Utility Global, Inc.

Herein discussed is a method comprising: providing a mixed conducting membrane; exposing the membrane to a reducing environment on both sides of the membrane during the entire time of operation, wherein the operation does not receive electricity or generate electricity; wherein the reducing environments on both sides of the membrane have a pressure in the range of 5-300 bar. In an embodiment, the mixed conducting membrane conducts electrons and oxide ions. In an embodiment, the reducing environments on both sides of the membrane have a pressure of no less than 10 bar or no less than 20 bar or no less than 30 bar.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a mixed-conducting membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically; wherein the reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity. In an embodiment, the anode and the cathode are separated by the membrane and are both exposed to reducing environments during the entire time of operation.

Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is liquid when the reactor is in operation; a second electrode having a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, wherein the metallic phase is electronically conductive and wherein the ceramic phase is ionically conductive; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned between the first and second electrodes and is in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the membrane is mixed conducting. Also discussed herein is a method of producing hydrogen or carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode is liquid when the reactor is in operation and wherein the membrane is mixed conducting; (b) introducing a feedstock to the anode; (c) introducing a stream to the cathode, wherein the stream comprises water or carbon dioxide.

Herein discussed is a method of making a Cu—Co-containing electrode precursor, comprising (a) Providing a mixed-conducting membrane; (b) Depositing a dispersion on the membrane, wherein the dispersion comprises CuO particles and CoCGO particles; and (c) Sintering the CuO and CoCGO particles at a temperature of from 800° C. to 1350° C. to form the Cu—Co-containing electrode precursor. In an embodiment, the mole ratio of Cu to Co is from 3:1 to 70:1. In an embodiment, the mole ratio of Cu to Co is from 10:1 to 50:1. In an embodiment, sintering takes place at a temperature of from 1100° C. to 1250° C.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide or hydrogen or both simultaneously comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a mixed-conducting membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a hydrocarbon; and (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide or water or both, wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically and hydrogen is generated from water electrochemically.

Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising a mixed-conducting membrane, wherein the membrane comprises an electronically conducting phase and an ionically conducting phase, wherein the reactor is capable of reforming a hydrocarbon electrochemically, wherein the electrochemical reforming reactions involve the exchange of an ion through the membrane to oxidize the hydrocarbon. Further discussed herein is a method of producing hydrogen comprising providing an electrochemical (EC) reactor having a mixed-conducting membrane, introducing a first stream comprising a hydrocarbon to the reactor, introducing a second stream comprising water to the reactor, and reducing the water in the second stream to produce hydrogen, wherein the first stream and the second stream do not come in contact with each other in the reactor, and wherein the hydrocarbon is reformed electrochemically in the EC reactor.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide or hydrogen or both simultaneously comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a mixed-conducting membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a hydrocarbon; and (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide or water or both, wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically and hydrogen is generated from water electrochemically.

Herein discussed is a method of producing carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode; (b) introducing a first stream to the anode, wherein the first stream comprises a fuel; and (c) introducing a second stream to the cathode, wherein the second stream comprises carbon dioxide, and wherein carbon monoxide is generated from carbon dioxide electrochemically; wherein the reactor comprises no interconnect and no current collector; wherein the reactor generates no electricity and receives no electricity; and wherein the reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 750° C. In an embodiment, the reactor is operated at a temperature no higher than 700° C. or no higher than 650° C.

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.

A reactor assembly includes a multiplicity of electrochemical reactors, wherein each of the electrochemical reactors comprises 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; wherein the minimum distance between the reactors is no greater than 2 cm; and wherein the reactors have no interconnects and no direct contact with one another.