Proton flow reactor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438173-B2
Application number	US-202118012424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a proton flow reactor for use in storing and releasing energy. In use, a slurry of storage particles in a liquid electrolyte may pass through a first half cell of the proton flow reactor. When the proton flow reactor is in charge mode, protons are bonded or otherwise attracted to the storage particles to form charged storage particles charged with hydrogen, which can hen be stored and/or transported for later use. When the proton flow reactor is in discharge mode, protons are removed from the charged storage particles to fuel an electrochemical reaction, thereby generating electricity. Alternatively, the proton flow reactor in discharge mode can be configured to generate hydrogen gas directly from the in-flowing charged carbon particles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of storing electrical energy as chemical energy, the method comprising:
supplying an input slurry comprising uncharged storage particles and electrolyte to a first half-cell of an electrochemical cell;
supplying a source of H + or H 3 O + ions to a second half-cell of the electrochemical cell;
applying a voltage to the electrochemical cell to:
allow H + or H 3 O + ions to pass from the second half cell to the first half-cell; and
convert the uncharged storage particles to charged storage particles; and

removing an output slurry comprising charged storage particles and electrolyte from the first half-cell.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the uncharged storage particles possess one or more of the following properties:
(A) high electrical conductivity;
(B) an average diameter of between 0.5 and 5 microns;
(C) a porosity in the range 20% to 50%;
(D) substantial ultramicropores with a diameter between 0.5 and 2 nanometres (nm) or substantial layered domains with an interlayer spacing between 0.5 and 2 nm;
(E) mesopores with a diameter or width between 2 and 50 nm; and
(F) an electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of between 0.5 and 8 wt %.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the uncharged storage particles possess each of the properties (A)-(F) listed in claim 2 .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the uncharged storage particles comprise carbon particles.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the carbon particles are selected from particles formed predominantly from one or more of the following materials:
activated carbon, graphene, graphene functionalised with oxygen, graphene functionalised or doped with nitrogen, graphitic carbon nitrides, graphene aerogel, or carbon nanotubes.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the carbon particles comprise particles derived from phenolic resin and activated with potassium hydroxide.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the input slurry comprises 5-35% (w/w) of uncharged storage particles.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source of H + or H 3 O + ions supplied to the second half-cell is water.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
mixing uncharged storage particles and electrolyte to form the input slurry outside the first half-cell; and
supplying the mixed input slurry to the first half-cell.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising separating charged storage particles from electrolyte in the output slurry after removing the output slurry from the first half-cell.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of separating charged storage particles from electrolyte comprises filtering the charged storage particles from the electrolyte.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of separating the charged storage particles from electrolyte comprises drying the charged storage particles.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of drying the charged storage particles comprises applying an inert gas to the charged storage particles.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein charged storage particles are stored the after separating the charged particles from electrolyte.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein during the step of storing the charged particles the charged storage particles are stored in an inert atmosphere.

16. A method of generating electricity, the method comprising:
supplying an input slurry comprising charged storage particles and electrolyte to a first half-cell of an electrochemical cell;
supplying an oxidant stream to a second half-cell of the electrochemical cell;
allowing H + or H 3 O + ions to pass from the first half-cell to react with the oxidant in the second half-cell, thereby generating electricity; and
removing an output slurry comprising uncharged storage particles and electrolyte from the first half-cell.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the charged storage particles possess one or more of the following properties:
(A) high electrical conductivity;
(B) an average diameter of between 0.5 and 5 microns;
(C) a porosity in the range 20% to 50%;
(D) substantial ultramicropores with a diameter between 0.5 and 2 nanometres (nm) or substantial layered domains with an interlayer spacing between 0.5 and 2 nm;
(E) mesopores with a diameter or width between 2 and 50 nm;
(F) and an electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of between 0.5 and 8 wt %.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the charged storage particles possess all of the properties (A) to (F) listed in claim 17 .

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the charged storage particles comprise carbon particles.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the carbon particles are selected from particles formed predominantly from one or more of the following materials: activated carbon, graphene, graphene functionalised with oxygen, graphene functionalised or doped with nitrogen, graphitic carbon nitrides, graphene aerogel, or carbon nanotubes.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the carbon particles comprise particles derived from phenolic resin and activated with potassium hydroxide.

22. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the input slurry comprises 5-35% (w/w) of uncharged storage particles.

23. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the charged storage particles have been produced and processed according to claim 1 .

24. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the oxidant stream supplied to the second half-cell comprises oxygen gas.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the oxidant stream supplied to the second half-cell is air.

26. The method according to claim 16 , comprising a step of heating the cell while generating electricity.

27. The method according to claim 16 , comprising:
mixing charged storage particles and electrolyte to form the input slurry outside the first half-cell; and
supplying the mixed input slurry to the first half-cell.

28. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising separating uncharged storage particles from electrolyte after removing the output slurry from the first half-cell.

29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the step of separating uncharged storage particles from electrolyte comprises drying the uncharged storage particles.

30. The method according to claim 29 , comprising storing the uncharged storage particles after separating the uncharged particles from electrolyte.

31. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a proton exchange membrane separating the first half-cell and the second half cell.

32. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps of:
supplying the input slurry to the electrochemical cell; and
removing the output slurry from the electrochemical cell, are performed as a continuous process.

33. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps of:
supplying the input slurry to the electrochemical cell; and
removing the output slurry from the electrochemical cell, are performed as a batch-wise process.

34. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is selected from: a mineral acid in aqueo

Assignees

• Melbourne Inst Tech

Inventors

• Andrews John
• Rosengarten Gary
• Rezaei Niya Seyed Mohammad
• Heidari Shahin
• Du Toit Francois
• Shabani Bahman
• Ojha Ruchika
• Heidarian Alireza
• Mohammadi Saeed Seif

Classifications

• H01M16/003

  of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers · CPC title

• H01M8/1039

  halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides · CPC title

• H01M8/04291

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• H01M8/0234

  Carbonaceous material · CPC title