Claims
- 1. A semi-fuel cell stack comprising:
a housing; an anode and a porous cathode in said housing; an aqueous catholyte stream flowing within said housing; an aqueous anolyte stream flowing in said housing; and means for preventing migration of said catholyte through the porous cathode and into the anolyte stream.
- 2. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said migration preventing means is in contact with said porous cathode.
- 3. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 2 wherein said migration preventing means comprises a material covering a surface of said porous cathode.
- 4. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 2 wherein said migration preventing means comprises a material impregnated into said porous cathode.
- 5. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said catholyte comprises hydrogen peroxide and said migration preventing means comprises a membrane which allows selective ion transfer of OH— ions through said membrane and into the anolyte stream and which inhibits transfer of hydrogen peroxide through said membrane.
- 6. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said cathode comprises a catalyzed material.
- 7. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said cathode comprise a carbon fiber matrix catalyzed with at least one of palladium and iridium.
- 8. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 further comprising means for creating a plurality of flow channels for said catholyte attached to said anode.
- 9. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 8 wherein said flow channel creating means is formed from an electrically non-conductive material.
- 10. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said anolyte stream comprises a NaOH/seawater electrolyte stream.
- 11. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said catholyte comprises an aqueous solution containing a concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the range of from about 0.001% to about 70%.
- 12. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said anode is formed from an aluminum containing material.
- 13. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 wherein said catholyte comprises an aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution.
- 14. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 1 further comprising:
at l east two anodes within said housing; at least two porous cathodes within said housing; means attached to each of said anodes for creating a plurality of flow channels for said catholyte; means attached to a surface of each of said porous cathodes for preventing migration of said catholyte through each said cathode; and a plurality of anolyte flow streams within said housing with each of said streams flowing between a surface of one of said anodes and a surface of said migration preventing means.
- 15. A semi-fuel cell stack according to claim 14 wherein:
each of said anodes is formed from an aluminum containing material; each of said porous cathodes is formed from a porous material which has been catalyzed with at least one of palladium and iridium; said anolyte comprises an aqueous seawater/NaOH solution; said catholyte comprises an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution; and said migration preventing means comprises a membrane for allowing a flow of OH— ions through the membrane into said anolyte stream while inhibiting the transfer of hydrogen peroxide through the membrane.
- 16. A method for operating a semi-fuel cell stack comprising the steps of:
providing a housing having at least one anode and at least one porous cathode; flowing a catholyte stream into contact with said at least one porous cathode through at least one catholyte channel; flowing an anolyte stream into contact with said at least one anode through at least one anolyte channel; and preventing contact between each respective anolyte stream and each respective catholyte stream.
- 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein:
said catholyte flowing step comprises flowing at least one stream of an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution into contact with said at least one porous cathode; said anolyte flowing step comprises flowing at least one stream of a NaOH/seawater anolyte into contact with said at least one cathode; and said preventing step comprises providing each said cathode with a membrane which allows OH— ions to pass through said membrane while inhibiting a flow of hydrogen peroxide through said membrane.
- 18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said catholyte flowing step comprises flowing said hydrogen peroxide solution at a hydraulic pressure greater than the pressure of the NaOH/seawater anolyte.
- 19. A method according to claim 17 wherein said catholyte flowing step comprises metering the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide so that said concentration is in the range of from about 0.001% to about 70%.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
[0001] The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefore.