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At least 19 records

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DOE OSTI2020

A High-Rate Lithium Manganese Oxide-Hydrogen Battery

Rechargeable hydrogen gas batteries show promises for the integration of renewable yet intermittent solar and wind electricity into the grid energy storage. Here, we describe a rechargeable, high-rate, and long-life hydrogen gas battery that exploits a nanostructured lithium manganese oxide cathode and a hydrogen gas anode in an aqueous electrolyte. The proposed lithium manganese oxide-hydrogen battery shows a discharge potential of ~1.3 V, a remarkable rate of 50 C with Coulombic efficiency of ~99.8%, and a robust cycle life. A systematic electrochemical study demonstrates the significance of the electrocatalytic hydrogen gas anode and reveals the charge storage mechanism of the lithium manganese oxide-hydrogen battery. This work provides opportunities for the development of new rechargeable hydrogen batteries for the future grid-scale energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2021

An Ultrastable Aqueous Iodine-Hydrogen Gas Battery

Rechargeable hydrogen gas batteries are highly desirable for large-scale energy storage because of their long life cycle, high round trip efficiency, fast reaction kinetics, and hydrogen gas profusion. Coupling advanced cathode chemistries with hydrogen gas anode is an emerging and exciting area of research. Here, a novel high-performance aqueous iodine-hydrogen gas (I 2 -H 2 ) battery using iodine as cathode and hydrogen gas as the electrocatalytic anode in environmentally benign aqueous electrolytes is reported. The working chemistry of the battery involves I 2 /I - solid-liquid reactions occurring over the cathode along with H 2 /H 2 O gas-liquid reactions at the anode, achieving a high rate performance of 100 C and long-lasting stability of over 60 000 cycles. Additionally, the static aqueous I 2 -H 2 battery displays a volumetric capacity of 15.5 Ah L -1 along with good self-healing capability towards cell overcharge. The current battery design exhibits robust electrochemical performance irrespective of acidic, neutral, and alkaline electrolyte systems. This study paves the way towards the industrialization of economically effective, high-power density, and long-term I 2 -H 2 batteries for large-scale energy storage applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS1985

Molten-Salt Electrolysis

Concept of electrolytic decomposition of gaseous hydrogen sulfide to yield gaseous sulfur at anode and hydrogen gas at cathode considered.

Cubicciotti, D.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Generation and delivery device for ozone gas and ozone dissolved in water

The present invention provides an ozone generation and delivery system that lends itself to small scale applications and requires very low maintenance. The system includes an anode reservoir and a cathode phase separator each having a hydrophobic membrane to allow phase separation of produced gases from water. The system may be configured to operate passively with no moving parts or in a self-pressurizing manner with the inclusion of a pressure controlling device or valve in the gas outlet of the anode reservoir. The hydrogen gas, ozone gas and water containing ozone may be delivered under pressure.

Andrews, Craig C.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Generation and delivery device for ozone gas and ozone dissolved in water

Andrews, Craig C.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Thrifting iridium for hydrogen

Using renewable electricity to produce hydrogen fuel reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are the highest-performing commercialized technology. These devices split water into oxygen gas and hydrogen ions (protons) at the anode. The protons then migrate through an ion-conducting polymer membrane (ionomer) to be reduced to hydrogen gas at the cathode. Further, the anode reaction’s harsh environment requires the use of precious-metal catalysts, such as iridium oxide (IrO x ). Given the expense and scarcity, the design of electrodes that minimize the use of precious metals without compromising the requisite stability and activity is desired for large-scale hydrogen production. On page 791 of this issue, Shi et al. report that anchoring IrO x catalysts onto porous cerium-oxide (CeO x ) supports maintains performance even with much reduced precious metal use.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2021

Load following power generation and power storage using REP and PEM technology

A hydrogen generation system for generating hydrogen and electrical power includes a power supply, a reformer-electrolyzer-purifier (REP) assembly including at least one fuel cell including an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix, at least one low temperature fuel cell, and a hydrogen storage. The at least one fuel cell is configured to receive a reverse voltage supplied by the power supply and generate hydrogen-containing gas in the anode of the at least one fuel cell. The at least one low temperature fuel cell is configured to receive the hydrogen-containing gas output from the REP assembly. The at least one low temperature fuel cell is configured to selectably operate in a power generation mode in which the hydrogen-containing gas is used to generate electrical power and a power storage mode in which the hydrogen-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the hydrogen storage.

