An oxygen removal device and a refrigerator comprising the same
By selectively removing oxygen in the low-temperature compartment of a refrigerator using electrochemical components, the complexity and efficiency issues of existing refrigerator oxygen control technologies are solved, achieving low-voltage operation and efficient oxygen removal, thus extending food preservation time.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TAIWAN CARBON NANO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
- Filing Date
- 2021-11-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing refrigerator oxygen control technology suffers from problems such as complex design, the need for an additional water supply, high voltage, and limited oxygen removal efficiency, making it difficult to effectively extend the food preservation time.
An electrochemical component is used to carry out the oxygen reduction and oxygen generation reaction. Oxygen is selectively removed in a low-temperature chamber through electrochemical reaction. The reaction space is separated by an electrolyte and operated at a low voltage. The design of the anode and cathode sections enables effective removal of oxygen.
Without requiring an additional supply of gas or liquid, it significantly reduces the oxygen concentration in the low-temperature chamber, extends food preservation time, maintains a low-oxygen environment, prevents bacterial growth and oxidation, and enhances food freshness.
Smart Images
Figure CN116086105B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an oxygen transfer device, and more particularly to an oxygen transfer device capable of removing oxygen from a space to reduce oxygen concentration, and a refrigerator comprising the same. Background Technology
[0002] Refrigerators or freezers (hereinafter collectively referred to as refrigerators) are essential appliances for storing food. By lowering the ambient temperature, refrigerators can extend the shelf life of food and keep it fresh, providing users with safe and healthy ingredients.
[0003] However, refrigerators have limitations in preserving food solely by lowering the temperature. In normal air conditions, oxygen in the air promotes the growth of microorganisms and bacteria, easily causing food to lose freshness or spoil. Therefore, existing refrigerators typically have oxygen control functions. For example, one existing technology is to reduce the oxygen content in the air by creating a vacuum. However, the higher the vacuum level inside the refrigerator, the greater the pressure the refrigerator experiences, thus limiting the amount of oxygen removed by vacuuming.
[0004] Another example is Chinese Invention Patent Publication No. CN102688664A, which discloses an electrolysis device and a refrigerator. This device utilizes voltage applied to the anode and cathode to electrolyze water at the anode side and uses the generated protons to carry out an oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode side. However, this electrolysis device requires water electrolysis at the anode side, necessitating a water supply pipeline, increasing design complexity and causing inconvenience in use. Furthermore, this electrolysis device also requires a relatively high voltage supply. Therefore, improving the oxygen control technology in refrigerators is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention provides a refrigerator that can effectively reduce the oxygen content in a low-temperature compartment without the need for additional supply or consumption of gas, liquid (such as water) or other materials, thereby significantly increasing the preservation time of food or ingredients and extending their freshness.
[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body including a low-temperature compartment having a sealed state for storing food and an open state for taking out and placing the food; and an oxygen transfer device connected to the low-temperature compartment. The oxygen transfer device includes a housing and an electrochemical component. The housing includes a front end face, a rear end face, a space between the front end face and the rear end face, and a top exhaust port communicating with the space. The front end face defines an air inlet exposed to the low-temperature compartment. The electrochemical component is disposed in the space and contacts the outside environment through the air inlet. The electrochemical component includes: a cathode portion adjacent to the air inlet to naturally receive gas from the low-temperature compartment. The cathode portion includes a first cathode plate, a second cathode plate opposite to the first cathode plate, and a collector plate. The first cathode plate is adjacent to the air inlet. A central region of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate sandwiches the collector plate, and a peripheral region of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate is joined to each other. The current collector is sealed to cover the current collector; an anode portion is disposed opposite the cathode portion; a separator is disposed between the anode portion and the cathode portion to isolate the anode portion and the cathode portion; and an electrolyte disposed in the space and in contact with the cathode portion and the anode portion, the electrolyte covering the cathode portion in the space to divide the space into an upper region that is not injected with the electrolyte and communicates with the top vent hole and a lower region that is injected with the electrolyte and is separated from the top vent hole; wherein the first cathode plate, the second cathode plate and the current collector are respectively structured with a first aperture, a second aperture and a third aperture, the first aperture and the second aperture are respectively within a range that allows gas molecules to pass through but produces a hydrophobicity to the electrolyte, and the third aperture is larger than the first aperture and the second aperture, thereby allowing the gas in the low temperature chamber to enter the electrochemical assembly through the cathode portion; wherein the cathode portion of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the gas in the low temperature chamber according to the following formula (1):
[0007] O₂ + 2H₂O + 4e⁻ → 4OH⁻ - (1)
[0008] The anode of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the gas in the low-temperature chamber according to the following formula (2):
[0009] 4OH - -4e→O2+2H2O (2)
[0010] The oxygen produced by reaction (2) is discharged from the upper region through an external pipe connected to the top vent.
