Solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process and hydrogen production equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process and hydrogen production equipment, and relates to the field of hydrogen production. The hydrogen production process comprises the following steps: mounting a plurality of groups of electrode pairs in an electrolytic bath body at intervals, and connecting the plurality of groups of electrode pairs with a plurality of groups of solar cell units arranged outside the electrolytic bath body in a one-to-one correspondence manner; injecting an electrolyte into the electrolytic bath body until the plurality of groups of electrode pairs are immersed; under illumination, the multiple sets of solar cell units convert light energy into electric energy and independently supply energy to the electrode pairs connected in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and then gas generated by all the electrolytic cells is concentrated. The hydrogen production equipment comprises an electrolytic bath body, a plurality of groups of electrode pairs and a plurality of groups of solar cell units; the multiple groups of electrode pairs are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic bath body; and the multiple groups of solar cell units are arranged outside the electrolytic bath body at intervals and are connected with the multiple groups of electrode pairs in a one-to-one correspondence manner. Solar energy is used as power, low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production is realized by a simple structure and a low-cost method, and hydrogen and oxygen are conveniently and quickly produced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hydrogen production, and in particular to a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process and hydrogen production equipment. Background Art

[0002] As a secondary energy source, hydrogen energy has diverse sources, zero terminal emissions, and a wide range of uses. In the context of carbon reduction, it has multiple advantages. The acquisition of hydrogen is an important link in the hydrogen energy industry chain. Currently, the key factor restricting the widespread application of hydrogen energy is the high production cost, which cannot be reduced to the level of widespread application.

[0003] There are many existing hydrogen production technologies, such as fossil fuel hydrogen production, biomass hydrogen production and electrolysis hydrogen production. However, the above hydrogen production methods all rely on existing energy conversion, and there is energy loss in the conversion process. They all have defects such as high production cost, multiple production procedures, complex processes, and harsh production conditions. In response to the above hydrogen production problems, the industry currently uses solar water electrolysis to produce hydrogen to solve the above problems. The principle of using solar energy to produce hydrogen is to absorb the fluctuating direct current generated by solar energy through a number of solar panels, and convert the fluctuating direct current into alternating current through related electrical equipment (such as inverters, etc.). The generated alternating current is transmitted to the area where the water electrolysis hydrogen production device is located through a transmission line, and then converted into stable direct current through a series of electrical equipment to drive a number of large electrolyzers to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen. At the same time, in order to ensure stable power supply during the water electrolysis hydrogen production process, a corresponding energy storage system is equipped.

[0004] From a cost perspective, in addition to the cost of the electrolyzer, the above-mentioned hydrogen production process requires the conversion of fluctuating photovoltaic DC power into AC, and then AC into stable DC, in order to ensure the normal operation of the electrolyzer. This process requires a large amount of accessories, facilities, equipment, etc., especially the purchase, installation, operation and maintenance, and technology research and development costs of related power conversion equipment (such as combiner boxes, inverters, rectifiers, filters, etc.). As a result, the cost is still relatively high and it is still impossible to reduce the cost to the level of widespread application. At the same time, large electrolyzers are large in size, complex in structure, and difficult to start. In order to avoid arbitrary shutdown, they also need to be equipped with power storage equipment, diesel generators, etc. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process and hydrogen production equipment, which uses solar energy as power, a simple structure and a low-cost method to achieve low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production, reduce the cost of hydrogen production to a level that can be widely used, and the equipment can be started and stopped at will.

[0006] The embodiment of the present invention is achieved as follows:

[0007] The present invention provides a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process, comprising the following steps:

[0008] Install multiple groups of electrode pairs in the electrolytic cell body at intervals, and connect the multiple groups of electrode pairs to multiple groups of solar cell units arranged outside the electrolytic cell body in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein at least one electrolytic cell body is provided; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar cell panel, and when each group of solar cell panels includes multiple solar cell panels, the multiple solar cell panels are connected in series;

[0009] Injecting electrolyte into the electrolytic cell body until the plurality of electrode pairs are submerged, so that the plurality of electrode pairs, the plurality of solar cell units and the electrolyte form a plurality of independent closed loops;

[0010] Under illumination, the plurality of solar cell units convert light energy into electrical energy and independently supply energy to the plurality of electrode pairs, and the plurality of electrode pairs undergo electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen;

[0011] The generated hydrogen is collected to the hydrogen main pipe through the hydrogen collecting pipe and then input into the hydrogen storage device for storage. The generated oxygen is collected to the oxygen main pipe through the oxygen collecting pipe and then input into the oxygen storage device for storage.

