Electrochemical system having multiple independent circuits
OwnerCaine Finnerty, Yanhai Du +1inventors
InventorsCaine Finnerty, Yanhai Du, Jun Cai
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Abstract
The present teachings relate to an electrochemical system including an electrochemical device and multiple independent circuits which permit independent control of the reaction rates at different sections of the electrochemical device. The electrochemical device can be a fuel cell or an electrolyzer, and can include a common electrode in electrical communication with two or more independent circuits. The present teachings also relate to operating methods of the electrochemical system described.
Claims35
An electrochemical device comprising:
- a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are of a first type;
- a third electrode of a second type, wherein the second type of electrode is complementary to the first type of electrode;
- a first electrical circuit comprising a first loading device in electrical communication with the first electrode and the third electrode;
- and
- a second electrical circuit comprising a second loading device in electrical communication with the second electrode and the third electrode.
A method of operating an electrochemical device, the method comprising:
- providing an electrochemical device comprising a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit, wherein the first electrical circuit comprises a first loading device, the second electrical circuit comprises a second loading device, and the first electrical circuit and the second electrical circuit are in electrical communication with a common electrode;
- applying a first electrical load to the first electrical circuit;
- and
- applying a second electrical load to the second electrical circuit.
The method of 26, wherein the fuel cell comprises a monolith structure.
An electrochemical system comprising a fuel cell in electrical communication with a first circuit and a second circuit, wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are adapted to operate independently.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.