A nanofluid contact potential difference cell includes a cathode with a lower work function and an anode with a higher work function separated by a nanometer-scale spaced inter-electrode gap containing a nanofluid with intermediate work function nanoparticle clusters. The cathode comprises a refractory layer and a thin film of electrosprayed dipole nanoparticle clusters partially covering a surface of the refractory layer. A thermal power source, placed in thermal contact with the cathode, to drive an electrical current through an electrical circuit connecting the cathode and anode with an external electrical load in between. A switch is configured to intermittently connect the anode and the cathode to maintain non-equilibrium between a first current from the cathode to the anode and a second current from the anode to the cathode.

A nanofluid contact potential difference cell includes a cathode with a lower work function and an anode with a higher work function separated by a nanometer-scale spaced inter-electrode gap containing a nanofluid with intermediate work function nanoparticle clusters. The cathode comprises a refractory layer and a thin film of electrosprayed dipole nanoparticle clusters partially covering a surface of the refractory layer. A thermal power source, placed in thermal contact with the cathode, to drive an electrical current through an electrical circuit connecting the cathode and anode with an external electrical load in between. A switch is configured to intermittently connect the anode and the cathode to maintain non-equilibrium between a first current from the cathode to the anode and a second current from the anode to the cathode.

A radiation-assisted (typically solar-assisted) electrolyzer cell and panel for high-efficiency hydrogen production comprises a photoelectrode and electrode pair, with said photoelectrode comprising either a photoanode electrically coupled to a cathode shared with an anode, or a photocathode electrically coupled to an anode shared with a cathode; electrolyte; gas separators; all within a container divided into two chambers by said shared cathode or shared anode, and at least a portion of which is transparent to the electromagnetic radiation required by said photoanode (or photocathode) to apply photovoltage to a shared cathode (or anode) that increases the electrolysis current and hydrogen production.

Methods and apparatus for decoupling reactant activation and reaction completion. Various embodiments of the present disclosure leverage electrodynamic inversion principles to provide fuel cell-like operation. In one exemplary embodiment a fuel cell-like apparatus is configured to: create reactant ions (e.g., fuel ions, oxidant ions, etc.) in isolation, transport the reactant ions to a reaction interface, enable a chemical reaction, harvest the resulting electrical current, and eliminate the exhaust products. The exemplary fuel cell-like device decouples the reactants from directly powering the load. Notably, the redox reaction is allowed to proceed at a reaction interface rather than directly at the anode and cathode.

An electrochemical power system is provided that generates an electromotive force (EMF) from the catalytic reaction of hydrogen to lower energy (hydrino) states providing direct conversion of the energy released from the hydrino reaction into electricity, the system comprising at least two components chosen from: H.sub.2O catalyst or a source of H.sub.2O catalyst; atomic hydrogen or a source of atomic hydrogen; reactants to form the H.sub.2O catalyst or source of H.sub.2O catalyst and atomic hydrogen or source of atomic hydrogen; and one or more reactants to initiate the catalysis of atomic hydrogen. The electrochemical power system for forming hydrinos and electricity can further comprise a cathode, an anode, reactants that constitute hydrino reactants during cell operation with separate electron flow and ion mass transport, a source of oxygen, and a source of hydrogen. Due to oxidation-reduction electrode reactions, the hydrino-producing reaction mixture is constituted with the migration of electrons through an external circuit and ion mass transport through a separate path such as the electrolyte to complete an electrical circuit. In an embodiment, the anode is regenerated by intermittent charging with the electrodeposition of the anode metal ion from the electrolyte to the anode wherein an anion exchange with the anode metal oxide provides a thermodynamically favorable cycle to facilitate the electrodeposition. A solid fuel power source that provides at least one of thermal and electrical power such as direct electricity or thermal to electricity is further provided that powers a power system comprising (i) at least one reaction cell for the catalysis of atomic hydrogen to form hydrinos, (ii) a chemical fuel mixture comprising at least two components chosen from: a source of H.sub.2O catalyst or H.sub.2O catalyst; a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; reactants to form the source of H.sub.2O catalyst or H.sub.2O catalyst and a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; one or more reactants to initiate the catalysis of atomic hydrogen; and a material to cause the solid fuel to be highly conductive, (iii) at least one set of electrodes that confine the fuel and an electrical power source that provides a short burst of low-voltage, high-current electrical energy to initiate rapid kinetics of the hydrino reaction and an energy gain due to forming hydrinos, (iv) a product recovery systems such as a condenser, (v) a reloading system, (vi) at least one of hydration, thermal, chemical, and electrochemical systems to regenerate the fuel from the reaction products, (vii) a heat sink that accepts the heat from the power-producing reactions, (viii) a

