Mti Microfuel Cells Inc.

Eric J Brown

Gerhard B Beckmann

Juan J Becerra

Shimshon Gottesfeld

Xiaoming Ren

Robert S Hirsch

Michael S DeFilippis

Jay K Neutzler

Megan A Fannon

A method for fabricating membrane electrode assembly includes providing an anode side diffusion layer structure and a cathode side diffusion layer structure with a layer of membrane electrolyte therebetween. The diffusion layer structures include diffusion segments, which are coupled to each other by a first engaging member having one or more portions configured for engagement with a feed or aligning mechanism. Also, one or more of the segments of the diffusion layer structures may be connected to other segments or the first engaging member by one or more bridges. Bridges of each diffusion layer structure may be offset to avoid electrical contact with each other in response to diffusion layer structures being assembled with each other and with the layer of membrane electrolyte.

Membrane electrode assembly and method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly

A simplified direct oxidation fuel cell system is provided. The fuel cell is constructed in such a manner that fuel is added to the cell anode as it is consumed and water is evaporated off at cell cathode so that there is no need for recirculation of unreacted fuel at the cell anode or water at the cell cathode. In addition, carbon dioxide generated from the anodic reaction is passively vented out of the system by using a CO2 gas permeable membrane material integrated as part of the anode chamber construction. It is thus possible that, the CO2 separation from the anode fluid occurs without the recirculation of the anode fluid outside the anode chamber. The passive system in which fuel is added as it is consumed and CO2 separated, both without pumping, ultimately will increase net power provided to the load due to low parasitic losses.

Method of controlling delivery of fuel to a direct oxidation fuel cell

A simplified direct oxidation fuel cell system is provided. The fuel cell is constructed in such a manner that fuel is added to the cell anode as it is consumed and water is evaporated off at cell cathode so that there is no need for recirculation of unreacted fuel at the cell anode or water at the cell cathode. In addition, carbon dioxide generated from the anodic reaction is passively vented out of the system by using a CO2 gas permeable membrane material integrated as part of the anode chamber construction. Other embodiments of the invention include a fuel container and delivery assembly.

Simplified direct oxidation fuel cell system

A fuel cell system including a housing defining an anode chamber and a cathode chamber and including a catalyst, a protonically conductive but electronically non-conductive membrane positioned between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, a mixing chamber, a fuel chamber in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, and a first conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing chamber. The first conduit directs a fuel-water solution from the mixing chamber to the anode chamber. The system also includes a second conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing chamber, where the second conduit directs effluent from the anode chamber to the mixing chamber. A coalescing surface provided with at least one of said conduits collects effluent gas produced by said fuel cell.

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Voorheesville, NY, United States of America

Eric J Brown