EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT FOR SOLID-ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL

摘要

In a solid-electrolyte fuel cell of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,813 a permeable catalytic electrode in contact with the solid electrolyte is ordinarily exposed to a mixture comprising an oxidizer and a hydrogen-containing fuel. To increase the fuel efficiency of the cell, the permeable electrode is patterned and coated with a material that is permeable to the fuel but relatively impermeable to the oxidizer. The oxidizer enters the electrolyte through channels where the surface of the electrolyte is not covered by the patterned and coated electrode.