Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Tyco Electronics Japan G.k.

Yuki Kudo

Satoshi Mikoshiba

Akihiko Ono

Ryota Kitagawa

Jun Tamura

Masakazu Yamagiwa

Yoshitsune Sugano

Asahi Motoshige

Eishi Tsutsumi

Yusuke Kofuji

Chingchun Huang

Takayuki Tsukagoshi

Arisa Yamada

Yoshihiko Nakano

Takeshi Gotanda

Rumiko Hayase

Norihiro Yoshinaga

Junya Tsuji

Yuta Kanai

Takuya Hongo

Tatsuki Watanabe

Tomohito Ide

Ryoto Kitagawa

Yasuhiro Kiyota

The embodiments provide an electrode catalyst layer for an electrolysis cell, and also an electrolysis cell and a carbon dioxide electrolysis apparatus comprising that layer. The catalyst layer has a controlled porous structure, and can realize a high partial current density. The catalyst layer of the embodiment comprises carbonous catalyst carriers, a metallic catalyst loaded on the carriers, and an ion-conductive material. The catalyst layer contains pores of 5 to 200 μm diameters, and the pores have a volume per weight of the catalyst layer in the range of 3.0 to 10 mL/g in total.

Electrode catalyst layer for carbon dioxide electrolysis cell, electrolysis cell and carbon dioxide electrolysis apparatus comprising the same

An electrochemical reaction device includes: a first reactor including a first room and a second room, the first room being configured to store a gas containing carbon dioxide or a first electrolytic solution containing carbon dioxide, and the second room being configured to store a second electrolytic solution containing water; a cathode disposed in the first room, the cathode being configured to reduce the carbon dioxide and thus produce a reduction product; an anode disposed in the second room, the anode being configured to oxidize the water and thus produce an oxidation product; a first pressure adjuster configured to adjust pressure in the first room; a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature in the first reactor to form a detection signal; and a controller configured to control the pressure adjuster in accordance with the detection signal from the temperature detector.

Electrochemical reaction device

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device includes an electrolysis cell including: an anode configured to oxidize water to produce oxygen; a cathode configured to reduce carbon dioxide to produce carbon compound; a cathode flow path plate having a surface provided in contact with the cathode and a cathode flow path provided on the surface and facing to the cathode; and a separator provided between the anode and the cathode. The surface has a hydrophilic region provided on the cathode and having a contact angle to water of less than 45 degrees.

Carbon dioxide electrolytic device

An electrochemical reaction device comprises: an anode to oxidize water; an electrolytic solution flow path facing on the anode and through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows; a cathode including: a porous conductive layer having first and second surfaces; and a reduction catalyst layer having a third surface disposed on the first surface and containing a reduction catalyst to reduce carbon dioxide; a separator between the anode and the cathode; a power supply connected to the anode and the cathode; and a flow path plate including: a fourth surface on the second surface; and a flow path facing on the second surface and through which the carbon dioxide flows. A ratio of an area of an overlap of the second surface and the flow path to an area of the second surface is 0.5 or more and 0.85 or less.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device of an embodiment includes: an electrolysis cell including a cathode, an anode, a gas supply flow path, a solution supply flow path, and a separator; a COgas supply unit configured to supply COgas to the gas supply flow path; an electrolytic solution supply unit configured to supply an electrolytic solution to the solution supply flow path; and a rinse material supply unit configured to supply a rinse material to the gas supply flow path. The gas supply flow path has a first opening, a second opening, and an auxiliary flow path provided to a part of a flow path between the first opening and the second opening, and configured to make at least the rinse material flow therethrough. A switching mechanism configured to switch a flow direction of the rinse material in the auxiliary flow path is connected to the gas supply flow path.

Carbon dioxide electrolytic device and method of electrolyzing carbon dioxide

A carbon dioxide electrolysis device, includes: an anode configured to oxidize water or a hydroxide ion and thus generate oxygen; an anode solution flow path configured to supply an anode solution to the anode; a cathode configured to reduce carbon dioxide to generate a carbon compound; a gas flow path configured to supply a gas to the cathode, the gas containing carbon dioxide; a diaphragm provided between the anode and the cathode and including a porous film with a hydrophilic polymer supported thereon; and a protective member provided between the anode and the diaphragm and protecting the diaphragm.

