International Fuel Cells, LLC

United Technologies Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Craig R Schroll

John C Trocciola

Raymond W Vine

Carl Anthony Reiser

Roger R Lesieur

Murray Katz

Glenn W Scheffler

Donald L Maricle

Robin J Guthrie

Calvin L Bushnell

Lawrence J Bregoli

A fuel cell (,), having a proton exchange membrane (,), an anode and a cathode, and cathode and anode water transport plates (,), includes a water capillary edge seal to optimize and greatly improve fuel cell operation without the need for additional seals or impregnation of the water transport plates. The water filled porous bodies of the water transport plates (,) use the capillary forces of the water, which is a product of the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell (,) and the preferred coolant, to prevent gas intrusion into the water system and over board leakage of the gases as well as the resultant hazardous mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizing gas.

Fuel cell with water capillary edge seal

The concentration of carbon monoxide in a gaseous medium is reduced by selective catalytic oxidation in the presence of gaseous oxygen by passing the gaseous medium through a catalyst capable of oxidizing carbon monoxide in an exothermic reaction at temperatures within a given temperature range and by controlling the temperatures encountered in the catalyst in such a manner that the exothermic reaction takes place first above a threshold temperature below which the catalyst would be rapidly inactivated at the relatively high carbon monoxide concentrations present in the gaseous medium as it enters the catalyst, and subsequently, after the carbon monoxide concentration has been reduced to an acceptable level, at less than the threshold temperature to further reduce the carbon monoxide concentration to a desired minimum level below that achievable at temperatures above the threshold temperature.

Method of and apparatus for removing carbon monoxide from gaseous media

The present invention is directed to a water separator for separating a two-phase stream into a liquid water component and a gas component. The water separator includes a housing defining a cavity and includes an input port, a gas output port and a water output port. A hydrophobic filter is provided in the cavity and interposed between the input port and the gas output port so as to prevent a liquid water component of a two-phase stream of gas and water entering the input port from exiting the gas output port. A hydrophilic filter is provided in the cavity and interposed between the input port and the water output port so as to prevent the gas component entering the input port from exiting the water output port. The gas component separates from the water component by passing through the hydrophobic filter and leaving the separator through the gas output port, and the liquid component separates from the gas component by passing through the hydrophilic filter and leaving the water separator through the water output port.

Apparatus for separating water from a two-phase stream

Apparatus for removing carbon monoxide from gaseous media

The end plates (16) of a fuel cell stack (12) are formed of a thin membrane. Pressure plates (20) exert compressive load through insulation layers (22, 26) to the membrane. Electrical contact between the end plates (16) and electrodes (50, 58) is maintained without deleterious making and breaking of electrical contacts during thermal transients. The thin end plate (16) under compressive load will not distort with a temperature difference across its thickness. Pressure plate (20) experiences a low thermal transient because it is insulated from the cell. The impact on the end plate of any slight deflection created in the pressure plate by temperature difference is minimized by the resilient pressure pad, in the form of insulation, therebetween.

Fuel cell end plate structure

A matrix material for a molten carbonate fuel cell is described which is flexible, pliable and has rubber-like compliance at room temperature. The matrix has three components comprising fine inert particulate material, larger crack attenuating ceramic particulate material, and an organic polymeric binder. A process of assembling a molten carbonate fuel cell utilizing the compliant matrix material is also described. The compliant matrix material is inserted into a molten carbonate fuel cell stack utilizing fuel cell anodes with sufficient porosity to contain excess electrolyte. The fuel cell is heated up to a temperature sufficient to remove the polymer binder and cause a portion of the electrolyte material present in the anode to wick into the matrix to substantially fill it completely.

Molten carbonate fuel cell matrix tape

Electrical short protection is provided in an electrolytic cell stack by the combination of a thin, nonporous ceramic shield and a noble metal foil disposed on opposite sides of the sealing medium in a gas manifold gasket. The thin ceramic shield, such as alumina, is placed between the porous gasket and the cell stack face at the margins of the negative end plate to the most negative cells to impede ion current flow. The noble metal foil, for instance gold, is electrically coupled to the negative potential of the stack to collect positive ions at a harmless location away from the stack face. Consequently, corrosion products from the stack structure deposit on the foil rather than on the stack face to eliminate electrical shorting of cells at the negative end of the stack.

Short protection device for stack of electrolytic cells

Molten carbonate fuel cell matrix tape and assembly method

Thru-cracks in the electrolyte retaining matrix of a molten carbonate fuel cell caused by thermal cycling of the cell between operating and room temperature are prevented by an improved matrix comprising a major proportion of submicron support particles and a minor proportion, perhaps only a few percent, of much larger crack attenuator particles. In one embodiment wherein the electrolyte is to be a binary lithium-potassium carbonates composition, the matrix comprises 90 volume percent submicron lithium aluminate support particles and 10 volume percent alumina crack attenuator particles with an average size of 100 microns.

Electrolyte matrix for molten carbonate fuel cells

A molten carbonate fuel cell electrolyte-matrix material and a molten carbonate fuel cell including such material are described. The electrolyte-matrix material comprises carbonate electrolytes in intimate combination with ceria matrix material. The electrolyte-matrix material shows substantially no phase change or reaction with the electrolyte after at least 2000 hours under molten carbonate fuel cell operating conditions.

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Glastonbury, CT, United States of America

Craig R Schroll