PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure

Abstract

The application relates to a PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulation frame integrated structure, which comprises an anode gas chamber, a cathode gas chamber and a membrane electrode arranged between the anode gas chamber and the cathode gas chamber; the anode gas chamber comprises an anode side titanium partition plate, an anode diffusion layer, an anode side sealing gasket, an anode insulation frame and a membrane electrode sealing gasket; the cathode gas chamber comprises a cathode side titanium partition plate, a cathode side gas diffusion layer, a cathode side sealing gasket and a cathode insulation frame; an annular sunken platform is arranged on the cathode insulation frame, a surface of the membrane electrode corresponding to the cathode side is in contact with the annular sunken platform and is adhesively connected, and a bonding layer of an annular structure is formed. Compared with the prior art, the prepared membrane electrode-insulation frame integrated structure requires less material for the membrane electrode, has no complex shape and saves cost; the installation membrane electrode alignment installation link is reduced, efficiency is improved; the cathode / anode gas sealing can be well ensured under the condition that the membrane edge is protected from being damaged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application relates to the field of PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production, in particular to a PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] Water electrolysis hydrogen production uses water as a reactant, and hydrogen and oxygen can be produced by applying direct current in an electrolysis device, the equipment is simple, the produced hydrogen has high purity, and the water electrolysis hydrogen production can be popularized and used on a large scale. There are three ways for water electrolysis, namely, alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production, solid oxide water electrolysis hydrogen production and proton exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production. Among them, the proton exchange membrane water electrolysis hydrogen production has the characteristics of high current density, strong flexibility, high efficiency and large energy capacity, can well match renewable energy (such as wind energy and solar energy), and due to the compact structure, can operate at a high pressure of up to 350 bar, which is beneficial to hydrogen storage and transportation, and can effectively reduce the loss caused by compression and storage. A proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC) mainly comprises a membrane electrode, a gas diffusion layer and a bipolar plate.

[0003] The membrane electrode, as the core component of the PEMEC, mainly comprises an anode catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane and a cathode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst mainly decomposes water into oxygen, electrons and protons; the proton exchange membrane serves as a solid electrolyte and can effectively isolate the generated gases of the anode and the cathode, but protons can pass through in the form of hydronium ions; and the cathode catalyst promotes the reaction of hydrogen ions to generate hydrogen.

[0004] The existing water electrolysis cell is placed in a normal temperature environment, so that the water electrolysis cell has a relatively high pressure difference relative to the environment, and the pressure difference between the cathode gas chamber and the environment can reach 3.5 MPa. The pressure difference between the anode gas chamber and the environment can reach 1.5 MPa. The PEM hydrogen production has very high requirements for the sealing material of the water electrolysis cell, and the existing materials are few in kind and expensive in price, which restricts the cost and commercial application range of the water electrolysis cell.

[0005] The existing membrane electrode has the same size as the outer shape size of the insulating frame, the cathode reaction zone and the anode reaction zone on both sides of the membrane electrode are sprayed with catalysts, and the existing technology has three disadvantages: ① there is a gap of 10-15 microns in the film thickness between the reaction zone and the non-reaction zone; ② there is waste of the proton exchange membrane; and ③ since the membrane electrode is only a proton exchange membrane, the texture is relatively soft, and the membrane electrode is sensitive to humidity in the environment and is prone to swelling and wrinkle, and the assembly is extremely inconvenient. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application aims at overcoming the defects of the prior art, and provides a PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure.

[0007] The object of the present application can be achieved by the following technical solutions.

[0008] The present application aims at providing a PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure, which comprises an anode gas chamber, a cathode gas chamber, and a membrane electrode arranged between the anode gas chamber and the cathode gas chamber.

[0009] The anode gas chamber comprises an anode side titanium partition plate, an anode diffusion layer, an anode side sealing gasket, an anode insulating frame, and a membrane electrode sealing gasket arranged on the anode side.

[0010] The cathode gas chamber comprises a cathode side titanium partition plate, a cathode side gas diffusion layer, a cathode side sealing gasket, and a cathode insulating frame arranged on the cathode side.

[0011] The cathode insulating frame is provided with an annular sink, and the surface of the membrane electrode corresponding to the cathode side is in contact with the annular sink and is adhesively connected, thereby forming an annular structure adhesive layer.

[0012] Further, the width of the annular sink is 5-10 mm, and the depth s of the annular sink is 0.1-0.2 mm.

[0013] Further, the annular surface of the annular sink is coated with an adhesive to form the adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer connects the membrane electrode and the cathode insulating frame.

