Patent ID: 7955491

Claim:
A method for at least one of separating, removing, compressing, and generating hydrogen, the method comprising: providing a supply containing hydrogen to a device comprising: an anode electrode; a cathode electrode; a first member having a surface with at least one flow channel thereon for distributing the supply containing hydrogen to a first side of the anode electrode from an anode inlet; a second member having a surface with at least one flow channel thereon for collecting a supply of purified hydrogen separated from the supply containing hydrogen from a first side of the cathode electrode; a solid anhydrous proton conducting electrolyte disposed between a second side of the anode electrode and a second side of the cathode electrode; and wherein at least one of the anode electrode and the cathode electrode comprises a nonporous hydrogen permeable electrode comprising a solid thin metallic film, wherein the at least one nonporous hydrogen permeable electrode comprising the solid thin metallic film is bonded to at least one of a) the proton conducting electrolyte, and b) a gasket disposed around the proton conducting electrolyte, wherein the nonporous hydrogen permeable electrode protrudes beyond the gasket in an extending direction thereof; applying an electrical potential to the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; transferring protons through the solid anhydrous proton conducting electrolyte from the anode electrode to the cathode electrode; exhausting at least a portion of the supply to the anode inlet; and collecting purified hydrogen via the second member.