Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Upgrade Hydrocarbon Feedstocks

Abstract

A system and method with a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), including feeding carbon dioxide and an olefin to the SOEC and discharging carbon monoxide and an olefin oxide from the SOEC, wherein the olefin oxide corresponds to the olefin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) to receive carbon dioxide and an olefin and discharge carbon monoxide and an olefin oxide;   a conduit to supply the olefin to the SOEC;   a control valve disposed along the conduit to modulate an amount of the olefin supplied to the SOEC; and   a second conduit to supply the carbon dioxide to the SOEC.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the SOEC comprises:
 a cathode to electrochemically reduce the carbon dioxide and generate oxygen ions and the carbon monoxide, wherein the cathode is coupled to a power source to receive electric current to the cathode;   a solid electrolyte to diffuse the oxygen ions from the cathode to an anode, wherein the solid electrolyte comprises a solid oxide; and   the anode to oxidize, via the oxygen ions, the olefin into the olefin oxide.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , comprising a controller to modulate an amount of the electric current received at the cathode, wherein the cathode electrochemically reduces the carbon dioxide to the carbon monoxide via the electric current. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , comprising the power source to supply the electric current to the cathode, wherein the power source comprises a battery. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a controller to direct a set point of the control valve. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a catalytic reactor to convert the olefin oxide into a hydrocarbon different than the olefin oxide, wherein the catalytic reactor comprises an inlet to receive the olefin oxide. 
     
     
         7 . A solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) system comprising:
 an SOEC comprising:
 a cathode to electrochemically reduce carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen ions and discharge the oxygen ions into a solid electrolyte of the SOEC; and 
 an anode to receive the oxygen ions via the solid electrolyte from the cathode and oxidize an olefin with the oxygen ions into an olefin oxide corresponding to the olefin; 
   a feed conduit to supply the carbon dioxide to a cathode side of the SOEC, the cathode side comprising the cathode; and   a second feed conduit to supply the olefin to an anode side of the SOEC, the anode side comprising the anode.   
     
     
         8 . The SOEC system of  claim 7 , wherein the cathode is coupled to a power source to receive electric current from the power source. 
     
     
         9 . The SOEC system of  claim 8 , wherein the power source comprises a battery, a power generator, or an electrical grid, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The SOEC system of  claim 8 , comprising the power source to supply the electric current to the cathode. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , comprising a controller to modulate an amount of the electric current supplied to the cathode. 
     
     
         12 . The SOEC system of  claim 7 , comprising a control valve disposed along the second feed conduit to modulate an amount of the olefin supplied to the cathode side. 
     
     
         13 . The SOEC system of  claim 7 , comprising a conduit to discharge the olefin oxide to a catalytic reactor. 
     
     
         14 . The SOEC system of  claim 13 , comprising a second conduit to discharge the carbon monoxide to the catalytic reactor. 
     
     
         15 . The SOEC system of  claim 7 , wherein the feed conduit to supply a flue gas comprising the carbon dioxide and water to the cathode side.