[0012] Further, based on the above scheme, the step of installing multiple sets of electrode pairs in the electrolytic cell at intervals includes:

[0013] Arrange multiple groups of electrode pairs at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body; wherein the electrode pairs include anode plates and cathode plates;

[0014] The anode plate and the cathode plate in each electrode pair are arranged opposite to each other and have a predetermined distance therebetween.

[0015] Further, based on the above scheme, the step of connecting the plurality of electrode pairs to the plurality of solar cell units disposed outside the electrolytic cell in a one-to-one correspondence includes:

[0016] Connecting the positive terminal of the solar cell unit to the anode plate via an anode terminal;

[0017] The negative terminal of the solar cell unit is connected to the cathode plate via a cathode terminal.

[0018] Further, based on the above scheme, the step of connecting the plurality of electrode pairs to the plurality of solar cell units disposed outside the electrolytic cell in a one-to-one correspondence manner further includes:

[0019] The sun-facing surfaces of several or all of the solar panels are arranged to face the sun at different angles.

[0020] Further, based on the above solution, the distance between the anode plate and the cathode plate in each group of the electrode pairs is 1 cm-2 cm.

[0021] A hydrogen production device based on the solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process described in any one of the above items, comprising an electrolytic cell body, multiple groups of electrode pairs and multiple groups of solar cell units; the multiple groups of electrode pairs are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body; the multiple groups of solar cell units are arranged at intervals outside the electrolytic cell body and are respectively connected to the multiple groups of electrode pairs in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein at least one electrolytic cell body is provided; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar cell panel, and when each group of solar cell panels includes multiple solar cell panels, the multiple solar cell panels are connected in series.

[0022] Further, based on the above scheme, the electrolytic cell body is divided into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber along the length direction by a partition, and the bottom of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber are connected.

[0023] Further, based on the above scheme, the electrode pair comprises an anode plate and a cathode plate, and the anode plate and the cathode plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the separator;

[0024] The bottom of the electrolytic cell body is provided with a plurality of groups of terminal posts corresponding to the plurality of electrode pairs, and the terminal posts include anode terminal posts and cathode terminal posts, and the two ends of the anode terminal posts are respectively connected to the anode plate and the positive end of the solar cell unit; the two ends of the cathode terminal posts are respectively connected to the cathode plate and the negative end of the solar cell unit.

[0025] Further, based on the above scheme, the electrolytic cell body is a closed structure, an oxygen collecting pipe is provided at the top of the anode chamber, and an oxygen drying area is provided in the oxygen collecting pipe; a hydrogen collecting pipe is provided at the top of the cathode chamber, and a hydrogen drying area and a hydrogen purification area are provided in the hydrogen collecting pipe from bottom to top;

[0026] When multiple electrolytic cell bodies are provided, multiple oxygen collecting pipes are connected to an oxygen main pipe, which is used to transport oxygen to an oxygen storage device; multiple hydrogen collecting pipes are connected to a hydrogen main pipe, which is used to transport hydrogen to a hydrogen storage device.

[0027] Further, based on the aforementioned solution, each of the plurality of groups of solar cell units may be connected to an energy storage device.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0029] The present application arranges multiple groups of electrode pairs in an electrolytic cell body at intervals, and connects the multiple groups of electrode pairs with multiple groups of solar cell units outside in a one-to-one correspondence, so that the multiple groups of solar cell units independently supply energy to the multiple groups of electrode pairs without affecting each other; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar panel. When each group of solar panels includes multiple solar panels, the multiple solar panels are connected in series, and the number of solar panels connected in series can be increased according to demand. The multiple solar panels connected in series can increase the power of the solar cell unit, thereby increasing the gas production efficiency; electrolyte is injected into the electrolytic cell body to immerse the multiple groups of electrode pairs, so that the multiple groups of electrode pairs, the multiple groups of solar cell units and the electrolyte form multiple groups of independent closed loops, thereby forming multiple independent gas production units; under light, the multiple groups of solar cell units convert light energy into electrical energy and independently supply energy to the multiple groups of electrode pairs respectively, and the multiple groups of electrode pairs undergo electrolysis to produce hydrogen and oxygen; by providing at least one electrolytic cell body, the number of electrolytic cell bodies can be increased according to demand to increase the gas production, and the hydrogen and oxygen produced by one or more electrolytic cell bodies are transported to the storage device through the collecting pipe and the main pipe for storage. By integrating multiple independent gas production units into an electrolyzer body, the gas volume produced by each set of electrode pairs is small and large, and a simple structure is used to achieve large-scale production of hydrogen with high efficiency, and relatively pure gas can be obtained. There is no need for too many power conversion accessories, etc. Solar panels account for about 90% of the total cost of hydrogen production. Compared with the current industrial photovoltaic electrolysis of water hydrogen production technology, the use of renewable energy greatly reduces the cost of hydrogen production and improves energy efficiency. At the same time, the independent gas production units have a simple structure and work independently without interfering with each other. They can be started and stopped at will, effectively avoiding the major problem of unstable and large fluctuations in the potential difference of photovoltaic power generation, and can be used in industry or life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the integrated electrolysis hydrogen production process provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the principle of an integrated electrolysis hydrogen production process when multiple electrolysis cells are provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an integrated electrolytic hydrogen production device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 A side cross-sectional view of the integrated electrolysis hydrogen production equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Icons: 100-electrolyzer body, 110-anode chamber, 120-cathode chamber, 130-electrolyte nozzle, 200-independent electrode pair, 210-anode plate, 211-anode terminal, 220-cathode plate, 221-cathode terminal, 310-oxygen collection pipe, 311-oxygen drying area, 320-hydrogen collection pipe, 321-hydrogen drying area, 322-hydrogen purification area, 330-gas control valve, 400-partition, 500-solar cell unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The inventor of this application has found through research on the prior art:

