United Technologies Corporation

International Fuel Cells, LLC

Francis J Luczak

Douglas A Landsman

Lawrence J Bregoli

Richard D Breault

Glenn W Scheffler

John L Preston

Harold R Kunz

Peter F Foley

Robert R Fredley

H Russell Kunz

Paul J Damiano

Christopher R Teeling

Ammonia which is found in fuel cell fuel gases is removed therefrom by passing the fuel gas stream through a scrubber bed of porous carbon pellets containing phosphoric acid. The ammonia reacts with the phosphoric acid in the scrubber bed to form ammonium phosphate compounds which remain in the scrubber bed. The ammonia content of the fuel gas stream is thus lowered to a concentration of about one ppm or less. By maintaining the temperature of the fuel gas stream passing through the scrubber bed in a range of about 400.degree. F. to about 450.degree. F. sufficient phosphoric acid will also be evaporated from the scrubber bed to replace acid electrolyte lost during operation of the power plant. Adjustments in the temperature of the fuel gas flowing through the scrubber may be made in order to match electrolyte losses which occur during different operating phases of the power plant. The scrubber formed in accordance with this invention thus serves two functions, one being to remove ammonia from the fuel gas stream, and the other being to replenish electrolyte lost in the power plant during normal operation thereof.

System for treatment of acid fuel cell fuel gas stream

A noble metal ternary alloy catalyst, which has increased mass activity and stability. This catalyst comprises a ternary alloy of platinum, iridium and a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, cobalt, nickel, vanadium, titanium and manganese.

Ternary alloy fuel cell catalysts and phosphoric acid fuel cell

An improved ternary alloy catalyst for fuel cells containing platinum and gallium. The method of fabricating the catalyst in a high surface area supportive form is also described. The resultant fuel cell catalyst displays a substantial resistance to sintering during operation combined with a resistance to a chemical dissolution during operation. These enhancements permit improved long-term operation of fuel cells.

Ternary fuel cell catalyst containing platinum and gallium

A method for making a fuel cell electrode is disclosed. A layer of hydrophobic polymer and an electro-catalyst is deposited on the surface of a porous electrode substrate and press-sintered by heating the catalyst layer to a temperature between the melting point and decomposition temperature of the polymer and simultaneously compressing the layer at a pressure between 20 pounds per square inch and 100 pounds per square inch. The heating and compressing are continued for a time period of between 10 minutes and 20 minutes. A fuel cell electrode made by the above method and a method for generating electricity using such an electrode are also disclosed. A press-sintered fuel cell electrode provides improved peak performance as well as improved tolerance to electrolyte solidification.

Fuel cell electrode and method of making and using same

A ternary alloy catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen is disclosed. Various methods of making the catalyst are developed. The catalyst has an ordered structure which improves stability and the specific activity of the catalyst.

Ordered ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum and cobalt

Ordered ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum and cobalt and

An improved ternary noble metal-containing, alloy catalyst which has a catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen greater than two and one-half times that of the supported unalloyed noble metal alone. In addition, a disclosure of the method of preparing said catalyst is by intimately contacting two metallic elements with a supported noble metal, then heating this material to form the ternary alloy catalyst. This catalyst has particular utility for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen which makes it particularly useful as a cathode in acid fuel cells. The preferred embodiment of this catalyst is finely divided platinum alloyed with chromium and cobalt supported on an electrically conductive carbon-black support material.

Method for making ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum cobalt

A novel single-batch method for preparing carbon supported alloy catalysts, wherein one of the metals is a noble metal, preferably platinum and the other metals selected from the transition Groups IV, V, VI or VII. The process comprises sequentially adsorbing the metallic components onto the carbon support. The adsorption takes place in an aqueous medium and the metal components are introduced in the ionic form. The catalyst is finally formed by heating to an elevated temperature.

Single-batch process to prepare noble metal vanadium alloy catalyst on a

Ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum, cobalt and chromium

A continuous process of removing ammonia gas from a gas stream is disclosed. A bed of solid porous material is provided which is wetted with an acid and the ammonia gas is removed by reacting with the acid to form an ammoniated salt. The porous material containing the acid is held at an electrochemical potential sufficient to oxidize the ammoniated salt of the acid to produce nitrogen gas regardless of the content of the gas stream. The porous substrate can be flooded with an insulating layer to permit entry of only the formed salt and a barrier to the, for example, reducing gas, thereby improving the efficiency of the system.

Continuous electrochemical ammonia scrubber

A novel and improved noble metal-chromium alloy catalyst is disclosed with catalytic oxygen reduction activity at least twice that of the unalloyed noble metal. The noble metal-chromium alloy catalyst disclosed has particular utility as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of oxygen which makes it particularly useful as a cathode catalyst in an acid fuel cell.

Process using noble metal-chromium alloy catalysts in an electrochemical

Noble metal-chromium alloy catalysts and electrochemical cell

Porous cathodes for molten carbonate type fuel cells are made from perovskites. The perovskites tested to date all appear to be good cathode catalysts for the reduction of oxygen in molten carbonate electrolyte and are also stable in the electrolyte.

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Glastonbury, CT, United States of America

Francis J Luczak