US4160816A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for storing solar energy in the form of an electrochemically generated compound
Assignee: RCA Corp
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Filing: 1977-12-05
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Granted: 1979-07-10
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Expires: 1997-12-05
Abstract
Abstract A process for storing energy from solar radiation whereby solar radiation is converted into electrical current which is supplied to an electrochemical cell in combination with water and carbon dioxide gas to produce formic acid as an electrochemical storage medium. The formic acid can be easily decomposed by catalysts known in the art into carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas which can be burned as fuel or used as a starting material in numerous commercial applications.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Williams
- 👤 Allen Bloom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 23:04
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/08; B01J19/12; B01J19/122; B01J19/127; C; C25; C25B; C25B3/00; C25B3/20; C25B3/25; C01; C01B; C01B3/00; C01B3/02; C01B3/22; C25B3/01; C25B3/07; C25B3/26; F; F28; F28D; F28D20/00; F28D20/003; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/46; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/14; Y02E70/00; Y02E70/30; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/10; Y02P20/133; Y10; Y10S; Y10S136/00; Y10S136/291
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A process for storing solar energy in the form of an electrochemically generated material and retrieving the stored energy as hydrogen fuel comprising: (a) converting solar radiation directly into electric current; (b) applying said electric current to an anode and a cathode immersed in an electrolyte solution, wherein the voltage at said cathode is at least about 1.50 volts, said cathode comprising a material with a hydrogen overvoltage greater than about 0.5 volt to inhibit the production of hydrogen gas and increases the production of formic acid and the pH of said electrolyte solution is adjusted to from about pH 6 to about pH 9 to inhibit the formation of hydrogen and increase the formation of formic acid; (c) diffusing CO 2 gas over said cathode to form formic acid; (d) storing said formic acid; and (e) retrieving said stored solar energy from said formic acid as H 2 fuel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A process for storing solar energy in the form of an electrochemically generated material and retrieving the stored energy as hydrogen fuel comprising: (a) converting solar radiation directly into electric current; (b) applying said electric current to an anode and a cathode immersed in an electrolyte solution, wherein the voltage at said cathode is at least about 1.50 volts, said cathode comprising a material with a hydrogen overvoltage greater than about 0.5 volt to inhibit the production of hydrogen gas and increases the production of formic acid and the pH of said electrolyte solution is adjusted to from about pH 6 to about pH 9 to inhibit the formation of hydrogen and increase the formation of formic acid; (c) diffusing CO 2 gas over said cathode to form formic acid; (d) storing said formic acid; and (e) retrieving said stored solar energy from said formic acid as H 2 fuel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the stored solar energy is retrieved by catalytically decomposing the formic acid into carbon dioxide gas and H 2 fuel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to claim 2 wherein said formic acid is decomposed in the presence of about a 1% to about a 10% palladium on activated carbon catalyst.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process according to claim 3 wherein the concentration of said formic acid to water ratio is greater than about 1:20.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the pH is from about 7 to 9.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the hydrogen overvoltage of said cathode is greater than about 0.9 volt.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-07-09 | 1983-01-08 | 1983-07-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-07-09 | 1987-01-08 | 1987-07-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-07-09 | 1991-01-08 | 1991-07-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |