Electric-field enhanced performance in catalysis and solid-state devices involving gases

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197521-B2
Application number	US-201514714860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2007
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Electrode configurations for electric-field enhanced performance in catalysis and solid-state devices involving gases are provided. According to an embodiment, electric-field electrodes can be incorporated in devices such as gas sensors and fuel cells to shape an electric field provided with respect to sensing electrodes for the gas sensors and surfaces of the fuel cells. The shaped electric fields can alter surface dynamics, system thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and adsorption/desorption processes. In one embodiment, ring-shaped electric-field electrodes can be provided around sensing electrodes of a planar gas sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell, comprising:
an electrolyte;
a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is in electrical contact with the electrolyte;
a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is in electrical contact with the electrolyte; and
an electric field source,
wherein the electric field source is insulated from the electrolyte,
wherein the electric field source comprises a first electric-field electrode corresponding to the first electrode and a second electric-field electrode corresponding to the second electrode,
wherein the first electric-field electrode and the second electric-field electrode are physically separated from each other,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on the same surface of the electrolyte,
wherein the electric field source creates an electric field profile proximate one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein creation of the electric field profile proximate the one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode via the electric field source does not result in the passage of current through the fuel cell,
wherein an output EMF is produced between the first electrode and the second electrode when the one or both of the first electrode and second electrode are exposed to one or more gases, and
wherein the fuel cell is configured such that, when the one or both of the first electrode and second electrode are exposed to the one or more gases, the electric field profile proximate the one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode modifies the output EMF.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a load connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein power is delivered to the load.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate,
wherein the substrate comprises the electrolyte, and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned on the substrate.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are on opposite sides of the substrate, wherein a first gas is in contact with the first electrode, and
wherein the first gas reacts such that an ion of a component of the first gas and/or an ion of the first gas travels through the electrolyte to the second electrode and becomes a component of a second gas and/or the second gas, respectively.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 3 ,
wherein the electric field source comprises:
at least two electric field electrodes; and
an electric field voltage source.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 5 ,
wherein the at least two electric field electrodes are positioned on the substrate and each electric field electrode of the at least two electric field electrodes is separated from the electrolyte by a corresponding insulator of at least two insulators positioned between the corresponding electric field electrode and the substrate.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a second substrate,
wherein the second substrate comprises a second electrolyte;
two additional electrodes positioned on the second substrate,
wherein the two additional electrodes are in electrical contact with the second electrolyte; and
a second electric field source,
wherein the second electric field source creates a second electric field proximate one or both additional electrodes of the two additional electrodes,
wherein the second electric field source comprises at least two second electric field electrodes,
wherein the at least two second electric field electrodes are not in electrical contact with the second electrolyte,
wherein a second output EMF is produced between the two additional electrodes when the one or both additional electrodes of the two additional electrodes are exposed to a second one or more gases, and
wherein the second electric field proximate the one or both additional electrodes of the two additional electrodes modifies the second output EMF.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 7 ,
wherein the fuel cell has a stacked configuration.

9. A catalysis device, comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an electrolyte;
at least two electrodes, wherein the at least two electrodes are in electrical contact with the electrolyte; and
an electric field source,
wherein the electric field source is insulated from the electrolyte,
wherein the electric field source comprises at least two electric-field electrodes,
wherein each of the at least two electric-field electrodes corresponds to each of the at least two electrodes, respectively,
wherein the at least two electric-field electrodes are physically separated from each other,
wherein the electric field source creates an electric field profile proximate a corresponding one or more surfaces of one or more electrodes of the at least two electrodes, and
wherein, when the one or more surfaces of the one or more electrodes of the at least two electrodes are exposed to at least one gas, the electric field profile modifies a catalysis reaction between the at least one gas and the one or more surfaces of the one or more electrodes of the at least two electrodes.

10. The catalysis device according to claim 9 ,
wherein, when the one or more surfaces of the one or more electrodes of the at least two electrodes are exposed to the at least one gas, the electric field profile enhances the catalysis reaction between the at least one gas and the one or more surfaces of the one or more electrodes of the at least two electrodes.

11. The catalysis device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a voltage source,
wherein the voltage source is configured to apply a bias across two electrodes of the at least two electrodes.

12. The catalysis device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a current source,
wherein the current source is configured to apply a bias across two electrodes of the at least two electrodes.

13. The catalysis device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the substrate comprises a porous structure that allows the at least one gas to flow through at least a portion of the porous structure, and
wherein the at least two electrodes comprise a plurality of particles within the porous structure.

14. The catalysis device according to claim 9 ,
wherein, when the electrolyte is exposed to the at least one gas, the electric field profile modifies a catalysis reaction between the at least one gas and the electrolyte.

15. The catalysis device according to claim 14 ,
wherein, when the electrolyte is exposed to the at least one gas, the electric field profile enhances the catalysis reaction between the at least one gas and the electrolyte.

16. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an ionically conducting electrolyte;
at least two sensing electrodes, wherein the at least two sensing electrodes are positioned on the substrate, wherein the at least two sensing electrodes are in electrical contact with the ionically conducting electrolyte; and
an electric field source,
wherein the electric field source comprises at least two electric field electrodes and at least one voltage source,
wherein the at least two electric field electrodes are not in electrical contact with the ionically conducting electrolyte,
wherein each of the at least two electric field electrodes corresponds to each of the at least two sensing electrodes, respectively,
wherein the at least two electric field electrodes are physically separated from each other,
wherein the at lea

Assignees

• Univ Florida
• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Blackburn Bryan M
• Wachsman Eric D
• Van Assche Iv Frederick Martin

Classifications

• G01N27/4075

  Composition or fabrication of the electrodes and coatings thereon, e.g. catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/04574

  Current · CPC title

• H01M8/0432

  Temperature; Ambient temperature · CPC title

• G01N27/30 Primary

  Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells (G01N27/414 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04537

  Electric variables · CPC title