said perfluorooctanesulfonic acid is in the range of 0.0001 M to 0.01 Molar.
- 4. An aqueous organic fuel-feed fuel cell, comprising:
a first electrode having a first polarity; a second electrode having a second polarity different than the first polarity; an electrolyte, comprising a proton-conducting membrane which is coupled to both said first and second electrodes; and a circulating system, operating to circulate a first liquid organic fuel which is substantially free of acid-containing electrolytes into an area of said first electrode to cause a potential difference between said first and second electrodes when a second component is in an area of said second electrode; wherein said first electrode is formed of a porous material configured in a way to be wet by the organic fuel.
- 5. A fuel cell as in claim 4, wherein said first electrode includes an additive which increases wetting properties by decreasing interfacial tension of an interface between the liquid organic fuel and a catalyst on the first electrode.
- 6. A method of operating a fuel cell, comprising:
preparing a first electrode to operate as a first polarity electrode, said first electrode having a first surface exposed to the fuel; circulating an organic fuel which is substantially free of any acid electrolyte into contact with said first surface of said first electrode, said organic fuel having a component which is capable of electro-oxidation; preparing a second electrode which operates as a second polarity electrode, said second polarity being different than the first polarity, said second electrode having a second surface; preparing an electrolyte which includes a proton conducting membrane; circulating a second reactive component into contact with said second surface of said second electrode, said second reactive component including a component capable of electro-reduction; and coupling an electrical load between said first electrode and said second electrode, to receive a flow of electrons caused by a potential difference between said first and second aelectrodes.
- 7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said organic fuel includes a methanol derivative and water and is substantially free of any acid component.
- 8. A fuel cell as in claim 4, wherein said first electrode has a surface which is formed with high surface area particles, said particles formed of alloys including at least two different kinds of metals.
- 9. A fuel cell as in claim 8, wherein one of said metals of said alloy is platinum.
- 10. A fuel cell as in claim 9, wherein said alloy is formed of platinum-ruthenium, with a composition varying from 5 to 90 atom % of platinum.
- 11. A fuel cell as in claim 10, wherein said alloy particles are unsupported.
- 12. A fuel cell as in claim 8 further comprising a high-surface area carbon material for supporting said alloy particles.
- 13. An organic fuel cell, comprising:
a first chamber; an anode electrode, formed in said first chamber, and including a first surface exposed to said first chamber, at least said first surface including an electrocatalyst and a wetting agent thereon; an electrolyte, operatively associated with said anode electrode in a way to allow proton-containing materials to pass from said anode into said electrolyte, said electrolyte comprising a proton conducting membrane; and a cathode electrode, operatively associated with said electrolyte, and having a second operative surface.
- 14. A fuel cell as in claim 13, wherein said second operative surface of said cathode electrode includes particles of electrocatalyst material thereon.
- 15. A fuel cell as in claim 14, wherein said electrocatalyst materials are materials optimized for electro-oxidation of a desired organic fuel.
- 16. A fuel cell as in claim 15, wherein said fuel is an aqueous methanol derivative which is free of acid component and said electrocatalyst is platinum-ruthenium.
- 17. A fuel cell as in claim 14, wherein said particles of electrocatalyst on said cathode are optimized for gas diffusion.
- 18. A fuel cell as in claim 17, wherein said particles include an electrocatalyst alloy mixed with a teflon additive.
- 19. A fuel cell as in claim 17, wherein said particles include an electrocatalyst mixed with said wetting agent which is an additive to promote hydrophobicity.
- 20. A fuel cell as in claim 14, further comprising a pumping element operating to circulate said organic fuel past said anode electrode.
- 21. A fuel cell apparatus, comprising:
a first chamber having surfaces for containing an organic aqueous fuel therein; an anode structure, having a first surface in contact with said first chamber, said anode structure being porous and capable of wetting the liquid fuel and also having electronic and ionic conductivity; an electrolyte, in contact with said anode structure, said electrolyte formed of a proton-conducting membrane; a cathode, in contact with said electrolyte in a way to receive protons which are produced by said anode structure, conducted through said electrolyte to said cathode; and a second chamber, holding said cathode, said second chamber including a second material including a reducible component therein.
- 22. A fuel cell as in claim 21, wherein said anode is formed of carbon paper with an electrocatalyst thereon.
- 23. A fuel cell as in claim 21, wherein said anode includes a hydrophilic proton conducting additive.
