Method and apparatus for partial oxidation of methane and cogeneration of electrical energy

US5364506A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US

Inventors

• Turgut M. Gür · Palo Alto, US
• Henry Wise · Redwood City, US
• Robert A. Huggins · Ulm, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 28, 1993
• Grant date: Nov 15, 1994
• Expiry date: Apr 28, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/50
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrochemical reactor for partially oxidizing methane and cogenerating electrical energy. A solid-state ionic reactor is described in which a solid electrolyte is provided with a cathode and a perovskite type anode having a wide range of oxygen nonstoichiometry. The cell generates electrical energy as a result of the chemical potential difference brought about by the catalytic oxidation of methane at the anode with oxygen that chemically diffuses from the cathode through the solid-state ionic conductor.