Electrolysis cell assembly utilizing an anion exchange membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725291-B2
Application number	US-201916387304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2019
Priority date	Nov 1, 2016
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

An environment control system utilizes oxygen and humidity control devices that are coupled with an enclosure to independently control the oxygen concentration and the humidity level within the enclosure. An oxygen depletion device may be an oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell that reacts with oxygen within the cell and produces water through electrochemical reactions. A desiccating device may be g, a dehumidification electrolyzer cell, a desiccator, a membrane desiccator or a condenser. A controller may control the amount of voltage and/or current provided to the oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell and therefore the rate of oxygen reduction and may control the amount of voltage and/or current provided to the dehumidification electrolyzer cell and therefore the rate of humidity reduction. The oxygen level may be determined by the measurement of voltage and a limiting current of the oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell. The enclosure may be a food or artifact enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An environment control system comprising:
a) an oxygen control electrolyzer cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly comprising:
i) an anion exchange membrane comprising:
a membrane anion exchange polymer comprising;
quaternary ammonium or pyridinium functional groups; and

a backbone consisting of poly(phenylene);
a side chain consisting of piperidine side chains configured between said quaternary ammonium or pyridinium functional group and said backbone of the membrane anion-exchange polymer; and
a porous support material attached to the membrane anion exchange polymer;

wherein the membrane anion exchange polymer is imbibed into said porous support material;
wherein the anion exchange membrane has a thickness of no more than 50 microns;
ii) an anode on an anode side of the anion exchange membrane comprising a catalyst and an anode anion exchange polymer;
iii) a cathode on a cathode side of the anion exchange membrane comprising a catalyst and a cathode anion exchange polymer;

b) an air moving device that produces a flow of process air onto the anode of the oxygen control electrolyzer cell;
wherein the anode and cathode are configured on opposing sides of the anion exchange membrane;
c) an enclosure coupled with the anode or cathode;
wherein the oxygen control electrolyzer cell is in fluid communication with said enclosure; and wherein a power source is coupled with the anode and cathode to provide an electrical potential across the anode and the cathode to initiate electrolysis of water, wherein water is reacted to form reactants on the anode and the cathode to control the humidity level of the enclosure;
d) a controller that is coupled with said power source and the oxygen control electrolyzer cell to control said electrical potential across the anode and the cathode;
wherein oxygen and water are produced by the anode side by the anode and wherein water is consumed on the cathode side by the cathode.

2. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is coupled to the anode side and wherein a concentration of water is increased in said enclosure by the environmental control system.

3. The environment control system of claim 2 , wherein a concentration of oxygen is increased in said enclosure by the environmental control system.

4. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is coupled to the cathode side and wherein a concentration of water is decreased in said enclosure by the environmental control system.

5. The environment control system of claim 4 , wherein a concentration of oxygen is decreased in said enclosure by the environmental control system.

6. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is coupled to the cathode side and wherein a concentration of water is decreased and hydrogen is produced in said enclosure by the environmental control system.

7. The environmental control system of claim 1 , wherein the support material is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

8. The environment control system of claim 3 , further comprising a separator comprising an ionomer coupled to the enclosure to allow moisture to pass therethrough but prevent oxygen from passing through.

9. The environment control system of claim 5 , further comprising a separator comprising an ionomer coupled to the enclosure to allow moisture to pass therethrough but prevent oxygen from passing through.

10. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly further comprises a gas diffusion media coupled to the membrane electrode assembly and wherein the gas diffusion media comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: titanium, nickel, stainless steel and carbon.

11. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the functional groups of the membrane anion exchange polymer consist of quaternary ammonium functional groups.

12. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the functional groups of the membrane anion exchange polymer consist of pyridinium functional groups.

13. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the air moving device is a fan.

14. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the functional groups of the membrane anion exchange polymer consist of quaternary ammonium and further comprising a separator comprising an ionomer coupled to the enclosure to allow moisture to pass therethrough but prevent oxygen from passing through.

15. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the anion exchange membrane has a thickness of no more than 25 microns.

16. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the anode anion exchange polymer comprises functional groups consisting of quaternary ammonium.

17. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the anode catalyst is selected from the group consisting of: iridium, iridium oxides, platinum, ruthenium, ruthenium oxides, manganese oxides, nickel-cobalt oxides and perovskites.

18. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode anion exchange polymer comprises functional groups consisting of quaternary ammonium.

19. The environment control system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode catalyst is selected from the group consisting of: platinum, platinum supported on carbon, silver, silver supported on carbon, manganese oxides, and perovskites.

Assignees

• Xergy Inc
• Ffi Ionix Ip Inc

Inventors

• Bahar Bamdad
• Zerby Jacob

Classifications

• C25B9/23 Primary

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• B01D53/268

  by diffusion · CPC title

• B01D53/326

  in electrochemical cells · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title