Direct Isopropanol Fuel Cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021376365-A1
Application number	US-202117401458-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Dec 2, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A direct isopropanol fuel cell adapted for use in ambient conditions and utilizing as fuel isopropanol and water preferably with isopropanol at relatively high concentrations representing 30% to 90% isopropanol.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of use of a direct isopropanol fuel cell, comprising:
providing a direct fuel cell comprising: a proton conducting or exchange membrane with a cathode side and an anode side, a cathode having a cathode catalyst on the cathode side of the membrane and an anode having an anode catalyst on the anode side of the membrane such that the membrane is arranged between the cathode and the anode, operating the direct fuel cell to generate electricity by supplying the anode with a liquid fuel and supplying the cathode with atmospheric air from the atmosphere containing oxygen; characterized by: the cathode is open to the atmosphere placing the cathode side of the membrane passively in communication with the atmosphere, the anode catalyst is selected from the group of a platinum and ruthenium catalyst, a platinum and nickel catalyst, a platinum and gold catalyst, and mixtures thereof, the cathode catalyst comprises a platinum catalyst, the liquid fuel consisting of 10% to 90% by volume isopropanol, 90% to 10% by volume water and 0% to 30% by volume acetone in contact with the anode catalyst on the anode side of the membrane, operating the fuel cell at electrical potentials between the anode and cathode such that a reaction at the anode catalyst to oxidize a molecule of isopropanol into a molecule of acetone releasing two electrons is a principal reaction, and the membrane selected to permit the acetone at the anode catalyst to pass through the membrane to the cathode side of the membrane into communication with the atmosphere, the acetone at the anode catalyst passing through the membrane to the cathode side of the membrane into communication with the atmosphere and evaporating into the atmosphere at the cathode side of the membrane.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 including operating the fuel cell at ambient temperatures, and
providing the atmospheric air at ambient temperature to the cathode, and storing the liquid fuel at ambient temperatures and supplying the liquid fuel at ambient temperatures to the anode.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the anode catalyst consists of the platinum and ruthenium catalyst,
including operating the fuel cell at ambient temperatures in the range of plus 5 degrees Celsius to plus 40 degrees Celsius,
the fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly,
the membrane electrode assembly comprising a layered assembly of an anode gas diffusion layer, an anode catalyst layer including the anode catalyst, the membrane, a cathode catalyst layer including the cathode catalyst, and a cathode gas diffusion layer in that order, and the membrane electrode assembly is between a cathode current collector on the cathode side of the membrane and an anode current collector on the anode side of the membrane,
the cathode diffusion layer open to the atmosphere, the oxygen from the atmospheric air passing through the cathode diffusion layer to the cathode catalyst layer into contact with the cathode catalyst,
the acetone at the anode catalyst passing through the anode catalyst layer to the anode side of the membrane, through the membrane from the anode side of the membrane to the cathode side of the membrane, from the cathode side of the membrane through the cathode catalyst layer to the cathode gas diffusion layer, and through the cathode gas diffusion layer into communication with the atmosphere with the acetone evaporating into the atmosphere,
the acetone at the anode catalyst passing successively through the anode catalyst layer, membrane, and the cathode gas diffusion layer into communication with the atmosphere with the acetone evaporating into the atmosphere.

4 . A method as claimed in claim 2 including:
providing the fuel cell in a dispenser of a hand cleaning fluid that has a dispensing pump to dispense a cleaning fluid onto a hand of a person,
supplying the electricity generated by the fuel cell to the dispenser for operation of the dispenser, and
operating the dispensing pump to dispense the hand cleaning fluid onto a person's hands,
wherein the hand cleaning fluid includes the liquid fuel selected from the group consisting of: (a) the liquid fuel which has not been supplied to the anode, and (b) the liquid fuel after having been supplied to the anode.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 1 including operating the fuel cell at electrical potentials between the anode and cathode greater than 200 mV.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the liquid fuel having 40% to 90% by volume isopropanol, and 60% to 10% by volume water.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the liquid fuel having of 65% to 75% by volume isopropanol, and 35% to 25% by volume water.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel having 0% to 5% by volume acetone.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the fuel cell comprises a membrane electrode assembly,
the membrane electrode assembly comprising a layered assembly of an anode gas diffusion layer, an anode catalyst layer including the anode catalyst, the membrane, a cathode catalyst layer including the cathode catalyst, and a cathode gas diffusion layer in that order, and the membrane electrode assembly is between a cathode current collector on the cathode side of the membrane and an anode current collector on the anode side of the membrane,
the cathode diffusion layer passively open to the atmosphere,
the oxygen from the atmospheric air passing through the cathode diffusion layer to the cathode catalyst,
the anode diffusion layer in contact with the fuel, the fuel passing through the anode diffusion layer to the anode catalyst,
the acetone evaporating from the cathode gas diffusion layer to the atmosphere.

10 . A method as claimed in claim 1 including:
providing the fuel cell in a dispenser of a hand cleaning fluid that has a dispensing pump to dispense a cleaning fluid onto a hand of a person,
supplying the electricity generated by the fuel cell to the dispenser for operation of the dispenser, and
operating the dispensing pump to dispense the hand cleaning fluid onto a person's hands,
wherein the hand cleaning fluid includes the liquid fuel selected from the group consisting of: (a) the liquid fuel which has not been supplied to the anode, and (b) the liquid fuel after having been supplied to the anode.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the hand cleaning fluid consists of the liquid fuel selected from the group consisting of: (a) the liquid fuel which has not been supplied to the anode, and (b) the liquid fuel after having been supplied to the fuel cell.

12 . A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein liquid fuel after having been supplied to the anode includes acetone produced by the oxidization of isopropanol in the fuel cell.

13 . A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the hand cleaning fluid includes less than 5% by volume of acetone.

14 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supplying the cathode with atmospheric air from the atmosphere containing oxygen is by the cathode side of the membrane being passively open to the atmosphere.

15 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supplying the anode with the liquid fuel includes providing the liquid fuel to the anode within a closed fuel system whereby the acetone created at the anode catalyst becomes part of the liquid fuel, and the acetone evaporating at the cathode side of the membrane into the atmosphere reduces the acetone in the liquid fuel.

16 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel having 40% to 90% by volume isopropanol, and 60

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Loos Volker
• Hoogers Gregor
• Lang Albrecht

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/92

  Metals of platinum group (H01M4/94 {, H01M4/9058} take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/1013 Primary

  Other direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC] · CPC title

• H01M4/881

  Electrolytic membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/1025

  having only carbon and oxygen, e.g. polyethers, sulfonated polyetheretherketones [S-PEEK], sulfonated polysaccharides, sulfonated celluloses or sulfonated polyesters · CPC title