Electrolyser with Common Electrolyte Space for CO2 Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current carbon dioxide electrolyzers for decomposition into carbon monoxide and oxygen suffer from significant carbon dioxide losses due to mixing with oxygen at the anode, leading to inefficiencies and increased operating costs, as well as the inability to completely remove carbon dioxide from the electrolyte, which compromises the green technology aspect.
Innovation Solution
The electrolyzer design features two gas diffusion electrodes, one at the cathode and one at the anode, with a common unseparated electrolyte space and a cation-selective coating on the anode electrode, allowing carbon dioxide to dissolve supersaturated in the electrolyte and be separated from oxygen, reducing mixing and enabling efficient carbon dioxide recovery and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If carbon dioxide is supplied to conventional electrolyzers with separate electrolyte spaces, then carbon monoxide production occurs, but carbon dioxide mixes with oxygen at the anode leading to significant losses (50%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cathode electrolyte space and anode electrolyte space into a single common electrolyte space, eliminating the separator membrane. This allows carbon dioxide to dissolve in the electrolyte and be transported to the cathode without mixing with oxygen at the anode, reducing carbon dioxide loss from 50% to less than 5%.
2Reliability
If carbon dioxide dissolves in the electrolyte, then carbon monoxide can be produced, but carbon dioxide cannot be completely removed from the electrolyte compromising green technology character
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts carbon dioxide from the electrolyte using a carbon dioxide removal device positioned in the common electrolyte space. This device selectively removes dissolved carbon dioxide from the electrolyte, allowing complete recovery and reuse of carbon dioxide while maintaining the green technology character of the process.
3Loss of energy
If gas bubbles are released in the ionic flow path, then electrochemical reactions occur, but cell voltages increase sharply decreasing energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the liquid electrolyte as an intermediary medium to transport carbon dioxide from the common electrolyte space to the cathode. This liquid phase transport mechanism avoids the formation of gas bubbles in the ionic flow path, preventing sharp increases in cell voltage and maintaining high energy efficiency.
4Loss of substance
If a separator membrane is used between cathode and anode electrolyte spaces, then carbon dioxide and oxygen are separated, but carbon dioxide cannot be efficiently recovered and reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrolyte spaces while implementing a common electrolyte circulation system with a carbon dioxide removal device. This configuration achieves both separation of carbon dioxide from oxygen and efficient recovery of carbon dioxide through the circulation and removal system, enabling complete reuse of carbon dioxide.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces carbon dioxide losses from 50% to less than 5%, enhancing the economic viability and maintaining the green technology character by allowing complete removal and reuse of carbon dioxide, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
The anode gas diffusion electrode has a cation-selective coating
Implementation Method 2
Carbon dioxide can dissolve supersaturated in the electrolyte
Implementation Method 3
The electrolyte circulates in the electrolyte space between the cathode and the anode
Implementation Method 4
Carbon dioxide is transported past a gas diffusion cathode of an electrolytic cell, where it is reduced catalytically to give at least one higher-energy product
Data Source
AI summary
An electrolyser for carbon dioxide reduction, having an electrolytic cell, with a cathode gas diffusion electrode and an anode gas diffusion electrode, in which a first side of the cathode gas diffusion electrode adjoins a cathode gas chamber in a planar manner and likewise a first side of the anode gas diffusion electrode adjoins an anode gas chamber, and an electrolyte chamber common to both gas diffusion electrodes is provided, which extends from the cathode gas diffusion electrode to the anode gas diffusion electrode and is at least partially delimited by the two gas diffusion electrodes with their second sides facing away from the respectively associated gas chambers.