Spent nuclear fuel is added to an electro-reduction cell, wherein the electro-reduction cell includes a halide salt electrolyte, and anode, and a cathode including an alloy of uranium and a first metal forming a low melting point alloy with uranium, the first metal being one or more of: iron; chromium; nickel; manganese; and cobalt. The spent nuclear fuel is electrochemically reduced at a potential sufficient to reduce plutonium and lanthanides in the spent nuclear fuel, to form a molten alloy of the first metal, uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel. The alloy is extracted from the electro-reduction cell while uranium oxide is present in the electro-reduction cell. The spent nuclear fuel includes uranium oxide and at least 1 mol of lanthanides per tonne of uranium in the spent nuclear fuel, and the electro-reduction cell is operated at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy.

A chlorination electrolyser having a housing provided with an inlet and an outlet suitable for the circulation of brine; at least one pair of bipolar electrodes facing each other and positioned within said housing. Each bipolar electrode of the at least one pair has a valve metal substrate; an active coating comprising at least one layer of a catalytic composition comprising ruthenium and titanium disposed over the substrate; a top coating having at least one layer composed of oxides of tantalum, niobium, tin, or combinations thereof disposed over the active coating. A self-cleaning electrochlorination system having the an electrolyser, a method for its production, its use in normal and low salinity pools for hypochlorite mediated water disinfection and a method for hypochlorite-mediated water disinfection.

A chlorination electrolyser having a housing provided with an inlet and an outlet suitable for the circulation of brine; at least one pair of bipolar electrodes facing each other and positioned within said housing. Each bipolar electrode of the at least one pair has a valve metal substrate; an active coating comprising at least one layer of a catalytic composition comprising ruthenium and titanium disposed over the substrate; a top coating having at least one layer composed of oxides of tantalum, niobium, tin, or combinations thereof disposed over the active coating. A self-cleaning electrochlorination system having the an electrolyser, a method for its production, its use in normal and low salinity pools for hypochlorite mediated water disinfection and a method for hypochlorite-mediated water disinfection.

An electrolysis device having at least one electrolytic cell and an electrolysis energy source connected to the at least one electrolytic cell. A method for operating an electrolysis device includes applying an electrical electrolysis current to at least one electrolytic cell of the electrolysis device during normal operation in order to perform electrolysis of a substance located in a reaction chamber of the electrolytic cell, and detecting the electrical electrolysis current by a sensor unit. A protective voltage is applied to at least one electrolytic cell according to the detected electrical electrolysis current, which protective voltage is provided individually for the at least one electrolytic cell.

An electrolysis device having at least one electrolytic cell and an electrolysis energy source connected to the at least one electrolytic cell. A method for operating an electrolysis device includes applying an electrical electrolysis current to at least one electrolytic cell of the electrolysis device during normal operation in order to perform electrolysis of a substance located in a reaction chamber of the electrolytic cell, and detecting the electrical electrolysis current by a sensor unit. A protective voltage is applied to at least one electrolytic cell according to the detected electrical electrolysis current, which protective voltage is provided individually for the at least one electrolytic cell.

Spent nuclear fuel is added to an electro-reduction cell, wherein the electro-reduction cell includes a halide salt electrolyte, and anode, and a cathode including an alloy of uranium and a first metal forming a low melting point alloy with uranium, the first metal being one or more of: iron; chromium; nickel; manganese; and cobalt. The spent nuclear fuel is electrochemically reduced at a potential sufficient to reduce plutonium and lanthanides in the spent nuclear fuel, to form a molten alloy of the first metal, uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel. The alloy is extracted from the electro-reduction cell while uranium oxide is present in the electro-reduction cell. The spent nuclear fuel includes uranium oxide and at least 1 mol of lanthanides per tonne of uranium in the spent nuclear fuel, and the electro-reduction cell is operated at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy.

Safe anode for electrochemical cells, of the type of vertical anodes constituted of a hanging structure based on a first horizontal bar, second vertical distribution bars defined by a copper or aluminum core with a titanium exterior layer, and coated or uncoated titanium anode plates attached to the second distribution bars, on both sides, such that the safe anode incorporates an adapter element that comprises, at least, one current limiter assembly, arranged between, at least, one of the second vertical distribution bars, and, at least, one coated or uncoated titanium anode plate, connecting the vertical distribution bar to the coated or uncoated titanium anode plate.

A method for starting an electrolysis system is disclosed. A supply circuit has an AC terminal connected to an AC grid, a DC terminal connected to an electrolyzer, and an AC/DC converter arranged between the AC terminal and the DC terminal. The method includes charging an output capacitor connected to a DC converter terminal of the AC/DC converter, by operating the electrolyzer in a reverse mode, while the AC/DC converter is connected to the electrolyzer and disconnected from the AC grid, connecting the AC/DC converter to the AC grid, reversing the operation of the electrolyzer from the reverse mode to a normal mode as a DC load, to suppress a power flow between the AC grid and the electrolyzer, and operating the electrolyzer in the normal mode with electrical power drawn from the AC grid which is rectified by the AC/DC converter.

A method for starting an electrolysis system is disclosed. A supply circuit has an AC terminal connected to an AC grid, a DC terminal connected to an electrolyzer, and an AC/DC converter arranged between the AC terminal and the DC terminal. The method includes charging an output capacitor connected to a DC converter terminal of the AC/DC converter, by operating the electrolyzer in a reverse mode, while the AC/DC converter is connected to the electrolyzer and disconnected from the AC grid, connecting the AC/DC converter to the AC grid, reversing the operation of the electrolyzer from the reverse mode to a normal mode as a DC load, to suppress a power flow between the AC grid and the electrolyzer, and operating the electrolyzer in the normal mode with electrical power drawn from the AC grid which is rectified by the AC/DC converter.

Provided herein are membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for carbon oxide reduction. According to various embodiments, the MEAs are configured to address challenges particular to CO.sub.x including mitigating the deleterious effects of electrical current fluctuations on the MEA. Bipolar membrane MEAs equipped with an interface composed of nanoparticles are described.