Patent ID: 8114541

Claim:
An electrochemical system comprising: a pressurized sealed vessel that contains: (a) at least one cell that comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a reaction zone between the first and second electrodes; (b) a liquefied halogen reactant; (c) at least one metal halide electrolyte; and (d) a flow circuit configured to deliver the halogen reactant and the at least one electrolyte to the at least one cell; wherein a pressure in an inner volume of the vessel is above a liquefication pressure for the halogen reactant; and wherein the reaction zone of the cell does not contain a membrane or a separator that is impermeable to the halogen reactant; wherein: the sealed vessel contains a reservoir containing the halogen reactant; the reservoir further contains the at least one metal-halide electrolyte; the halogen reactant is located below the at least one metal-halide electrolyte in the reservoir; the flow circuit is a loop circuit configured to deliver the halogen reactant and the at least one electrolyte from the reservoir to the at least one cell and from the at least one cell to the reservoir; the flow circuit comprises a feed manifold configured to deliver the halogen reactant and the at least one electrolyte from the reservoir to the at least one cell and a return manifold configured to deliver the halogen reactant and the at least one electrolyte from the at least one cell to the reservoir; the feed manifold comprises a first intake line and second intake line, which is separate from the first intake line, wherein the first intake line is configured to intake the metal halide electrolyte and the second intake line is configured to intake the halogen reactant; and the return manifold is an upward flowing return manifold.