Generation of high pressure oxygen via electrochemical pumping in a multi-stage electrolysis stack

摘要

An oxygen pump can produce high-purity high-pressure oxygen. Oxygen ions (O2−) are electrochemically pumped through a multi-stage electrolysis stack of cells. Each cell includes an oxygen-ion conducting solid-state electrolyte between cathode and anode sides. Oxygen dissociates into the ions at the cathode side. The ions migrate across the electrolyte and recombine at the anode side. An insulator is between adjacent cells to electrically isolate each individual cell. Each cell receives a similar volt potential. Recombined oxygen from a previous stage can diffuse through the insulator to reach the cathode side of the next stage. Each successive stage similarly incrementally pressurizes the oxygen to produce a final elevated pressure.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
an electrochemical pump comprising a multi-stage electrolysis stack, wherein the stack is operable in carrying out multi-stage pressurization of oxygen, wherein the stack comprises a hermetically sealed outer edge perimeter, wherein the stack includes a plurality of solid oxide electrolysis cells, wherein each cell includes a solid electrolyte sandwiched between a cathode layer and an anode layer, wherein the electrolyte comprises yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or other selective oxygen conducting material, wherein each cell is individually wired in parallel, wherein respective adjacent cells in the stack are separated from each other by a respective insulator layer, wherein the respective insulator layer electrically isolates a first adjacent cell of the respective adjacent cells from a second adjacent cell of the respective adjacent cells, wherein the respective insulator layer allows diffusion of oxygen gas therethrough, wherein the hermetically sealed outer edge perimeter requires that oxygen gas from an anode side of the first adjacent cell pass through the respective insulator layer in order to reach a cathode side of the second adjacent cell, wherein each cell of the stack is involved in a respective pumping stage of the multi-stage pressurization of oxygen, wherein a potential in the range of 0.1-2.2 volts applied across a respective cell is operable to cause: (i) dissociation of oxygen into oxygen ions (O2−) on a cathode side of the respective cell, wherein the cathode side is at a first pressure, (ii) migration of oxygen ions dissociated in (i) through the electrolyte of the respective cell, and (iii) recombination of oxygen ions that migrated in (ii) into oxygen gas on an anode side of the respective cell, wherein the anode side is at a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is in the range of 0.2-10 atmospheres greater than the first pressure.