[0014] Further, the adhesive used in the adhesive layer is a heat-sensitive adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0015] Further, a gap is provided between the inner wall of the annular sink and the circumferential outer edge of the membrane electrode.

[0016] Further, the width size k of the gap is 0.1-0.25 mm, and the thickness size of the adhesive layer is 0.05-0.15 mm.

[0017] Further, the material of the cathode insulating frame is selected from one of PEEK, PSU, PPS, POM, and PA.

[0018] Further, the surface of the annular sink in contact with the adhesive layer is subjected to a surface treatment for increasing roughness in advance.

[0019] The surface treatment is surface sandblasting or surface knurling, and the roughness peak value range is 6.3-25 microns.

[0020] Further, the annular sink surface is provided with a first annular groove and a second annular groove at intervals.

[0021] The first annular groove and the second annular groove have a groove width of 0.5-1mm and a groove depth of 0.02-0.05mm.

[0022] Further, the annular sink surface is provided with a first annular groove and a second annular groove at intervals.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following technical advantages:

[0024] 1) Compared with the prior art (as shown in the figure), the membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure prepared in the present technical solution requires less material, has no complex shape, and saves cost. Figure 5 Figure 3 Figure 4 2) The membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated structure in the present technical solution reduces the installation and alignment steps of installing the membrane electrode in the water electrolysis cell assembly process, saves manpower and material resources, and improves efficiency.

[0025] 3) Because the pressure of the existing water electrolysis cell cathode side gas diffusion layer is much greater than the internal pressure of the anode side diffusion layer, the membrane electrode and the insulating frame integrated structure in the present technical solution can well ensure the cathode / anode gas sealing without damaging the edge of the membrane.

[0026] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is an explosion schematic diagram of the PEM water electrolysis cell single section structure in the present technical solution.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the PEM water electrolysis cell single section structure in the present technical solution.

[0029] Figure 3 、 4 It is a structure schematic diagram of the cathode insulating frame in the present technical solution.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a structure schematic diagram of the membrane electrode in the prior art.

[0031] Figure 6 、 7 It is a schematic diagram of the groove structure on the cathode insulating frame in the present technical solution.

[0032] ​​In the figure: 101 cathode metal titanium separator; 102 cathode side sealing gasket; 103 cathode side gas diffusion layer; 104 cathode insulation frame; 105 membrane electrode; 106 membrane electrode sealing gasket; 107 anode insulation frame; 108 anode diffusion layer; 109 anode side sealing gasket; 110 anode side metal titanium separator; 201 annular sink; 300 existing membrane electrode; 301 membrane electrode reaction zone; 303 waist-shaped groove; 401 first annular groove; 402 second annular groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific examples. In the technical solution, the component models, material names, connection structures, control methods, process steps and other features not explicitly described are considered as common technical features disclosed in the prior art.

[0034] The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulation frame integrated structure in the present application includes an anode gas chamber, a cathode gas chamber and a membrane electrode 105 arranged between the anode gas chamber and the cathode gas chamber; the anode gas chamber includes the following components arranged on the anode side: an anode side titanium separator 110, an anode diffusion layer 108, an anode side sealing gasket 109, an anode insulation frame 107 and a membrane electrode sealing gasket 106, and the gas chamber region is the anode diffusion layer filling region. The cathode gas chamber includes the following components arranged on the cathode side: a cathode side titanium separator 101, a cathode side gas diffusion layer 103, a cathode side sealing gasket 102 and a cathode insulation frame 104, and the gas chamber region is the cathode diffusion layer filling region. For details, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The layers are fixed by bolts passing through the bolt mounting holes.

[0035] In specific implementation, see Figure 3 and 4 The cathode insulation frame 104 is provided with an annular sink 201, the membrane electrode 105 is in contact with the annular sink 201 on the cathode side surface and is adhesively connected, forming an annular structure adhesive layer 111. The width of the annular sink 201 is 5-10 mm, and the depth s of the annular sink 201 is 0.1-0.2 mm. Compared with the existing membrane electrode Figure 5 as shown, the prepared membrane electrode-insulation frame integrated structure in the technical solution requires less material, has no complex shape and saves cost. In the water electrolysis cell assembly process, the membrane electrode alignment installation link is reduced, manpower and material resources are saved, and efficiency is improved. Figure 3 Figure 4

[0036] ​In specific implementation, the annular surface of the annular sink 201 is coated with an adhesive to form the adhesive layer 111, which connects the membrane electrode 105 and the cathode insulation frame. The adhesive used in the adhesive layer 111 is a heat-sensitive adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The membrane electrode and the cathode insulation frame are bonded together by hot pressing or cold pressing process. The adhesive can also be applied on the surface of the sink by dispensing process to bond the membrane electrode together. Because the existing water electrolysis cell has a much larger pressure on the cathode side gas diffusion layer than on the anode side diffusion layer, the integrated structure of the membrane electrode and the insulation frame in the technical solution can well ensure the cathode / anode gas sealing without damaging the edge of the protective film.

