MOLTEN OXIDE ELECTROLYSIS ANODE STRUCTURED FOR OXYGEN GAS COLLECTION
A method and system for producing and collecting oxygen gas using molten oxide electrolysis is presented. The system includes a refractory vessel to hold molten oxide material, an anode and cathode, and a collection space at a top portion of the refractory vessel for collecting oxygen gas that is produced at the anode. The anode is configured to include apertures or openings that increase the surface area of the anode to allow for increased production of oxygen gas bubbles during electrolysis. The openings also allow for an increased opportunity for oxygen gas bubbles to ascend directly to the surface, compared to an anode with no such openings, for oxygen gas collection. The system also includes a space at the top of the vessel, above the molten oxide material, configured to collect oxygen from the oxygen gas bubbles that ascend through the molten oxide material from the openings in the anode.
1 . A method for collecting oxygen gas from a process of molten oxide electrolysis, the method comprising:
via an electrical current, producing electrolysis in a vessel containing a melted oxide material that includes a liquid cathode at a bottom portion of the vessel and an anode that is i) in a top portion of the vessel, ii) submerged in the melted oxide material, and iii) structured to include openings that extend through the anode; and
collecting the oxygen gas in a space above the melted oxide material subsequent to the oxygen gas ascending to the surface from the openings of the anode.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the collected oxygen gas from the space above the melted oxide material to a container outside the vessel.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising vibrating the anode to dislodge bubbles of the oxygen gas from surfaces of the openings of the anode.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the vibrating of the anode is actuated via an anode support member connected to the anode, and wherein the anode support member includes an electrical path that carries the electric current.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting the oxygen gas in the space above the melted oxide material subsequent to the oxygen gas ascending to the surface from a perimeter of the anode.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the molten oxide material includes iron oxide and the liquid cathode comprises iron.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a molten state of the molten oxide material via the electrical current.
8 . A molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) system for oxygen gas production, the MOE system comprising:
a vessel that includes i) an anode and ii) a cathodic electrode in a bottom region of the vessel, wherein
the cathodic electrode is configured to be in electrical communication with a molten oxide material in the vessel,
the anode and the cathodic electrode are configured to provide an electrical current therebetween for a process of electrolysis of the molten oxide material,
the process of electrolysis of the molten oxide material produces a liquid cathode in the bottom region of the vessel and oxygen gas bubbles on the anode, and
the anode includes openings configured for formation of the oxygen gas bubbles; and
a space configured to be above the molten oxide material and configured to collect oxygen from the oxygen gas bubbles that ascend from the openings in the anode.
9 . The MOE system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a vessel cover, wherein the space above the molten oxide material is enclosed by the vessel cover and the molten oxide material; and
an anode support member configured to support the anode and to carry the electrical current to the anode, wherein the anode support member penetrates the vessel cover.
10 . The MOE system of claim 9 , wherein the anode support member is connected to an actuator that is configured to vibrate the anode via the anode support member so as to dislodge the oxygen gas bubbles from the anode.
11 . The MOE system of claim 8 , wherein the surface area of the anode is more than five times the surface area of the liquid cathode.
12 . The MOE system of claim 8 , wherein bottom portions of the anode are beveled to produce a convex surface.
13 . The MOE system of claim 8 , wherein the anode is substantially disk-shaped.
14 . The MOE system of claim 8 , wherein the openings in the anode are configured to pass convection cell currents of the molten oxide material.
15 . A system for collecting oxygen gas from an electrolysis process, the system comprising:
a vessel configured to contain molten oxide material up to a fill level;
a cathode configured to be submerged in the molten oxide material at or near the bottom of the vessel;
an anode configured to be submerged in the molten oxide material near the top of the vessel and to provide an electric current to the molten oxide material and the cathode, wherein the anode includes openings that extend from a top of the anode to the bottom of the anode;
a space between a top cover of the vessel and the fill level for the molten oxide material, the space configured to collect oxygen from oxygen gas bubbles that ascend from the openings in the anode during the electrolysis process; and
an output port to channel the collected oxygen gas from the space to a storage container.
16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
an anode support member configured to support the anode and to carry the electrical current to the anode, wherein the anode support member penetrates the top cover via a connection that is impermeable to the oxygen gas.
17 . The MOE system of claim 16 , wherein the anode support member is connected to an actuator that is configured to vibrate the anode via the anode support member so as to dislodge the oxygen gas bubbles from the anode.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the anode is substantially horizontal and parallel to the liquid cathode.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the bottom of the anode is at least partially beveled to produce a convex surface at an intersection between the bottom and vertical sides of the anode.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the anode is substantially disk-shaped.