Electroconversion cell

• US 6,497,973 B1
• Filed: 06/27/1997
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Millennium Cell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Millennium Cell Inc.
• Inventors: Amendola, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US08/883,859
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 429/19, 429/21, 429/34, 205/343, 205/345, 205/637, 204/253, 204/254
• US Class Current: 429/421
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/36 Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/04 composed of a half-cell of the fuel-cell type and of a half-cell of the primary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5825 Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/48 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system for generating and consuming borohydride ions comprising two electrochemical cells. At least one of the cells is configured for installation on a vehicle that is propelled by electricity.

Claims

1. A system for both generating and consuming borohydride ions, said system comprising a generation point where borohydride ions are electrochemically generated, and a consumption point where said borohydride is electrochemically oxidized to an oxidized form of said borohydride ion, said generation point being separate from said consumption point, said generation point being a first electrochemical cell containing an aqueous solution of said oxidized form of the borohydride ion and means in said first cell for electrochemically reducing said solution at a basic pH to form borohydride ions through reactions which do not generate hydrogen, said consumption point being a second electrochemical cell containing borohydride ions, said second cell containing a means for electrochemically oxidizing borohydride ions to said oxidized form of the borohydride ions and means for transporting the borohydride ions produced in the first cell at the generation point to the second cell at the consumption point.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first generation cell contains an aqueous solution of borate ions at an alkaline pH and means in the first cell to reduce the borate ions in solution to the borohydride ions by the following reaction:

3. The system of claim 2 comprising a means for transporting said oxidized form of borohydride produced in the second cell to the said cell for reduction to borohydride ions.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cells is configured to be suitable for installation in a vehicle that uses electricity either partially or entirely to propel the vehicle.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein said systems is configured to be suitable for storage of electricity for applications.

6. The system of 2 wherein the oxidized borohydride in the second cell at the consumption point contains means for electrochemically oxidizing said borohydride by reducing the water to generate hydrogen.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the generation of hydrogen is catalyzed by the presence of transition metal compounds.

8. The system of claim 6 in which the generation of hydrogen is catalyzed the presence on a cobalt (II) compound.

9. The system of claim 8 in which the cobalt (II) compound is cobalt (II) hydroxide.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising means for transporting the generated hydrogen to a consumer.

11. A process for producing and transporting borohydride ions to a consumption point comprising providing a system containing a generation point where the borohydride ions are electrochemically generated, and a separate consumption point where said borohydride ions are electrochemically oxidized, with said generation point being a first electrochemical cell and said consumption point being a separate second electrochemical cell, electrochemically reducing in said first electrochemical cell an aqueous solution containing said oxidized form of said borohydride at a alkaline pH to form said borohydride ions by reactions that do not generate hydrogen to produce said borohydride, transporting the borohydride ions produced at said first cell to a separate second electrochemical cell at said consumption point, electrolytically oxidizing in said second cell said borohydride ions to said oxidized form of the borohydride ions.

12. The process of claim 11 comprising the step of transporting said oxidized form of the borohydride ions produced in said second cell to said first cell at said generation point.

13. The process of claim 12 comprising producing the borohydride ions in the second cell at the consumption point by electrolytically oxidizing said borohydride through reduction of water to generate hydrogen gas.

14. The process of claim 13 generation of hydrogen in the second cell is metal compounds.