[0037] The existing various hydrogen production technologies have the following defects: Hydrogen production from fossil fuels will produce a large amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and there is no development motivation in the context of carbon reduction; hydrogen production from biomass not only has low output but also high cost; hydrogen production from water electrolysis is a more environmentally friendly way of hydrogen production, but it has high energy consumption and requires a lot of electricity support, and different electrolyzers also have some fatal defects: For example, the operating temperature of the mature alkaline electrolyzer is usually 70-90°C. Due to its large size and the large amount of electrolyte solution, the concentration field and temperature field are difficult to be uniform. It usually needs to be preheated for 30-40 minutes, is difficult to start, has low energy utilization, requires a stable current, and the produced hydrogen is pure The temperature is low, and it needs to be separated and cooled later, which has a high overall cost. In the perfect proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, its bipolar plates, gas diffusion layers, proton exchange membranes, electrode catalysts and other core components can only work under strong corrosive conditions using a few precious metal materials such as gold, platinum, and iridium, which are very expensive. In the conquered solid oxide electrolyzer, it usually operates at 800-1000℃, which places high demands on equipment materials, production conditions, and equipment stability, and the current technology is not mature. In the mature alkaline electrolyzer water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, the electricity cost accounts for more than 80% of the total hydrogen production cost, and there is no promotion value or commercial value. The cost of existing photovoltaic water electrolysis hydrogen production technology has decreased compared with water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, but due to the large amount of electricity conversion costs, it still cannot be reduced to a level of widespread application.

[0038] The current complete industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production industry chain can be divided into three main stages: photovoltaic power generation stage, water electrolysis hydrogen production stage and hydrogen storage and application stage.

[0039] 1. Photovoltaic power generation stage

[0040] 1-1 Solar energy collection: Receive solar energy over a large area through solar panels and other equipment and efficiently convert it into electrical energy for subsequent hydrogen production.

[0041] 1-2 Power conversion and transmission: Solar panels generate direct current, which is converted into alternating current through junction boxes, inverters and other equipment, and then transmitted to the area where the water electrolysis hydrogen production device is located through transmission lines, and then converted into direct current. In this process, it is also necessary to ensure the stability and efficiency of power transmission and reduce the loss of power during transmission.

[0042] 2. Hydrogen production by water electrolysis

[0043] 2-1 Water pretreatment: Water is usually purified by filtration, ion exchange and other methods to ensure the purity of the water entering the electrolyzer.

[0044] 2-2 Electrolysis reaction: The pre-treated water enters the electrolyzer, and under the action of direct current, the water is decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen. The current industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production uses high-efficiency alkaline electrolyzer hydrogen production equipment. During the electrolysis process, it is necessary to strictly control the current, voltage, temperature and other parameters to ensure the stability of the electrolysis reaction.

[0045] 2-3 Gas separation and collection: Hydrogen and oxygen produced by electrolysis need to be separated by separation equipment. Hydrogen is collected for storage or further processing, while oxygen can be stored or discharged as needed.

[0046] 3. Hydrogen storage and application stage

[0047] 3-1 Hydrogen storage: The produced hydrogen needs to be stored for subsequent use. Storage methods include high-pressure gas storage, liquid storage, etc. High-pressure gas storage is currently a more common method, which requires the use of high-pressure storage tanks to store hydrogen; liquid storage requires cooling hydrogen to an extremely low temperature to turn it into a liquid for easy storage and transportation.

