Electrochemical Reactor Fluid Passage Tortuosity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) require extensive and expensive separation and purification processes, which are inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical reactor design featuring an anode, a cathode, and a membrane with a fluid passage that enhances surface area contact, tortuosity, and material compositions such as Ni, YSZ, and mixed conducting membranes, allowing for efficient electrochemical production of CO and H2 without the need for extensive separation and purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional separation and purification processes are used to produce CO and H2, then the production purity is improved, but the operational cost and process complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates CO and H2 production into distinct electrochemical half-reactions occurring at separate electrodes (anode for CO production from CO2, cathode for H2 production from H2O), allowing independent optimization of each reaction pathway and eliminating the need for complex downstream separation processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the syngas production process into two independent electrochemical reactions occurring simultaneously in different compartments, with a membrane separating the anode and cathode regions. This segmentation enables independent control of CO and H2 production rates and simplifies product separation
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional separation and purification processes are used to produce CO and H2, then the production purity is improved, but the operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrochemical reactor design allows the system to self-separate CO and H2 through the membrane barrier between electrodes, eliminating the need for external separation equipment and reducing operational costs. The reaction conditions themselves facilitate product separation
3Productivity
If high surface area contact is achieved through tortuous fluid passages, then the electrochemical reaction efficiency is improved, but the fluid flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous electrode structures and tortuous fluid passages that provide high surface area for electrochemical reactions while maintaining adequate fluid flow. The porous morphology increases active reaction sites without creating excessive flow resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid passages are designed with tortuosity that extends the flow path length through the electrode structure, effectively increasing the reaction surface area in the third dimension without significantly increasing the pressure drop across the system
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
The reactor achieves efficient production of CO and H2 with reduced operational costs and simplified separation processes, enabling on-site production and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by controlling the H2/CO ratio for various chemical applications.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane between and in contact with the anode and the cathode
Implementation Method 2
efficient electrochemical pathways
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical reactor includes an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between and in contact with the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode or the cathode forms a fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the surface area of the fluid passage in contact with the anode or cathode is at least 25 times of the combined cross-sectional area of the inlet and the outlet. Further discussed herein is an electrochemical reactor comprising an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between and in contact with the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode or the cathode forms a fluid passage having an inlet and an outlet, wherein a tortuosity of the fluid passage is no less than 10, wherein tortuosity is the ratio of fluid flow path length to the straight distance between the inlet and the outlet.