Green hydrogen from seawater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025341001-A1
Application number	US-202318870002-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2023
Priority date	Jun 1, 2022
Publication date	Nov 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrode configuration and system useful for performing electrolysis, including one or more pairs of non-planar electrodes each comprising a first electrode having a first base and a second electrode comprising a second base. A mount can be used to mount the first electrode and the second electrode in each of the pairs with a spacing between the first base and the second base, so that an electric current may flow through a fluid between the first base and the second base to drive an electrochemical reaction of the fluid. A surface area of the bases (the base of the first electrode and the base of the second electrode) exposed to the fluid are dimensioned to support a current density of the electric current of at least 10 A/cm 2 or in a range of 10 A/cm 2 and 14 A/cm 2 . An electrolysis system including the electrodes can be used for the electrolysis of seawater to produce hydrogen at higher rates and with reduced chlorine evolution.

First claim

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
one or more non-planar electrodes each comprising a length and a base at the end of the length, wherein: the base comprises a surface area dimensioned to support a current density of an electric current when a pair of the electrodes are disposed with a spacing between the bases so that the electric current flows through a fluid between the bases to drive an electrochemical reaction of the fluid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the surface area is dimensioned to support the current density of at least 10 A/cm 2 or in a range of 10A/cm 2 and 14 A/cm 2 , and/or the surface area has a largest dimension smaller than the spacing between the bases during the electrochemical reaction, and/or in response to the electric current, the surface area has a largest dimension creating a nonlinear electric field in the spacing and/or an electric field gradient larger than that produced by planar electrodes.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more of the pairs of the electrodes comprising a first electrode comprising the base comprising a first base and a second electrode comprising the base comprising a second base; and a mount mounting the first electrode and the second electrode in each of the pairs with the spacing between the first base and the second base, so that the electric current may flow through the fluid between the first base and the second base to drive an electrochemical reaction of the fluid.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more of the pairs of the electrodes comprising a first electrode comprising the base comprising a first base and a second electrode comprising the base comprising a second base; a container, comprising a first compartment for containing a first portion of the fluid; and a second compartment for containing a second portion of the fluid; a non-conductive barrier separating the first compartment from the second compartment, the barrier comprising one or more orifices connecting the first compartment to the second compartment, each of the orifices associated with a different one of the pairs of the electrodes; one or more first mounts or locators on the first compartment, each of the first mounts associated with locating and/or mounting a different one of the first electrodes in the first portion of the fluid in the first compartment, so that for each one of the pairs of the electrodes, the first base of the first electrode faces the one of orifices associated with the one of the pairs; one or more second mounts or locators on the second compartment, each of the second mounts associated with locating and/or mounting a different one of the second electrodes in the second portion of the fluid in the second compartment, so that: for each one of the pairs of the electrodes, the second base of the second electrode faces towards the first base of the first electrode and the one of the orifices associated with the one of the pairs, and the electric current may flow through the fluid and the one of the orifices between the first base and the second base to drive the electrochemical reaction of the fluid outputting a first gaseous product at the first base and a second gaseous product at the second base; a first inlet in the first compartment positioned to discharge the first portion of fluid towards the first base, thereby replenishing the first portion of fluid during the electrochemical reaction; a second inlet in the second compartment positioned to discharge the second portion of fluid towards the second base, thereby replenishing the second portion of fluid during the electrochemical reaction; a first drain in the first compartment for collecting a first portion of a solid byproduct of the electrochemical reaction; a second drain in the second compartment for collecting a second portion of the solid byproduct of the electrochemical reaction; a first outlet in the first compartment for collecting the first gaseous product of the electrochemical reaction evolved at the first base; and a second outlet in the second compartment for collecting the second gaseous product of the electrochemical reaction evolved at the second base.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the container comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall separated from the first sidewall by a depth dimensioned such that the depth determines a gap between the first base and the second base in each of the pairs of the electrodes when the mount mounts: the first base of the first electrode is flush and/or aligned with the first sidewall, and the second base of the second electrode flush and/or aligned with the second sidewall, and each of the first mounts comprise a first opening dimensioned to expose the first base to the fluid; and each of the second mounts comprise a second opening dimensioned to expose the second base to the fluid; and wherein the one or more first mounts comprise one or more first openings into which the first electrodes can move along their longitudinal axis so as to be exposed to the fluid and the one or more second mounts comprise second openings into which the second electrodes can move along their longitudinal axis so as to be exposed to the fluid.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first electrode dispenser positioned to insert the first electrodes through the first openings into the first compartment when at least driving the electrochemical reaction or removing the first electrode once the first electrode is spent by the electrochemical reaction; and a second electrode dispenser positioned to insert the second electrodes through the second openings into the first compartment when at least driving the electrochemical reaction or removing the second electrode once the second electrode is spent by the electrochemical reaction.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first electrode dispenser and the second electrode dispenser each comprise at least one of:
an actuator that automatically advances a length of the electrode into the first compartment or the second compartment and configured to control a distance between the first base and the second base during the electrochemical reaction; or a magazine for dropping in a new electrode as needed.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The apparatus of claim 89 , further comprising:
one or more control circuits controlling at least one of: a distance between a first electrode and a second electrode in response to a feedback comprising a measurement of electric current between the first electrode and the second electrode, so that the distance maintains a desired current density of the electric current driving an electrochemical reaction of a fluid in contact with the electrodes, or a static distance between the first base and the second base; replacement of the electrodes spent by the electrochemical reaction so as to maintain a desired reaction rate of the electrochemical reaction; reversal of a polarity of the electric current when certain electrode consumption or cleanliness thresholds are met, so as to allow swapping of the first electrode and the second electrode for keeping the electrodes clean and evenly consuming the first electrode and the second electrode; or manifolding of gaseous products outputted from the electrochemical reaction.

11 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the first outlet is at the top of the first compartment above the first electrode to collect the first gaseous product evolving upwards, the second outlet is at the top of the second compartment above the second electrode to collect the second gaseous product evolving upwards, the first inlet is at the base of

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Koster John
• Tornoe Soren
• Potts Donald
• Kobayashi Nobuhiko

Classifications

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C25B15/04

  Regulation of the inter-electrode distance · CPC title

• C25B13/00

  Diaphragms; Spacing elements · CPC title

• C25B9/65

  Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections · CPC title

• C25B15/023

  Measuring, analysing or testing during electrolytic production · CPC title