Water management in electrochemical systems
Waste management in electrochemical systems, such as electrochemical systems in which an electrochemically active material comprising aluminum is employed, is generally described.
1. A method of operating an electrochemical system, the method comprising:
transporting an aqueous electrolyte of the electrochemical system through a non-electrode porous medium configured to be a nucleation site, thereby precipitating a said comprising aluminum on a surface of the non-electrode porous medium, the surface at least partially comprising a pore surface of the non-electrode porous medium,
wherein aluminum within the solid originates from a product of an electricity-generating electrochemical reaction between aluminum and water carried out using electrodes of the electrochemical system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% wt of the precipitation occurs within the non-electrode porous medium.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is transported through the non-electrode porous medium by a pump; by gravity; by convection caused by a thermal gradient, or bubbles of rising gas; or by molecular diffusion.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid comprises at least one of aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH) 3 , aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), and aluminum oxide hydroxide (AlO(OH)).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-electrode porous medium includes at least one of an open cell foam, a prismatic medium, a polymer, and a functionalized surface.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the non-electrode porous medium is capable of being removed from the system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical system undergoes an electrochemical reaction that generates a gas.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the electrochemical system such that the non-electrode porous medium is expanded during operation of the electrochemical system.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-electrode porous medium does not include poly(tetrafluoroethylene).
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein average pore diameter of the pores of the nonelectrode porous medium is between 10 micrometers and 1 centimeter.
11. A method of operating an electrochemical system, the method comprising:
transporting an aqueous electrolyte of the electrochemical system through a non-electrode porous medium configured to be a nucleation site, the non-electrode porous medium having pores, thereby precipitating a solid comprising aluminum on a surface of the non-electrode porous medium,
wherein aluminum within the solid originates from a product of an electricity-generating electrochemical reaction between aluminum and water carried out using electrodes of the electrochemical system, wherein an average pore diameter of pores of the non-electrode porous medium is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer.
12. A method of operating an electrochemical system, the method comprising:
transporting an aqueous electrolyte of the electrochemical system through a non-electrode porous medium configured to be a nucleation site, the non-electrode porous medium having pores, thereby precipitating a solid comprising aluminum on a surface of the non-electrode porous medium,
wherein aluminum within the solid originates from a product of an electricity-generating electrochemical reaction between aluminum and water carried out using electrodes of the electrochemical system, wherein average pore diameter of the pores of the non-electrode porous medium is between 100 micrometers and 1 centimeter.