[0048] 3-2 Hydrogen application: The green hydrogen produced by industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production is directly fed into the chemical system to replace the gray hydrogen produced in the traditional coal-to-hydrogen production process, and is used to produce high-end chemical products. In addition, hydrogen can also be widely used in high-purity silicon production, hydrogen fuel vehicles, electronics industry, metallurgical industry, combined heat and power generation and energy storage.

[0049] The photovoltaic hydrogen production of this application is also divided into three similar stages, and the cost is compared with the current complete industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production industry chain. The cost of the third stage of this application, "hydrogen storage and application stage", is basically the same as the third stage of the current industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production. In the first stage of this application, only the same number of solar panels as the current industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production are used to replace all the equipment in the first stage of the current industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production, without the need for power conversion, control, transmission and other related equipment. In the second stage of this application, only "an integrated electrolysis hydrogen production equipment" is used to replace all the equipment in the second stage of the current industrial photovoltaic hydrogen production, without the need for insulation equipment, voltage stabilizing equipment, separation equipment, etc. Therefore, in addition to the cost of solar panels, this application mainly generates costs for the integrated electrolyzer and the gas collecting pipe connecting the integrated electrolyzer, which greatly reduces the cost.

[0050] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the process of producing hydrogen by solar water electrolysis.

[0052] This embodiment provides a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process, comprising the following steps:

[0053] S110, installing multiple groups of electrode pairs in an electrolytic cell body at intervals, and connecting the multiple groups of electrode pairs to multiple groups of solar cell units arranged outside the electrolytic cell body in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein at least one electrolytic cell body is provided; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar cell panel, and when each group of solar cell panels includes multiple solar cell panels, the multiple solar cell panels are connected in series;

[0054] S120, injecting electrolyte into the electrolytic cell body until the plurality of electrode pairs are immersed, so that the plurality of electrode pairs, the plurality of solar cell units and the electrolyte form a plurality of independent closed loops;

[0055] S130, under illumination, the plurality of solar cell units convert light energy into electrical energy and independently supply energy to the plurality of electrode pairs, and the plurality of electrode pairs undergo electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen;

[0056] S140, the generated hydrogen is collected to the hydrogen main pipe through the hydrogen collecting pipe and then input into the hydrogen storage device for storage, and the generated oxygen is collected to the oxygen main pipe through the oxygen collecting pipe and then input into the oxygen storage device for storage.

[0057] Next, a solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process of this exemplary embodiment will be further described.

[0058] In some embodiments, the above step S110 "installing multiple groups of electrode pairs at intervals in the electrolytic cell body" specifically includes: arranging multiple groups of electrode pairs at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body; wherein the electrode pairs include anode plates and cathode plates; arranging the anode plates and cathode plates in each group of the electrode pairs relative to each other and having a predetermined spacing, and the predetermined spacing is preferably 1cm-2cm, the purpose is to minimize the spacing between the anode plates and the cathode plates, thereby reducing the resistance between the electrodes and improving the energy conversion rate. By arranging multiple groups of electrode pairs at intervals in the electrolytic cell body, that is, independently integrating multiple groups of electrode pairs into one electrolytic cell body, it can independently produce hydrogen, and accumulate little by little.

[0059] In some embodiments, each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar panel. When each group of solar panels includes multiple solar panels, the multiple solar panels are connected in series. That is, one electrode pair can be connected to one solar panel or multiple solar panels connected in series. The above step S110 "connecting multiple groups of electrode pairs to multiple groups of solar cell units disposed outside the electrolytic cell body one by one" specifically includes: when one pair of electrode pairs is connected to one solar panel, the positive terminal of the solar panel is connected to the anode panel via an anode terminal; the negative terminal of the solar panel is connected to the cathode panel via a cathode terminal. That is, a solar panel is connected to an electrode pair, and there is no connection between the solar panels, so the solar panels do not affect each other, and the amount of electrical energy converted by one solar panel does not affect the power supply of other solar panels; although each solar panel may be exposed to light of different intensities at the same time, resulting in different potential differences, it only affects the hydrogen production effect of the corresponding electrode pair; when the solar panel is exposed to light to generate a certain amount of electrical energy, the anode plate and the cathode plate will be powered on to work and produce corresponding gases, when the solar panel is not exposed to light or the light is weak, the solar panel cannot generate a certain amount of electrical energy, the anode plate and the cathode plate will not work to produce corresponding gases, and the device is in a shut-down state, therefore, the device can automatically start and stop switching according to the light conditions, well adapts to the impact of photovoltaic volatility on hydrogen production, and improves energy efficiency. In order to increase the power of the solar cell unit, a pair of electrode pairs can be connected to a plurality of solar panels in series, and the connection method is also one-to-one corresponding connection as described above, so that the independent electrode pairs do not affect each other while increasing the power.