[0011] Another embodiment of the present invention provides an oxygen transfer device, comprising: a housing including a front end face, a rear end face, a space between the front end face and the rear end face, and a top exhaust port communicating with the space; the front end face defines an air inlet exposed to the low-temperature chamber and an air inlet exposed to the outside; and an electrochemical component disposed in the space and in contact with the outside via the air inlet, the electrochemical component comprising: a cathode portion adjacent to the air inlet to naturally receive oxygen-containing gas from the outside, the cathode portion including a first cathode plate, a second cathode plate opposite to the first cathode plate, and a current collector plate; the first cathode plate adjacent to the air inlet; a central region of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate sandwiching the current collector plate; and a peripheral region of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate joining together to sealably cover the current collector plate; an anode portion disposed opposite to the cathode portion; and a... A separator is disposed between the anode and the cathode to isolate the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte disposed in the space and in contact with the cathode and the anode, the electrolyte covering the cathode in the space to divide the space into an upper region without electrolyte and communicating with the top vent and a lower region with electrolyte and separated from the top vent; wherein the first cathode plate, the second cathode plate and the current collector have a structure having a first aperture, a second aperture and a third aperture, the first aperture and the second aperture being respectively within a range that allows gas molecules to pass through but produces a hydrophobicity to the electrolyte, and the third aperture being larger than the first aperture and the second aperture, thereby allowing the gas in the low-temperature chamber to enter the electrochemical assembly through the cathode; wherein the cathode of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the oxygen-containing gas in the following formula (1):
[0012] O₂ + 2H₂O + 4e → 4OH⁻ - (1)
[0013] The anode of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the oxygen-containing gas according to the following formula (2):
[0014] 4OH - -4e→O2+2H2O (2) Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an oxygen transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A structural decomposition diagram.
[0018] Figure 4A yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram.
[0019] Figure 4B yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of another state.
[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an electrochemical component according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of experimental results according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The foregoing and other technical contents, features, and effects of this invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front, or back, are merely for reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the invention.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator body 10 and an oxygen transfer device 20. The refrigerator body 10 includes at least one low-temperature compartment 11, at least one door 12, and a refrigeration system 13. The low-temperature compartment 11 is a storage compartment for storing food or ingredients at a temperature below room temperature, such as a freezer compartment (e.g., below -18°C) or a refrigerator compartment (e.g., below 5°C). In this embodiment, the door 12 for shielding the low-temperature compartment 11 is configured to be hinged to the refrigerator body 10 and can be rotatably mounted on the refrigerator body 10 with reference to the refrigerator body 10 to open or close the low-temperature compartment 11; alternatively, the door 12 and the low-temperature compartment 11 can also be configured as drawers that can be extended forward. The refrigeration system 13 is used to maintain the low-temperature compartment 11 at a low temperature. The refrigeration system 13 can be implemented, for example, by a compressor or other device and / or mechanism, and the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0024] The oxygen removal device 20 is installed in the low temperature chamber 11 to remove oxygen from the low temperature chamber 11. In this embodiment, the oxygen removal device 20 is further connected to an exhaust pipe 30 to discharge the oxygen in the low temperature chamber 11 to the outside of the refrigerator 1. Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an oxygen transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oxygen transfer device 20 includes a housing 21 and an electrochemical component 22. The housing 21 includes a first cover 211 and a second cover 212. A space 213 is defined between a front end face 211a of the first cover 211 and a rear end face 212a of the second cover 212. An air inlet 211b is defined on the front end face 211a. The electrochemical component 22 is disposed in the space 213.
