Abstract: A vehicular power system, a vehicle and a method of providing auxiliary power to a vehicle using an auxiliary power unit that uses a molten metal anode solid oxide fuel cell rather than an internal combustion engine. The auxiliary power unit includes a container with numerous fuel cells disposed within it such that when the metal anode is heated, the metal converts to a molten state that can be electrochemically cycled between oxidized and reduced states by oxygen and a fuel present in the molten metal, respectively. The auxiliary power unit further includes a furnace that selectively provides heat to the fuel cells in order to place the anode into its molten metal state. Seals may provide fluid isolation between the molten metal within the container and the ambient environment.

Abstract: Living tissues, such as hybridoma cells or insect cells suspended in a water soluble gelling agent, are microencapsulated in a double polymeric membrane microcapsule. The inner membrane is of a high molecular weight cut-off to permit outward diffusion of the gelling agent and also expansion of the microcapsule before formation of the outer membrane which is a relatively lower molecular weight cut-off. The living cells in the dual membrane microcapsule may be grown to an intracapsular density which is significantly higher than that which can be achieved by using single-membrane capsules. The recovery of intracapsular protein product (produced by the encapsulated cells) is also significantly higher and the loss of product through the membrane wall markedly lower for the dual membrane capsule than for the single membrane capsule.