An electrochemical power system is provided that generates an electromotive force (EMF) from the catalytic reaction of hydrogen to lower energy (hydrino) states providing direct conversion of the energy released from the hydrino reaction into electricity, the system comprising at least two components chosen from: H.sub.2O catalyst or a source of H.sub.2O catalyst; atomic hydrogen or a source of atomic hydrogen; reactants to form the H.sub.2O catalyst or source of H.sub.2O catalyst and atomic hydrogen or source of atomic hydrogen; and one or more reactants to initiate the catalysis of atomic hydrogen. The electrochemical power system for forming hydrinos and electricity can further comprise a cathode, an anode, reactants that constitute hydrino reactants during cell operation with separate electron flow and ion mass transport, a source of oxygen, and a source of hydrogen. Due to oxidation-reduction electrode reactions, the hydrino-producing reaction mixture is constituted with the migration of electrons through an external circuit and ion mass transport through a separate path such as the electrolyte to complete an electrical circuit. In an embodiment, the anode is regenerated by intermittent charging with the electrodeposition of the anode metal ion from the electrolyte to the anode wherein an anion exchange with the anode metal oxide provides a thermodynamically favorable cycle to facilitate the electrodeposition. A solid fuel power source that provides at least one of thermal and electrical power such as direct electricity or thermal to electricity is further provided that powers a power system comprising (i) at least one reaction cell for the catalysis of atomic hydrogen to form hydrinos, (ii) a chemical fuel mixture comprising at least two components chosen from: a source of H.sub.2O catalyst or H.sub.2O catalyst; a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; reactants to form the source of H.sub.2O catalyst or H.sub.2O catalyst and a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; one or more reactants to initiate the catalysis of atomic hydrogen; and a material to cause the solid fuel to be highly conductive, (iii) at least one set of electrodes that confine the fuel and an electrical power source that provides a short burst of low-voltage, high-current electrical energy to initiate rapid kinetics of the hydrino reaction and an energy gain due to forming hydrinos, (iv) a product recovery systems such as a condenser, (v) a reloading system, (vi) at least one of hydration, thermal, chemical, and electrochemical systems to regenerate the fuel from the reaction products, (vii) a heat sink that accepts the heat from the power-producing reactions, (viii) a

A electrochemical direct heat to electricity converter having a low temperature membrane electrode assembly array and a high temperature membrane electrode assembly array is provided. Additional cells are provided in the low temperature membrane electrode assembly array, which causes an additional amount of the working fluid, namely hydrogen, to be pumped to the high pressure side of the converter. The additional pumped hydrogen compensates for the molecular hydrogen diffusion that occurs through the membranes of the membrane electrode assembly arrays. The MEA cells may be actuated independently by a controller to compensate for hydrogen diffusion

A electrochemical direct heat to electricity converter having a low temperature membrane electrode assembly array and a high temperature membrane electrode assembly array is provided. Additional cells are provided in the low temperature membrane electrode assembly array, which causes an additional amount of the working fluid, namely hydrogen, to be pumped to the high pressure side of the converter. The additional pumped hydrogen compensates for the molecular hydrogen diffusion that occurs through the membranes of the membrane electrode assembly arrays. The MEA cells may be actuated independently by a controller to compensate for hydrogen diffusion

A thermoelectric cell includes a thermoelectric body including heat-utilizing power generating elements in each of which a thermoelectric conversion layer and a solid electrolyte layer are layered, a conductive case including a first case body and a second case body and accommodating the thermoelectric body, an insulating member electrically insulating the first case body or the second case body or the second case body and the solid electrolyte layer on a side surface of the thermoelectric body while electrically insulating the first case body and the second case body, and a compressible conductor accommodated in the case and disposed between the thermoelectric body and the case. The first case body, the thermoelectric body, and the second case body are electrically connected in a stacked direction by disposing the compressible conductor on a side of at least one of the first case body and the second case body.

The present disclosure relates to nanocomposites of CuO/Cu.sub.2O and continuous flow solar reactors. The nanocomposites can be utilized as a photocatalyst and can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices. The described devices, systems, and methods can be used for converting CO.sub.2 into one or more alcohols and other small organics with the use of solar energy and electricity. Other embodiments are described.