[0025] The electrochemical assembly 22 includes an anode portion 221, a cathode portion 222, a separator 223, an electrolyte, an anode busbar 224, and a cathode busbar 225. The anode portion 221 is disposed near the second cover 212, and the cathode portion 222 is disposed near the first cover 211. The electrolyte is formed by dissolving an electrolyte material in a solvent (e.g., water) to form a liquid state and is injected into the space 213. The separator 223 is disposed between the anode portion 221 and the cathode portion 222. Figure 3 As shown, the anode portion 221, the cathode portion 222, and the separator 223 form a sandwich structure, and the electrolyte, the anode portion 221, and the cathode portion 222 are in electrical contact with each other.
[0026] The anode busbar 224 is inserted into a first slot 214 on the housing 21. One end of the anode busbar 224 is coupled to the anode portion 221, and the other end protrudes outside the housing 21. The cathode portion 222 includes a first cathode plate 222a, a second cathode plate 222c, and a current collector plate 222b. The first cathode plate 222a, the second cathode plate 222c, and the current collector plate 222b form a sandwich structure. The cathode busbar 225 is inserted into a second slot 215 on the housing 21. One end of the cathode busbar 225 is coupled to the current collector plate 222b of the cathode portion 222, and the other end protrudes outside the housing 21. The second cathode plate 222c of the cathode portion 222 is close to and in contact with the air inlet 211b, thereby naturally receiving external gas. This embodiment illustrates the cathode portion 222 as a three-layer structure (sequentially the first cathode plate 222a, the current collector plate 222b, and the second cathode plate 222c). In another embodiment, the cathode portion 222 may be a four-layer structure (sequentially the first cathode plate 222a, the second cathode plate 222c, the current collector plate 222b, and the second cathode plate 222c). Furthermore, the housing 21 includes a top vent 216 formed on the first cover 211, which is connected to the vent pipe 30.
[0027] In this electrochemical assembly 22, the anode portion 221 is a sheet made of at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, at least one metal hydroxide, or a combination thereof. The metal is, for example, steel, nickel, titanium, platinum, silver, or a combination thereof; the metal oxide is, for example, iridium dioxide (IrO2), ruthenium dioxide (RuO2), lanthanum nickel oxide (LaNiO3), lanthanum cobalt oxide (LaCoO3), cobalt monoxide (CoO), cobalt tetroxide (Co3O4), manganese dioxide (MnO2), or a combination thereof; and the metal hydroxide can be, for example, nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2).
[0028] In the preparation of the first cathode sheet 222a, a catalyst, a conductive agent, a solvent, and an adhesive are mixed together. The catalyst is at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, at least one metal hydroxide, or a combination thereof. The metal is, for example, platinum, gold, ruthenium, iridium, nickel, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide is, for example, iridium dioxide (IrO2), ruthenium dioxide (RuO2), cobalt oxide (CoO), cobalt tetroxide (Co3O4), manganese dioxide (MnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), palladium oxide (PdO), nickel oxide (NiO), ferric oxide (Fe2O3), or a combination thereof. The metal hydroxide can be, for example, nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2). The conductive agent is carbon, and the adhesive is a fluorinated adhesive, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP). After mixing and stirring, a viscous lump is formed, which is then rolled to form the first cathode sheet 222a.
[0029] In the preparation of the second cathode sheet 222c, a conductive agent and an adhesive are mixed together. The adhesive is a fluorinated adhesive, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP). After mixing, the mixture is stirred to form a viscous agglomerate, which is then rolled to form the cathode sheet. The conductive agent is carbon. Compared to the first cathode sheet 222a, the second cathode sheet 222c has a higher proportion of adhesive, providing better hydrophobicity (or waterproofness) and breathability (superior to the first cathode sheet 222a).
[0030] Prepared using the above method, the first cathode plate 222a and the second cathode plate 222c are porous structures, each having a first pore size and a second pore size. The first and second pore sizes must be within a range that allows gas molecules to pass through but imparts hydrophobicity (or water resistance) to the electrolyte. The current collector 222b can be a metal mesh or a porous metal sheet, and its structure has a third pore size.
