An active element for an electrochemical apparatus or an electrical energy generating apparatus may include a plane or curved, generally plate-type, sheet-type or mesh-type support body. A surface of the support body is at least partly (preferably entirely) coated with amorphous nickel boron or nickel thallium boron or a similar amorphous, columnar growth boron containing coating having a nodular topography.

Self-cleaning electrochemical cells, systems including self-cleaning electrochemical cells, and methods of operating self-cleaning electrochemical cells are disclosed. The self-cleaning electrochemical cell can include a plurality of concentric electrodes disposed in a housing, a fluid channel defined between the concentric electrodes, and an electrical connector positioned at a distal end of a concentric electrode and electrically connected to the electrode. The electrical connectors may be configured to provide a substantially even current distribution to the concentric electrode and minimize a zone of reduced velocity occurring downstream from the electrical connector. The electrical connector may be configured to cause a temperature of an electrolyte solution to increase by less than about 0.5° C. while transmitting at least 100 W of power.

Self-cleaning electrochemical cells, systems including self-cleaning electrochemical cells, and methods of operating self-cleaning electrochemical cells are disclosed. The self-cleaning electrochemical cell can include a plurality of concentric electrodes disposed in a housing, for example, a cathode and an anode, a fluid channel defined between the concentric electrodes, a separator residing between the concentric electrodes, first and second end caps coupled to respective ends of the housing, and an inlet cone. The separators may be configured to localize the electrodes and dimensioned to minimize a zone of reduced velocity occurring downstream from the separator. The end caps and inlet cone may be dimensioned to maintain fully developed flow and minimize pressure drop across the electrochemical cell.

The following describes a reconfigurable set of industrial processing techniques which, when appropriately combined, enable zero-emissions reforming, utilizing a wide range of conventional and unconventional feedstocks. Hydrocarbons, harvested or refuse biomass, as well as assorted byproducts and wastes are reformed through tightly integrated processing. The system is designed to incorporate alternative energy sources such as renewables or nuclear for high-density energy utilization and storage. Central to the processing methodology is a novel molten salt electrochemical reactor designed as a modular system for high-throughput carbochlorination and resource recovery. Such a configuration drastically reduces or eliminates waste while improving efficiency and realizing vast new economic incentives.

The following describes a reconfigurable set of industrial processing techniques which, when appropriately combined, enable zero-emissions reforming, utilizing a wide range of conventional and unconventional feedstocks. Hydrocarbons, harvested or refuse biomass, as well as assorted byproducts and wastes are reformed through tightly integrated processing. The system is designed to incorporate alternative energy sources such as renewables or nuclear for high-density energy utilization and storage. Central to the processing methodology is a novel molten salt electrochemical reactor designed as a modular system for high-throughput carbochlorination and resource recovery. Such a configuration drastically reduces or eliminates waste while improving efficiency and realizing vast new economic incentives.

An electrolytic cell includes: a cartridge assembly including: a plurality of bipolar electrode plates spaced apart and guide members formed on both sides of the plurality of bipolar electrode plates; a cell body having: a first side; a second side opposite the first side; an opening that extends through the first and second sides to form a housing that receives the cartridge assembly; a first end having an inlet that allows liquid to enter the housing of the cell body and a second end having an outlet that allows liquid to exit the housing of the cell body; a first terminal cap that connects to the first side of the cell body and which has a cathode plate; and a second terminal cap that connects to the second side of the cell body and which has an anode plate.

Self-cleaning electrochemical cells, systems including self-cleaning electrochemical cells, and methods of operating self-cleaning electrochemical cells are disclosed. The self-cleaning electrochemical cell can include a plurality of concentric electrodes disposed in a housing, for example, a cathode and an anode, a fluid channel defined between the concentric electrodes, a separator residing between the concentric electrodes, first and second end caps coupled to respective ends of the housing, and an inlet cone. The separators may be configured to localize the electrodes and dimensioned to minimize a zone of reduced velocity occurring downstream from the separator. The end caps and inlet cone may be dimensioned to maintain fully developed flow and minimize pressure drop across the electrochemical cell.

An electrochemical arrangement with two metallic separator plates which each define a plate plane and which are stacked in a stack direction perpendicular to the plate planes. The separator plates comprise sealing elements which are embossed into the separator plate and which are supported against one another for sealing the electrochemical cell which is arranged between the separator plates and which are reversibly deformable in the stack direction up to a distance z2. The arrangement further comprises at least one support element which is arranged between the separator plates and which is distanced to the sealing elements of the separator plates in a direction parallel to the plate planes.

An electrochemical arrangement with two metallic separator plates which each define a plate plane and which are stacked in a stack direction perpendicular to the plate planes. The separator plates comprise sealing elements which are embossed into the separator plate and which are supported against one another for sealing the electrochemical cell which is arranged between the separator plates and which are reversibly deformable in the stack direction up to a distance z2. The arrangement further comprises at least one support element which is arranged between the separator plates and which is distanced to the sealing elements of the separator plates in a direction parallel to the plate planes.

A water treatment system is disclosed having an electrolytic cell for liberating hydrogen from a base solution. The base solution may be a solution of brine for generating sodium hypochlorite or potable water to be oxidized. The cell has first and second opposing electrode end plates held apart from each other by a pair of supports such that the supports enclose opposing sides of the end plates to form a cell chamber. One or more inner electrode plates are spaced apart from each other in the cell chamber in between the first and second electrode plates. The supports are configured to electrically isolate the first and second electrode plates and the inner electrode plates from each other. The first and second electrode plates are configured to receive opposite polarity charges that passively charge the inner electrode plates via conduction from the base solution to form a chemical reaction in the base solution as the base solution passes through the cell chamber.