US3514333A - Method of housing corrosive electrolytic medium - Google Patents

Method of housing corrosive electrolytic medium Download PDF

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Publication number
US3514333A
US3514333A US647479A US3514333DA US3514333A US 3514333 A US3514333 A US 3514333A US 647479 A US647479 A US 647479A US 3514333D A US3514333D A US 3514333DA US 3514333 A US3514333 A US 3514333A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
aluminum
housing
corrosive
medium
gasket
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US647479A
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English (en)
Inventor
Robert Lee Novack
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc
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Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc
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Publication date
Application filed by Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc filed Critical Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/02—Details
    • H01M8/0271—Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the problem of sealing housings containing corrosive electrolytic media and the like, particularly those being operated as in fuel and similar cells at high temperatures.
  • molten alkali-metal hydroxides and carbonates are maintained at temperatures between about 300C. and 500 C., more or less, and the water content thereof is allowed to decrease until it approaches substantial equilibrium with the moisture in the air or other medium surrounding the melt, aluminum, preferably substantially pure (although aluminum with some impurities and alloys thereof have been found to exhibit some of the resistant characteristics herein described), can be placed in direct and continuous contact with the corrosive molten alkali-metal hydroxides and carbonates without suffering any appreciable corrosion.
  • An object of the invention is thus to provide a new and improved housing and sealing structure for high-temperature electrolytic media and the like.
  • a further object is to provide a novel aluminum seal construction of more general use, also.
  • a fuel cell or similar housing is shown at 1 having an internal electrolytic medium-containing chamber, generally designated at 3.
  • the electrolytic medium may comprise-a mixture of potassium and sodium hydroxide maintained molten and essentially anhydrous at the above-discussed temperatures by any conventional temperature-controlling apparatus, diagrammatically designated by the arrow labeled HEAT.
  • the bounding walls of the housing may be of nickel or similar material which resists corrosive attack by such high-temperature molten electrolytic media, and may be closed off by a top wall or cover 1" of the same material.
  • the top wall 1" is shown carrying the fuel and oxidant inlets 4 and 2 and a vent 10, each inlet having a smaller feed pipe 4' and 2', respectively, for providing fuel and, for example, air to the electrolytic medium 3.
  • the fuel may be pure or impure hydrogen, for example, or a carbon-and-hydrogen-containing fuel that may be reformed within an anode chamber 6 into hydrogen as described, for example, in US. Letters Patent No. 3,206,- 334.
  • the anode structure 6 is shown faced by a palladiumoontaining or other hydrogen-permeable but otherwise non-porous anode layer 8 on one side (to the right), and preferably a similar parallel layer (not shown) on the other side (to the left).
  • the air introduced at 2' will cause stirring action to insure adequate peroxide or superoxide oxidant at the cathode portions of the cell effectively provided by the nickel walls of the housing itself.
  • Other conventional details are omitted so as not to detract from the novel features of the invention.
  • a thin aluminum frame gasket 5 is provided, supported by a lateral flange portion 1' extending outward from the plane of the side walls of the housing 1, and adapted to be pressurized by securing elements 7 bolted or otherwise fastened within corresponding apertures 7 in the cover 1" and distributed to provide uniform sealing pressure on the thin and narrow aluminum gasket 5 about the peripheral borders of the wall flange 1' and the outer peripheral underside portions of the cover wall 1".
  • the thin and narrow aluminum frame gasket 5 which may also be a wire loop of similar dimensions, has been found to soften but not melt if maintained at thicknesses of the order of .010.050", more or less.
  • pressure in the range of about 1000-5000 lbs/in. can be brought to bear substantially uniformly about the gasket.
  • a method of housing a corrosive electrolytic medium of the group consisting of alkali-metal hydroxides and carbonates which comprises bounding said medium with walls of material resistant to said medium at least one of which is removable and closable relative to the others, interposing a thin. .aluminum gasket between .the adjacent peripheral borders of said one wall and mating portions of the remaining walls, maintaining the temperature of said medium at a value in the range of about 400 to 600 degrees C. and sufilcient to render the medium substantially molten and anhydrous and suflicient to soften the aluminum gasket without melting it, and applying pressure between said peripheral borders and mating portions substantially uniformly thereabout to efiect sealing action of said aluminum gasket therebetween.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Fuel Cell (AREA)
US647479A 1967-06-20 1967-06-20 Method of housing corrosive electrolytic medium Expired - Lifetime US3514333A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US64747967A 1967-06-20 1967-06-20

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3514333A true US3514333A (en) 1970-05-26

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ID=24597157

Family Applications (1)

