US 12,442,095 B2
Photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) system
María Dolores Hernández Alonso, Móstoles (ES); Germán Penelas Pérez, Móstoles (ES); Nina Magali Carretero González, Sant Adrià de Besòs (ES); Teresa Andreu ARbella, Sant Adrià de Besòs (ES); and Juan Ramón Morante Lleonart, Sant Adrià de Besòs (ES)
Assigned to REPSOL, S.A., Madrid (ES)
Appl. No. 17/046,755
Filed by REPSOL, S.A., Madrid (ES)
PCT Filed Apr. 16, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/059767
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 9, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/201897, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18382257 (EP), filed on Apr. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0115576 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. C25B 15/02 (2021.01); C25B 1/04 (2021.01); C25B 3/07 (2021.01); C25B 3/21 (2021.01); C25B 3/26 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/65 (2021.01); C25B 9/67 (2021.01); C25B 11/032 (2021.01); C25B 11/042 (2021.01); C25B 15/00 (2006.01); C25B 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC C25B 15/02 (2013.01) [C25B 1/04 (2013.01); C25B 3/07 (2021.01); C25B 3/21 (2021.01); C25B 3/26 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/65 (2021.01); C25B 9/67 (2021.01); C25B 11/032 (2021.01); C25B 15/00 (2013.01); C25B 11/042 (2021.01); C25B 15/08 (2013.01); Y02E 10/50 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) system comprising at least one photovoltaic (PV) system that generates voltage under irradiation and at least one filter-press type electrochemical cell (EC);
the at least one electrochemical cell comprising:
i) a cathodic compartment which comprises a cathodic material which acts as a cathode electrode and a catholyte, the cathodic material being a conductive electrode with immobilized CO2 reduction electrocatalyst material thereon;
ii) an anodic compartment which comprises an anodic material which acts as an anode electrode and an anolyte; and
iii) an ion-exchange membrane disposed between the cathodic compartment and the anodic compartment;
the at least one photovoltaic system being electrically connected to the anode and cathode electrodes of the at least one electrochemical cell for providing a voltage to the at least one electrochemical cell;
the at least one electrochemical cell being voltage-biased with the at least one photovoltage system;
wherein PV-electrode junctions are shielded from the catholyte and anolyte;
wherein the catholyte flows through both the PV and EC components of the photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) system decreasing the temperature of the photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) system; and
wherein the photovoltaic system provides, in the form of pulses of opposite voltage, a first and a second mode of operation, wherein;
a) in the first mode of operation, direct EC operation mode, the photovoltaic system provides a first negative voltage to the at least one electrochemical cell for a first period of time; and
b) in the second mode of operation, reverse EC operation mode, the photovoltaic system provides a second voltage to the at least one electrochemical cell, with opposite polarity to that of the direct EC operation mode, for a second period of time; and with an amplitude of the second voltage of the opposite polarity being at least a minimum amplitude necessary to desorb a byproduct species generated and adsorbed during the direct EC operation mode, and
wherein the photovoltaic system provides the second voltage for a pulse duration resulting in a duty-cycle comprised from 99.9 to 65%.