[0031] In this invention, the third pore diameter is larger than both the first and second pore diameters, meaning the current collector 222b does not possess hydrophobicity (or waterproofness). In one embodiment, the first pore diameter is smaller than the second pore diameter, while in another embodiment, the second pore diameter is larger than the first pore diameter. Functionally, both the first cathode plate 222a and the second cathode plate 222c possess hydrophobicity (or waterproofness) and breathability. Due to differences in composition, the first cathode plate 222a can also provide catalytic activity, while the second cathode plate 222c has better hydrophobicity (or waterproofness) and breathability than the first cathode plate 222a.
[0032] The separator 223 isolates the anode portion 221 and the cathode portion 222, while allowing ions to pass through. The separator 223 can be a non-woven material, a porous membrane, or a similar material, such as a mesh material of PP, PE, or Nylon. The electrolyte material is a solid electrolyte or an ionic liquid electrolyte. In one embodiment, the electrolyte material is a water-soluble salt, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium sulfate, sodium thiosulfate, or a combination thereof. The anode portion 221, the cathode portion 222, and the electrolyte will undergo a chemical reaction.
[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the anode portion 221 has a first area region A1, the isolator 223 has a second area region A2, the first cathode plate 222a has a third area region A3, the current collector 222b has a fourth area region A4, and the second cathode plate 222c has a fifth area region A5. The dimensions of the first area region A1, the second area region A2, the third area region A3, the fourth area region A4, and the fifth area region A5 are larger than the air inlet 211b.
[0034] In this invention, both the third area region A3 and the fifth area region A5 must be larger than the fourth area region A4. Accordingly, the surrounding areas 2221a and 2221c of the first cathode sheet 222a and the second cathode sheet 222c will be joined together, and the central areas 2222a and 2222c of the first cathode sheet 222a and the second cathode sheet 222c will tightly clamp the current collector 222b. Figure 3 and Figure 4A As shown. In other words, the first cathode plate 222a and the second cathode plate 222c will cover the current collector 222b to form a tightly assembled sandwich structure. In this embodiment, the bottom ends of the first area region A1, the second area region A2, the third area region A3, and the fifth area region A5 are aligned with each other and are longer than the bottom end of the fourth area region A4; the first side end and the second side end of the first area region A1, the second area region A2, the third area region A3, and the fifth area region A5 are aligned with each other and are longer than the first side end and the second side end of the fourth area region A4; the top end of the first area region A1 and the second area region A2 is higher than the top end of the third area region A3, the fourth area region A4, and the fifth area region A5, and the top end of the fourth area region A4 is lower than the top end of the third area region A3 and the fifth area region A5.
[0035] like Figure 4AAs shown, an electrolyte 40 is injected into the space 213. The microstructures of the first cathode plate 222a, the second cathode plate 222c, and the current collector 222b all have pores, thus serving as pathways for gas molecules. When external gas enters through the air inlet 211b, it will pass through the second cathode plate 222c, the current collector 222b, and reach the first cathode plate 222a. The electrolyte 40 is liquid, and a horizontal surface P of the electrolyte 40 is at least a minimum coverage height H higher than the highest point of the cathode portion 222. In this embodiment, the minimum coverage height H is 5 millimeters (mm). Since the anode portion 221 is hydrophobic (or waterproof), and the first cathode plate 222a and the second cathode plate 222c are also hydrophobic (or waterproof), the current collector 222b will not be wetted by the electrolyte 40 and can function normally. When external gas enters the space 213 of the housing 21, it will form a solid-liquid-gas three-phase coexistence with the electrolyte 40 and the cathode 222. If the current collector 222b is wetted by the electrolyte 40, the large third aperture of the current collector 222b will adsorb liquid, thus preventing the entry of external gas and causing the electrochemical component 22 to fail to work.