- 24. A fuel cell as in claim 22, wherein said electrocatalyst layer and said carbon support are impregnated with a hydrophilic proton conducting polymer additive.
- 25. A fuel cell as in claim 23, wherein said polymer additive is formed of substantially the same material as the material of the electrolyte.
- 26. A fuel cell as in claim 21, wherein said anode is impregnated with an ionomeric additive.
- 27. A method of forming an anode with an ionomeric additive, comprising:
preparing an electrode structure having a high surface area; impregnating the high surface area electrode structure with an electrocatalyst and binding said electrocatalyst thereto; immersing the electrocatalyst-impregnated particles on said electrode structure into a solution containing an ionomeric additive; removing said electrode structure from said solution, and drying said electrode structure; and repeating said impregnating, removing and drying step until a desired composition electrode structure is obtained.
- 28. A method as in claim 27, wherein said electrocatalyst is bound in a polytetraflouroethylene binder.
- 29. A method as in claim 27, wherein said ionomeric additive is a Nafion™-type material.
- 30. A method as in claim 27, wherein said impregnating comprises mixing electrocatalyst particles with a binder and applying said binder/electrocatalyst onto a backing to form a thin layer of greater than substantially 200 meters squared per gram.
- 31. A fuel cell comprising:
a first chamber; an anode electrode, formed in said first chamber, and including a surface exposed to said first chamber, at least said surface including an electrocatalyst material thereon, and including a hydrophobicity additive thereon; an electrolyte operatively associated with said anode in a way to allow proton-containing materials to pass from said anode into said electrolyte, said electrolyte comprising a proton-conducting membrane; and a cathode electrode, operatively associated with said electrolyte, to receive said protons from said membrane.
- 32. An aqueous fuel cell, comprising:
a first electrode operating as an anode, said first electrode being effective to catalyze an oxidation reaction of a non-acidic component; a second electrode, operating as a cathode to undergo a reduction reaction of a non-acidic component; a circulating system, operating to circulate a first organic fuel in an area of said anode; and an electrolyte, comprising a proton conducting membrane ionically coupled with both said first and second electrodes, to pass ions therebetween.
- 33. A fuel cell as in claim 32, wherein said first electrode includes a hydrophilic proton conducting additive.
- 34. A method as in claim 6, wherein said preparing includes adding a hydrophilic proton conducting additive to said anode.
- 35. An organic fuel cell, comprising:
a first chamber; an anode electrode, formed in said first chamber, to have a surface exposed to said first chamber, at least said surface including particles of a material thereon which catalyzes said anode to react with non-acid containing organic fuels; an electrolyte operatively associated with said anode in a way to allow proton-containing materials to pass from said anode into said electrolyte, said electrolyte comprising a hydrogen ion conducting membrane; and a cathode electrode, operatively associated with said membrane, to receive said ions from said membrane and to react with a specified material.
- 36. A fuel cell as in claim 36, wherein said anode includes a hydrophilic proton conducting additive.
- 37. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is dimethoxymethane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 38. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative includes dimethoxymethane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 39. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is trimethoxymethane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 40. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative includes trimethoxymethane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 41. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is trioxane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 42. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol is derivative includes trioxane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 43. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is dimethoxymethane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 44. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative includes dimethoxymethane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 45. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is trimethoxymethane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 46. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative includes trimethoxymethane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 47. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative is trioxane mixed with water to a concentration of about 0.1 to 2 M.
- 48. A method as in claim 7, wherein said methanol derivative includes trioxane, forming an electro chemical reaction of
- 49. A fuel cell as in claim 65 wherein said additive is liquid Nafion™.
- 50. A method of oxidizing aqueous methanol in a fuel cell reaction, comprising:
receiving aqueous methanol at an anode; oxidizing said aqueous methanol at the anode; producing protons from the aqueous methanol oxidizing at the anode; allowing the protons to cross a proton conducting membrane t o a cathode and reducing a second component, at the cathode, using said protons which are produced at said anode.
- 51. A method as in claim 131, wherein said agent is Nafion™.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/478,801, filed Jun. 7, 1995, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/135,007, filed Oct. 12, 1993.
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention described herein was made in the performance of work under a NASA contract, and is subject to the provisions of Public LAW 96-517 (35 USC 202) in which the Contractor has elected to retain title.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08478801 |
Jun 1995 |
US |
Child |
09881309 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08135007 |
Oct 1993 |
US |
Child |
08478801 |
Jun 1995 |
US |