Electrochemical cell systems comprising fuel consuming agents
View Patent ↗Electrochemical cell systems are provided. In some implementations, the electrochemical cell system includes a fuel cell and a fuel cartridge connected to the fuel cell. The fuel cell includes (i) a fuel cell housing having a first external surface and a first internal surface defining a first internal volume of the fuel cell housing, and (ii) a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte disposed within the first internal volume. The fuel cartridge includes (i) a cartridge housing having a second external surface and a second internal surface defining a second internal volume of the cartridge housing, wherein the second internal volume includes a fuel; and (ii) a fuel consuming agent disposed on at least one of the first external surface and the second external surface.
1. A method of coating a fuel cartridge comprising coating a portion of an external surface of a fuel cartridge with a fuel consuming agent, wherein the fuel consuming agent is dispersed in a gas-permeable matrix.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cartridge comprises a hydrogen fuel cartridge.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fuel consuming agent comprises a hydrogen consuming agent.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cartridge is a methanol fuel cartridge, a methane fuel cartridge, a propane fuel cartridge, a butane fuel cartridge, an ethanol fuel cartridge, a formic acid fuel cartridge, a hydrazine fuel cartridge, or an ammonia fuel cartridge.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cartridge comprises the external surface and an internal surface defining an internal volume.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein fuel is disposed within the internal volume.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises mixing an oxidizing material comprising a metal with an activating material comprising a metal to form the fuel consuming agent prior to coating the portion of the external surface of the fuel cartridge.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fuel cell is a methanol fuel cell, an ethanol fuel cell, a methane fuel cell, a propane fuel cell, a butane fuel cell, a formic acid fuel cell, a hydrazine fuel cell, or an ammonia fuel cell.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a hydrogen fuel cell.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fuel consuming agent comprises a hydrogen consuming agent.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hydrogen fuel cell comprises a housing having the external surface and an internal surface defining an internal volume.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the oxidizing material comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of a manganese oxide, a manganese oxyhydroxide, a nickel oxyhydroxide, a copper oxide, a barium oxide, a silver oxide, a mercury oxide, potassium permanganate, silver permanganate, a manganese phosphate, a bismuth oxide, m-dinitrobenzene, and a quinone.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxidizing material comprises copper oxide.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the activating material includes a first activating component and a second activating component, the first and second activating components each being capable of cleaving hydrogen.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second activating component of the activating material includes a transition metal, or a salt or oxide thereof.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first activating component of the activating material includes a transition metal, or a salt or oxide thereof.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, and ruthenium.
18. A method of coating a fuel cartridge comprising:
mixing an oxidizing material comprising a metal with an activating material comprising a metal to form a fuel consuming agent; and
coating a portion of an external surface of a fuel cartridge.