Electrochemical cells for hydrogen gas production and electricity generation, and related structures, apparatuses, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020075980-A1
Application number	US-201916560719-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode comprises Pr(Co 1-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, 0≤y≤0.9, 0≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit. The second electrode comprises a cermet material including at least one metal and at least one perovskite. Related structures, apparatuses, systems, and methods are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a first electrode comprising Pr(Co 1-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, 0≤y≤0.9, 0≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit; a second electrode comprising a cermet material including at least one metal and at least one perovskite; and a proton-conducting membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises PrNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 3-δ .

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is substantially free of ions of rare-earth elements.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a nickel/perovskite cermet.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a Ni—BCZYYb.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the proton-conducting membrane comprises one or more of a BCZYYb, a BSNYYb, a doped BaCeO 3 , a doped BaZrO 3 , Ba 2 (YSn)O 5.5 , and Ba 3 (CaNb 2 )O 9 .

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the proton-conducting membrane comprises BCZYYb.

8 . A system for H 2 gas production and electricity generation, comprising:
a source of steam; and an electrochemical apparatus in fluid communication with the source of steam, and comprising:
a housing structure configured and positioned to receive a steam stream from the source of steam; and
an electrochemical cell within an internal chamber of the housing structure, and comprising:
an electrode positioned to interact with the steam stream and comprising Pr(Co 0-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, O≤y≤0.9, O≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit;
another electrode comprising a metal/perovskite cermet; and
a proton-conducting membrane between the electrode and the another electrode and comprising a perovskite having an ionic conductivity greater than or equal to about 10 −2 S/cm at one or more temperatures within a range of from about 400° C. to about 600° C.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the electrochemical cell is configured to switch between an electrolysis mode for producing H 2 gas from the steam stream and a fuel cell mode for generating electricity from the produced H 2 gas at the one or more temperatures within the range of from about 400° C. to about 600° C.

10 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising at least one heating apparatus operatively associated with the electrochemical apparatus and configured to heat the steam stream to the one or more temperatures within the range of from about 400° C. to about 600° C.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the electrode comprises PrNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 3-δ .

12 . A method of generating electricity, comprising:
introducing steam to an electrochemical cell comprising:
a first electrode comprising Pr(Co 1-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, 0≤y≤0.9, 0≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit;
a second electrode comprising a metal/perovskite cermet; and
a proton-conducting membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode;
applying a first potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell to produce H 2 gas from the steam; and
applying a second potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electrochemical cell to generate electricity using the produced H 2 gas as a fuel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein applying a first potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises operating the electrochemical cell in electrolysis mode to decompose the steam at the first electrode and produce the H 2 gas at the second electrode.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein applying a second potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises operating the electrochemical cell in fuel cell mode to decompose the produced H 2 gas at the second electrode and produce H 2 O at the first electrode.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:
applying a first potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises applying the first potential difference at a temperature within a range of from about 400° C. to about 600° C.; and applying a second potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises applying the first potential difference at the temperature within the range of from about 400° C. to about 600° C.

16 . A structure, comprising at least one perovskite having the general formula:
ABO 3-δ , wherein A consists of one or more lanthanide elements; B consists of Co and one or more of Ni, Mn, and Fe; and δ is an oxygen deficit.

17 . The perovskite of claim 16 , wherein A is Pr.

18 . The perovskite of claim 16 , wherein B consists of substantially equal portions of Co and Ni.

19 . An apparatus, comprising at least one structure comprising Pr(Co 1-x-y-z , Ni x , Mn y , Fe z )O 3-δ , wherein 0≤x≤0.9, 0≤y≤0.9, 0≤z≤0.9, and δ is an oxygen deficit.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the at least one structure comprises PrNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 3-δ .

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Ding Dong
• Ding Hanping
• Wu Wei
• Jiang Chao
• He Ting

Classifications

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/186

  by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product · CPC title

• H01M8/126

  the electrolyte containing cerium oxide · CPC title

• H01M8/1253

  the electrolyte containing zirconium oxide · CPC title

• H01M8/0656 Primary

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title