[0036] exist Figure 4A In one embodiment, the area and height of the anode portion 221 and the separator 223 are larger than the cathode portion 222, and the electrolyte 40 does not cover the anode portion 221 and the separator 223, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, such as Figure 4B In one embodiment, the area and height of the anode portion 221 and the insulating member 223 can be approximately equal to the cathode portion 222, and the electrolyte 40 covers the anode portion 221 and the insulating member 223.
[0037] The cathode portion 222 of the electrochemical component 22 is in contact with an oxygen-containing gas in a region 111 within the low-temperature chamber 11, and the cathode portion 222 of the electrochemical component 22 reacts with the oxygen-containing gas in the low-temperature chamber 11 according to the following formula (1):
[0038] O₂ + 2H₂O + 4e⁻ → 4OH⁻ - (1)
[0039] The anode 221 of the electrochemical component 22 reacts with the oxygen-containing gas in the low-temperature chamber 11 according to the following formula (2):
[0040] 4OH - -4e→O2+2H2O (2)
[0041] The anode bus 224 and the cathode bus 225 are connected to a power source to provide a voltage to the anode section 221 and the cathode section 222 for the above chemical reaction. In this invention, through the overall structural design and material selection, the voltage required is only 1.2 volts (V) or lower. Due to the low-voltage architecture, the water produced by the anode section 221 will not be electrolyzed. The water produced by the anode section 221 will remain in the space 213 and continue to serve as a reactant in the cathode section 222. Therefore, it can be used for a long time without the need for water replenishment.
[0042] Since the electrolyte 40 of the present invention covers the cathode portion 222, it can effectively block the oxygen transfer reaction from occurring in the cathode portion 222 and the unoccupied portion of the space 213. The space 213 will be divided by the electrolyte 40 into an upper region 213a and a lower region 213b (e.g., ...). Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown), the upper region 213a is located above the horizontal plane P of the electrolyte 40 and is in communication with the outside, having a higher (i.e., normal) oxygen concentration. The lower region 213b is located below the horizontal plane P of the electrolyte 40 and is isolated from the outside, having a lower oxygen concentration. The oxygen generated by the anode 221 will be released from the upper region 213a through the top vent 216 (see...). Figure 3 The space 213 is divided into an upper region 213a and a lower region 213b by the horizontal plane P of the electrolyte 40. In this way, when the power is off, oxygen will not flow back to the lower region 213b, thus ensuring that the region 111 of the low-temperature chamber 11 can maintain a low oxygen concentration.
[0043] On the other hand, in this chemical reaction, the electrochemical component 22 only reacts with oxygen, without requiring additional supply or consumption of other gases, liquids or materials. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an electrochemical assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this invention, the cathode portion 222 serves as an oxygen consumption terminal, and the anode portion 221 serves as an oxygen output terminal. The oxygen generated by the chemical reaction is discharged from the anode portion 221 to the top. The oxygen consumption terminal of the electrochemical assembly 22 can consume oxygen to reduce the oxygen partial pressure within the low-temperature chamber 11.
[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the anode portion 221 is made of stainless steel, the first cathode sheet 222a is made of manganese dioxide (catalyst), carbon (conductive agent), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (adhesive), the second cathode sheet 222c is made of carbon (conductive agent) and PTFE (adhesive), and the electrolyte material is sodium hydroxide; in another embodiment, the anode portion 221 is made of nickel foam, the first cathode sheet 222a is made of manganese dioxide (catalyst), carbon (conductive agent), and PTFE (adhesive), the second cathode sheet 222c is made of carbon (conductive agent) and PTFE (adhesive), and the electrolyte material is sodium nitrate; in yet another embodiment, the anode portion 221 is made of nickel foam, the first cathode sheet 222a is made of manganese dioxide (catalyst), carbon (conductive agent), and PTFE (adhesive), the second cathode sheet 222c is made of carbon (conductive agent) and PTFE (adhesive), and the electrolyte material is potassium hydroxide.
