Composite mixed oxide ionic and electronic conductors for hydrogen separation
AssigneeTrustees of Boston University
InventorsSrikanth Gopalan, Uday B. Pal, Annamalai Karthikeyan, Cui Hengdong
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Abstract
A mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane includes a two-phase solid state ceramic composite, wherein the first phase comprises an oxygen ion conductor and the second phase comprises an n-type electronically conductive oxide, wherein the electronically conductive oxide is stable at an oxygen partial pressure as low as 10−20 atm and has an electronic conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. A hydrogen separation system and related methods using the mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane are described.
Claims37
A mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane, comprising:
- a two-phase solid state ceramic composite,
- wherein the first phase comprises an oxygen ion conductor and the second phase comprises a donor-doped, n-type electronically conductive oxide, wherein the electronically conductive oxide is stable at an oxygen partial pressure less than about 10−7 atm and has an electronic conductivity of at least 1 S/cm.
A hydrogen purification system, comprising:
- a source of reforming gas;
- a source of steam;
- a flow cell comprising a first oxidizing compartment and a second reducing compartment separated by a two-phase solid state ceramic membrane, wherein the first phase comprises an oxygen ion conductor and the second phase comprises a donor-doped n-type electronically conductive oxide, wherein the electronically conductive oxide is stable at an oxygen partial pressure less than about 10−7 atm and has an electronic conductivity of at least 1 S/cm;
- a conduit for directing the reforming gas across the membrane in the first compartment;
- a conduit for directing the steam across the membrane in the second compartment;
- and
- a condenser downstream from the second compartment for separating steam from hydrogen.
A method of purifying hydrogen purification, comprising:
- providing a flow cell comprising a first oxidizing compartment and a second reducing compartment separated by a two-phase solid state ceramic membrane, wherein the first phase comprises an oxygen ion conductor and the second phase comprises a donor-doped n-type electronically conducting oxide;
- directing the reforming gas across the membrane in the first compartment;
- directing the steam across the membrane in the second compartment;
- and
- collecting purified hydrogen downstream from the second compartment by separating steam from hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.