Electrochemical hydrogen pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020340471-A1
Application number	US-202016925371-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 29, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer in contact with one primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer in contact with the other primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode gas diffusion layer in contact with the anode catalyst layer, a cathode gas diffusion layer in contact with the cathode catalyst layer, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer. Application of the voltage by the voltage applicator causes hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas supplied to above the anode catalyst layer to move above the cathode catalyst layer and to be pressurized. The anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet that has a smaller porosity in a first surface layer, which is on the anode catalyst layer side, than in the inside layer deeper than the first surface layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical hydrogen pump comprising:
an electrolyte membrane; an anode catalyst layer in contact with one primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode catalyst layer in contact with the other primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode gas diffusion layer in contact with the anode catalyst layer; a cathode gas diffusion layer in contact with the cathode catalyst layer; and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer, wherein: the electrochemical hydrogen pump is configured to, through application of the voltage by the voltage applicator, cause hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas supplied to above the anode catalyst layer to move above the cathode catalyst layer and to be pressurized, and the anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet that has a smaller porosity in a first surface layer, which is on an anode catalyst layer side, than in an inside layer deeper than the first surface layer.

2 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a higher density in the first surface layer than in the inside layer deeper than the first surface layer.

3 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a higher density in a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer, than in an inside layer deeper than the second surface layer.

4 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a smaller carbon particle diameter in the first surface layer than in the inside layer deeper than the first surface layer.

5 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a smaller carbon particle diameter in a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer, than in an inside layer deeper than the second surface layer.

6 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface layer of the porous carbon sheet has a peak pore diameter smaller than a thickness of the electrolyte membrane.

7 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 20% or more in the first surface layer.

8 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 7 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 20% or more in a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer.

9 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 45% or less in the first surface layer.

10 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 39% or less in the first surface layer.

11 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 9 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 45% or less in a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer.

12 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 10 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity of 39% or less a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer.

13 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet contains a water-repellent layer in the first surface layer.

14 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet contains a water-repellent layer on the first surface layer.

15 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet contains a water-retaining layer in a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer.

16 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet contains a water-retaining layer on a second surface layer, opposite the first surface layer.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakaue Takayuki
• Ukai Kunihiro
• Kita Hiromi

Classifications

• C25B9/23

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

• B01D53/326 Primary

  in electrochemical cells · CPC title

• C25B11/065

  Carbon · CPC title

• C25B11/032

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title

• C25B9/05 Primary

  Pressure cells · CPC title