Power generation apparatus and power generation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12003002-B2
Application number	US-202117347965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 2, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

An object provides a power generation apparatus performing the purification of an Al alloy melt using scrap as raw material. A power generation apparatus includes: a container body with aluminum alloy melt and molten salt in a liquid junction with the aluminum alloy melt; an anode which is in contact with the aluminum alloy melt; and a cathode which is in contact with the molten salt. DC power is obtained from between the anode and the cathode by an anode reaction on the aluminum alloy melt side and a cathode reaction on the molten salt side. When the aluminum alloy melt and the molten salt are separated by a separator allowing ionic conduction between the aluminum alloy melt and molten salt, the power generation efficiency is enhanced. The amount of a reactant in the Al alloy melt is monitored by measuring the electrical quantity associated with the power generation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power generation apparatus comprising:
a container body configured to contain an aluminum alloy melt and a molten salt that is in a liquid junction with the aluminum alloy melt;
an anode configured to be in contact with the aluminum alloy melt and not in contact with the molten salt;
a cathode configured to be in contact with the molten salt and not in contact with the aluminum alloy melt, the power generation apparatus including an encircling body at one end of the cathode, the encircling body having a plurality of through holes, wherein
DC power is obtained from between the anode and the cathode by an anode reaction on the aluminum alloy melt side and a cathode reaction on the molten salt side.

2. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a separator that separates the aluminum alloy melt and the molten salt from each other while allowing ionic conduction between the aluminum alloy melt and the molten salt.

3. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the anode or the cathode is electrically insulated from the molten salt or the aluminum alloy melt.

4. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cathode is provided with a supply means that supplies a raw material to a periphery of the cathode, the raw material causing the cathode reaction.

5. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a monitoring means that, based on an amount of energization between the anode and the cathode, perceives an amount of a reactant caused by the anode reaction and/or the cathode reaction.

6. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power generation apparatus serves also as a melt processing apparatus that performs removal or concentration adjustment of an element contained in the aluminum alloy melt.

7. The power generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein ionic species transmitted during the anode reaction include Mg 2+ .

8. A power generation method comprising:
preparing an aluminum alloy melt and a molten salt that are in a liquid junction with each other; and
individually providing a first electrode in contact with the aluminum alloy melt and not in contact with the molten salt and a second electrode in contact with the molten salt and not in contact with the aluminum alloy melt, the second electrode being a cathode, and an encircling body being at one end of the cathode, the encircling body having a plurality of through holes,
wherein DC power is obtained by an anode reaction on the aluminum alloy melt side and a cathode reaction on the molten salt side.

9. The power generation method according to claim 8 , wherein the molten salt contains a nobler metal element than Al.

10. The power generation method according to claim 9 , wherein the nobler metal element is one or more of Cu, Zn, or Mn.

11. The power generation method according to claim 9 , wherein the nobler metal element is supplied as an oxide or a halide to the molten salt.

12. The power generation method according to claim 8 , wherein the molten salt is composed of a halide.

13. The power generation method according to claim 8 , wherein at least a part of a raw material of the aluminum alloy melt is scrap.

14. The power generation method according to claim 8 , wherein the power generation method serves also as a purification method of removing impurities from the aluminum alloy melt.

15. The power generation method according to claim 8 , wherein ionic species transmitted during the anode reaction include Mg 2+.

Assignees

• Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho Kk

Inventors

• Yaokawa Jun
• Hibi Kazuma
• Minoura Takuma
• Kawahara Hiroshi
• Iwata Yasushi

Classifications

• H01M6/14 Primary

  Cells with non-aqueous electrolyte · CPC title

• C25C3/24 Primary

  Refining · CPC title

• H01M4/463

  Aluminium based · CPC title

• H01M4/483

  for non-aqueous cells (H01M4/485 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/582

  Halogenides · CPC title