Vapor-fed rechargeable direct liquid hydrogen carrier fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023127594-A1
Application number	US-202117509676-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Oct 25, 2021
Publication date	Apr 27, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a rechargeable electrochemical device including a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly spaced-apart from the first electrode assembly, a membrane arranged between the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, a first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly and a second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly, an electrolyte disposed in the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, and a vapor-phase hydrogen carrier in the first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly or in the second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly; a method for using a rechargeable electrochemical device; and a method for making a rechargeable electrochemical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rechargeable electrochemical device comprising:
a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly spaced-apart from the first electrode assembly; a membrane arranged between the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly; a first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly and a second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly; an electrolyte disposed in the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly; and a vapor-phase hydrogen carrier in the first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly or in the second transport plate arranged on the second electrode assembly.

2 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode assembly comprises a first gas diffusion layer and a first catalyst layer, and the second electrode assembly comprises a second gas diffusion layer and a second catalyst layer.

3 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly are porous electrode assemblies.

4 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a rechargeable-liquid fuel cell.

5 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is an ion-exchange membrane.

6 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is a solid-state electrolyte.

7 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen carrier is in a vapor phase on a second side of the transport plate and in a liquid phase on a first side of the transport plate.

8 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport plate and the second transport plates are microporous transport plates.

9 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-phase hydrogen carrier is isopropanol.

10 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor-phase hydrogen carrier is provided through the first transport plate arranged on the first electrode assembly.

11 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport plate and the second transport plate each comprises an electrically conductive hydrophilic agent.

12 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode assembly comprises a metal-electrocatalyst and is configured for redox reactions with each of a gaseous reductant and a gaseous oxidant, and the first electrode assembly comprises an electrocatalyst and is configured for redox reactions with a liquid or vapor hydrogen carrier solution.

13 . The electrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the electrocatalyst of the first electrode assembly and the metal-electrocatalyst of the second electrode assembly comprise at least one metal catalyst on a support.

14 . The electrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the electrocatalyst of the first electrode assembly and the metal-electrocatalyst of the second electrode assembly is selected from the group comprising of platinum-group metals, transition metals, and combinations thereof.

15 . The electrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the electrocatalyst of the first electrode assembly and the metal-electrocatalyst of the second electrode assembly comprises about 10% to about 50% by weight of the at least one metal catalyst on a support.

16 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , further comprising an external supply and storage system including a vessel fluidly connected in a recirculation loop with the first electrode assembly.

17 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein an operational pressure of the electrochemical device is about 80 kilopascal to about 200 kilopascal.

18 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein a power density during a discharge with air is about 0.1 watt per square centimeters to about 1 watt per square centimeters at about 0.6 volt with about 2 molar isopropanol.

19 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first transport plate and the second transport plate each comprises:
an electrically conductive graphite powder; a thermoset binder; and a hydrophilic agent.

20 . The electrochemical device of claim 19 , wherein the electrically conductive graphite powder is in an amount of between about 60% to about 90% by weight of the body.

21 . The electrochemical device of claim 19 , wherein the thermoset binder is in an amount of between about 6% to about 18% by weight of the body.

22 . The electrochemical device of claim 19 , wherein the hydrophilic agent is in an amount of between about 2% to about 20% by weight of the body.

23 . The electrochemical device of claim 19 , wherein the hydrophilic agent comprises a hydrophilically-modified electrically conductive carbon black, tin hydroxide, or a combination thereof;
wherein the modified carbon black is carbon having attached at least one organic group, the organic group comprising i.) at least one aromatic group or a C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, and ii.) at least one ionic group, one ionizable group, or a mixture of an ionic group and an ionizable group wherein the ionic or the ionizable group is a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, wherein the at least one aromatic group or C 1 -C 12 alkyl of the organic group is directly attached to the carbon, and the organic group is present at a level of from about 0.10 to about 4.0 micromoles/m 2 of the carbon used based on the nitrogen surface area of the carbon.

24 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second transport plates has a mean pore size of less than 3.1 microns, and an open porosity of greater than 25% of the plate.

25 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second transport plates has a bubble pressure of greater than 4 pounds per square inch.

26 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein pores of each of the first and second transport plates are sufficiently hydrophilic to wick fill to greater than 70% of a vacuum filled level.

27 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second transport plates comprises a thermoset binder that comprises a phenolic resin, a vinyl ester resin, an epoxy resin, a diallylphthalate resin, a urethane resin, or a combination thereof.

28 . A method for using a rechargeable electrochemical device, the method comprising:
charging an electrochemical device by: feeding a vapor-phase dehydrogenated carrier into a first half-cell of the electrochemical device; and feeding a gaseous reductant into a second half-cell of the electrochemical device to electrochemically reduce at least a portion of the vapor-phase dehydrogenated carrier in the electrochemical device, the first half-cell including a first electrode assembly configured for redox reactions with the vapor-phase dehydrogenated carrier, and the second half-cell having a second electrode assembly configured for redox reactions with the gaseous reductant, wherein the first electrode assembly includes an electrocatalyst, and the second electrode assembly includes a metal-electrocatalyst; and discharging the electrochemical device to provide electrical power output by: feeding the vapor-phase hydrogen carrier into a first half-cell of the electrochemical device; and feeding a gaseous oxidant into a second half-cell of the electrochemical device to electrochemically oxidize at least a portio

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Saraidaridis James D
• Darling Robert Mason

Classifications

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/1013 Primary

  Other direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC] · CPC title

• H01M4/9075

  Catalytic material supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers (H01M4/8807, H01M4/881, H01M4/8814, H01M4/925 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0243

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title

• H01M8/0234

  Carbonaceous material · CPC title