Catalytic electrochemical inert gas and power generating system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020321644-A1
Application number	US-201916375639-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system produces inert gas and generates electrical power with an electrochemical cell with an anode and a cathode separated by a proton transfer medium separator. The anode includes an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst and a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst, and the system is operated in alternate modes: a first mode in which water is electrolyzed at the anode with an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst to form protons and oxygen, the protons are transported across the separator to the cathode and reacted with oxygen at the cathode, and an inerting gas depleted of oxygen is discharged from the cathode; and a second mode in which protons and electrons are produced from a fuel at the anode with a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst, protons are transported across the separator to the cathode, and electrons are transported to the cathode through an electrical circuit to produce electrical power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for providing inerting gas to a protected space and electrical power, comprising
an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode and an anode separated by a separator comprising a proton transfer medium; a cathode fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with the cathode between a cathode fluid flow path inlet and a cathode fluid flow path outlet; an anode fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with the anode between an anode fluid flow path inlet and an anode fluid flow path outlet; an air source in operative fluid communication with the cathode fluid flow path inlet, and an inerting gas flow path in operative fluid communication with the cathode fluid flow path outlet and the protected space; a water source in controllable operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path inlet, and a fuel source in controllable operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path inlet; an electrical connection in controllable communication between the electrochemical cell and a power sink, and between the electrochemical cell and a power source; an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst and a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst at the anode; and a controller configured to alternatively operate the system in alternate modes of operation selected from a plurality of modes including:
a first mode in which water is directed to the anode fluid flow path inlet, electric power is directed from the power source to the electrochemical cell to provide a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode, and an inerting gas is directed from the cathode fluid flow path outlet to the protected space, and
a second mode in which the fuel is directed from the fuel source to the anode fluid flow path inlet and electric power is directed from the electrochemical cell to the power sink.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode fluid flow path outlet is in operative fluid communication with the protected space in the second mode of operation.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst includes a metal oxide.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the metal oxide includes an oxide of a metal selected from iridium, ruthenium, nickel, platinum, lead, manganese oxide, titanium, cobalt(II,III), or iron(II,III), or combinations thereof.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst is selected from iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, nickel oxide, platinum oxide, lead oxide, manganese oxide, titanium oxide, cobalt(II,III) oxide, iron(II,III) oxide, or combinations thereof.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst is selected from RuO 2 /IrO 2 , Pt—IrO 2 nickel/iron, nickel/nickel oxide.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst includes a non-oxide metal.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst includes platinum, ruthenium, palladium, or combinations thereof.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst includes a nanoparticle morphology.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalysts at the anode are unsupported.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalysts at the anode are supported on a metal oxide.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst and the hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst are disposed at different regions of the anode.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst and the hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst are intermixed at the anode.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid-gas separator including an inlet in operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path outlet and a liquid outlet in operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path inlet.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the system is disposed on-board an aircraft, and the liquid-gas separator includes a gas outlet in operative fluid communication with a pressurized area of the aircraft or an occupant breathing system.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is disposed on-board an aircraft.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the system in the first mode continuously or at intervals under normal aircraft operating conditions, and to operate the system in the second mode in response to a demand for emergency electrical power.

18 . A method of producing inert gas and generating electrical power with an electrochemical cell comprising an anode and a cathode separated by a separator comprising a proton transfer medium, the method comprising:
operating the electrochemical cell in a first mode comprising electrolyzing water at the anode with an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst to form protons and oxygen, transporting the protons across the separator to the cathode, reacting the protons with oxygen at the cathode, and discharging an inerting gas depleted of oxygen from the cathode, and operating the electrochemical cell in a second mode comprising producing protons and electrons from a fuel at the anode with a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst, transporting the protons across the separator to the cathode, and transporting electrons to the cathode through an electrical circuit to produce electrical power.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising discharging an inerting gas depleted of oxygen from the cathode in the second mode of operation.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising operating the system on-board an aircraft and directing oxygen discharged from the anode to a pressurized area of the aircraft or to an occupant breathing system.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Rheaume Jonathan
• Emerson Sean C
• Perry Michael L

Classifications

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• C25B11/081

  the element being a noble metal · CPC title