Jahnke, Fred C.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Interfacial Properties of Gold and Cobalt Oxyhydroxide in Plasmon-Mediated Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Water electrolysis is one green approach of storing electrical energy within chemical bonds of the high-energy hydrogen gas (H2). The anodic reaction involved in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) requires high kinetic overpotential on the overall rate of the process. Recently, plasmonic gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have been added to enhance the charge transfer at the interface of the OER electrocatalysts and electrolyte under light illumination. However, mechanistic understanding of how Au NPs on the photo-assisted electrochemical process is still lacking. We applied a model system of plasmonic Au electrode and a cobalt (Co)-based OER electrocatalyst in alkaline electrolytes to investigate the plasmon-mediated OER process with (photo)electrochemical and spectroscopic studies. Our results demonstrated that the electrodeposited and surfactant-free plasmonic Au electrode could enhance the electrocatalytic performances of the Co-based electrocatalysts in the OER process with continuous visible and near infrared light illumination. Both the photothermal and energetic charge carriers were found to contribute to the enhanced OER performance based on the transient photocurrent studies, and the interfaces of Au and the Co-based electrocatalysts determined the enhancement mechanisms. The active phase of the cobalt based OER electrocatalyst at operating potentials was identified with electrochemical Raman measurements.

OER↗

DOE OSTI2021

Reformer-electrolyzer-purifier (REP) assembly for hydrogen production, systems incorporating same and method of producing hydrogen

A high temperature electrolyzer assembly comprising at least one electrolyzer fuel cell including an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte matrix, and a power supply for applying a reverse voltage to the at least one electrolyzer fuel cell, wherein a gas feed comprising steam and one or more of CO2 and hydrocarbon fuel is fed to the anode of the at least one electrolyzer fuel cell, and wherein, when the power supply applies the reverse voltage to the at least one electrolyzer fuel cell, hydrogen-containing gas is generated by an electrolysis reaction in the anode of the at least one electrolyzer fuel cell and carbon dioxide is separated from the hydrogen-containing gas so that the at least one electrolyzer fuel cell outputs the hydrogen-containing gas and separately outputs an oxidant gas comprising carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Jahnke, Fred C.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Improved cell for water-vapor electrolysis

Continuous-flow electrolytic cells decompose water vapor in steam and room air into hydrogen and oxygen. Sintered iridium oxide catalytic anode coating yields dissociation rates hundredfold greater than those obtained using platinum black. Cell consists of two mirror-image cells, with dual cathode sandwiched between two anodes. Gas traverses serpentine channels within cell and is dissociated at anode. Oxygen mingles with gas stream, while hydrogen migrates through porous matrix and is liberated as gas at cathode.

Aylward, J. R.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy storage using an REP with an engine

An energy storage system includes a power plant configured to generate an exhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide. The energy storage system further includes a first fuel cell configured to operate in reverse as an electrolyzer. The first fuel cell is configured to receive at least a portion of the exhaust gas from the power plant. An anode is configured to receive carbon dioxide via the exhaust gas and methane from a separate feed, and the anode is configured to output a hydrogen-containing gas mixture. The energy storage system further includes a reformer configured to methanate the hydrogen-containing gas mixture to convert substantially all of the carbon monoxide in the hydrogen-containing gas mixture to methane. The energy storage system further includes a second fuel cell operating in reverse as a hydrogen pump, the second fuel cell configured to separate hydrogen from a gas mixture output by the reformer.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Method and system for electrochemically compressing gaseous hydrogen

