Method for using fuel cell having curved membrane electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693168-B2
Application number	US-201815948060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for using fuel cell. The fuel cell includes a container, wherein the container comprises a housing and a nozzle, and the housing defines through holes; the housing defines a chamber and an opening; the nozzle has a first end in air/fluid communication with the opening and a second end; and a membrane electrode assembly, which is flexible, on the container to form a curved membrane electrode assembly surrounding the chamber and covering the through holes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface, a cathode electrode on the first surface and an anode electrode on the second surface. The method includes at least partially immersing the fuel cell in a fuel; and supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for using fuel cell, the method comprising:
providing a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell comprises:
a container, the container having a housing and a nozzle, and the housing defining a plurality of through holes, wherein the housing defining a chamber and an opening, wherein the nozzle having a first end in air/fluid communication with the opening and a second end opposite to the first end; and
a membrane electrode assembly, being is flexible and curved, on the container, the membrane electrode assembly surrounding the chamber and covering the plurality of through holes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cathode electrode on the first surface and an anode electrode on the second surface;

at least partially immersing the fuel cell in a fuel; and
supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber of the fuel cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises a baffle in both the nozzle and the chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a first opening and a second opening; and the container comprises a first nozzle in air/fluid communication with the first opening and a second nozzle in air/fluid communication with the second opening.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the container further comprises a baffle in the chamber to divide the chamber in to a first region in air/fluid communication with the first nozzle and a second region in air/fluid communication with the second nozzle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein supplying oxidizing gas into the chamber comprises inputting the oxidizing gas from the first nozzle and outputting the oxidizing gas from the second nozzle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a first maximum diameter of the chamber and a second maximum diameter of the nozzle is in a range from about 1.5:1 to about 100:1.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises rigid materials selected from a group consisting of metal, ceramic, glass, quartz, diamond, plastic, and a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the housing is spherical, hemispherical, cylindrical or bellows shape.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises an outside surface and an inside surface opposite to the outside surface; and the membrane electrode assembly is on the inside surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises an outside surface and an inside surface opposite to the outside surface; and the membrane electrode assembly is on the outside surface.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is made of conductive material and used as a first current collector; and the fuel cell further comprises a second current collector so that the membrane electrode assembly is between the first current collector and the second current collector.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is made of insulative material; and the fuel cell further comprises a first current collector between the container and the membrane electrode assembly and a second current collector, and the membrane electrode assembly is between the first current collector and the second current collector.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a depth h is defined as the depth the fuel cell immersed in the fuel, the depth h satisfies an equation of h<P/(ρ1−ρ2)g, where, P represents a maximum pressure the fuel cell is capable of bearing, ρ1 represents density of the fuel, ρ2 represents density of the oxidizing gas, and g is a constant 9.8 N/kg.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is selected from a group consisting of bioethanol, methane gas, glucose solution, and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is made by placing rotten materials in a pool filled with water and decomposing the rotten materials.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly covers the entire outside surface or the entire inside surface of the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly is further covering the entire outside surface or the entire inside surface of the nozzle.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least partially immersing the fuel cell in the fuel comprises completely immersing the membrane electrode assembly in the fuel.

19. A method for using fuel cell, the method comprising:
providing a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell comprises:
a container, the container having a wall, the wall of the container defining a chamber and a plurality of through holes on the wall of the container; and
a membrane electrode assembly, being flexible and curved, on the container, the membrane electrode assembly surrounding the chamber and covering the plurality of through holes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cathode electrode on the first surface and an anode electrode on the second surface;

partially immersing at least the fuel cell in a fuel; and
supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber of the fuel cell, and diffusing the oxidizing gas in the chamber to the membrane electrode assembly through the plurality of through holes.

20. A method for using fuel cell, the method comprising:
providing a fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell comprises:
a container, the container comprising a housing and a nozzle, and the housing defining a plurality of through holes, wherein the housing defining a chamber and an opening, wherein the nozzle having a first end in air/fluid communication with the opening and a second end opposite to the first end; and
a membrane electrode assembly, being flexible and curved, on the container, the membrane electrode assembly surrounding the chamber and covering the plurality of through holes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cathode electrode on the first surface and an anode electrode on the second surface;

completely immersing the housing in a fuel; and
supplying an oxidizing gas into the chamber.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Li-Na
• Gao Xin-Yu
• Yang qi-yao
• Jiang Kai-Li
• Liu Chang-Hong
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/0247

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M8/16

  Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/002

  Shape, form of a fuel cell · CPC title