Carbon dioxide electrolytic device and method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230772-B2
Application number	US-201916561705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device includes: an electrolysis cell; a sensor acquiring data indicating a concentration of a first product containing a carbon compound in an anode flow path of the electrolysis cell; a power controller to apply a voltage between an anode and a cathode of the electrolysis cell; a refresh material source including a gas source to supply a gaseous substance to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths, and a solution supply source to supply a rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths; and a controller programmed to stop supply of carbon dioxide and an electrolytic solution, and supply the rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths from the refresh material source, in accordance with the data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carbon dioxide electrolytic device, comprising:
an electrolysis cell including
a cathode to reduce a first substance containing carbon dioxide and thus produce a first product containing a carbon compound,
an anode to oxidize a second substance containing water or hydroxide ions and thus produce a second product containing oxygen,
a cathode flow path facing the cathode,
an anode flow path facing the anode, and
a separator separating the anode and the cathode;

a carbon dioxide source to supply the carbon dioxide to the cathode flow path;
a solution source to supply an electrolytic solution containing the water or hydroxide ions to the anode flow path;
a sensor to acquire data indicating a concentration of the first product in the anode flow path;
a power controller to apply a voltage between the anode and the cathode;
a refresh material source including
a gas source to supply a gaseous substance to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths, and
a solution supply source to supply a rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths; and

a controller programmed to stop the supply of the carbon dioxide and the electrolytic solution and supply the rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths from the refresh material source, in accordance with the data.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the anode flow path has an outlet; and
the data indicates the concentration of the first product at the outlet.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor is provided outside the anode flow path.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the carbon compound is carbon monoxide.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first substance further contains water; and
the first product further contains hydrogen.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is programmed to stop the supply of the carbon dioxide and the electrolytic solution and apply a voltage between the anode and the cathode from the power controller while supplying the rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths from the refresh material source, in accordance with the data.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the solution source includes
a first solution supply source to supply an acid rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths, and
a second solution supply source to supply water to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is programmed to control the refresh material source to supply the rinse solution from the solution supply source and the gaseous substance from the gas source to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths exposed from the electrolytic solution.

9. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a flow rate controller to be controlled by the controller and adjust a flow rate of at least one selected from the group consisting of the rinse solution and the gaseous substance.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the gaseous substance contains at least one selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electrolysis cell further includes a cathode solution tank to store a cathode solution as the electrolytic solution in which the cathode is immersed, and an anode solution tank to store an anode solution as the electrolytic solution in which the anode is immersed.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cathode and the anode are provided on the separator.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electrolysis cell further includes a second cathode flow path provided between the cathode and the separator; and
the solution source is configured to supply an anode solution as the electrolytic solution to the anode flow path, and supply a cathode solution as the electrolytic solution to the second cathode flow path.

14. A method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide, comprising:
supplying carbon dioxide to a cathode flow path facing a cathode to reduce a first substance containing the carbon dioxide and thus produce a first product containing a carbon compound, and supplying an electrolytic solution containing water to an anode flow path facing an anode to oxidize a second substance containing water or hydroxide ions and thus produce a second product containing oxygen;
applying a voltage between the cathode and the anode to reduce the first substance and thus produce the first product on the cathode, and to oxidize the second substance and thus produce the second product on the anode;
acquiring data indicating a concentration of the first product in the anode flow path; and
stopping the supply of the carbon dioxide and the electrolytic solution, and supplying a rinse solution to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths, in accordance with the data.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
discharging the rinse solution; and
supplying a gaseous substance to at least one selected from the group consisting of the anode and cathode flow paths after discharging the rinse solution.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ono Akihiko
• Kudo Yuki
• Kitagawa Ryota
• Yamagiwa Masakazu
• Tamura Jun
• Mikoshiba Satoshi
• Sugano Yoshitsune
• MOTOSHIGE Asahi

Classifications

• C25B9/05

  Pressure cells · CPC title

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• C25B15/029

  Concentration · CPC title