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A three-chamber electrochemical cell facilitated biogas upgrading and high-purity oxygen production
Journal article   Peer reviewed

A three-chamber electrochemical cell facilitated biogas upgrading and high-purity oxygen production

H. Mohammadpour, A. Pivrikas, K.Y. Cheng and G. Ho
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry
2022
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Abstract

Anion exchange membrane (AEM)-equipped electrochemical cells can be used for removing the carbon dioxide (CO2) from biogas, thereby upgrading its energy content. The CO2 absorbed in the catholyte can be transported across the AEM as (bi)carbonate and then recovered in the anodic chamber of the electrochemical cell. However, CO2 regeneration in the anode chamber diminishes the oxygen (O2) content in the anodic gas stream. Given this electrochemically produced oxygen can have a high-industrial application value, such as for promoting more efficient biological wastewater treatment processes, we hereby proposed and validated a three-chamber electrochemical cell configuration capable of removing CO2 and recovering it in an intermediate chamber, with a concomitant anodic generation of high-purity O2 gas. Our prototype successfully facilitated CO2 recovery in a separate chamber preventing CO2 contamination of the anodic O2 gas stream. Results also suggested that an approximately tenfold increase in CO2 loading rate enhanced the relative CO2 diffusion flux from 5 to 43% through the AEM, by lowering the catholyte pH as well as improving gas–liquid CO2 transfer. A mathematical model was also developed to accurately predict the polarization performance of the electrochemical cell.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#6 Clean Water and Sanitation
#7 Affordable and Clean Energy
#9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
#13 Climate Action

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InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.83 Bioengineering
3.83.1487 Microbial Fuel Cell
Web Of Science research areas
Electrochemistry
ESI research areas
Chemistry
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