This present invention describes methods and systems for integrating liquid-phase, electrochemical and chemical processes into power generation, petrochemical, metal, cement and other industrial process plants, in such a manner as to capture and recycle all input carbon into cost-competitive hydrogen, oxygen and hydrocarbons. These integrated systems will recover internally generated losses in chemical potential (AG Gibbs Free or Available Energy) as well as waste heat (ΔH—Enthalpy), and sometimes electricity, to assist in driving these electrochemical and chemical processes, which will increase the total useful output of the process plants, thereby increasing thermal, carbon and economic efficiency.

There is described a method for producing hydrogen and generating electrical power. A hydrocarbon fuel source is decomposed into hydrogen and carbon using a hydrocarbon dissociation reactor. The carbon is separated from the hydrogen in a carbon separator. Electrical power is generated from the separated carbon using a direct carbon fuel cell.

There is described a direct carbon fuel cell system. The system includes fuel cells, each fuel cell having a porous fuel cell anode and a fuel cell cathode. The system further includes a molten carbonate electrolyte and a fuel supply apparatus for flowing a fuel slurry having carbon particles and a carbon carrier fluid to the fuel cell anodes in parallel. The carbon carrier fluid has a same composition as the molten carbonate electrolyte. An oxidant supply apparatus flows an oxygen-containing stream to the fuel cell cathodes in parallel. An electrolyte circulation apparatus circulates the molten carbonate electrolyte in contact with each of the fuel cells. During operation of the direct carbon fuel cell system to generate electric power, carbon is oxidized at the fuel cell anodes to produce carbon dioxide, and at the fuel cell cathodes oxygen and carbon dioxide react to produce carbonate ions.

In some variations, a hydrogen-storage material formulation comprises: a solid hydrogen-storage material containing at least one metal and hydrogen that is bonded with the metal; and a liquid electrolyte that is ionically conductive for at least one ion derived from the hydrogen-storage material. The liquid electrolyte may be from 5 wt % to about 20 wt % of the hydrogen-storage material formulation, for example. Many materials are possible for both the hydrogen-storage material as well as the liquid electrolyte. The hydrogen-storage material has a higher hydrogen evolution rate in the presence of the liquid electrolyte compared to a hydrogen-storage material without the liquid electrolyte. This is experimentally demonstrated with a destabilized metal hydride, MgH.sub.2/Si system, incorporating a LiI—KI—CsI ternary eutectic salt as the liquid electrolyte. Inclusion of the liquid electrolyte gives a ten-fold increase in H.sub.2 evolution rate at 250° C., reaching 3.5 wt % hydrogen released in only 7 hours.

A electrochemical storage device, referred to herein as a radical-ion battery, is described. The radical-ion battery includes an electrolyte, first free radicals, and second free radicals, wherein the first free radicals and the second free radicals are different chemical species. The radical-ion battery also includes a separator that allows select ions to pass therethrough, but separates the electrolyte from the second free radicals.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a composition for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes a vanadium compound and an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions. In another embodiment, a method for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes obtaining a vanadium compound, and mixing the vanadium compound with an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a composition for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes a vanadium compound and an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions. In another embodiment, a method for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes obtaining a vanadium compound, and mixing the vanadium compound with an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions.

A electrochemical storage device, referred to herein as a radical-ion battery, is described. The radical-ion battery includes an electrolyte, first free radicals, and second free radicals, wherein the first free radicals and the second free radicals are different chemical species. The radical-ion battery also includes a separator that allows select ions to pass therethrough, but separates the electrolyte from the second free radicals.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a composition for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes a vanadium compound and an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions. In another embodiment, a method for producing a vanadium electrolyte includes obtaining a vanadium compound, and mixing the vanadium compound with an ion solution containing vanadium ions and hydrogen ions.

A direct carbon fuel cell DCFC system (5), the system comprising an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell (10) comprising a cathode (30), a solid state first electrolyte (25) and an anode (20), wherein, the system further comprises an anode chamber containing a second electrolyte (125) and a fuel (120). The system, when using molten carbonate as second electrolyte, is preferably purged with CO2 via purge gas inlet (60).