Patent ID: 9707509
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: B01D

Claim:
1. A method of purifying a hydrogen stream using an electrochemical cell comprising: providing an outer metal electrode; locating a cylindrical shaped hollow wet polymeric membrane within and concentric with said outer metal electrode to provide an inner compartment and an outer compartment; locating a porous metal electrode in a form of a tubular sintered metal filter within and concentric with and spaced from said hollow wet polymeric membrane; providing a gas inlet for feeding a hydrogen stream that is to be purified to said inner compartment; and providing a gas outlet for passing purified hydrogen gas thru said outer metal electrode; wherein said porous metal electrode within said hollow wet polymeric membrane is adapted to be connected to an anode terminal of a dc supply with an electrical conductor to work as an anode and said outer metal electrode is adapted to be connected to a cathode terminal of the dc supply with another electrical conductor to work as a cathode; wherein said porous metal electrode acts as an anode and a porous gas conduit which allows hydrogen gas flows from said gas inlet into pores of said porous metal electrode where the hydrogen gas reacts to form protons which then migrates across the polymeric membrane.