Solar fuels generator
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsNathan S. Lewis, Joshua M. Spurgeon
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Abstract
The solar fuels generator includes an ionically conductive separator between a gaseous first phase and a second phase. A photoanode uses one or more components of the first phase to generate cations during operation of the solar fuels generator. A cation conduit is positioned provides a pathway along which the cations travel from the photoanode to the separator. The separator conducts the cations. A second solid cation conduit conducts the cations from the separator to a photocathode.
Claims20
A solar fuels generator, comprising:
- an ionically conductive separator between a first phase and a second phase;
- a photoanode that uses one or more components of the first phase to generate cations during operation of the solar fuels generator;
- and
- a cation conduit positioned so as to provide a pathway along which the cations travel from the photoanode to the separator.
A solar fuels generator, comprising:
- an ionically conductive separator between a first phase and a second phase;
- a photocathode that uses cations generated from the first phase to generate the solar fuel in the second phase;
- and
- a cation conduit positioned so as to provide a pathway along which cations generated at the photoanode can travel from the separator to the photocathode.
A method of generating solar fuels, comprising:
- generating a cation at a photoanode in a gaseous first phase;
- and
- conducting the generated cation through a cation conduit to an ionically conducting separator located between the first phase and a second phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.