Electrochemical gas pump
An electrochemical gas pump is a pump that moves gases through electrochemical processes .
Modes of operation
Displacement pump
The electrochemical decomposition of a substance (for example water through water electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen ) increases its volume. The expansion of this initial mass is then used to displace a gas or a liquid and thus to pump it. The maximum volume that can be pumped is limited by the limited amount of reactants.
Circulation pump
The electrochemical circulation pump consists of a porous body in whose pores there is a fluid (for example distilled water). The gas to be pumped (oxygen) that matches the reactant is located outside the pores. An electric field is applied over the porous body.
When a voltage is applied, electrolysis creates oxygen at the anode and thus an overpressure, while hydrogen is created at the cathode. As a result of the energy supplied by the electrical current, hydrogen and oxygen also react to form water at the cathode. The resulting water is sucked into the pores by capillary forces and replaces the electrolytically decomposed there. As a result, the gas volume on the cathode side decreases, while that on the anode side increases. A cycle is created that leads to a pumping effect.