An integrated device to convert carbon dioxide to energy

Steven Saric, Brenna Biggs, Mika Janbahan, Ryan Hamilton, Huy K. Do, Salvador Mayoral and John L. Haan

Applied Energy, 2016, vol. 183, issue C, 1346-1350

Abstract: A device was constructed that converts dissolved carbon dioxide to power. In a central reservoir this device wholly contains the electrochemical conversion cycle of carbonate to formate and formate to carbonate. At one end of the reservoir is a cation exchange membrane containing Sn and Pt catalysts to reduce carbonate and oxidize water, respectively. At the other end is an anion exchange membrane containing Pd and Pt catalysts to oxidize formate and reduce oxygen, respectively (the direct formate fuel cell). The electrochemical reduction of carbonate produced 54mM formate after 15min. The formate produced within this device produced a power density of 2mWcm−2. The overall efficiency of a 15min run of this device was 40%. This device represents a two order of magnitude increase in the time efficiency with which carbonate is reduced to formate compared with the first reported device that converts carbon dioxide to power.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide and carbonate reduction; Liquid fuel energy carrier; Formate oxidation; Direct formate fuel cell; Formic acid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.09.080

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