Electrochemical method for separating o2 from a gas; generating electricity; measuring o2 partial pressure; and fuel cell

Claim 1

A FUEL CELL COMPRISING: A SOLID PARTITION OF A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAVING THE FORMULA

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING OXYGEN FROM A GAS CONTAINING OXYGEN OR FOR PRODUCING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN COMPRISING: SUPPLYING A GAS CONTAINING OXYGEN TO A FIRST ELECTRIICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAVING THE FORMULA (MO2)14-X(R3OZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE + 2 AND +3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL; SAID FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE AND A SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE; HEATING SAID ELECTROLYTE AND ELECTRODES, WHILE SUPPLYING SAID GAS, TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 500* C. TO 1200* C; APPLYING, WHILE SUPPLYING SAID GAS AND HEATING SAID ELECTROLYTE AND ELECTRODES, A DC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES OF A POLARITY SUCH THAT SAID FIRST ELECTRODE IS NEGATIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND ELECTRODE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN IS PRODUCED AT SAID SECOND ELECTRODE.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING OXYGEN FROM A GAS CONTAINING OXYGEN OR FOR PRODUCING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN COMPRISING: SUPPLYING A GAS CONTAINING OXYGEN TO A FIRST ELECTRIICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAVING THE FORMULA (MO2)14-X(R3OZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE + 2 AND +3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL; SAID FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE AND A SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE; HEATING SAID ELECTROLYTE AND ELECTRODES, WHILE SUPPLYING SAID GAS, TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 500* C. TO 1200* C; APPLYING, WHILE SUPPLYING SAID GAS AND HEATING SAID ELECTROLYTE AND ELECTRODES, A DC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES OF A POLARITY SUCH THAT SAID FIRST ELECTRODE IS NEGATIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND ELECTRODE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY PURE OXYGEN IS PRODUCED AT SAID SECOND ELECTRODE.

Claim 5

A METHOD FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL ENERGY COMPRISING ESTABLISHING UNEQUAL OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURES AT FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODES OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING SAID ELECTRODES ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAVING THE FORMULA (MO2)1-X(RYOZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE + 2 AND + 3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL; SAID ELECTRODES BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ACROSS A LOAD IN AN EXTERNAL CIRCUIT; EXCLUDING OXIDIZABLE FUEL FROM SAID ELECTRODES TO DEVELOP ELECTRICAL POWER ACROSS SAID LOAD BY REASON OF SAID UNEQUAL OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURES AT SAID ELECTRODES.

Claim 6

A METHOD FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL ENERGY COMPRISING ESTABLISHING UNEQUAL OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURES AT FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODES OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING SAID ELECTRODES ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAVING THE FORMULA (MO2)1-X(RYOZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE + 2 AND + 3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL; SAID ELECTRODES BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED ACROSS A LOAD IN AN EXTERNAL CIRCUIT; EXCLUDING OXIDIZABLE FUEL FROM SAID ELECTRODES TO DEVELOP ELECTRICAL POWER ACROSS SAID LOAD BY REASON OF SAID UNEQUAL OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURES AT SAID ELECTRODES.

Claim 7

A METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN PRESSURE COMPRISING: ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE OF KNOWN VALUE AT A FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAS THE FORMULA (MO2)1-X(RYOZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE +2 AND +3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL, SAID FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE AND A SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE; SUPPLYING A GAS CONTAINING AN UNKNOWN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE TO SAID SECOND ELECTRODE; MEASURING AN ELECTRICAL OUTPUT ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES AS A MEASURE OF SAID UNKNOWN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE.

Claim 8

A METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN PRESSURE COMPRISING: ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE OF KNOWN VALUE AT A FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING A SOLID ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID SOLUTION OF OXIDES HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF OXYGEN ION CONDUCTIVITY COMPARED WITH EITHER ELECTRONIC CONDUCTIVITY OR CATION CONDUCTIVITY, SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE HAS THE FORMULA (MO2)1-X(RYOZ)X WHERE M REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE TETRAVALENT ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND HAFNIUM, R REPRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTS OF GROUPS II-A AND III-B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE WHICH FORM CATIONS WITH STABLE +2 AND +3 VALENCES IN THE OXIDE, X REPRESENTS A NUMBER HAVING A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 0.3 AND Y AND Z REPRESENT NUMBERS HAVING VALUES SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RYOZ ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL, SAID FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE AND A SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS ELECTRODE BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID SOLID ELECTROLYTE; SUPPLYING A GAS CONTAINING AN UNKNOWN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE TO SAID SECOND ELECTRODE; MEASURING AN ELECTRICAL OUTPUT ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES AS A MEASURE OF SAID UNKNOWN OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE.