Electrochemical reaction device

Abstract

An electrochemical reaction device includes: a first electrolytic solution tank having a first storage part and a second storage part; a second electrolytic solution tank having a third storage part and a fourth storage part; a first reduction electrode layer immersed in a first electrolytic solution; a first oxidation electrode layer immersed in a second electrolytic solution; a first generator electrically connected to the first reduction electrode and the first oxidation electrode layer; a second reduction electrode layer immersed in a third electrolytic solution; a second oxidation electrode layer immersed in a fourth electrolytic solution; a second generator electrically connected to the second reduction electrode and the second oxidation electrode layer; and at least one flow path out of a first flow path connecting the first storage part and the fourth storage part and a second flow path connecting the second storage part and the third storage part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrochemical reaction device comprising:
 a first electrolytic solution tank having a first storage part storing a first electrolytic solution and a second storage part storing a second electrolytic solution;   a second electrolytic solution tank having a third storage part storing a third electrolytic solution and a fourth storage part storing a fourth electrolytic solution;   a first reduction electrode layer immersed in the first electrolytic solution;   a first oxidation electrode layer immersed in the second electrolytic solution;   a first generator electrically connected to the first reduction electrode and the first oxidation electrode layer;   a second reduction electrode layer immersed in the third electrolytic solution;   a second oxidation electrode layer immersed in the fourth electrolytic solution;   a second generator electrically connected to the second reduction electrode and the second oxidation electrode layer; and   at least one flow path out of a first flow path connecting the first storage part and the fourth storage part and a second flow path connecting the second storage part and the third storage part.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first generator has a first photoelectric conversion layer having a first face and a second face,   wherein the second generator has a second photoelectric conversion layer having a third face and a fourth face,   wherein the first face is in contact with the first reduction electrode layer,   wherein the second face is in contact with the first oxidation electrode layer,   wherein the third face is in contact with the second reduction electrode layer, and   wherein the fourth face is in contact with the second oxidation electrode layer.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one flow path out of a third flow path connecting the first storage part and the second storage part and a fourth flow path connecting the third storage part and the fourth storage part. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first sensor which obtains first data indicating at least one of a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the third flow path or the fourth flow path; and   a first regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of the electrolytic solution flowing in the third flow path or the fourth flow path, according to the first data.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a carbon dioxide supply part which supplies carbon dioxide to the third electrolytic solution,
 wherein the first electrolytic solution and the third electrolytic solution contain carbon dioxide, and   wherein the second electrolytic solution and the fourth electrolytic solution contain water.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a mixing tank connecting the first flow path and the second flow path and having a fifth storage part storing a fifth electrolytic solution. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a second sensor which obtains second data indicating at least one of pH, a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of the fifth electrolytic solution; and   a regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of the fifth electrolytic solution, according to the second data.   
     
     
         8 . An electrochemical reaction device comprising:
 a plurality of groups including a first group including a plurality of first electrochemical reaction units and a second group including a plurality of second electrochemical reaction units, the first and second electrochemical reaction units each including:
 an electrolytic solution tank having a first storage part storing a first electrolytic solution containing a substance to be reduced and a second storage part storing a second electrolytic solution containing a substance to be oxidized; 
 a reduction electrode layer immersed in the first electrolytic solution; 
 an oxidation electrode layer immersed in the second electrolytic solution; and 
 a generator electrically connected to the reduction electrode and the oxidation electrode layer, the electrolytic solution tanks of the plural first electrochemical reaction units being series-connected, the electrolytic solution tanks of the plural second electrochemical reaction units being series-connected, and the series-connected electrolytic solution tanks in the plural second electrochemical reaction units being connected in parallel to the series-connected electrolytic solution tanks in the plural first electrochemical reaction units; 
   at least one flow path out of:
 a first flow path connecting the first storage part of one of the plural first electrochemical reaction units and the second storage part of another one of the plural first electrochemical reaction units; and 
 a second flow path connecting the second storage part of the one of the plural first electrochemical reaction units and the first storage part of the other one of the plural first electrochemical reaction units; and 
   at least one flow path out of:
 a third flow path connecting the first storage part of one of the plural second electrochemical reaction units and the second storage part of another one of the plural second electrochemical reaction units; and 
 a fourth flow path connecting the second storage part of the one of the plural second electrochemical reaction units and the first storage part of the other one of the plural second electrochemical reaction units. 
   
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical reaction device of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the generator has a photoelectric conversion layer having a first face and a second face,   wherein the first face of at least one of the plural photoelectric conversion layers is in contact with the reduction electrode layer, and   wherein the second face of at least one of the plural photoelectric conversion layers is in contact with the oxidation electrode layer.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a ninth flow path connecting the first storage part and the second storage part of at least one of the plural electrolytic solution tanks. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first sensor which obtains first data indicating at least one of a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the ninth flow path; and   a first regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of the electrolytic solution flowing in the ninth flow path, according to the first data.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a carbon dioxide supply part which supplies carbon dioxide to at least one of the plural first electrolytic solutions,
 wherein at least one of the plural first electrolytic solutions contains carbon dioxide, and   wherein at least one of the plural second electrolytic solutions contains water.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 at least one mixing tank out of a first mixing tank connecting the first flow path and the second flow path and storing a third electrolytic solution and a second mixing tank connecting the third flow path and the fourth flow path and storing a fourth electrolytic solution;   a second sensor which obtains second data indicating at least one of pH, a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of at least one of the third electrolytic solution and the fourth electrolytic solution; and   a second regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of at least one of the third electrolytic solution and the fourth electrolytic solution, according to the second data.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a third sensor which obtains third data indicating at least one of a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the seventh flow path or the eighth flow path; and   a third regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the seventh flow path or the eighth flow path, according to the third data.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a sixth flow path connected to the first storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an end of the electrolytic solutions of the first electrochemical reaction units and the first storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an end of the electrolytic solutions of the second electrochemical reaction units;   a seventh flow path connected to the second storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an end of the electrolytic solutions of the first electrochemical reaction units and the second storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an end of the electrolytic solutions of the second electrochemical reaction units;   a eighth flow path connected to the first storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an other end of the electrolytic solutions of the first electrochemical reaction units and the first storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an other end of the electrolytic solutions of the second electrochemical reaction units   a ninth flow path connected to the second storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an other end of the electrolytic solutions of the first electrochemical reaction units and the second storage part of the electrolytic solution tank connected to an other end of the electrolytic solutions of the second electrochemical reaction units;   a third sensor which obtains third data indicating at least one of a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the seventh flow path or the eighth flow path; and   a third regulator which regulates at least one of the temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure of an electrolytic solution flowing in the seventh flow path or the eighth flow path, according to the third data.