Polymer electrolyte fuel cell device
US6383676B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 25, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 7, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell device 1 comprising at least one fuel cell 10 having an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane provided between the anode and cathode, a combustion unit 3, a fuel gas pipe 4 for introducing therethrough the unreacted portion of a fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell 10 into the combustion unit 3, and an oxidizer gas supply manifold 2 for supplying oxidizer gas discharged from the combustion unit 3 to the cathode. By partly consuming the oxygen contained in an oxidizer gas supplied from outside, the combustion unit 3 burns the unreacted fuel gas and burns the impurities contained in the oxidizer gas. This feature prevents the polymer electrolyte membrane from drying, affords a high cell voltage without impairment and enables the device to achieve a higher overall efficiency than in the prior art.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.