A system is disclosed for providing inerting gas to a protected space, and also providing electrical power. The system includes an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode and an anode separated by a separator comprising a proton transfer medium. Inerting gas is produced at the cathode. A fuel source comprising methanol or formaldehyde or ethanol and a water source are each in controllable operative fluid communication with the anode. A controller is configured to alternatively operate the system in a first mode of operation where water is directed to the anode fluid flow path inlet and electric power is directed from a power source to the electrochemical cell, and in a second mode of operation in which the fuel is directed from the fuel source to the anode fluid flow path inlet and electric power is directed from the electrochemical cell to the power sink.

A fuel cell anode flow field includes at least one flow channel with a cross-sectional area that varies along at least a portion of its length. In some embodiments, the channel width decreases along at least a portion of the channel length according to a natural exponential function. This type of anode flow field can improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and/or reduce detrimental effects such as carbon corrosion and catalyst degradation, thereby improving fuel cell longevity and durability. When operating the fuel cell on either a substantially pure or a dilute fuel stream, this type of anode flow field can provide more uniform current density. These flow channels can be incorporated into reactant flow field plates, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks.

A fuel cell anode flow field includes at least one flow channel with a cross-sectional area that varies along at least a portion of its length. In some embodiments, the channel width decreases along at least a portion of the channel length according to a natural exponential function. This type of anode flow field can improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and/or reduce detrimental effects such as carbon corrosion and catalyst degradation, thereby improving fuel cell longevity and durability. When operating the fuel cell on either a substantially pure or a dilute fuel stream, this type of anode flow field can provide more uniform current density. These flow channels can be incorporated into reactant flow field plates, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks.

A fuel cell anode flow field includes at least one flow channel with a cross-sectional area that varies along at least a portion of its length. In some embodiments, the channel width decreases along at least a portion of the channel length according to a natural exponential function. This type of anode flow field can improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and/or reduce detrimental effects such as carbon corrosion and catalyst degradation, thereby improving fuel cell longevity and durability. When operating the fuel cell on either a substantially pure or a dilute fuel stream, this type of anode flow field can provide more uniform current density. These flow channels can be incorporated into reactant flow field plates, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks.

A fuel cell anode flow field includes at least one flow channel with a cross-sectional area that varies along at least a portion of its length. In some embodiments, the channel width decreases along at least a portion of the channel length according to a natural exponential function. This type of anode flow field can improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and/or reduce detrimental effects such as carbon corrosion and catalyst degradation, thereby improving fuel cell longevity and durability. When operating the fuel cell on either a substantially pure or a dilute fuel stream, this type of anode flow field can provide more uniform current density. These flow channels can be incorporated into reactant flow field plates, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks.

The present invention is directed to a rechargeable electrochemical device including a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly spaced-apart from the first electrode assembly, a membrane arranged between the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, a first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly and a second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly, an electrolyte disposed in the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, and a vapor-phase hydrogen carrier in the first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly or in the second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly; a method for using a rechargeable electrochemical device; and a method for making a rechargeable electrochemical device.

The present disclosure is directed to compositions and structures of supported metal catalysts for use in applications such as direct methanol fuel cells. Generally, implementations include supported metal catalysts that include Pt active sites that have been modified by addition or co-localization of a second metal such as Cu, Co, Ni, and/or other base metals to lower the inhibiting effect of strongly-adsorbed CO, an intermediate of methanol oxidation. An example aspect of the present disclosure includes catalyst compositions where the exterior metal sites in the supported catalyst include at least two metals: Pt and a competitive binder (e.g., a second metal).

The present disclosure is directed to compositions and structures of supported metal catalysts for use in applications such as direct methanol fuel cells. Generally, implementations include supported metal catalysts that include Pt active sites that have been modified by addition or co-localization of a second metal such as Cu, Co, Ni, and/or other base metals to lower the inhibiting effect of strongly-adsorbed CO, an intermediate of methanol oxidation. An example aspect of the present disclosure includes catalyst compositions where the exterior metal sites in the supported catalyst include at least two metals: Pt and a competitive binder (e.g., a second metal).

The present invention provides a methanol solid oxide fuel cell and a power generation system comprising the same, wherein the fuel cell is a tubular SOFC cell stack, the tubular SOFC cell stack comprises a plurality of tubular SOFC single cells, and a side wall of an inner pipe of the tubular SOFC single cell at a fuel inlet is of a porous layer structure; an inner wall of the inner pipe is coated with a methanol pyrolysis catalyst layer, and the thickness of the catalyst layer gradually increases along a moving direction of the fuel in the inner pipe. The methanol solid oxide fuel cell can effectively relieve carbon deposition of the anode of the methanol SOFC, and can ensure that the temperature of the whole cell is more uniform and the cell performance is more stable.

In this disclosure, an ion-conducting membrane (10), a component (100) having the ion-conducting membrane (10) and a process for making the membrane (10) and the component (100) are disclosed. The ion-conducting membrane (10) includes a homogenous blend (12) and one or more additives (14). The selected one or more polymers are present in a mass-percentage in a range from 1% to 40. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) simultaneously increases the power and efficiency of the devices by combining advances in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and manufacturing. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) overcomes limitations in the currently known technologies without compromising the advantageous properties. The present membrane (10) provides non-linear performance enhancement in electrochemical devices that leads to overall system level cost reduction.