Patent ID: 9184463
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A nitric acid regeneration fuel cell system, comprising: a flow-through anode composed of silicon having an outer side and an inner side, and a plurality of passageways extending from the outer side to the inner side wherein the passageways comprise columnar pores having average diameter ranging from 0.5 to 10 microns; a cathode composed of silicon confronting and spaced apart from the anode, the cathode having a plurality of passageways extended through the cathode wherein the passageways comprise columnar pores having average diameter ranging from 0.5 to 10 microns; a micro fluidic anolyte flowstream flowingly contacting and passing through the anode by way of the plurality of passageways, wherein substantially all of the anolyte flowstream enters from the outer side and exits out of the inner side of the flow-through anode and, wherein the anolyte flowstream includes a fuel for reacting at the anode; a micro fluidic catholyte flowstream flowingly contacting the cathode, wherein the catholyte flowstream includes nitric acid for reacting at the cathode to thereby yield cathode reaction products that include nitric oxide and water in a catholyte effluent flowstream; a hydrogen peroxide flowstream configured to contact and react with the nitric oxide of the catholyte effluent flowstream at an oxidation zone outside the cathode to thereby yield a regenerated nitric acid flowstream joining the catholyte flowstream, and a gas separation zone configured to separate an anolyte effluent flowstream into a carbon dioxide flowstream and a degassed anolyte effluent flowstream, wherein the gas separation zone is configured as a T-shape junction, and wherein the T-shape junction comprises opposing hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes placed across opposing exit pathways, whereby the carbon dioxide flowstream and the degassed anolyte effluent flowstream separate.