Carbon dioxide electrolysis device

An electrochemical reaction device in an embodiment includes: a reaction unit including a first accommodation part to accommodate carbon dioxide and a second accommodation part to accommodate an electrolytic solution containing water; a reduction electrode to reduce the carbon dioxide; an oxidation electrode to oxidize the water; a power supply to pass current between the reduction electrode and the oxidation electrode; a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure in the first accommodation part; a reaction product detector to detect at least one of an amount and a kind of a substance produced at the reduction electrode; and a controller to control the pressure regulator based on a detection signal of the reaction product detector.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device according to an embodiment includes: an electrolysis cell including a reduction electrode, an oxidation electrode, a gas flow path supplying gas containing COto the reduction electrode, a liquid flow path supplying an electrolytic solution containing water to the oxidation electrode, and a diaphragm separating the reduction electrode from the oxidation electrode; a first supply path connected to the gas flow path; a first discharge path connected to the gas flow path; a first moisture content detecting unit installed in the first discharge path to detect a moisture content in the gas flowing in the first discharge path; a moisture content adjusting unit configured to adjust a moisture content supplied to the reduction electrode; and a control unit configured to control the moisture content adjusting unit based on a detection signal of the first moisture content detecting unit.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device, includes: an electrolysis cell including an anode to oxidize water and thus form oxygen, an anode flow path facing the anode, a cathode to reduce carbon dioxide and thus form a carbon compound, a cathode flow path facing the cathode, and a separator between the anode and the cathode; a cooling flow path provided opposite to the anode flow path or the cathode flow path and connected in parallel to the anode flow path; an anode inflow path connecting an inlet of the anode flow path, an inlet of the cooling flow path, and an outlet of a liquid tank to store a liquid containing water; an anode outflow path connecting an outlet of the anode flow path, an outlet of the cooling flow path, and an inlet of the liquid tank; and a cooler to cool the anode outflow path.

A reduction electrode of an embodiment includes a metal base material and a plurality of metal nanowires provided on the metal base material. The plurality of metal nanowires include metal nanowires whose average height of contour curve of surface is 20 nm or less for 50% or more in a number ratio. The plurality of metal nanowires are formed by reducing a plurality of metal oxides each having a nanowire shape formed on the metal base material by an electrochemical reduction method. A reduction process of the metal oxides includes a first process of passing a current under a constant current condition where an absolute value is 5 mA/cmor more through the plurality of metal oxides, and a second process of passing a current under a constant potential condition through the plurality of metal oxides.

Reduction electrode and manufacturing method thereof, and electrolytic device

A reduction catalyst body for carbon dioxide of an embodiment includes a metal layer, and a projection provided on the metal layer. The projection is constituted of an aggregate of fine metal particles, and possesses a polyhedral structure having surfaces of three faces or more of a polygon. The projection has a site of reducing carbon dioxide, as at least a part of the surfaces.

Reduction catalyst body for carbon dioxide and manufacturing method thereof, reduction electrode, and reduction reaction device

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device in an embodiment includes: an electrolysis cell including a cathode including a COgas supply flow path, an anode, and a separator; a COsupply unit configured to supply COgas to the gas supply flow path; and a rinse material supply unit configured to make a rinse material containing HO flow through the COgas supply flow path. The COgas supply flow path includes a first opening provided on one end side, a second opening provided on another end side, and a third opening provided between the first opening and the second opening. The rinse material supply unit is configured to make the rinse material flow at least between the first opening and the third opening of the COgas supply flow path.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device comprises: an electrolysis cell including a first electrode having a first catalyst to reduce carbon dioxide, a second electrode having a second catalyst to oxidize water or hydroxide ions, a first electrode flow path facing the first electrode, a second electrode flow path facing the second electrode, and a separator separating the first and second electrodes; a power controller; a first flow path through which the carbon dioxide flows; a second flow path through which the carbon compound flows; a third flow path through which an electrolytic solution containing the water flows; a fourth flow path through which the oxygen flows; a first valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the first flow path; a second valve to connect the first electrode flow path and the second flow path; a tank connected to the first electrode flow path and configured to store a rinse solution; and a controller programmed to control opening and closing of the first and second valves in accordance with performance requirements of the electrolysis cell.

A carbon dioxide reduction system comprises: an electrolytic unit including an electrolysis cell having a cathode to reduce a first substance containing carbon dioxide and thus produce a first product containing a carbon compound, and an anode to oxidize a second substance containing water or hydroxide ions and thus produce a second product containing oxygen, a detection unit to acquire data defining operation states of the electrolysis cell, and an electrolytic regulator to regulate electrolysis conditions of the electrolysis cell; a compression unit including a compressor to compress the first product, and a compressor regulator to regulate compression conditions of the first product by the compressor; and a controller programmed to predict a flow rate of the carbon compound discharged from the electrolysis cell in accordance with the data to control regulation of the compression conditions in accordance with the predicted flow rate.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yuki Kudo