Advanced manufactured vapor-fed electrochemical reactor (AM-VFR) for improved performance for electrochemical conversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146234-B2
Application number	US-202017010680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2020
Priority date	Sep 2, 2020
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

System and method relates to an advanced manufactured vapor-fed electrochemical reactor (AM-VFR) system comprising a cathode gas compartment comprising a first inlet, and a first outlet, a catholyte compartment having a centrally located window for a cathode and a membrane, a second inlet, a second outlet, and a reference electrode, an anolyte compartment having a centrally located window for the membrane and an anode, a third inlet and a third outlet and an anode gas compartment having a fourth inlet and a fourth outlet, wherein the cathode, wherein the cathode is disposed between the cathode gas compartment and the catholyte compartment, wherein the membrane is disposed between the catholyte compartment and the anolyte compartment, wherein the anode is disposed between the anolyte compartment and the anode gas compartment, and wherein one or more of the cathode gas compartment, the catholyte compartment, the anolyte compartment and the anode gas compartment are made of a 3D printing plastic. Methods for making and using the system are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An advanced manufactured vapor-fed electrochemical reactor (AM-VFR) system comprising:
a) a cathode gas compartment having a first inlet, and a first outlet;
b) a catholyte compartment having a first side facing the cathode gas compartment and a second side, which is opposite to the first side, wherein the catholyte compartment has (i) an opening extending through a thickness of the catholyte compartment between the first side and the second side, wherein the opening is centrally located on the first side and the second side, (ii) a second inlet, (iii) a second outlet, and (iv) a reference electrode;
c) an anolyte compartment having a first side facing the second side of the catholyte compartment and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the anolyte compartment has (i) an opening extending through a thickness of the anolyte compartment between the first side and the second side, wherein the opening is centrally located on the first side and the second side, (ii) a third inlet and (iii) a third outlet; and
d) an anode gas compartment having a fourth inlet and a fourth outlet;
e) a cathode between the cathode gas compartment and the first side of the catholyte compartment;
f) a membrane between the second side of the catholyte compartment and the first side of the anolyte compartment; and
g) an anode between the second side the anolyte compartment and the anode gas compartment;
wherein one or more of the cathode gas compartment, the catholyte compartment, the anolyte compartment and the anode gas compartment are made of a 3D printing plastic;
wherein the opening of the catholyte compartment has a geometric surface area from about 1 cm 2 to about 100 cm 2 ; and
wherein the opening of the anolyte compartment has a geometric surface area from about 1 cm 2 to about 100 cm 2 .

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet of the cathode gas compartment and the fourth inlet of the anode gas compartment are feed inlets for one or more of CH 4 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 , H 2 O and O 2 .

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises an electrocatalyst and a support, wherein the electrocatalyst is one or more of Ag, Au, Cu, Fe, IrO 2 , Ni, Pd, Pt, Sn, metal alloys thereof and metal oxides thereof.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the support is one or more of a fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), a perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), a polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), an ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode is Cu-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode, the membrane and the anode have a geometric surface area from about 1 cm 2 to about 100 cm 2 .

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode has a cathode geometric current density from about 35 mA/cm 2 to about 500 mA/cm 2 .

8. A method of using an advanced manufactured vapor-fed electrochemical reactor (AM-VFR) comprising:
operating the AM-VFR reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the AM-VFR reactor system is fluidly connected to a feed and a buffer to produce a product.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feed comprises one or more of CH 4 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 , H 2 O and O 2 .

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feed comprises CO 2 .

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feed comprises CO.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feed has a flow rate of <about 15 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feed has a flow rate of <about 5 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the buffer is from about 0.1 M to about 1 M HCO 3 in water.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the buffer has a flow rate of <about 100 mL/min.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein a cathode has a cathode geometric current density from about 35 mA/cm 2 to about 500 mA/cm 2 .

17. The system of claim 8 , wherein a cathode has a cathode geometric current density from about 200 mA/cm 2 to about 500 mA/cm 2 .

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein the product is one or more of CH 4 , CH 3 OH, CO 2 , CO, C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 4 O, C 2 H 4 O 2 , C 2 H 5 OH, C 3 H 7 OH, HCOOH, H+, H 2 , H 2 O and O 2 .

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the product comprises one or more of C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 5 OH and O 2 .

20. A method of making the advanced manufactured vapor-fed electrochemical reactor (AM-VFR) system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
a) printing one or more of a cathode gas compartment, a catholyte compartment, an anolyte compartment and a anode gas compartment of the AM-VFR reactor using a 3D printing technique; and
b) assembling the AM-VFR reactor such that a cathode is disposed between the cathode gas compartment and the catholyte compartment, a membrane is disposed between the catholyte compartment and the anolyte compartment, and an anode is disposed between the anolyte compartment and the anode gas compartment.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the 3D printing technique is a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technique, an extrusion 3D printing technique or a selective laser sintering 3D printing technique.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the 3D printing technique is a stereolithography (SLA) 3d printing technique.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
c) fluidly connecting a plurality of AM-VFR reactors in parallel to increase productivity.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
c) fluidly connecting a plurality of AM-VFR reactors in series to improve conversion.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the centrally located opening of the catholyte compartment has the geometric surface area of about 1 cm 2 ; and
wherein the centrally located opening of the anolyte compartment has the geometric surface area of about 1 cm 2 .

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the centrally located opening of the catholyte compartment has a rectangular prism shape; and
wherein the centrally located opening of the anolyte compartment has a rectangular prism shape.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Feaster Jeremy Taylor
• Baker Sarah
• Corral Daniel
• Duoss Eric

Classifications

• C25B11/075

  consisting of a single catalytic element or catalytic compound · CPC title

• C25B11/055

  characterised by the substrate or carrier material · CPC title

• C25B11/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C25B15/08

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

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title