Method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte and molten carbonate fuel cell using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10777834-B2
Application number	US-201715675233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are a method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte and a molten carbonate fuel cell using the same, wherein a molten carbonate electrolyte is generated from a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in a molten carbonate fuel cell and is supplied to the molten carbonate fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel; and
generating additional molten carbonate electrolyte from the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound generated in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel, thereby providing the additional molten carbonate electrolyte to the molten carbonate fuel cell,
wherein the additional molten carbonate electrolyte is generated from at least one of carbonate ion, carbon dioxide and oxygen; and the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound.

2. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel; and
generating additional molten carbonate electrolyte from the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound generated in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel, thereby providing the additional molten carbonate electrolyte to the molten carbonate fuel cell,
wherein the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound reacts with at least one of carbonate ion, carbon dioxide and oxygen to form a molten carbonate electrolyte, and
the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound is a material having a higher vapor pressure than lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ), or potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) at an operating temperature of the molten carbonate fuel cell.

3. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel; and
generating additional molten carbonate electrolyte from the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound generated in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel, thereby providing the additional molten carbonate electrolyte to the molten carbonate fuel cell,
wherein the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of metal lithium (Li), Li 2 O, LiOH and a hydrate of LiOH, LiF, LiCl, Li, Li 3 N, LiNH 2 , Li 2 C 2 , LiMoO 4 , LiAlH 4 , LiSn, LiPb, LiTi, LiHg, Li 3 Sb 2 , Li 3 Bi, Li 2 SO 4 , LiOCH 3 , LiOC 2 H 5 , metal sodium (Na), Na 2 O, NaOH and a hydrate of NaOH, NaF, NaCl, NaI, Na 3 N, NaNH 2 , Na 2 SO 4 , Na 2 C 2 O 4 , NaC 2 H 3 O 2 , NaOCH 3 , NaOC 2 H 5 , metal potassium (K), K 2 O, KOH and a hydrate of KOH, KF, KCl, KI, K 3 N, KNH 2 , and K 2 SO 4 .

4. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel; and
generating additional molten carbonate electrolyte from the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound generated in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel, thereby providing the additional molten carbonate electrolyte to the molten carbonate fuel cell,
wherein the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound comprises
LiI and KI;
LiI and NaI;
LiI, KI, and NaI;
LiI and KOH; or
LiI, KOH, and NaI.

5. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or a liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel;
supplying the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound to a first electrode of the molten carbonate fuel cell;
supplying a reaction gas containing carbon dioxide to a second electrode of the molten carbonate fuel cell,
wherein the additional molten carbonate electrolyte is generated from at least one of a carbonate ion, carbon dioxide, or oxygen, and the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound,
wherein the carbonate ion is generated from the reaction gas and transfers to an electrochemical reaction site in the first electrode, and carbon dioxide is not supplied to the first electrode,
wherein oxygen generated from carbonate ion reacts with the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound to produce a molten carbonate electrolyte intermediate precursor compound, and the molten carbonate electrolyte intermediate precursor compound reacts with the carbon dioxide generated from carbonate ion to generate the molten carbonate electrolyte.

6. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten carbonate comprising a molten carbonate electrolyte;
generating a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from a solid or liquid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel;
supplying the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound generated in the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel to a first electrode in a gaseous state;
supplying a reaction gas containing carbon dioxide to a second electrode; and
generating a molten carbonate electrolyte from carbonate ion and the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound in the molten carbonate fuel cell, thereby providing the molten carbonate electrolyte to the molten carbonate fuel cell;
wherein the carbonate ion is generated from the reaction gas and transfers to an electrochemical reaction site in the first electrode, and carbon dioxide is not supplied to the first electrode, and
wherein a mixed gas of a gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound and a carrier gas which does not react with the first electrode is provided to the first electrode.

7. The method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte according to claim 6 , wherein the generating the molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from the solid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound comprises melting a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound powder.

8. The method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte according to claim 6 , wherein the generating the gaseous molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound from the solid molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound comprises dissolving a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor compound powder in a solvent and heating the solvent.

9. A method for supplying molten carbonate fuel cell with electrolyte, the method comprising:
providing a molten carbonate electrolyte precursor vessel outside a molten ca

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Yoon Sung Pil
• Han Jonghee
• Ham Hyung Chul
• Yoon Chang Won
• Choi Sun-Hee
• Park Hyun Seo
• Kim Yeong Cheon
• Lee Chang-Whan
• Kim Hyoung-Juhn
• Lim Tae Hoon
• Nam Suk Woo
• Jang Seong Cheol

Classifications

• C01D7/00

  Carbonates of sodium, potassium or alkali metals in general · CPC title

• H01M8/04283

  Supply means of electrolyte to or in matrix-fuel cells · CPC title

• C25B1/14

  Alkali metal compounds · CPC title

• C01D15/04

  Halides · CPC title

• H01M2008/147

  Fuel cells with molten carbonates · CPC title