Configuration of Proton-Conducting Membrane Reactors

The two electrodes are connected to a voltmeter (a), or to an external resistive load (b), or to an external power source (c). As long as the chemical potential of hydrogen is different at the two sides (electrodes) of the cell, a driving force for hydrogen transport across the PCM exists and the cell may operate in one of the following modes [29]  

PCMRs can be used to promote catalytic reaction rates electrochemi-cally. If the catalyst to be promoted is one of the electrodes, protons can be pumped to or away from the catalyst during reaction. This can alter the catalytic activity and/or the selectivity of the reaction under study. The effect of electrochemical pumping can be expressed quantitatively by 

5 APPLICATIONS OF PROTON-CONDUCTING CERAMIC MEMBRANE REACTORS 

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