Method and system for electrochemically compressing hydrogen. In one embodiment, the system includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that includes a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), an anode, and a cathode. First and second gas diffusion media are positioned adjacent the cathode and anode, respectively. A humidifying membrane is positioned next to the second gas diffusion medium on a side opposite the anode. A water supply is connected to the humidifying membrane, and a hydrogen gas supply is connected to the second gas diffusion medium. A hydrogen gas collector including a back pressure regulator is connected to the first gas diffusion medium. Separators, positioned on opposite sides of the MEA, are connected to a power source. In use, hydrogen is electrochemically pumped across the MEA and collected in the hydrogen gas collector. The PEM is kept properly humidified by the humidifying membrane, which releases water into the second gas diffusion medium.

Hamdan, Monjid↗

DOE OSTI2020

Bioelectrochemical biorefining for the conversion of hydrogenous matter to hydrogen gas and other useful products

A method for the substantially complete conversion of hydrogenous matter to higher value product, the method comprising: (i) subjecting the hydrogenous matter to a substantially complete deconstruction process in which an aqueous phase containing a multiplicity of deconstructed compounds is produced; and (ii) contacting the aqueous phase with an anode of a microbial electrolysis cell, the anode containing a community of microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of the oxygenated organic compounds in the aqueous phase to produce protons and free electrons at the anode, wherein the protons and free electrons are transported to the cathode to produce hydrogen gas or a valuable reduced organic compound at the cathode upon application of a suitable cell potential across the anode and cathode. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for practicing the method described above.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Anodic Hydrogen Generation from Benzaldehyde on Au, Ag, and Cu: Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode Studies

Aldehydes are selectively oxidized to carboxylates on group 11 metals at low potentials (<0.4 V vs. RHE) in alkaline media. This process can occur by a pathway that generates H 2 gas from the aldehyde, known as electro-oxidative dehydrogenation (EOD) or anodic hydrogen production. The EOD process occurs with transfer of only one electron per aldehyde, whereas typical oxidation with discharge of hydrogen to form water is a two-electron process. Here, we study the catalytic activity and selectivity toward H 2 of Au, Ag, and Cu electrodes using benzaldehyde with rotating disk and ring-disk electrode (RDE/RRDE) techniques. The average number of electrons per benzaldehyde molecule obtained via H 2 detection by RRDE agrees with that obtained via Koutecký-Levich analysis conducted at various rotation rates. We find that Au and Ag have much higher H 2 and benzoate formation rates than Cu, but that Cu can perform the reaction at about 0.2 V lower overpotentials. On all three materials, benzaldehyde oxidation has high selectivity to anodic H 2 (one-electron pathway) below ∼0.5 V vs. RHE, but, with increasing potential, the selectivity shifts to H-oxidation forming water (two-electron pathway).

Ramos, Nathanael C. (ORCID:0000000247210350)↗

NASA NTRS1984

Preparation and evaluation of advanced catalysts for phosphoric acid fuel cells

The platinum electrocatalysts were characterized for their crystallite sizes and the degree of dispersion on the carbon supports. One application of these electrocatalysts was for anodic oxidation of hydrogen in hot phosphoric acid fuel cells, coupled with the influence of low concentrations of carbon monoxide in the fuel gas stream. In a similar way, these platinum on carbon electrocatalysts were evaluated for oxygen reduction in hot phosphoric acid. Binary noble metal alloys were prepared for anodic oxidation of hydrogen and noble metal-refractory metal mixtures were prepared for oxygen reduction. An exemplar alloy of platinum and palladium (50/50 atom %) was discovered for anodic oxidation of hydrogen in the presence of carbon monoxide, and patent disclosures were submitted. For the cathode, platinum-vanadium alloys were prepared showing improved performance over pure platinum. Preliminary experiments on electrocatalyst utilization in electrode structures showed low utilization of the noble metal when the electrocatalyst loading exceeded one weight percent on the carbon.