[0037] In specific implementation, a gap is left between the inner wall of the annular sink 201 and the circumferential outer edge of the membrane electrode 105. The width of the gap k is 0.1-0.25 mm, and the thickness of the adhesive layer 111 is 0.05-0.15 mm.

[0038] In specific implementation, the material of the cathode insulation frame 104 is selected from one of PEEK, PSU, PPS, POM, and PA.

[0039] In specific implementation, the surface of the annular sink on the cathode insulation frame and the membrane electrode is press-fitted, and corresponding measures are taken to increase the surface area of the adhesive to ensure tight and firm bonding. The surface of the annular sink 201 in contact with the adhesive layer 111 is pre-treated to increase the roughness. The surface treatment is surface sandblasting and surface knurling, and the roughness peak is 6.3-25 microns.

[0040] Embodiment 2

[0041] In specific implementation, compared with Embodiment 1, referring to Figure 7 , the annular sink 201 is provided with a first annular groove 401 and a second annular groove 402 on the surface, which functions as: ① an overflow groove for dispensing and bonding, and ② increasing the bonding area of the adhesive and the electrode plate to make the connection more reliable. The groove width of the first annular groove 401 and the second annular groove 402 is 0.5-1 mm, and the groove depth is 0.02-0.05.

[0042] Embodiment 3

[0043] In specific implementation, compared with Embodiment 1, referring to Figure 6 , the annular sink 201 is provided with a waist-shaped groove 303 every 30° in a central symmetric manner, and the groove depth is 0.02-0.05 mm, which functions as: ① when hot pressing or cold pressing the membrane electrode, the excess adhesive can flow into the waist-shaped groove, an overflow groove; and ② increasing the bonding surface area of the adhesive and the insulation frame, which helps to improve the bonding force.

[0044] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the application to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or can be acquired from practice of the application. As well, the description is presented in the context of the preferred embodiments as a number of alternatives. It is not intended to limit the application to the precise form described.

Claims

1. A PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device, characterized in that, The membrane electrode (105) is arranged between the anode gas chamber and the cathode gas chamber. The anode gas chamber comprises an anode side titanium partition plate (110), an anode diffusion layer (108), an anode side sealing gasket (109), an anode insulation frame (107) and a membrane electrode sealing gasket (106) arranged on the anode side. The cathode gas chamber comprises a cathode side titanium partition plate (101), a cathode side gas diffusion layer (103), a cathode side sealing gasket (102) and a cathode insulation frame (104) arranged on the cathode side. The cathode insulation frame (104) is provided with an annular sink (201), the membrane electrode (105) is in contact with the annular sink (201) on the cathode side surface and is adhesively connected, forming an annular structure of the adhesive layer (111). The width of the annular sink (201) is 5-10 mm, and the depth s of the annular sink (201) is 0.1-0.2 mm. The annular surface of the annular sink (201) is coated with an adhesive to form the adhesive layer (111), and the adhesive layer (111) connects the membrane electrode (105) and the cathode insulation frame. The inner wall of the annular sink (201) and the circumferential outer edge of the membrane electrode (105) are provided with a gap.

2. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesive used in the adhesive layer (111) is a heat-sensitive adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

3. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the gap is 0.1-0.25 mm, and the thickness of the adhesive layer (111) is 0.05-0.15 mm.

4. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the cathode insulation frame (104) is selected from one of PEEK, PSU, PPS, POM and PA.

5. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the annular sink (201) in contact with the adhesive layer (111) is subjected to surface treatment to increase roughness. The surface treatment is surface sandblasting or surface knurling, and the roughness peak value is 6.3-25 microns.

6. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular sink (201) is provided with a first annular groove (401) and a second annular groove (402) at intervals on the surface. The groove width of the first annular groove (401) and the second annular groove (402) is 0.5-1 mm, and the groove depth is 0.02-0.05 mm.

7. The PEM water electrolysis hydrogen generation membrane electrode-insulating frame integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular sink (201) is provided with a waist-shaped groove (303) every 30° in a central symmetric manner on the surface, and the groove depth is 0.02-0.05 mm.

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