ELECTROCHEMICAL HYDROGEN CONCENTRATOR FOR PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELLS

AN ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD IS PROPOSED FOR THE SEPARATION OF HYDROGEN FROM A REFORMED-HYDROCARBON FUEL-GAS STREAM FOR DIRECT FEED INTO A FIELD PORTABLE PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL USED BY THE U.S. ARMY. THIS ELECTROCHEMICAL HYDROGEN SEPARATOR (EHS) IS BASED ON CURRENT PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY. IN IT, HYDROGEN WOULD BE REMOVED FROM A GAS STREAM WHICH CONTAINS H2, CO2, CO, AND MINOR CONSTITUENTS SUCH AS H2S AND COS BY OXIDATION AT A GAS DIFFUSION ANODE AND REGENERATION AT AN OPPOSING GAS DIFFUSION CATHODE. THIS DEVICE PROMISES HIGH SEPARATION EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS HIGH PURITY IN THE SEPARATED HYDROGEN STREAM. GINER, INC. PROPOSES TO EVALUATE THE EHS IN LABORATORY TESTS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATED APPLICATION. STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH DIFFERENT ELECTROCHEMICAL CATALYSTS AND DIFFERENT ELECTRODE FORMULATIONS TO INCREASE THE SEPARATION RATE AND TO INCREASE THE RESISTANCE OF THE ELECTRODES TO POISONING. THE ELECTROLYTE MATRIX WILL BE STUDIES IN AN EFFORT TO DECREASE ITS RESISTANCE AND THEREBY DECREASE THE POWER REQUIRED FOR SEPARATION.