[0060] It should be noted that at least one electrolyzer is provided, and multiple electrolyzers can also be provided as required. For example, when used for industrial hydrogen production, the number of electrode pairs in the electrolyzer body can be increased, or the number of electrolyzers can be increased; and when used for domestic hydrogen production, the number of electrode pairs in the electrolyzer can be reduced accordingly, or the number of electrolyzers can be reduced. When multiple electrolyzers are provided, the hydrogen produced by each electrolyzer is collected through a hydrogen collection pipe to a hydrogen main pipe and then input into a hydrogen storage device for storage, and the oxygen produced by each electrolyzer is collected through an oxygen collection pipe to an oxygen main pipe and then input into an oxygen storage device for storage, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0061] As a preferred embodiment, the above steps further include: arranging the sun-facing surfaces of several or all of the solar panels to face the sun at different angles. That is, by arranging the multiple solar panels at different angles, they can face the sun when the light intensity is the strongest, thereby achieving more efficient hydrogen production.

[0062] In some embodiments, the above step S120 "injects electrolyte into the electrolytic cell body until the multiple groups of electrode pairs are immersed, so that the multiple groups of electrode pairs, the multiple groups of solar cell units and the electrolyte form multiple groups of independent closed loops", and the specific process is: when illuminated, the solar panel converts light energy into electrical energy and powers on, and the current flows from the positive electrode of the solar panel through the wire to the anode plate, and then from the anode plate through the electrolyte solution to the cathode plate, and the cathode plate flows back to the negative electrode of the solar panel through the wire, forming a closed loop, and an electrolysis reaction occurs on the electrode surface. Multiple independent gas production units are formed through the above process design, and each gas production unit works independently. Although each solar panel may receive different light levels and different working conditions at the same time and place, it will not affect the electrolysis hydrogen production effect of other electrode pairs and will automatically start and stop switching with changes in light intensity.

[0063] By setting up solar panels as the power source for the electrode pairs, the cost of solar panels accounts for about 90% of the total cost of hydrogen production. Renewable energy is used with low cost and low energy consumption. Experiments have shown that hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis at a voltage of 1.2V, and the rated voltage of solar panels is usually 12-48V. Because the equipment is small in size and contains less electrolyte solution, the concentration field and temperature field are easy to be uniform, no preheating is required, and the normal operation of the equipment is basically not affected by temperature changes. Therefore, using solar panels to power the electrolyzer under light makes it easy to start working and automatically start and stop with changes in light intensity.

[0064] Reference Figure 3-Figure 4The embodiment of the present application also provides a hydrogen production device based on the above-mentioned solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process, including an electrolytic cell body 100, a plurality of electrode pairs and a plurality of solar cell units 500; the plurality of electrode pairs are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body 100; the plurality of solar cell units 500 are arranged at intervals outside the electrolytic cell body 100 and are respectively connected to the plurality of electrode pairs in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein, at least one electrolytic cell 100 is provided, and the number of electrolytic cells 100 or the number of electrode pairs in the electrolytic cell can be increased or decreased according to demand, so as to be suitable for industrial hydrogen production or domestic hydrogen production; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar panel, and when each group of solar panels includes a plurality of solar panels, the plurality of solar panels are connected in series, and the number of solar panels in the solar cell unit 500 connected in series can be increased or decreased according to demand, and increasing the number of series connections can increase power and increase hydrogen production efficiency.

[0065] As a preferred embodiment, the electrolytic cell body 100 is divided into an anode chamber 110 and a cathode chamber 120 along the length direction by a separator 400, and there is a gap between the bottom of the separator 400 and the bottom of the electrolytic cell body 100, so that the bottoms of the anode chamber 110 and the cathode chamber 120 are connected. The electrolytic cell body 100 is divided into the anode chamber 110 and the cathode chamber 120 by the separator 400, which can prevent the hydrogen and oxygen generated by electrolysis from mixing.

