Teledyne OT-3 Trace Oxygen Analyzer Installation, Anatomy of a Micro-fuel Cell

Trace Oxygen Analyzer Installation

between a battery and a true fuel cell. (All of the reactants are stored externally in a true fuel cell.)

2.2.2 Anatomy of a Micro-fuel Cell

The Micro-fuel Cell is made of extremely inert plastic (which can be placed confidently in practically any environment or sample stream). It is effectively sealed, though one end is a gas permeable membrane. At the permeable end a screen retains a diffusion membrane through which the oxygen passes into the cell. At the other end of the cell is a printed circuit board with concentric gold contacts.

Refer to Figure 2-1,Cross Section of a Micro-fuel Cell, which illustrates the following internal description.

Figure 2-1: Cross Section of a Micro-fuel Cell

At the sensing end of the cell is a diffusion membrane, whose thickness is very accurately controlled. Near the diffusion membrane lies the oxygen sensing element—the cathode.

The anode structure is larger than the cathode. It is made of lead and is designed to maximize the amount of metal available for chemical reaction.

The space between the active elements is filled by a structure saturated with electrolyte. Cathode and anode are wet by this common pool. They each have a conductor connecting them, through some

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