Thermally rechargeable fuel-cell based on lithium and hydrogen - features hydrogen permeable metal membranes separating electrode materials from electrolyte

摘要

The fuel-cell (10) contains at least one electrolyte chamber (24) filled with a proton conducting liquid electrolyte which is separated by metal membranes from at least 2 electrode chambers filled with electrode material. The feature is that the membranes (12,14,16) consist of hydrogen permeable material through which both ions and electrons are conducted. The metal membranes consist of pref. of V, Ti or Ta. At least one of the electrodes contains a Li-Na alloy, at least one other electrode contains H2-electrode material. One or both of the electrode types contain pref. also an additive in the form of a LiJ-KJ eutectic mixture. The H2-electrode chamber pref. contains a catalyst such as VH0.2+X, UH3, TiH2 or ZrH2. The electrolyte in the chamber (24) between the electrodes is pref. a mixture of LiCl, KCl and LiH. USE/ADVANTAGE - The use of the H2 permeable membranes prevents operating problems which exist with conventional cells such as shorting of the electrodes by dissolved Li-ions. The cells become rechargeable by decompsn. of the LiH formed with heat and returning the Li and H2 to the opposite electrode chambers. The conversion efficiency of the cell is high at 70%. The cells can be used to convert solar energy.