Electrochemical reaction apparatus

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY FROM AN ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTION AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM ABOUT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO ABOUT 200*C. IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTION SYSTEM CHARACTERIZED BY A RELATIVELY REDUCIBLE SYBSYSTEM A RELATIVELY OXIDIZABLE SUBSYSTEM, EACH INCLUDING AN ELECTROCHEMICALLY REACTANT MATERIAL ADAPTED TO COACT ELECTROCHEMICALLY THROUGH AN AQUEOUS ION-TRANSFER MEDIUM, EACH OF SAID SUBSYSTEM INCLUDING AN ELECTRODE ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO AN EXTERNAL ELECTRON CONDUCTING CIRCUIT, AND AN AQUEOUS ION-TRANSFERMEDIUM DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES AND FORMING AN INTERFACE THEREWITH, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) ADDING SULPHURIC ACID ACTIVATOR TO THE ION-TRANSFER MEDIUM TO A CONCENTRATION EQUIVALENT TO 6 MOLAR ACID; (B) SUPPLYING AN ALCOHOL FUEL CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS TO THE RELATIVELY OXIDIZABLE SUBSYSTEM; (C) SUPPLYING ELEMENTAL HALOGEN ANTIFUEL TO SAID RELATIVELY REDUCIBLE SUBSYSTEM; (D) MAINTAINING EACH OF SAID SUBSYSTEMS IN THE LIQUID PHASE; (E) REMOVING THE REACTION BY-PRODUCT FROM SAID RELATIVELY OXIDIZABLE SUBSYSTEM; (F) REMOVING HYDROGEN HALIDE REACTION BY-PRODUCT FROM SAID RELATIVELY REDUCIBLE SUBSYSTEM IN THE LIQUID PHASE OXIDIZING SAID HYDROGEN HALIDE BY-PRODUCT EXTERNALLY OF SAID REACTION SYSTEM IN THE GAS PHASE OVER A VANADIUM PENTOXIDE CATALYST TO CONVERT IT TO WATER AND GASEOUS HALOGEN ANTIFUEL; AND (G) RECYCLING THE RECONSTITUTED HALOGEN TO SAID RELATIVELY REDUCIBLE SUBSYSTEM.