Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Hydrogen-powered Electrochemically-driven CO 2 Removal from Air Containing 400 to 5000 ppm CO 2

Journal Article · · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

The performance of a hydrogen-powered, electrochemically-driven CO 2 separator (EDCS) was demonstrated at cathode inlet CO 2 concentrations from 400 ppm to 5,000 ppm. The impact of current density and CO 2 concentration were evaluated to predict operating windows for various applications. The single-cell data was used to scale a 100 cm 2 , multi-cell stack using a shorted-membrane design for four applications: direct air capture (DAC), hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell (HEMFC) air pretreatment, submarine life support, and space habitation. For DAC, a 339-cell EDCS stack (7.7 L, 17 kg) was projected to remove 1 tonne CO 2 per year. The addition of the EDCS in HEMFC systems would result in nearly a 30% increase in volume, and therefore further improvements in performance would be necessary. A module containing five 338-cell EDCS stacks (38 L, 85 kg) in parallel can support a 150 person crew at 2.1% of the volume of the liquid amine system employed in submarines. For space habitation, a 109-cell EDCS stack (3.2 L, 10 kg) is adequate for 6 crewmembers, and is less than 1% the size and 5% the weight of the current CO 2 removal system installed on the International Space Station.

Research Organization:
University of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
Grant/Contract Number:
AR0001034
OSTI ID:
1875206
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1873452
OSTI ID: 1980890
Journal Information:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 169; ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (61)

The Effect of Ambient Carbon Dioxide on Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells journal March 2018
An overview into submarine CO2 scrubber development journal January 1983
Carbon dioxide removal system for closed loop atmosphere revitalization, candidate sorbents screening and test results journal May 2013
Advances in CO2 capture technology: A patent review journal February 2013
Effect of nitrogen crossover on purging strategy in PEM fuel cell systems journal November 2013
Removal of low concentration CO2 at ambient temperature using several potassium-based sorbents journal July 2014
Co-electrolysis of CO2 and H2O: From electrode reactions to cell-level development journal October 2020
Outdoor Prototype Results for Direct Atmospheric Capture of Carbon Dioxide journal January 2013
Influence of CO2 dissolution into anion exchange membrane on fuel cell performance journal January 2013
Impact of carbonation processes in anion exchange membrane fuel cells journal February 2018
Separation of CO2 from flue gas using electrochemical cells journal June 2010
Carbonation effects on the performance of alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells journal June 2015
Techno-economic assessment of CO2 direct air capture plants journal July 2019
A Process for Capturing CO2 from the Atmosphere journal August 2018
Buildup of nitrogen in direct hydrogen polymer-electrolyte fuel cell stacks journal September 2007
H2/air alkaline membrane fuel cell performance and durability, using novel ionomer and non-platinum group metal cathode catalyst journal September 2010
Review of cell performance in anion exchange membrane fuel cells journal January 2018
Anion exchange membrane fuel cells: Current status and remaining challenges journal January 2018
Effect of reacting gas flowrates and hydration on the carbonation of anion exchange membrane fuel cells in the presence of CO2 journal August 2020
Effect of CO2 on the properties of anion exchange membranes for fuel cell applications journal September 2019
Interfacial effects on the catalysis of the hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution and CO2-reduction reactions for (co-)electrolyzer development journal November 2016
Direct Air Carbon Capture and Sequestration: How It Works and How It Could Contribute to Climate-Change Mitigation journal December 2019
An overview of current status of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies journal November 2014
Carbon Dioxide Capture Using an Electrochemically Driven Proton Concentration Process journal April 2020
Separation of CO 2 from Dilute Gas Streams Using a Membrane Electrochemical Cell journal March 2021
An Electrochemical Device for Carbon Dioxide Concentration. I. System Design and Performance
  • Winnick, Jack; Marshall, Richard D.; Schubert, Franz H.
  • Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Process Design and Development, Vol. 13, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1021/i260049a011
journal January 1974
Comprehensive Study of the Hydration and Dehydration Reactions of Carbon Dioxide in Aqueous Solution journal December 2009
Activity targets for nanostructured platinum-group-metal-free catalysts in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells journal December 2016
Poly(aryl piperidinium) membranes and ionomers for hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells journal April 2019
Highly quaternized polystyrene ionomers for high performance anion exchange membrane water electrolysers journal March 2020
A shorted membrane electrochemical cell powered by hydrogen to remove CO2 from the air feed of hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells journal February 2022
Direct human health risks of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide journal July 2019
Towards membrane-electrode assembly systems for CO 2 reduction: a modeling study journal January 2019
Quantifying and elucidating the effect of CO 2 on the thermodynamics, kinetics and charge transport of AEMFCs journal January 2019
High carbonate ion conductance of a robust PiperION membrane allows industrial current density and conversion in a zero-gap carbon dioxide electrolyzer cell journal January 2020
Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air journal December 2011
The urgency of the development of CO2 capture from ambient air journal July 2012
Removal of Carbon Dioxide from Breathing Gas Mixtures Using an Electrochemical Membrane Cell journal March 1993
An air–liquid contactor for large-scale capture of CO 2 from air
  • Holmes, Geoffrey; Keith, David W.
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 370, Issue 1974 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2012.0137
journal September 2012
Carbonate Dynamics and Opportunities With Low Temperature, Anion Exchange Membrane-Based Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Separators journal May 2017
Anion Exchange Membrane Ionic Conductivity in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide under Fuel Cell Operating Conditions journal August 2017
In-situ Observation of CO conference January 2009
Electrochemical Concentration of Carbon Dioxide from an Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Containing Gas Stream journal January 2010
Mathematical Modeling of the Concentration Profile of Carbonate Ions in an Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell journal January 2011
Review—CO 2 Separation and Transport via Electrochemical Methods journal October 2020
Editors’ Choice—Uncovering the Role of Alkaline Pretreatment for Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells journal November 2020
Demonstration of Electrochemically-Driven CO 2 Separation Using Hydroxide Exchange Membranes journal January 2021
Editors’ Choice—Power-Generating Electrochemical CO 2 Scrubbing from Air Enabling Practical AEMFC Application journal February 2021
Effects of Temperature and Carbon Dioxide on Anion Exchange Membrane Conductivity journal January 2011
Along-the-Channel Impacts of Water Management and Carbon-Dioxide Contamination in Hydroxide-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells: A Modeling Study journal January 2019
Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide: An Investigation into the Self-Purging Mechanism journal January 2019
Toyota MIRAI Fuel Cell Vehicle and Progress Toward a Future Hydrogen Society journal January 2015
Possible future impacts of elevated levels of atmospheric CO 2 on human cognitive performance and on the design and operation of ventilation systems in buildings journal July 2018
On the Use of an Electrochemical Membrane Module for Removal of CO2 from a Breathing Gas Mixture journal May 1997
Evaluation of Cathode Gas Composition and Temperature Influences on Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (AAEMFC) Performance journal February 2014
Crew Health and Performance Improvements with Reduced Carbon Dioxide Levels and the Resource Impact to Accomplish Those Reductions conference November 2011
International Space Station Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly Testing conference July 2000
International Space Station Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (ISS CDRA) Concepts and Advancements conference July 2005
U.S. Navy Submarine Life Support Systems conference July 1991
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on the Performance of Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells journal January 2011
Effects of CO2 Concentration and Electric Current on the Ionic Conductivity of Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells journal January 2011

Similar Records

Demonstration of Electrochemically-Driven CO 2 Separation Using Hydroxide Exchange Membranes
Journal Article · Tue Jan 05 19:00:00 EST 2021 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society · OSTI ID:1756117