Electrochemical system and method of using an electrochemical cell

Abstract

A method of using an electrochemical cell includes sparging a gas including oxygen into an anolyte using an anolyte oxygen sparger, wherein the anolyte is circulated to contact an anode of an electrochemical cell including the anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:
 sparging a gas comprising oxygen into an anolyte using an anolyte oxygen sparger, wherein the anolyte is circulated to contact an anode of an electrochemical cell comprising
 the anode, 
 a cathode, and 
 a membrane between the anode and the cathode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises platinum, ruthenium, iridium, nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen has a concentration of oxygen of 22% to 100%. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen comprises oxygen and further comprises one or more inert gases, air, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen comprises oxygen generated by the anode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sparger releases bubbles of the gas comprising oxygen into the anolyte from a pipe, a tube, a mesh, a sieve, a plate, a nozzle, a porous nozzle, a porous surface, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sparger releases bubbles of the gas comprising oxygen into the anolyte outside of the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen sparger sparges the gas comprising oxygen into the anolyte at a rate of 0.01 mL to 100 mL per 1 mL of anolyte. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sparging of the gas comprising oxygen into the anolyte saturates the anolyte with oxygen. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anolyte having the gas comprising oxygen sparged therein has a dissolved concentration of oxygen of 10 mg/L to 200 mg/L. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein circulating the anolyte to contact the anode further comprises circulating a gas phase to contact the anode, wherein the gas phase is circulated to contact the anode with the anolyte. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gas phase has a concentration of oxygen of 22% to 100%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gas phase has a concentration of hydrogen in oxygen of less than 4%. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method comprises circulating the anolyte and a gas phase through an anolyte circulation loop. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising separating at least a portion of the gas phase in the anolyte circulation loop from the combined anolyte and gas phase. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the anolyte circulation loop further comprises an anolyte storage tank, an oxygen storage tank, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising supplying the anolyte from an electrolyte tank. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising contacting the cathode with catholyte supplied from the electrolyte tank. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises collecting hydrogen gas released from the cathode in a hydrogen storage tank. 
     
     
         20 . An electrochemical system comprising:
 an electrochemical cell comprising
 an anode, 
 a cathode, and 
 a membrane between the anode and the cathode; and 
   an anolyte oxygen sparger than sparges a gas comprising oxygen into an anolyte that is circulated to contact the anode.