Partial oxidation of methane (POM) assisted solid oxide co-electrolysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574274-B2
Application number	US-201514690687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods for simultaneous syngas generation by opposite sides of a solid oxide co-electrolysis cell are provided. The method can comprise exposing a cathode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell to a cathode-side feed stream; supplying electricity to the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell such that the cathode side produces a product stream comprising hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas while supplying oxygen ions to an anode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell; and exposing the anode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell to an anode-side feed stream. The cathode-side feed stream comprises water and carbon dioxide, and the anode-side feed stream comprises methane gas such that the methane gas reacts with the oxygen ions to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The cathode-side feed stream can further comprise nitrogen, hydrogen, or a mixture thereof.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for simultaneous syngas generation by opposite sides of a solid oxide co-electrolysis cell, comprising:
exposing a cathode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell to a cathode-side feed stream, wherein the cathode-side feed stream comprises water and carbon dioxide;
supplying electricity to the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell such that the cathode side produces a product stream comprising hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas while supplying oxygen ions to an anode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell; and
exposing the anode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell to an anode-side feed stream, wherein the anode-side feed stream comprises methane gas such that the methane gas reacts with the oxygen ions to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode-side feed stream further comprises nitrogen.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode-side feed stream further comprises hydrogen.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode-side feed stream further comprises hydrogen and nitrogen.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the cathode-side feed stream to heat such that the cathode-side feed stream has a temperature of about 650° C. and about 1000° C. when exposed to the cathode side of the solid oxide co-electrolysis cell.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode-side feed stream has a flow ratio of carbon dioxide to water such that the product stream produced by has a ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide from about 1:1 to about 4:1.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode-side feed stream has a flow ratio of carbon dioxide to water such that the product stream produced by has a ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide that is about 2 to 1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the methane gas and the electrolysis current in the anode produce a ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide of about 1:1 to about 4:1.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the methane gas and the electrolysis current in the anode produce a ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide of about 2 to 1.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the cathode as an anode.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the anode as a cathode.

Assignees

• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Chen Fanglin
• Wang Yao

Classifications

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/02 Primary

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title

• C25B11/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C25B13/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title