Fuel substance and associated cartridge for fuel cell
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01M-008/04
C10L-007/04
C10L-007/00
출원번호
US-0688433
(2003-10-17)
등록번호
US-7255947
(2007-08-14)
발명자
/ 주소
Becerra,Juan J.
Kovacs,Frank W.
Ren,Xiaoming
출원인 / 주소
The Gillette Company
대리인 / 주소
Cesari & McKenna, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
7
초록▼
The present invention provides a gel fuel, which includes a fuel substance held in a polymeric structure. One embodiment of the composition includes neat methanol, to which a thickening substance, such as that sold commercially under the trade name Carbopol짰, is added to impart viscosity, as well as
The present invention provides a gel fuel, which includes a fuel substance held in a polymeric structure. One embodiment of the composition includes neat methanol, to which a thickening substance, such as that sold commercially under the trade name Carbopol짰, is added to impart viscosity, as well as stabilizing and suspending properties. In addition to the thickening substance, a further substance can be added to balance the pH of the gel fuel when needed. In accordance with the invention, a fuel cell cartridge is provided that has at least one aspect that is methanol-permeable, and which may include a fuel vapor permeable layer and it may be comprised of one of a number of various alternative materials. Features within the fuel cartridge can be used to increase surface area of the gel fuel, and to maintain the gel fuel in a desired location within the cartridge.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel for use in a fuel cell, comprising: (A) a carbonaceous fuel substance wherein said carbonaceous fuel substance is substantially comprised of neat methanol; and (B) a thickening substance that imparts viscosity to the fuel substance, thereby forming a gel fuel, wherein
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel for use in a fuel cell, comprising: (A) a carbonaceous fuel substance wherein said carbonaceous fuel substance is substantially comprised of neat methanol; and (B) a thickening substance that imparts viscosity to the fuel substance, thereby forming a gel fuel, wherein said thickening substance is substantially comprised of a hydrophobically modified cross-linked polyacrylate polymer rheology modifier. 2. The fuel as defined in claim 1, wherein said neat methanol comprises between about 90 to 100 per cent by weight of the total composition of the fuel substance. 3. The fuel as defined in claim 1, wherein said thickening substance comprises about 2 per cent by weight of the total composition of the fuel substance. 4. The fuel as defined in claim 1 in which the gel fuel has a viscosity of between about 1000 to 48,000 mPa s. 5. The fuel as defined in claim 1, further comprising safety enhancing additives. 6. The fuel as defined in claim 5 wherein said safety-enhancing additives are selected from the group consisting of colorants, bitters, and flame retardants. 7. The fuel as defined in claim 1, further comprising polymeric additives. 8. The fuel as defined in claim 1, further comprising an alkaline pH-modifying substance. 9. A fuel cartridge for use with a fuel cell, the cartridge comprising: (A) a compartment for holding a fuel suspended in a gel; and (B) a fuel vapor permeable layer "FVPL" forming one aspect of said compartment, said FVPL being permeable to a fuel substance that is released out of said gel, and said aspect of said compartment being coupled with said fuel cell in such a manner that the fuel travels through said FVPL into said fuel cell, wherein said FVPL is substantially comprised of a highly selective monolithic material having selectivity between fuel substance and water, such fuel substance can travel through said monolithic material to said fuel cell and water is substantially resisted from traveling from said fuel cell into said fuel cartridges. 10. The fuel cartridge as defined in claim 9 further comprising multiple FVPLs, at least one of which is said highly selective material. 11. A method of supplying fuel to a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a fuel substance suspended within a gel such that when contacting air, fuel is evaporated out of said gel; (B) directing said evaporated fuel substance into a fuel cell using a fuel vapor permeable layer "FVPL" coupled to a fuel cell which FVPL allows fuel substance to pass through it into said fuel cell; (C) providing as said fuel substance neat methanol; (D) mixing a thickening substance into said neat methanol; (E) adding a pH balancing substance to said neat methanol mixture to form a gel fuel; (F) placing said gel fuel in a cartridge that has at least one FVPL having a methanol permeable wall; and (G) attaching said cartridge to a fuel cell with said methanol permeable wall contiguous to an anode aspect of said fuel cell to thereby direct said evaporated fuel substance into the fuel cell. 12. The method as defined in claim 11 including the further step of reconstituting the gel fuel by adding additional liquid fuel. 13. A direct oxidation fuel cell system, comprising: (A) a direct oxidation fuel cell including: (i) a membrane electrolyte intimately interfacing with a catalyst layer along each of membrane's major surfaces, being a catalyzed membrane electrolyte, having an anode aspect and a cathode aspect; (ii) an effective water supply from cathode to anode within said fuel cell, so that water management in said fuel cell is achieved without water collection from the cathode and/or water transport from cathode to anode external to the active volume of the fuel cell; (B) a fuel supply cartridge having means for removably attaching said cartridge to said fuel cell, including: (i) a compartment for holding a fuel substance suspended in a gel; and (ii) a fuel vapor permeable layer "FVPL" forming one aspect of said compartment, said FVPL being permeable to the fuel substance that is released out of said gel, and said aspect of said compartment being coupled with said fuel cell in such a manner that the fuel travels through said FVPL into said fuel cell; and (C) an electrical coupling across said fuel cell for supplying power to an application device. 14. A fueling device for a fuel cell system, comprising: (A) an internal fuel compartment that contains a gel fuel coupled to at least one fuel cell in the fuel cell system for delivering a fuel substance that evaporates out of said gel fuel; and (B) a replacement container coupled to said internal fuel compartment for refueling the gel fuel in said compartment. 15. The fueling device as defined in claim 14 wherein said fuel cell system and said internal fuel compartment are disposed within an application device. 16. The fueling device as defined in claim 14 wherein said replacement container houses a gel fuel for replacing gel fuel in said internal fuel compartment. 17. The fueling device as defined in claim 14 wherein said replacement container houses a liquid fuel for delivery to said internal fuel compartment to reconstitute the gel fuel that supplies said fuel cell system. 18. A fuel cartridge for use with a fuel cell, the cartridge comprising: (A) means for removably attaching the cartridge from an associated fuel cell; (B) a compartment for holding a fuel suspended in a gel; and (C) a fuel vapor permeable layer "FVPL" forming one aspect of said compartment, said FVPL being permeable to a fuel substance that is released out of said gel, and said aspect of said compartment being coupled with said fuel cell in such a manner that the fuel travels through said FVPL into said fuel cell.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (7)
Davis James Lynn, Fuel for liquid feed fuel cells.
Kelley Ronald J. ; Pratt Steven D. ; Landreth Bobby Dean ; Pennisi Robert W. ; Muthuswamy Sivakumar ; Urbish Glenn F., Portable fuel cell power supply.
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