The present invention describes ways of increasing the production efficiency of a saline water electrolysis cell and of consuming CO.sub.2 gas and sequestering it from the atmosphere. This is achieved by the introduction of CO.sub.2 gas into the catholyte of the electrolysis, where reaction of the CO.sub.2 with the hydroxide ions present in the catholyte reduces the pH of the catholyte, thereby increasing production efficiency of the electrolysis cell. The preceding reaction forms bicarbonate and/or carbonate, thus sequestering the reactant CO.sub.2 gas from the atmosphere. The CO.sub.2 gas may be introduced either directly into the cathode area of the electrolysis cell, or into the electrolyte prior to its introduction into the electrolysis cell. Corresponding apparatus is also provided.

A fuel cell system 2 is provided with: a contaminated exhaust gas line for supplying a contaminated exhaust gas containing a contaminant discharged from a facility; and a contaminated exhaust gas purification part for purifying the contaminated exhaust gas supplied from the contaminated exhaust gas line by using heat of reaction of a fuel cell.

According to one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a combiner for the removal of hydrogen/oxygen gas in a gaseous stream, said combiner comprising: a pipe capable of accommodating the flow of a gaseous stream, wherein the pipe is adapted to transmit the gaseous stream to a catalytically active structure (CAS), the CAS having: contact with the substantial majority of the gaseous stream, a housing, and an inlet, said inlet being connected to the pipe, and an outlet, for the removal of the gaseous stream post recombination, and a second pipe connected to the outlet of the CAS for the transmission of the gaseous stream away from the combiner. A second embodiment of the invention sees the CAS housed within an electrochemical cell directly.

A quinone-containing poly(arylene) includes repeating units of formula (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), or (VI) as defined herein. The quinone-containing poly(arylene) can be useful in composites, electrode assemblies, electrochemical cells, gas separation systems, energy storage devices, and electrochromic devices.

An active CO.sub.2 capture unit for capturing CO.sub.2 from a dilute source of CO.sub.2 input gas can include an inlet through which an input gas is introduced into the unit and a non-aqueous region comprising a non-aqueous CO.sub.2 binding organic liquid containing OH.sup.− arranged to be in contact with the input gas to chemisorb CO.sub.2 from the input gas and convert the chemisorbed CO.sub.2 into HCO.sub.3.sup.− by reacting with OH.sup.−. The unit also includes an aqueous region arranged downstream of the non-aqueous region, wherein at an aqueous region interface, the HCO.sub.3.sup.− interacts with H.sub.2O and decomposes to CO.sub.2 and CO.sub.3.sup.2−. An anion exchange membrane is disposed between the non-aqueous region and the aqueous region to facilitate HCO.sub.3.sup.− diffusion and migration from the non-aqueous region to the aqueous region. A captured CO.sub.2 outlet is disposed downstream of the aqueous region.

An energy recovery converter for exhaust gases or waste heat is provided. The converter includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), an exhaust gas having a first molecular oxygen content, and an external electrical load. The MEA includes a first electrode, a second electrode and an oxygen ion conductive membrane sandwiched between the first and second electrodes. Each of the first and second electrodes includes at least one oxidation catalyst configured to promote an electrochemical reaction. The second electrode of the MEA is exposed to the exhaust gas and the first electrode of the MEA is exposed to a gas having a second molecular oxygen content. The second molecular oxygen content is higher than the first molecular oxygen content. The external electrical load is connected between the first and second electrodes of the MEA.

An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine is provided with an electrochemical reactor provided in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, and a voltage control device controlling a voltage supplied to the electrochemical reactor. The electrochemical reactor is provided with an ion conducting solid electrolyte layer and an anode layer and cathode layer placed on the surface of the solid electrolyte layer. The voltage control device is configured to perform short-circuit detection control detecting short-circuiting between the anode layer and the cathode layer, and energizing control applying current between the anode layer and the cathode layer so to energize the short-circuited part when short-circuiting is detected.

Combustion systems are provided that can include a combustion assembly operatively engaged with an air intake, wherein the air intake performs air enrichment.

Methods for enriching air to a combustion assembly are also provided. The methods can include: forming an N.sub.2-rich stream and an O.sub.2-rich stream from a first air stream; supplementing a second air stream with the O.sub.2-rich stream to enrich the second air stream with O.sub.2; and combusting the enriched air stream.

Systems for separating CO.sub.2 from flue gas are also provided. The systems can include a vortex tube assembly operably coupled to a component of the system that provides pressurized N.sub.2.

Methods for heating or cooling components of a system for separating CO.sub.2 from flue gas are also provided. The methods can include: providing compressed nitrogen from one or more components of the system to a vortex tube to form a heated nitrogen stream and cooled nitrogen stream; providing the heated nitrogen stream to components benefiting from a heat source; and providing the cooled nitrogen stream to components benefiting from a cooling source.

Systems for separating CO.sub.2 from flue gas can also include a separation assembly that includes a membrane assembly configured to separate CO.sub.2 from N.sub.2.

Methods for separating CO.sub.2 from flue gas can also include providing a flue gas stream comprising CO.sub.2 and N.sub.2 to a first membrane separation system to form a CO.sub.2-rich stream and an N.sub.2-rich stream.

In an aspect a method of recovering hydrogen, the method comprises reacting a hydrocarbon to form a carbon compound and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the carbon compound comprises at least one of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide; separating the carbon compound from the hydrogen; directing the carbon compound to a cathode side of an electrochemical cell and directing water to an anode side of the electrochemical cell; electrolyzing the water on the anode side to form oxygen and protons; applying a voltage to a membrane and electrode assembly in the electrochemical cell to cause the protons to traverse through a proton exchange membrane from an anode to a cathode on the cathode side; and reacting the protons with the carbon compound to form an organic product.

An environment control system utilizes oxygen and humidity control devices that are coupled with an enclosure to independently control the oxygen concentration and the humidity level within the enclosure. An oxygen depletion device may be an oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell that reacts with oxygen within the cell and produces water through electrochemical reactions. A desiccating device may be g, a dehumidification electrolyzer cell, a desiccator, a membrane desiccator or a condenser. A controller may control the amount of voltage and/or current provided to the oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell and therefore the rate of oxygen reduction and may control the amount of voltage and/or current provided to the dehumidification electrolyzer cell and therefore the rate of humidity reduction. The oxygen level may be determined by the measurement of voltage and a limiting current of the oxygen depletion electrolyzer cell. The enclosure may be a food or artifact enclosure.