US2008292918A1PendingUtilityA1

Electrochemical system having multiple independent circuits

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Assignee: FINNERTY CAINEPriority: May 25, 2007Filed: May 25, 2007Published: Nov 27, 2008
Est. expiryMay 25, 2027(~0.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Caine FinnertyYanhai DuJun Cai
H01M 8/243C25B 9/70H01M 8/086H01M 8/04559H01M 2008/147H01M 8/04604C25B 15/02Y02E60/50H01M 2008/1293H01M 8/04619H01M 2008/1095H01M 8/04365H01M 8/083H01M 8/1011H01M 8/2435
55
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Claims

Abstract

The present teachings relate to an electrochemical system including an electrochemical device and multiple independent circuits which permit independent control of the reaction rates at different sections of the electrochemical device. The electrochemical device can be a fuel cell or an electrolyzer, and can include a common electrode in electrical communication with two or more independent circuits. The present teachings also relate to operating methods of the electrochemical system described.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An electrochemical device comprising:
 a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are of a first type;   a third electrode of a second type, wherein the second type of electrode is complementary to the first type of electrode;   a first electrical circuit comprising a first loading device in electrical communication with the first electrode and the third electrode; and   a second electrical circuit comprising a second loading device in electrical communication with the second electrode and the third electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The electrochemical device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is an electrolyzer. 
     
     
         3 . The electrochemical device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is a fuel cell. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a phosphoric acid fuel cell, an alkaline fuel cell, a molten carbonate fuel cell, or a direct methanol fuel cell. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode is an anode and the third electrode is a cathode. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode is a cathode and the third electrode is an anode. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell is tubular. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell is planar. 
     
     
         9 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a monolith structure. 
     
     
         10 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate independently. 
     
     
         11 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate simultaneously at the same electrical load. 
     
     
         12 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate simultaneously at different electrical loads. 
     
     
         13 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate out-of-phase at the same electrical load. 
     
     
         14 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate out-of-phase at different electrical loads. 
     
     
         15 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate independently, each drawing an independent current output and an independent power output from the first electrical circuit and the second electrical circuit of the fuel cell. 
     
     
         16 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell comprises an anode-supported structure, a cathode-supported structure, an electrolyte-supported structure, or a substrate-supported structure. 
     
     
         17 . A fuel cell stack comprising two or more fuel cells of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating an electrochemical device, the method comprising:
 providing an electrochemical device comprising a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit, wherein the first electrical circuit comprises a first loading device, the second electrical circuit comprises a second loading device, and the first electrical circuit and the second electrical circuit are in electrical communication with a common electrode;   applying a first electrical load to the first electrical circuit; and   applying a second electrical load to the second electrical circuit.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first loading device and the second loading device are adapted to operate independently. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first electrical load and the second electrical load are the same. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first electrical load and the second electrical load are different. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising applying the first electrical load and the second electrical load simultaneously. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising applying the first electrical load and the second electrical load out-of-phase. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the common electrode is a cathode. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the common electrode is an anode. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the electrochemical device is a fuel cell. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the fuel cell is tubular. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the fuel cell is planar. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  26 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a monolith structure. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the fuel cell comprises an anode-supported structure, a cathode-supported structure, an electrolyte-supported structure, or a substrate-supported structure. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a first anode, and the second electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a second anode, and a fuel is alternatively introduced to one of the first anode and the second anode. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a first cathode, and the second electrical circuit is in electrical communication with a second cathode, and an oxidant is alternatively introduced to one of the first cathode and the second cathode. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the electrochemical device is an electrolyzer. 
     
     
         34 . An electrochemical system comprising a fuel cell in electrical communication with a first circuit and a second circuit, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are adapted to operate independently. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34  further comprising a microprocessor adapted to control the first circuit and the second circuit.

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