[0066] As a preferred embodiment, the electrode pair includes an anode plate 210 and a cathode plate 220, and the anode plate 210 and the cathode plate 220 are respectively arranged on both sides of the partition 400, and are arranged as close to the partition 400 as possible; under the premise of ensuring that the gases generated on the two plates will not mix, the distance between the anode plate 210 and the cathode plate 220 is reduced as much as possible or even close to zero distance, for example, the partition 400 can be made of a diaphragm material, the purpose is to reduce the resistance between the electrodes, so that the current flowing through is converted into heat energy, and the conversion rate of solar energy into hydrogen energy is improved. The bottom of the electrolytic cell body 100 is penetrated with multiple groups of terminals corresponding to the multiple groups of electrode pairs, and the terminals include an anode terminal 211 and a cathode terminal 221, and the two ends of the anode terminal 211 are respectively connected to the positive end of the anode plate 210 and the solar cell unit 500; the two ends of the cathode terminal 221 are respectively connected to the cathode plate 220 and the negative end of the solar cell unit 500, so as to form a closed loop between the solar cell unit 500 and the electrode pair.

[0067] As a preferred embodiment, the electrolytic cell body 100 is a closed structure, an oxygen collecting pipe 310 is provided at the top of the anode chamber 110, and an oxygen drying area 311 is provided in the oxygen collecting pipe 310; a hydrogen collecting pipe 320 is provided at the top of the cathode chamber 120, and a hydrogen drying area 321 and a hydrogen purification area 322 are provided in the hydrogen collecting pipe 320 from bottom to top. By setting the electrolytic cell body 100 as a closed structure, leakage of the generated hydrogen and oxygen can be avoided, and by setting collection pipes in the anode chamber 110 and the cathode chamber 120, respectively, it is convenient to collect gas. Specifically, since the electrolytic cell body 100 is installed vertically, the gas density is less than that of the electrolyte. Therefore, the gas moves from bottom to top under the action of buoyancy, and hydrogen and oxygen are automatically separated. Under the influence of the partition 400, they enter the hydrogen collecting pipe 320 and the oxygen collecting pipe 310 respectively, and the gas is further purified to obtain a gas with a higher purity, and the gas is dried. When multiple electrolytic cell bodies 100 are provided, multiple oxygen collecting pipes 310 are connected to the oxygen main pipe, which is used to transport oxygen to the oxygen storage device; multiple hydrogen collecting pipes 320 are connected to the hydrogen main pipe, which is used to transport hydrogen to the hydrogen storage device.

[0068] As a preferred embodiment, the oxygen collecting pipe 310 and the hydrogen collecting pipe 320 are respectively provided with a gas pressure control valve to prevent the gas pressures of the anode chamber 110 and the cathode chamber 120 from being unequal, and hydrogen and oxygen from mixing due to the pressure difference; the oxygen collecting pipe 310 and the hydrogen collecting pipe 320 are respectively provided with a gas control valve 330, and the gas control valve 330 is arranged near one end of the electrolytic cell body 100. By arranging a gas control valve 330 on each collecting pipe, the on-off of each collecting pipe can be independently controlled. When it is necessary to replace the material bag or to overhaul it, it is only necessary to close the corresponding gas valve 330, and it will not affect the collection of gas by other collecting pipes.

[0069] As a preferred embodiment, two electrolyte nozzles 130 are provided at the lower part of the side wall of the electrolytic cell body 100 to facilitate the filling of electrolyte. And they are arranged at the lower part rather than the upper part. When multiple electrolytic cell bodies 100 are connected, liquid sealing can be achieved through the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell body 100, reducing the equipment control cost. The electrolyte nozzles 130 of different electrolytic cell bodies 100 can also be connected in series with a conduit for overall filling.

[0070] As a preferred implementation, the above-mentioned multiple solar cell units 500 can be connected to an energy storage device respectively, and the energy storage device can be installed according to actual needs. After the energy storage device is installed, the excess electric energy converted by the solar cell unit 500 can be stored during the day to supply energy to the electrode pairs at night.

[0071] It should be noted that the power of the solar panel and the area of ​​the anode plate 210 and the cathode plate 220 can be selected according to actual needs, and the electrode plate of the appropriate area can be selected according to the power of the solar panel. A solar panel with a higher power can use an electrode plate with a larger area. According to the resistance of the electrolyte solution R = k*L / S (R-resistance, k-resistivity, L-distance between electrodes, S-electrode area), appropriately increasing the electrode area can reduce the resistance of the electrolyte solution, reduce the current density of the electrode plate per unit area, and make the electrolyte solution not have sufficient contact opportunities with the electrode plate due to the obstruction of bubbles, reduce the conversion of electrical energy into heat energy and improve the efficiency of converting electrical energy into chemical energy.

