Conversion of solar energy to chemical and electrical energy
First Claim
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1. A process for conversion of solar energy to electrical energy by using a photoelectrochemical membrane cell to regenerate a redox anolyte of a redox-oxygen cell for production of electrical energy comprising in combination:
- A. in a photoelectrochemical membrane cell;
illuminating photosensitizers with solar energy thereby producing excited sensitizers and electrons, said sensitizers being located in a redox electrolyte comprising R/O couples adjacent an electron transferring membrane separating said redox electrolyte from a redox aqueous anolyte comprising A+n /A+n-1 couples, said redox electrolyte couples having a redox potential more negative than the decomposition potential of said sensitizers and said redox anolyte couples having redox potential more positive than the excited state level of the sensitizers or the flat-band potential of a semiconductor sensitizer,passing said electrons through said membrane oxidizing said sensitizers and reducing said redox anolyte couples,regenerating the oxidized sensitizers by reduction in said redox electrolyte producing oxidized redox electrolyte couples,electrochemically regenerating oxidized redox electrolyte couples at the surface of a negative electrode in electronic communication with said redox electrolyte and in electronic communication through an external bias circuit with a positive electrode in electronic communication with said redox aqueous anolyte, and venting oxygen produced at said positive electrode,B. passing said reduced redox aqueous anolyte couples to a redox-oxygen cell;
C. in said redox-oxygen cell;
passing said reduced redox anolyte couples in contact with a porous flowthrough anode thereby oxidizing said couples to a condition suitable for recycle to said photoelectrochemical membrane cell as electron acceptor redox anolyte couples,passing oxygen through a diffusion cathode to a catholyte of said redox-oxygen cell to form water,withdrawing electrical energy from said redox-oxygen cell by an external load circuit in electronic communication between said porous anode and said diffusion cathode, an ionically conductive separator between the redox-oxygen cell catholyte and anolyte completing the circuit; and
D. recycling said oxidized redox anolyte couples to the anolyte side of said photoelectrochemical membrane cell.
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Abstract
Apparatus and processes for conversion of solar energy to chemical and electrical energy using a photoelectrochemical membrane cell to regenerate the redox anolyte of a redox-oxygen cell.
49 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A process for conversion of solar energy to electrical energy by using a photoelectrochemical membrane cell to regenerate a redox anolyte of a redox-oxygen cell for production of electrical energy comprising in combination:
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A. in a photoelectrochemical membrane cell; illuminating photosensitizers with solar energy thereby producing excited sensitizers and electrons, said sensitizers being located in a redox electrolyte comprising R/O couples adjacent an electron transferring membrane separating said redox electrolyte from a redox aqueous anolyte comprising A+n /A+n-1 couples, said redox electrolyte couples having a redox potential more negative than the decomposition potential of said sensitizers and said redox anolyte couples having redox potential more positive than the excited state level of the sensitizers or the flat-band potential of a semiconductor sensitizer, passing said electrons through said membrane oxidizing said sensitizers and reducing said redox anolyte couples, regenerating the oxidized sensitizers by reduction in said redox electrolyte producing oxidized redox electrolyte couples, electrochemically regenerating oxidized redox electrolyte couples at the surface of a negative electrode in electronic communication with said redox electrolyte and in electronic communication through an external bias circuit with a positive electrode in electronic communication with said redox aqueous anolyte, and venting oxygen produced at said positive electrode, B. passing said reduced redox aqueous anolyte couples to a redox-oxygen cell; C. in said redox-oxygen cell; passing said reduced redox anolyte couples in contact with a porous flowthrough anode thereby oxidizing said couples to a condition suitable for recycle to said photoelectrochemical membrane cell as electron acceptor redox anolyte couples, passing oxygen through a diffusion cathode to a catholyte of said redox-oxygen cell to form water, withdrawing electrical energy from said redox-oxygen cell by an external load circuit in electronic communication between said porous anode and said diffusion cathode, an ionically conductive separator between the redox-oxygen cell catholyte and anolyte completing the circuit; and D. recycling said oxidized redox anolyte couples to the anolyte side of said photoelectrochemical membrane cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a process for conversion of solar energy to electrical energy by using a photoelectrochemical membrane cell to regenerate a redox anolyte of a redox-oxygen cell for production of electrical energy, the steps comprising:
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illuminating photosensitizers with solar energy thereby producing excited sensitizers and electrons, said sensitizers being located in a redox electrolyte comprising R/O couples on or within an electron transferring membrane separating said redox electrolyte from a redox aqueous anolyte comprising A+n /A+n-1 couples, said redox electrolyte couples having a redox potential more negative than the decomposition potential of said sensitizers and said redox anolyte couples having redox potential more positive than the excited state level of the sensitizers or the flat-band potential of a semiconductor sensitizer; passing said electrons through said membrane thereby oxidizing said sensitizers and reducing said redox anolyte couples; regenerating the oxidized sensitizers by reduction in said redox electrolyte thereby producing oxidized redox electrolyte couples; and electrochemically regenerating oxidized redox electrolyte couples at the surface of a negative electrode in electronic communication with said redox electrolyte and in electronic communication through an external bias circuit with a positive electrode in electronic communication with said redox aqueous anolyte, and venting oxygen produced at said positive electrode. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A process for converting solar energy to chemical energy using a photoelectrochemical membrane cell comprising the steps of:
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illuminating photosensitizers with solar energy thereby producing excited sensitizers and electrons, said sensitizers being located in a redox electrolyte comprising R/O couples adjacent an electron transferring membrane separating said redox electrolyte from a redox aqueous anolyte comprising A+n /A+n-1 couples, said redox electrolyte couples having a redox potential more negative than the decomposition potential of said sensitizers and said redox anolyte couples having redox potential more positive than the excited state level of the sensitizers or the flat-band potential of a semiconductor sensitizer; passing said electrons through said membrane thereby oxidizing said sensitizers and reducing said redox anolyte couples; regenerating the oxidized sensitizers by reduction in said redox electrolyte thereby producing oxidized redox elctrolyte couples; electrochemically regenerating oxidized redox electrolyte couples at the surface of a negative electrode in electronic communication with said redox electrolyte and in electronic communication through an external bias circuit with a positive electrode in electronic communication with said redox aqueous anolyte, and venting oxygen produced at said positive electrode; and removing said reduced redox aqueous anolyte couples from said membrane cell for energy utilization. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A photoelectrochemical membrane cell comprising:
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a cell container divided into a first and second compartment by an electron transferring membrane comprising photosensitizers on said first compartment side; a redox electrolyte comprising R/O couples in said first compartment and a redox aqueous anolyte comprising A+n /A+n-1 couples in said second compartment, said redox electrolyte couples having a redox potential more negative than the decomposition potential of said sensitizers and said redox anolyte couples having a redox potential more positive than the excited state level of the sensitizers or the flat-band potential of a semiconductor sensitizer; a negative electrode in electronic communication with said redox electrolyte and in electronic communication through an external bias circuit with a positive electrode in electronic communication with said redox aqueous anolyte. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification