Electrochemical reactor and process

A tubular electrochemical reactor, comprising:

• a tubular gas chamber, a tubular gas dispersion tube, a cathode flow channel, a tubular cathode, a tubular separator, a tubular anode, a tubular anolyte chamber, a tubular anolyte chamber housing, a first and a second toroidal seat plate which form a first and a second end respectively of said tubular anolyte chamber, a first end plate, a second end plate, a first toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule, a second toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule, at least one cathode electrical feed through post in said first and said second end plate, at least one catholyte inlet/outlet port in said first and said second end plate, at least one gas inlet/outlet port in said first and said second end plate, at least one anolyte inlet/outlet port in said tubular anolyte chamber housing, at least one anode electrical feed through post that passes through said tubular anolyte chamber housing and makes contact with said tubular anode, and
• wherein said tubular gas chamber resides within and is defined by the interior surface of said tubular gas dispersion tube, and
• wherein the exterior surface of said tubular gas dispersion tube forms the interior side of said cathode flow channel, and
• wherein the interior surface of said tubular separator forms the exterior side of said cathode flow channel, and
• wherein said tubular cathode resides within said cathode flow channel, and
• wherein the exterior surface of said tubular separator forms the interior side of said tubular anolyte chamber, and
• wherein the exterior side of said tubular anolyte chamber is formed by the interior surface of said tubular anolyte chamber housing, and
• wherein said tubular anode resides within said tubular anolyte chamber,
• wherein a second side of said first toroidal seat plate forms said first end of said tubular anolyte chamber by bridging a first end of said interior surface of said tubular anolyte chamber housing at an exterior portion of said first toroidal seat plate and a first end of said exterior surface of said tubular separator at an interior portion of said first toroidal seat plate, and
• wherein a first side of said second toroidal seat plate forms said second end of said tubular anolyte chamber by bridging a second end of said interior surface of said tubular anolyte chamber housing at an exterior portion of said second toroidal seat plate and a second end of said exterior surface of said tubular separator at an interior portion of said second toroidal seat plate, and
• wherein a second side of said first toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule contacts a first end of said tubular cathode, and
• wherein said second side of said first toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule bridges a first end of said tubular separator and a interior surface of said first toroidal seat plate, and
• wherein a first side of said second toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule contacts a second end of said tubular cathode, and
• wherein said first side of said second toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule bridges a second end of said tubular separator and a interior surface of said second toroidal seat plate, and
• wherein a second side of said first end plate forms a first end of said tubular gas chamber, and
• wherein said second side of said first end plate forms a first end of said tubular gas dispersion tube, and
• wherein said second side of said first end plate compresses said first toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule between said second side of said first end plate and said first side of said first toroidal seat plate, and
• wherein a first side of said second end plate forms a second end of said tubular gas chamber, and
• wherein said first side of said second end plate forms a second end of said tubular gas dispersion tube, and
• wherein said first side of said second end plate compresses said second toroidal cathode current distributor and compression ferrule between said first side of said second end plate and a second side of said second toroidal seat plate.