[0072] In a specific embodiment, a 100w solar panel is used as a power source, the electrode spacing is 1cm, the maximum working voltage between the two electrodes is 16.8 volts, and the electrolyte solution is a saturated NaOH solution at 20°C. When the area of ​​a single graphite electrode increases to about 13 square centimeters or more, the hydrogen production efficiency is the highest. The specific principle is: when the electrode area is 13 square centimeters, the electrons given by the electrode plate, the hydrogen ions near the electrode plate get electrons to become hydrogen and just leave the electrode plate, and the electrons given by the electrode plate are just obtained by other hydrogen ions, and so on are repeated. At this time, the electrolysis efficiency is the highest; if the electrode area is less than 13 square centimeters at this time, the electrons given by the electrode plate do not have time to leave the electrode plate due to the generated hydrogen, which hinders the hydrogen ions from getting electrons to become hydrogen, and the hydrogen production efficiency is reduced. When a 330w or 670w solar panel is used as a power source, the electrode spacing is 1cm, the maximum working voltage between the two electrodes is 16.8 volts, and the electrolyte solution is a saturated NaOH solution at 20°C, the hydrogen production efficiency is the highest when the electrode area is about 145 or 310 square centimeters.

[0073] The present application sets multiple pairs of independent electrode pairs 200 and connects a solar cell unit or a solar panel respectively, so that multiple groups of independent electrode pairs 200 in the electrolytic cell body 100 form multiple independent gas production units, and the hydrogen production between the gas production units does not interfere with each other, which can avoid the impact of the volatility of existing photovoltaic power generation on electrolytic hydrogen production; the hydrogen produced by several gas production units accumulates to form different hydrogen production scales, and improves the efficiency of hydrogen production. By using solar panels to directly power the electrode pairs, the cost of solar panels accounts for about 90% of the total cost of hydrogen production, and the use of renewable energy greatly reduces the cost of hydrogen production. And it can operate at room temperature, is not limited by temperature, and can avoid the gas from taking out electrolyte impurities under high temperature conditions, such as sodium hydroxide in alkaline electrolyte, so that the quality of the generated gas is higher, and there is no need for subsequent separation and purification. By reducing the distance between the plates and appropriately increasing the electrode area, due to the mild reaction conditions at the electrodes and the low current density, the electrode materials are not required. Conventional materials can be used for the electrodes, such as inert cast iron, without the need to use electrode catalysts, gas diffusion materials, diaphragms, etc., which can greatly save costs.

[0074] It should be noted that the process and equipment of the present application both study the problem of producing hydrogen using clean solar energy under illumination, and do not discuss the problem of producing hydrogen without illumination.

[0075] The electrolytic hydrogen production equipment of the present application has a simple structure and low cost. It can integrate several independent electrolytic hydrogen production groups for industrial hydrogen production or oxygen production, and can also integrate a few independent electrolytic hydrogen production groups for domestic hydrogen or domestic oxygen production, such as small-scale gas: suitable for use as clean fuel by households in rural areas, grasslands, and islands. With a scale of 20KW (200 100W) solar panels, the daily hydrogen production is about 10m 3 , collect the generated hydrogen with a 10 cubic meter air bag, and then connect the air bag to the gas stove, water heater, etc. to meet the daily gas demand of an ordinary family. Medium-scale gas: suitable for small towns and used as a clean fuel. According to needs, choose the scale of solar panels (such as 20,000-50,000 100W solar panels). Due to the increase in the amount of hydrogen, it can be appropriately pressurized and stored (hydrogen is stored at low pressure, and the requirements for storage materials are not high). Gas can be concentrated and then distributed at low pressure. Oxygen is produced as a by-product, which can be compressed and filled into medical cylinders for use in local hospitals. Hydrogen and natural gas can be mixed and supplied in areas where solar energy is insufficient. High-purity hydrogen and oxygen can also be produced on a large scale: in areas with solar energy, such as Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, etc.; using wastelands, deserts, deserts, etc., build hydrogen power stations, produce hydrogen during the day, and use hydrogen energy to generate electricity at night to balance the national power grid. High-purity hydrogen and oxygen are directly used as industrial raw materials; "green hydrogen" and "green oxygen" are directly supplied to chemical systems to produce high-end chemical products such as polyethylene and polypropylene; large-scale chlor-alkali industrial production bases can also be built, and the conductive gap between the partition and the bottom of the electrolytic cell body can be replaced with an ion exchange membrane, and saturated salt water can be used as the electrolyte to produce industrial products such as hydrogen, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide on a large scale. Therefore, the integrated electrolytic hydrogen production equipment of this application is highly practical, easy to implement, and has a wide range of application scenarios.

