System and method for carbon dioxide reactor control

Abstract

A system preferably including a carbon dioxide reactor. A method for carbon dioxide reactor control, preferably including selecting carbon dioxide reactor aspects based on a desired output composition, running a carbon dioxide reactor under controlled process conditions to produce a desired output composition, and/or altering the process conditions to alter the output composition.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for electrolyzer control comprising:
 at a first gas-phase electrolyzer, the first gas-phase electrolyzer comprising a cathode layer having a reduction catalyst and an ion-conducting polymer in contact with a polymer electrolyte membrane, accepting a first input comprising gas-phase carbon dioxide;   at the first gas-phase electrolyzer, while accepting the first input, under a first set of process conditions, electrochemically producing a first reduction product stream from the first input, wherein the first reduction product stream comprises a carbon-containing species (CCS), wherein the CCS is a product of the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide;   at a second gas-phase electrolyzer, the second gas-phase electrolyzer comprising a cathode layer having a reduction catalyst and an ion-conducting polymer in contact with a polymer electrolyte membrane, accepting a second input;   at the second gas-phase electrolyzer, while accepting the second input, under a second set of process conditions, electrochemically producing a second reduction product stream from the second input, wherein the second reduction product comprises molecular hydrogen; and wherein the first product stream and the second product stream together define a molecular hydrogen-to-CCS ratio (HCR) and wherein the first and second process conditions are controlled to produce an HCR of about 2:1.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the CCS is carbon monoxide (CO). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising directing the first product stream and the second product stream to downstream components comprising a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the downstream components comprise a purification system. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the downstream components comprise a gas compression system. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first reduction product stream further comprises molecular hydrogen. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the CCS is carbon monoxide and the HCR is 1.8:1 to 2:1. 
     
     
         28 . A method for electrolyzer control comprising:
 at a first gas-phase electrolyzer, the first gas-phase electrolyzer comprising a cathode layer having a reduction catalyst and an ion-conducting polymer in contact with a polymer electrolyte membrane, accepting a first input comprising gas-phase carbon dioxide;
 at the first gas-phase electrolyzer, while accepting the first input, under a first set of process conditions, electrochemically producing a first reduction product stream from the input, wherein the first reduction product stream comprises molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the first product stream defines a first molecular hydrogen-to-carbon monoxide ratio (HCR); 
 monitoring the first HCR during operation of the first gas-phase electrolyzer; and 
 adding molecular hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide to the first product stream to produce a second product stream having a desired second HCR. 
   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising producing molecular hydrogen to be added to the first product stream to obtain the desired second HCR at a second gas-phase electrolyzer. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the desired HCR is about 2:1. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the desired HCR is 1.8:1 to 2:1. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising directing the second product stream to downstream components comprising a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the downstream components comprise a purification system. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the downstream components comprise a gas compression system.