Fuel cell and its applied device

PURPOSE: To prevent the flooding of water at an oxygen electrode by providing a concentration gradient for at least one or preferably both of a pair of electrodes so that repellency can be high on the electrolyte side while it is low on the electronic conductor side. CONSTITUTION: A cell has a pair of electrodes 2 with electrolyte 1 in between and further has an electronic conductor 3 outside the electrodes 2. The electrode 2 consists of catalytic active components, water repellent components, electrolyte, and a catalytic carrier which has a quality identical to or different from that of the electrolyte 1. An adjustment is carried out so that the concentration of the water repellent body can be higher. Therefore, the conductor 3 side is easy to get wet while an interface 5 to the electrolyte 1 is relatively hard to get wet. Water generated at the interface 5 is moved from a hydrophobic area on the interface 5 side to a hydrophilic area on the conductor 3 side and then removed from the system. At this point, the concentration of water is high on the interface 5 while it is low on the conductor 3 side. The concentration gradient increases the speed at which water is diffused to the conductor 3 side, allows water to be removed very efficiently, and prevents the flooding of water at the interface 5. COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO&Japio