Low-energy electrochemical separation of isotopes

Abstract

The invention relates to isotope separation methods, and methods for separating isotopes with low energy consumption, demonstrated using hydrogen isotopes. To this end, an isotope transfer electrochemical cell is provided, which comprises an anode plate and a cathode plate; current carrier plates with flow channels or mesh layers or porous material; a proton exchange membrane or solid polymer electrolyte membrane; and gas diffusion layers positioned on either side of the proton exchange membrane which together with the proton exchange membrane forms a membrane electrode assembly; and a housing containing the anode and cathode plates in operable arrangement with the membrane electrode assembly, and defining a hydrogen feed inlet on the anode, a product outlet on the cathode, an outlet for excess hydrogen on the anode, and internal flow paths for transfer of gases and fluids on either side of the membrane electrode assembly. Also described are methods for enriching or depleting the isotope present in the hydrogen gas/vapour feed e.g. for tritium removal, tritium enrichment and deuterium enrichment, by arranging a series of cells in a cascaded configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An isotope transfer electrochemical cell (ITEC) for separating isotopes comprising:
 an anode plate and a cathode plate;   a proton exchange membrane;   gas diffusion layers positioned on either side of the proton exchange membrane, which together with the proton exchange membrane form a membrane electrode assembly; and   a housing containing the anode and cathode plates in operable arrangement with the membrane electrode assembly, and defining a gas feed inlet, a product outlet, an outlet for excess gas, and internal flow paths for transfer of gases and fluids on either side of the membrane electrode assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the proton exchange membrane comprises a polymer-based electrolyte. 
     
     
         3 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 2 , wherein the gas diffusion layers each comprise catalyst-coated porous conductors. 
     
     
         4 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 3 , wherein the catalyst-coated porous conductors are hydrophobic. 
     
     
         5 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises end plates on the outer sides thereof with a gas inlet and gas outlet openings. 
     
     
         6 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 5 , wherein the end plates comprise an anode side flange and a cathode side flange made of structural material such as aluminum, stainless steel or fibre-reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and cathode each comprise current connectors to connect to an external power source. 
     
     
         8 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 7 , wherein the anode and cathode current connectors are made of titanium or stainless steel or aluminum and are electrically insulated from the end-plates. 
     
     
         9 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , further comprising current carriers, or current carrier plates, positioned between the gas diffusion layers and the respective anode or cathode, the current carriers being of a material effective to carry current to the electrodes and to form a pathway for gas, vapour and condensed phase accessing the anode and discharging from the cathode during operation. 
     
     
         10 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 9 , wherein the current carriers comprise titanium or stainless steel or aluminum based mesh layers or porous material or plate type flow channels or grooves of suitable geometry. 
     
     
         11 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly is comprised of two layers of electrically-conductive gas diffusion layer with catalyst and related material coated on the side that is held up against either side of a proton exchange membrane. 
     
     
         12 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises a catalyst comprising a supported-platinum powder mixed with similar polymer material as in the membrane held in a porous electrically-conductive, partially hydrophobic substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the proton exchange membrane comprises a membrane made of polymers with similar functions to sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         14 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 13 , wherein the proton exchange membrane comprises any one of the following: Nafion® NR212, N115, N117 or N1110, or sulphonated PEEK or other proton conducting membrane. 
     
     
         15 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 13 , wherein the thicknesses of the proton exchange membrane ranges from about 0.05 mm to about 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the housing, hydrogen feed inlet, product outlet, and outlet for excess hydrogen are effective to carry hydrogen gas and water vapour. 
     
     
         17 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 15 , wherein a feed stream travels to the anode through the hydrogen feed inlet and the current carrier. 
     
     
         18 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen feed inlet, product outlet, outlet for excess hydrogen, and internal flow paths are arranged for either co-current or counter-current feed with respect to the extract flow directions. 
     
     
         19 . The isotope transfer electrochemical cell of  claim 18 , wherein the extract contains isotopically enriched or depleted hydrogen gas and water vapour/liquid condensate and a raffinate contains the balance of hydrogen gas and water vapour/liquid condensate from the feed, and the hydrogen gas in the extract can be at elevated pressure. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising a plurality of isotope transfer electrochemical cells as defined in  claim 1 , arranged in series and configured to pass isotopically depleted hydrogen from subsequent cells in the series to the feed of previous cells in the series. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the system is for removal of tritium from a hydrogen source. 
     
     
         22 . A system comprising a plurality of isotope transfer electrochemical cells as defined in  claim 1 , arranged in series and configured to direct isotopically enriched hydrogen gas from subsequent cells in the series to the feed of previous cells in the series. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the system is for enriching deuterium in a hydrogen source. 
     
     
         24 . A method of separating isotopes in a hydrogen source, comprising
 providing at least one isotope transfer electrochemical cell as defined in  claim 1 ,   feeding a hydrogen gas and water vapour mixture via the feed inlet of the cell to the anode of the cell;   applying a current between the anode and cathode to facilitate transfer of hydrogen ions from the anode through the membrane electrode assembly to the cathode, the hydrogen ions recombining with electrons at the cathode to form gaseous hydrogen,   enabling pressure to the hydrogen gas and water vapour leaving the cathode of the cell, the anode of the cell, or both,   collecting excess hydrogen gas and water vapour leaving the anode side of the cell, and   collecting extracted hydrogen gas and water vapour leaving the cathode of the cell, the extracted hydrogen gas being enriched in deuterium, tritium, or both as compared to the feed gas.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the excess hydrogen gas and water vapour collected from the anode, the extracted hydrogen gas and water vapour collected from the cathode, or both, are dried by cooling or adsorption. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the current is applied at a voltage ranging from about near zero to 0.7 volts.