Gas producer and method of use

Abstract

A device including a metal chamber having a first internal space defined by at least one metal chamber wall; a plate in the first internal space; and a ceramic chamber having a second internal space defined by at least one ceramic chamber wall, a closed bend, and two openings, wherein the ceramic chamber is inside the metal chamber and the second internal space penetrates the plate such that the two openings and the closed bend are on opposite sides of the plate; wherein the first and second internal spaces are not in fluid communication with one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a metal chamber having a first internal space defined by at least one metal chamber wall;   a plate in the first internal space; and   a ceramic chamber having a second internal space defined by at least one ceramic chamber wall, a closed bend, and two openings, wherein the ceramic chamber is inside the metal chamber and the second internal space penetrates the plate such that the two openings and the closed bend are on opposite sides of the plate;   wherein the first and second internal spaces are not in fluid communication with one another.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the metal chamber wall is made of carbon steel, Incoloy, Inconel, stainless steel, duplex stainless steel, austenitic stainless-steel alloys, ferritic stainless alloys, martensitic stainless steel, or combinations thereof; wherein optionally Inconel comprises Inconel 600, Inconel 602A, Inconel 602AC, Inconel 617, Inconel 625, or combinations thereof; wherein optionally stainless steel comprises SS304, SS309, SS310, SS316, SS316L, SS410, SS430, SS446, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is made of Incoloy, Inconel, stainless steel, austenitic stainless-steel alloys, ferritic stainless alloys, fecralloys, high nickel alloys, Crofer APU-22, Hitachi ZMG232G10, CFY, or combinations thereof; wherein optionally Inconel comprises Inconel 600, Inconel 602A, Inconel 602AC, Inconel 617, Inconel 625, or combinations thereof; wherein optionally stainless steel comprises SS309, SS310, SS316, SS316L, SS410, SS430, SS446, or combinations thereof; wherein optionally fecralloys comprise FeCrAl alloys; wherein optionally high nickel alloys comprise Haynes 230, RA 330, RA 333, 253 MA. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ceramic chamber wall comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte between and in contact with the anode and the cathode. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cathode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, LSGM, CoCGO, LST, and combinations of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the anode and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the anode and the cathode comprise Ni—YSZ or LaSrFeCr-SSZ or LaSrFeCr-SCZ or LST (lanthanum-doped strontium titanate)-SCZ. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the anode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, LSGM, CoCGO, LST, and combinations of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the anode comprises doped or undoped ceria and a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, CuO, Cu 2 O, Ag, Ag 2 O, Au, Au 2 O, Au 2 O 3 , Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, LaCaCr, LaSrCrFe, YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, LSGM, LST, SCZ, stainless steel, and combinations of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an electronically conducting phase and an ionically conducting phase; wherein the electronically conducting phase comprises doped lanthanum chromite or LST or an electronically conductive metal or combination thereof; and wherein the ionically conducting phase comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gadolinium or samarium doped ceria, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), lanthanum strontium gallate magnesite (LSGM), scandia-stabilized zirconia (SSZ), Sc and Ce doped zirconia (SCZ), and combinations of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrolyte comprises CoCGO or LST-stabilized zirconia, wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises YSZ or SSZ or SCZ (scandia-ceria-stabilized zirconia), and wherein the LST comprises LaSrCaTiO 3 . 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrolyte comprises nickel, copper, cobalt, lanthanum, strontium, titanium, or niobium-doped zirconia. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrolyte, the anode, and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte, the anode, and the cathode comprise Ni-YSZ or LaSrFeCr-SSZ or LaSrFeCr-SCZ or LST-SCZ. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one ceramic chamber wall further comprises a substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is inert or wherein the substrate is in contact with at least one of the anode and the cathode and has the same elements as the anode or cathode that the substrate is in contact with. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein electrical resistance between the anode and cathode is no greater than ionic resistance between the anode and cathode for oxide ions. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the closed bend is formed either as an integral part of the ceramic chamber or as a separate part of the ceramic chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the closed bend further defines the second internal space such that the first and second internal spaces are not in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the closed bend comprises a wall that is made of nickel, nickel oxide, YSZ, NiO-YSZ, alumina, or combinations of two or more thereof, or wherein the closed bend is made of the same material as the plate. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ceramic chamber wall is in contact with the plate but does not penetrate the plate.