# US 10,502,106 B1 · Electrochemical reactor

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- Number: US 10,502,106 B1
- Document ID: US10502106B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/412,731
- Filed: 2019-05-15
- Published: 2019-12-05
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-05
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Tetsuya Sakuma; Keishi Takada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502106B1

## CPC

- C25B 9/70: Assemblies comprising two or more cells
- F01N 3/0222: {the structure being monolithic, e.g. honeycombs}
- B01D 53/323: {by electrostatic effects or by high-voltage electric fields}
- B01D 53/326: {in electrochemical cells}
- B01D 53/92: of engine exhaust gases (exhaust {or silencing} apparatus {for internal combustion engines, machines or engines in general}, having means for purifying, {rendering innocuous} or otherwise treating exhaust gases F01N3/00)
- B01D 53/925: {Simultaneous elimination of carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides}
- C25B 9/19: with diaphragms
- F01N 3/0814: {combined with catalytic converters, e.g. NOx absorption/storage reduction catalysts}
- F01N 3/0842: {Nitrogen oxides}
- F01N 3/0871: {using means for controlling, e.g. purging, the absorbents or adsorbents}
- F01N 3/0892: {Electric or magnetic treatment, e.g. dissociation of noxious components}
- F01N 3/2073: {Means for generating a reducing substance from the exhaust gases}
- F01N 3/2828: {Ceramic multi-channel monoliths, e.g. honeycombs}
- F01N 5/025: {the device being thermoelectric generators}
- B01D 53/9477: {with catalysts positioned on separate bricks, e.g. exhaust systems}
- B01D 2258/01: Engine exhaust gases
- F01N 13/009: {having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series}
- F01N 2240/00: Combination or association of two or more different exhaust treating devices, or of at least one such device with an auxiliary device, not covered by indexing codes F01N2230/00 or F01N2250/00, one of the devices being
- F01N 2240/34: an electrolyser
- F01N 2260/04: for regeneration or reactivation, e.g. of catalyst
- F01N 2330/06: Ceramic, e.g. monoliths
- F01N 2330/30: Honeycomb supports characterised by their structural details
- F01N 2370/04: Zeolitic material
- F01N 2510/06: for exhaust purification, e.g. catalytic reaction
- F01N 2570/14: Nitrogen oxides
- Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

An electrochemical reactor arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine has a honeycomb member wherein a plurality of cells are formed. The honeycomb comprising an upstream and a downstream side partial honeycombs. The upstream side has a plurality of first and second cells arranged to at least partially adjoin the first cells through partition wall base members including an ion conductive solid electrolyte. The downstream side has a plurality of third and fourth cells arranged to at least partially adjoin the third cells through partition wall base members including an ion conductive solid electrolyte. The first and fourth cells have cathode layers, and second and third cells have anode layers. The electrochemical reactor is configured so all of the exhaust gas flowing through the first cells flows into the third cells and all of the exhaust gas flowing through the second cells flows into the fourth cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrochemical reactor arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, wherein
the electrochemical reactor comprises a honeycomb member at which a plurality of cells are formed, the honeycomb member comprising an upstream side partial honeycomb member and a downstream side partial honeycomb member arranged at a downstream side from the upstream side partial honeycomb member in the direction of exhaust flow;
the upstream side partial honeycomb member comprises a plurality of first cells and a plurality of second cells arranged so as to at least partially adjoin the first cells through partition wall base members including an ion conductive solid electrolyte, a cathode layer being provided on the surface of the partition wall base members defining the first cells and an anode layer being provided on the surface of the partition wall base member defining the second cells;
the downstream side partial honeycomb member comprises a plurality of third cells and a plurality of fourth cells arranged so as to at least partially adjoin the third cells through partition wall base members including an ion conductive solid electrolyte, an anode layer being provided on the surface of the partition wall base members defining the third cells and a cathode layer being provided on the surface of the partition wall base members defining the fourth cells; and
the electrochemical reactor is configured so that all of the exhaust gas flowing through the first cells flows into the third cells and all of the exhaust gas flowing through the second cells flows into the fourth cells.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, wherein
the upstream side partial honeycomb member and the downstream side partial honeycomb member are joined together at the partition wall base members, and
the cathode layer of the first cell and the anode layer of the third cell are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the direction of exhaust flow so as not to contact each other and the anode layer of the second cell and the cathode layer of the fourth cell are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the direction of exhaust flow so as not to contact each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, wherein the honeycomb member comprises spacers formed by a material with a lower ion conductivity compared with the solid electrolyte, between the upstream side partial honeycomb member and the downstream side partial honeycomb member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, wherein the cells of the honeycomb member are configured to have rectangular shape cross-sections, and the honeycomb member is formed so that one first cell adjoins four second cells in the four directions and one second cell adjoins four first cells in the four directions, and is formed so that one third cell adjoins four fourth cells in the four directions and one fourth cell adjoins four third cells in the four directions.