Electrochemical cell and process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018342739-A1
Application number	US-201615776594-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell ( 10 ) comprising a first volume ex-posed to respective surfaces of an anode ( 28 ) and a cathode ( 24 ), the electrochemical cell also being provided with a steam inlet ( 5 ) to allow steam into the first volume .

First claim

1 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a first volume exposed to respective surfaces of an anode and a cathode; a steam inlet that allows steam into the first volume; and a layer of solid oxide conducting material positioned to impede steam from the steam inlet from reaching the anode.

2 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the layer of solid oxide conducting material comprises yttria stabilized zirconia.

3 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the layer of solid oxide conducting material comprises scandia stabilized zirconia (ScSZ), or gadolinium doped ceria.

4 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the layer of solid oxide conducting material comprises a perovskite material.

5 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the cathode is a gas electrode, comprising a porous cathode and a second volume.

6 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the anode is a gas electrode, comprising a porous anode and a third volume.

7 . An electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the steam inlet ( 5 ) is provided with a steam diffuser ( 22 ).

8 . An arrangement for producing a gaseous product from first and second source materials, comprising:
an electrochemical cell comprising a first volume exposed to respective surfaces of an anode and a cathode; an inlet that allows a first source material into the first volume; a layer of solid oxide conducting material positioned to impede the first source material from the inlet from reaching the anode; a first source communicating with the inlet that introduces the first source material into the first volume; a second source that introduces a second source material into the first volume; and an electrolyte in the first volume.

9 . An arrangement according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a power supply that applies a positive voltage +V to the anode, and a negative voltage −V to the cathode.

10 . An arrangement according to claim 8 further comprising an enclosure that traps the gaseous product.

11 . A method for production of a gaseous product using an electrochemical cell comprising first and second volumes exposed to respective surfaces of an anode and a porous cathode that forms a gas electrode, the method comprising:
applying a positive voltage +V to the anode; applying a negative voltage −V to the cathode; introducing first source material into the first volume, and positioning a layer of solid oxide conducting material so as to impede the first source material from the inlet from reaching the anode; introducing second source material into the second volume, said second source material reacting at the cathode to provide a first ionic component in the electrolyte in the first volume; and generating the gaseous product by reaction between the first ionic component and the first source material.

12 . A method according to claim 11 , further comprising collecting the gaseous product produced in the first volume.

13 . A method according to claim 11 , further comprising collecting a by-product generated at the anode.

14 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein:
the first source material is steam H 2 O; the first ionic component is nitride ions N 3− ; the second source material is nitrogen N 2 ; and the gaseous product is ammonia NH 3 .

15 .- 17 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Hughes Timothy

Classifications

• H01M8/222

  Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on compounds containing nitrogen, e.g. hydrazine, ammonia · CPC title

• H01M4/9033 Primary

  Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type M1MeO3, M1 being an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth, Me being a metal, e.g. perovskites · CPC title

• H01M4/8605

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• C25B13/07

  based on ceramics · CPC title

• C25B9/60

  Constructional parts of cells · CPC title