Flow-through reactor for conversion of carbon dioxide and method for conversion of carbon dioxide using same

Abstract

Proposed are a flow-through reactor for conversion of carbon dioxide and a method for conversion of carbon dioxide using the flow-through reactor. Carbon dioxide and a catholyte are separately supplied, and a reference electrode having a large volume is capable of being mounted on an electrolyte pocket without increasing resistance since a structure of the electrolyte pocket is improved.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flow-through reactor for conversion of carbon dioxide, the flow-through reactor formed by sequentially coupling an anode endcap, an anode, an ion exchange membrane, an electrolyte pocket, a cathode, and a cathode endcap to each other,
 wherein carbon dioxide is supplied and discharged through the cathode endcap, and   a catholyte supply line and a catholyte discharge line are formed respectively on opposite sides of the electrolyte pocket, a hollow part in which a catholyte is filled is formed in a center of the electrolyte pocket, the catholyte supplied through the catholyte supply line of the electrolyte pocket is introduced into the hollow part, and the catholyte and a reaction product after a carbon dioxide conversion reaction are discharged to the catholyte discharge line.   
     
     
         2 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte pocket has a generally hexahedral shape, and the hollow part is formed in a middle of the hexahedral shape. 
     
     
         3 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow part is a rectangular hollow part. 
     
     
         4 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the electrolyte pocket comprises a middle body in which the hollow part is positioned, and comprises a second outer body in which the catholyte supply line is positioned and a first outer body in which the catholyte discharge line is positioned, the first outer body and the second outer body being positioned on opposite sides of the middle body. 
     
     
         5 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 4 , wherein widths of the first outer body and the second outer body are thicker than a width of the middle body, so that a plane shape of the middle body viewed from above is a generally “H” shape. 
     
     
         6 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 5 , wherein a reference electrode is mounted on any one of the first outer body and the second outer body. 
     
     
         7 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 4 , wherein the first outer body and the second outer body are not engaged in a carbon dioxide conversion chemical reaction since the ion exchange membrane and the cathode are not in contact with the first outer body and the second outer body. 
     
     
         8 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 1 , wherein an anolyte supply line and an anolyte discharge line are formed on the anode endcap. 
     
     
         9 . The flow-through reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode endcap comprises a carbon dioxide supply line through which unsaturated carbon dioxide gas is supplied, and comprises a gas product discharge line through which unreacted carbon dioxide and a gaseous product are discharged. 
     
     
         10 . A method for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide,
 wherein carbon dioxide is supplied to a cathode from an outside while the carbon dioxide is in a gaseous state in which the carbon dioxide is not saturated with either water or a catholyte, and the catholyte is supplied and discharged through an electrolyte pocket positioned between the cathode and an ion exchange membrane, so that the catholyte and the carbon dioxide are separately supplied.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte pocket has a generally hexahedral shape, and has a hollow part provided in a middle of the hexahedral shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte pocket comprises a middle body in which the hollow part is positioned, and comprises a second outer body in which a catholyte supply line is positioned and a first outer body in which a catholyte discharge line is positioned, the first outer body and the second outer body being positioned on opposite sides of the middle body. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein widths of the first outer body and the second outer body are thicker than a width of the middle body, so that a plane shape of the middle body viewed from above is a generally “H” shape. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a reference electrode is mounted on any one of the first outer body and the second outer body.