[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of experimental results according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 In the diagram, curve S1 represents experimental data using the oxygen transfer device 20, curve S2 represents experimental data using existing technology (general vacuum preservation technology) without using the oxygen transfer device 20, and curve S3 represents the oxygen content of the air. Existing technology achieves preservation by vacuuming. However, the storage space inside a refrigerator is a closed space. During vacuuming, the higher the vacuum level, the greater the pressure the storage space bears. Therefore, based on the upper limit of the pressure that can be tolerated, the amount of oxygen removed by vacuuming is limited. On the other hand, nitrogen accounts for about 79% of air and oxygen accounts for about 21%. Vacuuming is a physical removal process and is not selective for the composition of air. During vacuuming, most of what is removed is nitrogen, with only a small amount of oxygen.
[0046] The oxygen removal device 20 used in this invention removes oxygen electrochemically, selectively removing oxygen without removing nitrogen, thus reducing the overall pressure without significantly lowering the oxygen partial pressure. Curve S2 shows that existing technologies can reduce oxygen content by approximately 4%; curve S1 shows that the oxygen removal device 20 can reduce oxygen content by nearly 20%, significantly increasing the preservation time of food or ingredients and extending freshness. Therefore, the oxygen removal device 20 can effectively reduce the oxygen content inside the refrigerator body 10. Bacteria are less likely to multiply in environments with lower oxygen concentrations, and food / items are less prone to oxidation in low-oxygen environments. This refrigerator 1 can thus significantly increase the preservation time of food or ingredients, extending freshness.
Claims
1. A refrigerator, characterized by comprising: include: The refrigerator body includes a low-temperature compartment, which has a sealed state for storing food and an open state for taking out and placing the food. as well as An oxygen transfer device is connected to the low-temperature chamber. The oxygen transfer device includes a housing and an electrochemical assembly. The housing includes a front face, a rear face, a space between the front face and the rear face, and a top exhaust port communicating with the space. The front face defines an air inlet exposed to the low-temperature chamber. The electrochemical assembly is disposed in the space and contacts the outside environment through the air inlet. The electrochemical assembly includes: The cathode portion adjacent to the air inlet to naturally receive the gas from the low-temperature chamber includes a first cathode plate, a second cathode plate opposite to the first cathode plate, and a collector plate. The first cathode plate is adjacent to the air inlet, the collector plate is sandwiched between the central regions of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate, and the surrounding regions of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate are joined together to sealably cover the collector plate. An anode portion is disposed opposite to the cathode portion; A spacer disposed between the anode portion and the cathode portion to isolate the anode portion and the cathode portion; and An electrolyte is disposed in the space and contacts the cathode and the anode. The electrolyte covers the cathode in the space to divide the space into an upper region that is not filled with electrolyte and communicates with the top vent hole, and a lower region that is filled with electrolyte and is separated from the top vent hole. The first cathode plate, the second cathode plate, and the current collector are respectively structured with a first aperture, a second aperture, and a third aperture. The first aperture and the second aperture are respectively within the range that allows gas molecules to pass through but produces hydrophobicity to the electrolyte, and the third aperture is larger than the first aperture and the second aperture, thereby allowing the gas in the low temperature chamber to enter the electrochemical component through the cathode. In this electrochemical assembly, the cathode portion reacts with the gas in the low-temperature chamber according to the following formula (1): O2 + 2H2O + 4e→ 4OH - (1) The anode of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the gas in the low-temperature chamber according to the following formula (2): 4 OH - - 4e→ 02+ 2H20 (2) Oxygen produced by reaction (2) is discharged from the upper region outside the refrigerator via an external pipe connected to the top vent.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The anode portion is made of at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, at least one metal hydroxide, or a combination thereof. The metal is steel, nickel, titanium, platinum, silver, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide is iridium dioxide, ruthenium dioxide, lanthanum nickel oxide, lanthanum cobalt oxide, cobalt monoxide, cobalt tetroxide, manganese dioxide, or a combination thereof. The metal hydroxide is nickel hydroxide. The first cathode sheet is made of a catalyst, a conductive agent, a solvent, and an adhesive. The catalyst is at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, or at least one metal hydroxide. The metal is platinum, gold, ruthenium, iridium, nickel, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide is iridium dioxide, ruthenium dioxide, cobalt monoxide, cobalt tetroxide, manganese dioxide, tungsten trioxide, vanadium pentoxide, palladium oxide, nickel oxide, ferric oxide, or a combination thereof. The metal hydroxide is nickel hydroxide. The conductive agent is carbon. The adhesive is a fluorine-containing adhesive. The material of the second cathode sheet includes a conductive agent and an adhesive. The conductive agent is carbon. The adhesive is a fluorine-containing adhesive. The electrolyte is formed by dissolving an electrolyte material in a solvent. The electrolyte material is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium sulfate, sodium thiosulfate, or a combination thereof.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The electrolyte has a minimum coverage height of at least 5 mm over the cathode portion within this space.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The area of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate is larger than that of the current collector.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein During reactions (1) and (2), less than 1.2 volts of electricity is supplied to the electrochemical assembly.