Stonehart, P.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Cell and method for electrolysis of water and anode

An electrolytic cell for converting water vapor to oxygen and hydrogen include an anode comprising a foraminous conductive metal substrate with a 65-85 weight percent iridium oxide coating and 15-35 weight percent of a high temperature resin binder. A matrix member contains an electrolyte to which a cathode substantially inert. The foraminous metal member is most desirably expanded tantalum mesh, and the cell desirably includes reservoir elements of porous sintered metal in contact with the anode to receive and discharge electrolyte to the matrix member as required. Upon entry of a water vapor containing airstream into contact with the outer surface of the anode and thence into contact with iridium oxide coating, the water vapor is electrolytically converted to hydrogen ions and oxygen with the hydrogen ions migrating through the matrix to the cathode and the oxygen gas produced at the anode to enrich the air stream passing by the anode.

Aylward, J. R.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Material Failure Mechanisms of Alkaline Zn Rechargeable Conversion Electrodes

Zinc (Zn) alkaline electrodes hold great importance and promise in the battery technology community, yet their behavior in real-world applications is still poorly understood. Here, we report a study of failure mechanisms and material evolution during cycling of 27 zinc–manganese dioxide (Zn–MnO 2 ) cells wherein the percent utilization of the Zn electroactive material is systematically varied between 1 and 16%. Cell fabrication is kept typical of the prevailing industrial cell design. The cycle life ranges from 2800 to 60, depending inversely on the Zn utilization. In all cases, the Zn material microstructure sheds the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder and forms zinc oxide (ZnO) rods, with longer rods formed by lower current per Zn mass. Irreversible side reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), short circuits, or gas crossover cause the Zn anode’s charging efficiency to average 92% (as low as 86%), which in turn causes the baseload of metallic Zn to gradually disappear. Cell failure occurs after the baseload of metallic Zn is exhausted. The total lifetime discharge capacity remains constant near 12 ± 5 Ah/g Zn invariant of Zn utilization, which suggests that the aforementioned processes of Zn microstructural evolution and side-reaction destruction of baseload metallic zinc both progress linearly with cell capacity throughput. Manual reproduction of individual Zn failure mechanisms is performed in 22 fresh cells. Tight packing of the microstructure can lead to poor mass transfer, which causes supersaturation of soluble Zn and finally produces a high overvoltage during discharge. Here, the low charging current density yields poor coulombic efficiency due either to the competitive HER or soft short circuits.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sulfide electrolyte additive enables multi-ionic transfer pathways in alkaline iron redox

Traditional alkaline iron (Fe) batteries rely on the conversion reaction between Fe and Fe(OH) 2 but suffer from hydrogen generation upon Fe formation on charging. Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox is a promising anode reaction for alkaline Fe batteries, as it alleviates the formation of hydrogen gas during charging. However, achieving complete Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox with a one-electron transfer reaction is challenging due to the formation of electrochemically inert Fe 3 O 4 materials. Here, we demonstrate that an alkaline sulfide-containing electrolyte facilitates the reversible multi-ion transfer and transport pathways within (and beyond) the Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox system, including Fe(OH) 2 /Fe 3 O 4 conversion, intercalation of hydrosulfide into layered Fe(OH) 2 , and hydrogen deposition, mediated by hydroxyl ions, hydrosulfide anions, and protons, respectively. This multi-ionic charge storage mechanism delivers a compelling discharge capacity of up to 330 mA h g −1 , as determined by chronopotentiometry measurements at a current density of 0.1 A g −1 , exceeding the theoretical iron redox capacity solely relying on Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox (∼299 mA h g −1 ). Our study will highlight the potential of alkaline iron redox as a green anode reaction for various aqueous energy storage systems by utilizing a scalable and low-concentration hydrosulfide electrolyte additive.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