FUEL CELL WITH A PROTON CONDUCTING ELECTROLYTE

摘要

Existing fuel cells with proton conducting electrolyte use a membrane made of perfluorinated plastic material as electrolyte and are powered using hydrogen or methanol as fuel. One disadvantage is that said electrolyte membrane allows both the protons and the fuel to pass through resulting in a loss in fuel cell efficiency. Migration of the fuel molecules through the electrolyte (14) from the anode side to the cathode side is prevented in such a way that the fuel cell exhibits a hydrogen permeable barrier layer composite (20) comprising two outer layers (22, 24) and a central layer (26) arranged between the latter. Each outer later is made of palladium and/or a palladium alloy and the central layer is made of niobium and/or tantalum and/or an alloy based on one of said metals. Palladium, niobium and tantalum exhibit high atomic hydrogen diffusibility but are impermeable to larger atoms and molecules. The barrier layer composite separates the anode gas space from the cathode gas space in such a way that the fuel cannot migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode side.