Method and device for gaseous fuel cell operation

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for generating electricity from a fuel/oxidant gas mixture for power usage or gas-sensing applications.
In one aspect of the invention a fuel cell is provided which has a first solid electrolyte wall in contact with and interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, a second solid electrolyte partition which forms a first chamber with the first solid electrolyte wall, a third solid electrolyte partition which forms a second chamber with the first solid electrolyte wall, a first gas-flow limiting means between a fuel mixture and the first chamber, a second gas-flow limiting means between the fuel mixture and the second chamber.
The gas-flow limiting means can be a physical aperture or a porosity-controlled material which covers the electrode and replaces the space of the gas chamber.
The chemical oxidation reaction is initiated by an electrical pulse applied to the first and second electrodes.
Afterward, electricity is continuously collected at the first and second electrodes.
The chemical oxidation reaction can happen spontaneously if the two gas-flow limiting means are quite different in controlling the respective rates of the gas flow.
In an alternate aspect the fuel cell is provided with a first solid electrolyte wall in contact with and interposed between a first and a second electrode, a second solid electrolyte wall in contact with and interposed between a third and a fourth electrode, a partition wall interposed between the first and third electrodes which creates a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber formed by the first electrolyte wall and the partition wall and the second chamber formed by the second electrolyte wall and the partition wall.
The fuel cell has a first gas-flow limiting means between the fuel/oxidant gas mixture and the first chamber and a second gas-flow limiting means between the first chamber and the second chamber positioned on the partition wall.
The gas-flow limiting means can be a physical aperture or a porosity-controlled material to replace the space occupied by the gas chamber