APPARATUS AND METHOD ASSOCIATED WITH REFORMER-LESS FUEL CELL

摘要

An electrolyte membrane for a reformer-less fuel cell is provided. The electrolyte membrane is assembled with fuel and air manifolds to form the fuel cell. The fuel manifold receives an oxidizable fuel from a fuel supply in a gaseous, liquid, or slurry form. The air manifold receives air from an air supply. The electrolyte membrane conducts oxygen in an ionic superoxide form when the fuel cell is exposed to operating temperatures above the boiling point of water to electrochemically combine the oxygen with the fuel to produce electricity. The electrolyte membrane includes a porous electrically non-conductive substrate, an anode catalyst layer deposited along a fuel manifold side of the substrate, a cathode catalyst layer deposited along an air manifold side of the substrate, and an ionic liquid filling the substrate between the anode and cathode catalyst layers. Methods for manufacturing and operating the electrolyte membrane are also provided.

主权项

1. An apparatus associated with a reformer-less fuel cell, comprising:
an electrolyte membrane configured to be assembled with a fuel manifold and an air manifold to form a reformer-less fuel cell, wherein the fuel manifold is configured to receive an oxidizable fuel from a fuel supply in at least one of a gaseous form, a liquid form, and a slurry form, wherein the air manifold is configured to receive air from an air supply, the air comprising at least oxygen, wherein the electrolyte membrane is configured to conduct oxygen in an ionic superoxide form when the reformer-less fuel cell is exposed to operating temperatures above the boiling point of water to electrochemically combine the oxygen with the oxidizable fuel to produce electricity, the electrolyte membrane comprising: a porous electrically non-conductive substrate; an anode catalyst layer deposited along a fuel manifold side of the porous substrate; a cathode catalyst layer deposited along an air manifold side of the porous substrate; and an ionic liquid filling the porous substrate between the anode and cathode catalyst layers to form the electrolyte membrane.