6. An oxygen shift device, characterized by include: The housing includes a front face, a rear face, a space between the front face and the rear face, and a top vent communicating with the space. The front face defines an air inlet exposed to a low-temperature room and an air inlet exposed to the outside. as well as An electrochemical component, disposed in the space and in contact with the outside environment through the air inlet, includes: The cathode portion adjacent to the air inlet to naturally receive oxygen-containing gas from the outside includes a first cathode plate, a second cathode plate opposite to the first cathode plate, and a collector plate. The first cathode plate is adjacent to the air inlet, the collector plate is sandwiched between the central regions of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate, and the surrounding regions of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate are joined together to seal and cover the collector plate. An anode portion is disposed opposite to the cathode portion; A spacer disposed between the anode portion and the cathode portion to isolate the anode portion and the cathode portion; and An electrolyte is disposed in the space and contacts the cathode and the anode. The electrolyte covers the cathode in the space to divide the space into an upper region that is not filled with electrolyte and communicates with the top vent hole, and a lower region that is filled with electrolyte and is separated from the top vent hole. The first cathode plate, the second cathode plate, and the current collector are respectively structured with a first aperture, a second aperture, and a third aperture. The first aperture and the second aperture are respectively within the range that allows gas molecules to pass through but produces hydrophobicity to the electrolyte, and the third aperture is larger than the first aperture and the second aperture, thereby allowing the gas in the low temperature chamber to enter the electrochemical component through the cathode. The cathode portion of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the oxygen-containing gas according to the following formula (1): O2 + 2H2O + 4e→ 4OH - (1) The anode of the electrochemical assembly reacts with the oxygen-containing gas according to the following formula (2): 4OH - -4e→O2+2H2O (2)。 7. The oxygen removal device of claim 6, wherein, The anode portion is made of at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, at least one metal hydroxide, or a combination thereof. The metal is steel, nickel, titanium, platinum, silver, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide is iridium dioxide, ruthenium dioxide, lanthanum nickel oxide, lanthanum cobalt oxide, cobalt monoxide, cobalt tetroxide, manganese dioxide, or a combination thereof. The metal hydroxide is nickel hydroxide. The first cathode sheet is made of a catalyst, a conductive agent, a solvent, and an adhesive. The catalyst is at least one metal, at least one metal oxide, or at least one metal hydroxide. The metal is platinum, gold, ruthenium, iridium, nickel, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide is iridium dioxide, ruthenium dioxide, cobalt monoxide, cobalt tetroxide, manganese dioxide, tungsten trioxide, vanadium pentoxide, palladium oxide, nickel oxide, ferric oxide, or a combination thereof. The metal hydroxide is nickel hydroxide. The conductive agent is carbon. The adhesive is a fluorine-containing adhesive. The material of the second cathode sheet includes a conductive agent and an adhesive. The conductive agent is carbon. The adhesive is a fluorine-containing adhesive. The electrolyte is formed by dissolving an electrolyte material in a solvent. The electrolyte material is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium sulfate, sodium thiosulfate, or a combination thereof.
8. The oxygen removal device of claim 6, wherein, The electrolyte has a minimum coverage height of at least 5 mm over the cathode portion within this space.
9. The oxygen removal device of claim 6, wherein, The area of the first cathode plate and the second cathode plate is larger than that of the current collector.
10. The oxygen removal device of claim 6, wherein, During reactions (1) and (2), less than 1.2 volts of electricity is supplied to the electrochemical assembly.