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US647479A Expired - Lifetime US3514333A (en) 1967-06-20 1967-06-20 Method of housing corrosive electrolytic medium

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3514333A (fr)
DE (1) DE1771642A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR1572647A (fr)
GB (1) GB1216879A (fr)
NL (1) NL6808610A (fr)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3926673A (en) * 1973-08-23 1975-12-16 Volkswagenwerk Ag Method and apparatus for charging zinc electrodes in galvanic cells
US4579788A (en) * 1983-10-18 1986-04-01 Institute Of Gas Technology High temperature fuel cell wet seal
US4963442A (en) * 1989-05-03 1990-10-16 Institute Of Gas Technology Internal manifolded molten carbonate fuel cell stack
US5077148A (en) * 1989-05-03 1991-12-31 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded and internal reformed fuel cell stack
US5227256A (en) * 1989-05-03 1993-07-13 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack
US5232792A (en) * 1992-08-21 1993-08-03 M-C Power Corporation Cell separator plate used in fuel cell stacks
US5298342A (en) * 1992-10-20 1994-03-29 M-C Power Corporation Fuel cell crossover arrestor and pressure seal
US5342706A (en) * 1989-05-03 1994-08-30 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack
US5362578A (en) * 1992-12-08 1994-11-08 Institute Of Gas Technology Integrated main rail, feed rail, and current collector
US5424144A (en) * 1993-10-21 1995-06-13 M-C Power Corporation One piece separator plate with insert ring step design
US5743427A (en) * 1995-05-25 1998-04-28 Monus; Donald T. Closure member for beverage or food containers
CN104158020A (zh) * 2013-05-14 2014-11-19 陕西兰德森茂消防科技有限公司 控制接口保护装置

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4160067A (en) * 1978-03-13 1979-07-03 Institute Of Gas Technology Molten carbonate fuel cell corrosion inhibition
US6030718A (en) * 1997-11-20 2000-02-29 Avista Corporation Proton exchange membrane fuel cell power system

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3042248A (en) * 1958-04-07 1962-07-03 Rudolph E Krueger High pressure closures
US3315836A (en) * 1965-01-04 1967-04-25 Monsanto Co Pressure vessel closure
US3378404A (en) * 1963-04-10 1968-04-16 Leesona Corp Scabbard type fuel cell
US3387738A (en) * 1965-10-08 1968-06-11 Norman H. Kemp Closure seal

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3042248A (en) * 1958-04-07 1962-07-03 Rudolph E Krueger High pressure closures
US3378404A (en) * 1963-04-10 1968-04-16 Leesona Corp Scabbard type fuel cell
US3315836A (en) * 1965-01-04 1967-04-25 Monsanto Co Pressure vessel closure
US3387738A (en) * 1965-10-08 1968-06-11 Norman H. Kemp Closure seal

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3926673A (en) * 1973-08-23 1975-12-16 Volkswagenwerk Ag Method and apparatus for charging zinc electrodes in galvanic cells
US4579788A (en) * 1983-10-18 1986-04-01 Institute Of Gas Technology High temperature fuel cell wet seal
US5342706A (en) * 1989-05-03 1994-08-30 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack
US4963442A (en) * 1989-05-03 1990-10-16 Institute Of Gas Technology Internal manifolded molten carbonate fuel cell stack
US5077148A (en) * 1989-05-03 1991-12-31 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded and internal reformed fuel cell stack
US5227256A (en) * 1989-05-03 1993-07-13 Institute Of Gas Technology Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack
US5232792A (en) * 1992-08-21 1993-08-03 M-C Power Corporation Cell separator plate used in fuel cell stacks
US5298342A (en) * 1992-10-20 1994-03-29 M-C Power Corporation Fuel cell crossover arrestor and pressure seal
US5362578A (en) * 1992-12-08 1994-11-08 Institute Of Gas Technology Integrated main rail, feed rail, and current collector
US5503945A (en) * 1992-12-08 1996-04-02 Institute Of Gas Technology Separator plate for a fuel cell
US5424144A (en) * 1993-10-21 1995-06-13 M-C Power Corporation One piece separator plate with insert ring step design
US5743427A (en) * 1995-05-25 1998-04-28 Monus; Donald T. Closure member for beverage or food containers
CN104158020A (zh) * 2013-05-14 2014-11-19 陕西兰德森茂消防科技有限公司 控制接口保护装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1771642A1 (de) 1972-04-13
GB1216879A (en) 1970-12-23
NL6808610A (fr) 1968-12-23
FR1572647A (fr) 1969-06-27

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