Carbon dioxide electrolytic device and method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286573-B2
Application number	US-201916559905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device comprises: an electrolysis cell including a first electrode having a first catalyst to reduce carbon dioxide, a second electrode having a second catalyst to oxidize water or hydroxide ions, a first electrode flow path facing the first electrode, a second electrode flow path facing the second electrode, and a separator separating the first and second electrodes; a power controller; a first flow path through which the carbon dioxide flows; a second flow path through which the carbon compound flows; a third flow path through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows; a fourth flow path through which the oxygen flows; a first valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the first flow path; a second valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the second flow path; a tank connected to the first electrode flow path and configured to store a rinse solution; and a controller programmed to control opening and closing of the first and second valves in accordance with performance requirements of the electrolysis cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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

a power controller to apply a voltage between the first and second electrodes;
a first flow path through which the carbon dioxide flows;
a second flow path through which the carbon compound flows;
a third flow path through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows;
a fourth flow path through which the oxygen flows;
a first valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the first flow path;
a second valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the second flow path;
a third valve to connect the second electrode flow path and the third flow path;
a fourth valve to connect the second electrode flow path and the fourth flow path;
a fifth flow path through which oxygen flows, the fifth flow path being different from the fourth flow path;
a fifth valve used for connecting the first electrode flow path or the second electrode flow path and the fifth flow path;
a tank connected to the first electrode flow path and configured to store a rinse solution; and
a valve controller programmed to control opening and closing of each of the first to fifth valves in accordance with performance requirements of the electrolysis cell,
the second valve being configured to control a connection between the tank and the second flow path.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rinse solution includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an acid rinse solution and the water.

3. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a gas source to be controlled by the valve controller, and to supply a gaseous substance to at least one flow path selected from the group consisting of the exposed first electrode flow path and the exposed second electrode flow path.

4. The device according to claim 3 , further comprising
a flow rate controller to be controlled by the valve controller, and to adjust a flow rate of the gaseous substance.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein
the gaseous substance contains at least one selected from the group consisting of air, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electrolysis cell further includes
a first solution tank to store a second electrolytic solution into which the first electrode is immersed, and
a second solution tank to store the electrolytic solution into which the second electrode is immersed.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first and second electrodes is disposed on the separator.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electrolysis cell further includes a third electrode flow path provided between the first electrode and the separator, and through which the electrolytic solution or a second electrolytic solution flows.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the requirements are defined by at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a cell voltage of the electrolysis cell, a cell current of the electrolysis cell, and Faradaic efficiency of the carbon compound.

10. A method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide, comprising:
opening a first valve to connect a first electrode flow path facing a first electrode including a first catalyst to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound and a first flow path through which the carbon dioxide flows, and a second valve to connect the first electrode flow path and a second flow path, facing the second electrode, through which the carbon compound flows, to supply the carbon dioxide to the first electrode flow path from the first flow path, and supply an electrolytic solution containing water to a second electrode flow path facing a second electrode including a second catalyst to oxidize water or hydroxide ions to produce oxygen, the second valve being configured to control a connection between the tank and the second flow path;
applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes to reduce the carbon dioxide and thus produce the carbon compound on the first electrode, and oxidize the water or hydroxide ions and thus produce the oxygen on the second electrode; and
closing the first and second valves in accordance with performance requirements of an electrolysis cell of a carbon dioxide electrolytic device, wherein the electrolysis cell includes the first electrode, the second electrode, the first electrode flow path, the second electrode flow path, and a separator separating the first and second electrodes, and
reducing a pressure inside the first electrode flow path by a rinse solution in a tank configured to store the rinse solution, connected to the first electrode flow path absorbing at least a part of the carbon dioxide remained inside the first electrode flow path, to supply at least a part of the rinse solution to the first electrode flow path;
wherein the carbon dioxide electrolytic device further includes:
a power controller to apply a voltage between the first and second electrodes;
a third flow path through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows;
a fourth flow path through which the oxygen flows;
a third valve to connect the second electrode flow path and the third flow path;
a fourth valve to connect the second electrode flow path and the fourth flow path;
a fifth flow path through which the oxygen flows, the fifth flow path being different from the fourth flow path;
a fifth valve used for connecting the first electrode flow path or the second electrode flow path and the fifth flow path; and
a valve controller programmed to control opening and closing of each of the first to fifth valves in accordance with the performance requirements of the electrolysis cell.

11. A method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide with a carbon dioxide electrolytic device, the method comprising:
in an electrolysis cell of the carbon dioxide electrolytic device, opening a first valve to connect a first electrode flow path facing a first electrode including a first catalyst to reduce carbon dioxide and thus produce a carbon compound, and a first flow path through which the carbon dioxide flows, and a second valve to connect the first electrode flow path and a second flow path through which the carbon compound flows, to supply the carbon dioxide to the first electrode flow path from the first flow path, opening a third valve to connect a second electrode flow path facing a second electrode including a second catalyst to oxidize water or hydroxide ions and thus produce oxygen and a third flow path through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows, and a fourth valve to connect the second electrode flow path and a fourth flow path through which the oxygen flows, to supply the electrolytic solution containing the water to the second electrode flow path from the third flow path, and closing a fifth valve to connect the second electrode flow path and a fifth flow path through which carbon dioxide flows, the fifth flow path being different from the fourth flow path;
applying a voltage, with a power controller, between the first and second electrodes to reduce the carbon dioxide and thus produce the carbon compound on the first electrode, and oxidize the water or hydroxide ions and thus produce the oxygen on the secon

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

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

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B9/00

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• C25B9/05

  Pressure cells · CPC title