Process for electrosynthesis of energetic molecules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9758881-B2
Application number	US-70474810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2010
Priority date	Feb 12, 2009
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A process for the production of energetically rich compounds comprising: using externally supplied thermal energy to heat an electrolyzable compound to a temperature greater than the ambient temperature; generating electricity from a solar electrical photovoltaic component; subjecting the heated electrolyzable compound to electrolysis with the solar generated electricity to generate an energetically rich electrolytic product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the production of a product compound comprising:
a. splitting captured solar spectrum energy into a solar thermal heating component and a solar electrical photovoltaic component;
b. generating electricity from the solar electrical photovoltaic component;
c. heating an electrolyzable compound with the solar thermal heating component to form a molten electrolyzable compound; and
d. subjecting the molten electrolyzable compound to electrolysis with the solar generated electricity to generate the product compound.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzable compound comprises carbon dioxide.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzable compound comprises a carbonate salt.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzable compound is heated to a temperature of 200 to 650 degrees Celsius.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzable compound is heated to a temperature of 650 to 1500 degrees Celsius.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis is defined as
CO 2 (g)→CO(g)+½O 2 (g).

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis is defined as
M x Cl y →y/ 2Cl 2 +x M
wherein M in M x Cl y is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the energetically rich electrolytic product comprises chlorine gas.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
CO 2 →C+O 2 .

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
M 2 CO 3 →CO+M 2 O+½O 2

wherein M is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein M is lithium.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
M 2 CO 3 →C+M 2 O+O 2

wherein M is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the product compound includes carbon compounds with energy greater than carbon dioxide.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the product compound comprises carbon monoxide, and the process further comprises combining the carbon monoxide with hydrogen to form alcohols and molecules of the form C n H (2n+2) , where n>0.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
Fe 2 O 3 →2Fe+3/2O 2 .

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the energetically rich electrolytic comprises a metal.

17. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of heating the electrolyzable compound with externally supplied thermal energy, in addition to the heating of step (c), wherein the heating steps provide the electrolyzable compound in a molten state.

18. A process for the production of a product compound, comprising:
a. splitting captured solar spectrum energy into a solar thermal heating component and a solar electrical photovoltaic component;
b. generating electricity from the solar electrical photovoltaic component;
c. capturing heat from the step of generating electricity;
d. combining the solar thermal heating component from the splitting step, with the captured heat from the step of generating electricity;
e. heating one or more electrolyzable compounds to provide the electrolyzable compounds in a molten state;
f. subjecting said molten electrolyzable compounds to electrolysis; and
g. obtaining the electrolysis products.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyzable compound comprises carbon dioxide.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyzable compound comprises a carbonate salt.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein the one or more electrolyzable compounds is heated to a temperature of 200 to 650 degrees Celsius in step e.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein the one or more electrolyzable compounds is heated to a temperature of 650 to 1500 degrees Celsius in step e.

23. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis is defined as
CO 2 (g)→CO(g)+½O 2 (g).

24. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis is defined as
M x Cl y →y/ 2Cl 2 +x M
wherein M in M x Cl y is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

25. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
CO 2 →C+O 2 .

26. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
M 2 CO 3 →CO+M 2 O+½O 2

wherein M is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

27. The process of claim 26 , wherein M is lithium.

28. The process claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
M 2 CO 3 →C+M 2 O+O 2

wherein M is a metal cation, an organic cation, a nitrogen containing cation or a phosphorous containing cation.

29. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis product comprises carbon monoxide, and the process further comprises combining the carbon monoxide with hydrogen to form alcohols, molecules of the form C n H (2n+2) , where n>0, or both.

30. The process of claim 18 , wherein the electrolysis comprises
Fe 2 O 3 →2Fe+3/2O 2 .

31. A process for the production of a product compound, comprising:
a. splitting captured solar spectrum energy into a solar thermal heating component and a solar electrical photovoltaic component;
b. generating electricity from the solar electrical photovoltaic component;
c. capturing heat from the step of generating electricity;
d. heating with the solar thermal heating component and with the heat captured in step (c) one or more electrolyzable compounds to provide the electrolyzable compounds in a molten state;
e. subjecting the molten electrolyzable compounds to electrolysis to generate a product compound.

32. The process of claim 31 , wherein the externally supplied thermal energy comprises solar energy.

33. The process of claim 31 , wherein the externally supplied thermal energy comprises thermal energy from exhaust gasses.

34. The process of claim 31 , wherein the externally supplied thermal energy comprises geothermal energy.

35. The process of claim 31 , wherein the externally supplied thermal energy comprises thermal energy from nuclear energy.

36. The process of claim 31 , wherein the externally supplied thermal energy is recovered from the production of the product compound.

Assignees

• Licht Stuart
• Univ George Washington

Inventors

• Licht Stuart

Classifications

• C25B1/00 Primary

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

• C25B9/00 Primary

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• Y02P20/134

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B01J19/128

  Infrared light · CPC title

• C25B1/23

  Carbon monoxide or syngas · CPC title