H2-Cl2 PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS, FUEL CELL ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING THE SAME AND SYSTEMS FOR COGENERATION OF ELECTRICITY AND HCL

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190630-A1
Application number	US-201414584404-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Fuel cells and, more particularly, the H 2 —Cl 2 proton exchange membrane fuels cells are described. In some embodiments the fuel cells include a flow through electrolyte assembly that is configured to allow the introduction of a first (relatively dilute) electrolyte into the cell, and the remove of a second (relatively concentrated) electrolyte from the cell. Fuel cell stacks and systems for cogenerating electricity and hydrochloric acid using such fuel cells are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell, comprising:
an anode assembly comprising a catalyst to catalytically oxidize H 2 to H +
a cathode assembly comprising a catalyst to catalytically reduce Cl 2 to Cl − ;
a proton exchange membrane between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly; and
a flow through electrolyte assembly between the proton exchange membrane and the cathode assembly, the flow through electrolyte assembly comprising a frame and a porous flow through field;
and wherein:
the frame comprises an inlet for receiving an incoming electrolyte and providing said incoming electrolyte to said flow through field; and
the frame comprises an outlet for receiving an outgoing electrolyte from said flow through field and transporting said outgoing electrolyte out of said flow through electrolyte assembly.

2 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein said incoming electrolyte comprises a relatively dilute concentration of hydrochloric acid, and said outgoing electrolyte comprises a relatively concentrated concentration of hydrochloric acid, wherein said relatively dilute concentration is less than said relatively strong concentration.

3 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein said porous flow through field is formed from porous polyethylene.

4 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein said frame comprises polycarbonate.

5 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein:
said anode assembly comprises an anode conductive support having opposing sides;
an anode gas diffusion layer is formed on one side of the anode conductive support;
an anode catalyst is formed on the side of the anode conductive support opposite the anode gas diffusion layer; and
the anode catalyst comprises at least one binder polymer.

6 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein said proton exchange membrane comprises an ionomer.

7 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein said ionomer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

8 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises said ionomer.

9 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 8 , wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises said sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

10 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein said anode catalyst comprises platinum.

11 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein said cathode assembly comprises a cathode catalyst, the cathode catalyst comprising ruthenium.

12 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 5 , wherein said cathode assembly comprises:
a cathode conductive support having opposing sides;
a cathode gas diffusion layer formed on one side of said cathode conductive support; and
a cathode catalyst formed on the side of the cathode conductive support opposite the cathode gas diffusion layer.

13 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein said fuel cell produces a voltage ranging from about 1.2 to about 1.3 volts.

14 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising cooling equipment to receive and cool said outgoing electrolyte from said output, and a recirculator to recirculate at least a portion of said outgoing electrolyte back to said inlet.

15 . The H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein said recirculator comprises an HCl separator to process said outgoing electrolyte into at least a concentrated HCL fraction and a relatively weak electrolyte fraction, and to recirculate the relatively weak electrolyte fraction back to said inlet.

16 . A fuel cell stack, comprising a plurality of H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cells coupled in series, wherein each of said plurality of H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cells comprises:
an anode assembly comprising an anode catalyst to catalytically oxidize H 2 to H +
a cathode assembly comprising a cathode catalyst to catalytically reduce Cl 2 to Cl − ;
a proton exchange membrane between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly; and
a flow through electrolyte assembly between the proton exchange membrane and the cathode, the flow through electrolyte assembly comprising a frame and a porous flow through field;
and wherein:
the frame comprises an inlet for receiving an incoming electrolyte and providing said incoming electrolyte to said flow through field;
the frame comprises an outlet for receiving an outgoing electrolyte from said flow through field and transporting said outgoing electrolyte out of said flow through electrolyte assembly; and
said fuel cell stack produces a collective voltage output ranging from about 2.4 to about 240V.

17 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , wherein said collective voltage output is about 12V.

18 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , further comprising an electrolyte distribution system to deliver said incoming electrolyte to said input of each of said H 2 —Cl 2 fuel cells and a collection system to receive said outgoing electrolyte from said output of each of said H2-Cl 2 fuel cells.

19 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , wherein said incoming electrolyte comprises a relatively dilute concentration of hydrochloric acid, and said outgoing electrolyte comprises a relatively concentrated concentration of hydrochloric acid, wherein said relatively dilute concentration is less than said relatively concentrated concentration.

20 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , wherein the porous flow through field is formed from porous polyethylene.

21 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , wherein said frame comprises polycarbonate.

22 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , wherein:
said anode assembly comprises an anode conductive support having opposing sides; an anode gas diffusion layer is formed on one side of the anode conductive support; an anode catalyst is formed on the side of the anode conductive support opposite the anode gas diffusion layer; and the anode catalyst comprises at least one binder polymer.

23 . The fuel cell stack of claim 22 , wherein said proton exchange membrane comprises an ionomer.

24 . The fuel cell stack of claim 23 , wherein said ionomer comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

25 . The fuel cell stack of claim 22 , wherein said at least one binder polymer comprises said ionomer.

26 . The fuel cell stack of claim 25 , wherein said at least one binder polymers comprises said sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene.

27 . The fuel cell stack of claim 25 , wherein said anode catalyst comprises platinum.

28 . The fuel cell stack of claim 25 , wherein said cathode assembly comprises a cathode catalyst, the cathode catalyst comprising ruthenium.

29 . The fuel cell stack of claim 25 , wherein said cathode assembly comprises:
a cathode conductive support having opposing sides; a cathode gas diffusion layer formed on one side of said second conductive support; and a cathode catalyst formed on the side of the cathode conductive support oppose the cathode gas diffusion layer.

30 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , each fuel cell in said fuel cell stack produces a voltage ranging from about 1.2 to about 1.3 volts.

31 . The fuel cell stack of claim 16 , further comprising cooling equipment to receive and cool outgoing electrolyte from each output of said plurality of fuel cells and a recirculator to recirculate at least a portion of said outgoing electrolyte back to the inlet of each of said plu

Assignees

• Southwest Res Inst

Inventors

• Huang Francis Y

Classifications

• H01M8/22 Primary

  Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen · CPC title

• H01M8/1067

  characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness · CPC title

• H01M8/08

  Fuel cells with aqueous electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1039

  halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title