Photo-enhanced electro-catalytic (PEEC) process
AssigneeSpace Age Technologies, LLC
InventorsSang H. Choi, Robert W. Moses
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photo-catalyst (EP) is regarded as an alternate method to replace the plasma chemical process and as an additional catalytic processing scheme on top of a micro- or nano-structured catalyst (EC) and electro-catalyst (EV). The potential energy reduction that results from the effect of photo-enhanced electro-catalyst (PEEC) is significant.
Claims17
A chemical reactor comprising:
- a vessel;
- an electro-catalytic medium fixed inside the vessel;
- a DC power source connected to the electro-catalytic medium and configured so that a flow of an electric current through the DC power source creates a cathode side of the electro-catalytic medium and an anode side of the electro-catalytic medium;
- a high energy photon emission source embedded in the electro-catalytic medium, and configured to emit high energy photons having a wavelength of 40 nm to 0.00093 nm towards the anode side and/or the cathode side so that the emitted high energy photons increase a surface energy of the anode side and/or the cathode side;
- an inlet through which reactant materials are receivable into the vessel;
- an extraction port through which reaction products are extractable from the vessel;
- and
- a flow path that passes from the inlet, through at least a portion of the electro-catalytic medium, and to the extraction port so that at least a portion of the reactant materials receivable through the inlet are reactable at the anode side and/or the cathode side having the increased surface energy to form the reaction products.
A chemical reactor comprising:
- a vessel;
- an electro-catalytic medium fixed inside the vessel;
- a DC power source connected to the electro-catalytic medium and configured so that a flow of an electric current through the DC power source creates a cathode side of the electro-catalytic medium and an anode side of the electro-catalytic medium;
- a high energy photon emission source embedded in the electro-catalytic medium, and configured to emit high energy photons having an energy of greater than 100 keV towards the anode side and/or the cathode side so that the emitted high energy photons increase a surface energy of the anode side and/or the cathode side;
- an inlet through which reactant materials are receivable into the vessel;
- an extraction port through which reaction products are extractable from the vessel;
- and
- a flow path that passes from the inlet, through at least a portion of the electro-catalytic medium, and to the extraction port so that at least a portion of the reactant materials receivable through the inlet are reactable at the anode side and/or the cathode side having the increased surface energy to form the reaction products.
A method of operating a chemical reactor including a vessel, an electro-catalytic medium fixed inside the vessel, a DC power source connected to the electro-catalytic medium, a high energy photon emission source embedded in the electro-catalytic medium, and configured to emit high energy photons, an inlet through which reactant materials are receivable into the vessel, an extraction port through which reaction products are extractable from the vessel, and a flow path that passes from the inlet, through at least a portion of the electro-catalytic medium, and to the extraction port, the method comprising:
- creating a cathode side of the electro-catalytic medium and an anode side of the electro-catalytic medium by flowing an electric current through the DC power source;
- emitting high energy photons having a wavelength of 40 nm to 0.00093 towards the anode side and/or the cathode side so that the emitted high energy photons increase a surface energy of the anode side and/or the cathode side;
- inputting the reactant materials into the vessel through the inlet;
- reacting at least a portion of the reactant materials at the anode side and/or the cathode side having the increased surface energy to form the reaction products;
- and
- extracting the reaction products from the vessel through the extraction port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.