[0076] In addition, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, in the embodiments of the present application, if the terms "installation" and "connection" appear, they should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. If the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "side" and other directional terms appear, they are only with reference to the direction of the accompanying drawings or the orientation in which the product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the purpose of clearly describing the present application, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. The terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance; "multiple" means at least two. In the embodiments of the present application, the limitations of relative positional relationships such as parallel, vertical, and aligned are all for the current technological level, rather than absolutely strict limitations. A small amount of deviation is allowed, and approximately parallel, approximately vertical, approximately aligned, etc. are all acceptable. For example, A and B are parallel, which means that A and B are parallel or approximately parallel, and the angle between A and B can be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

[0077] The above are only some embodiments and implementation methods of the present application. The protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. Any combination of features in different embodiments is also within the protection scope of the present application. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by any technician familiar with the field within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process, characterized in that: The steps include: Install multiple groups of electrode pairs in the electrolytic cell body at intervals, and connect the multiple groups of electrode pairs to multiple groups of solar cell units arranged outside the electrolytic cell body in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein at least one electrolytic cell body is provided; each group of solar cell units includes at least one solar cell panel, and when each group of solar cell panels includes multiple solar cell panels, the multiple solar cell panels are connected in series; Injecting electrolyte into the electrolytic cell body until the plurality of electrode pairs are submerged, so that the plurality of electrode pairs, the plurality of solar cell units and the electrolyte form a plurality of independent closed loops; Under illumination, the plurality of solar cell units convert light energy into electrical energy and independently supply energy to the plurality of electrode pairs, and the plurality of electrode pairs undergo electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen; The generated hydrogen is collected to the hydrogen main pipe through the hydrogen collecting pipe and then input into the hydrogen storage device for storage. The generated oxygen is collected to the oxygen main pipe through the oxygen collecting pipe and then input into the oxygen storage device for storage.

2. The solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of installing multiple groups of electrode pairs in the electrolytic cell at intervals comprises: Arrange multiple groups of electrode pairs at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body; wherein the electrode pairs include anode plates and cathode plates; The anode plate and the cathode plate in each electrode pair are arranged opposite to each other and have a predetermined distance therebetween.

3. The solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of connecting the plurality of electrode pairs to the plurality of solar cell units disposed outside the electrolytic cell body in a one-to-one correspondence includes: Connecting the positive terminal of the solar cell unit to the anode plate via an anode terminal; The negative terminal of the solar cell unit is connected to the cathode plate via a cathode terminal.

4. The solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of connecting the plurality of electrode pairs to the plurality of solar cell units disposed outside the electrolytic cell body in a one-to-one correspondence also includes: The sun-facing surfaces of several or all of the solar panels are arranged to face the sun at different angles.

5. The solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance between the anode plate and the cathode plate in each electrode pair is 1 cm to 2 cm.

6. A hydrogen production device based on the solar water electrolysis hydrogen production process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It comprises an electrolytic cell body, a plurality of groups of electrode pairs and a plurality of groups of solar cell units; the plurality of groups of electrode pairs are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the electrolytic cell body; the plurality of groups of solar cell units are arranged at intervals outside the electrolytic cell body and are respectively connected to the plurality of groups of electrode pairs in a one-to-one correspondence; wherein at least one electrolytic cell body is provided; each group of solar cell units comprises at least one solar cell panel, and when each group of solar cell panels comprises a plurality of solar cell panels, the plurality of solar cell panels are connected in series.

7. The hydrogen production equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electrolytic cell body is divided into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber along the length direction by a partition, and the bottoms of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber are connected.

8. The hydrogen production equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The electrode pair comprises an anode plate and a cathode plate, and the anode plate and the cathode plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the separator in an opposite manner; The bottom of the electrolytic cell body is provided with a plurality of groups of terminal posts corresponding to the plurality of electrode pairs, and the terminal posts include anode terminal posts and cathode terminal posts, and the two ends of the anode terminal posts are respectively connected to the anode plate and the positive end of the solar cell unit; the two ends of the cathode terminal posts are respectively connected to the cathode plate and the negative end of the solar cell unit.

9. The hydrogen production equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electrolytic cell body is a closed structure, an oxygen collecting pipe is provided on the top of the anode chamber, and an oxygen drying area is provided in the oxygen collecting pipe; a hydrogen collecting pipe is provided on the top of the cathode chamber, and a hydrogen drying area and a hydrogen purification area are provided in the hydrogen collecting pipe from bottom to top; When a plurality of the electrolytic cells are provided, a plurality of the oxygen collecting pipes are connected to an oxygen main pipe, and the oxygen main pipe is used to transport oxygen to an oxygen storage device; The plurality of hydrogen collecting pipes are connected to a hydrogen main pipe, and the hydrogen main pipe is used to transport hydrogen to a hydrogen storage device.

10. The hydrogen production equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of groups of solar cell units are respectively connected to an energy storage device.

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