Forschungszentrum Julich Gmbh

Thorsten Kels

Hendrik Dohle

Volker Peinecke

Ilona Busenbender

An electrode-electrolyte unit for a fuel cell which prevents the permeation of the fuel used or the permeation of water through the electrolyte layer. An electrolyte is subdivided into two electrolyte layers with a barrier layer disposed between them. The barrier layer is permeable only to protons and may be coated with a catalytically active porous layer having a high effective surface area. A porous layer on the side of the unit facing the cathode increases the electrochemically active surface area and a porous layer on the side of the unit facing the anode ensures that a sufficient amount of hydrogen is dissolved. The fuel used can be hydrogen or methanol and suitable electrolytes include membranes or other solid or liquid electrolytes.

Fuel cell electrode-electrolyte unit

In a fuel cell arrangement with at least one fuel cell operated by a fuel and an oxidizing agent, means are provided for effecting gravity driven circulation of the fuel and the oxidizing agent through the fuel cell so that no pumping means, which consume power and need servicing, are required.

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Jülich, Germany

Thorsten Kels