Electrolyzer assembly and alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an electrolyzer assembly and an alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system. The electrolyzer assembly includes multiple electrolyzers and multiple alkaline tanks connected to each of the electrolyzers. The alkaline tanks include at least one main alkaline tank with a heating structure and multiple auxiliary alkaline tanks. The electrolyzer assembly also includes a first alkaline circulation loop and a second alkaline circulation loop. The first alkaline circulation loop is used to transfer a portion of the alkaline solution from the main alkaline tank to the multiple auxiliary alkaline tanks and to return a portion of the alkaline solution from the multiple auxiliary alkaline tanks to the main alkaline tank. The second alkaline circulation loop is used to collect a portion of the alkaline solution flowing out with hydrogen from the multiple electrolyzers and to transfer the collected alkaline solution back to each of the electrolyzers. This improves start-up efficiency and reduces start-up time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of water electrolysis for hydrogen production technology, specifically to an electrolyzer assembly and an alkaline solution electrolysis hydrogen production system. Background Technology

[0002] Electrolysis of water is one of the most common hydrogen production technologies. Among them, alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production technology is relatively mature. Currently, hydrogen production through water electrolysis mainly relies on fossil fuels. In order to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, some alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production processes use renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels for hydrogen production. For example, renewable energy sources can be photovoltaics. Photovoltaic hydrogen production devices are limited by the amount of sunlight, so the electrolyzers need to be frequently started and stopped. At the same time, in order to improve the adaptability of photovoltaic hydrogen production to fluctuations, electrolyzers are gradually forming parallel combined alkaline electrolysis systems. When multiple electrolyzers are started to produce hydrogen, the alkaline solution in each electrolyzer needs to be heated to the temperature required for hydrogen production in turn. That is, the alkaline solution in the electrolyzer is heated by the voltage and current of the electrolyzer and the heat released during water electrolysis. Currently, the start-up time for a single electrolyzer usually takes about 3 hours. The existing method of heating each electrolyzer individually has the disadvantages of excessively long start-up time and low start-up efficiency. In addition, a large amount of substandard hydrogen is vented during the start-up heating process, resulting in high hydrogen production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an electrolyzer assembly and an alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system, which can improve start-up efficiency and reduce start-up time to at least partially solve the problems in the related art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides an electrolytic cell assembly, comprising multiple electrolytic cells and multiple alkali tanks connected to each of the multiple electrolytic cells in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple alkali tanks include at least one main alkali tank with a heating structure and multiple auxiliary alkali tanks. The electrolytic cell assembly further includes a first alkali circulation loop and a second alkali circulation loop. The first alkali circulation loop is used to transport a portion of the alkali solution in the main alkali tank to the multiple auxiliary alkali tanks and to return a portion of the alkali solution in the multiple auxiliary alkali tanks to the main alkali tank. The second alkali circulation loop is used to collect a portion of the alkali solution flowing out with hydrogen from the multiple electrolytic cells and to transport the collected alkali solution to each of the electrolytic cells respectively.

[0005] Optionally, the first alkali circulation loop includes a first outlet pipe and a first return pipe. The inlet of the first outlet pipe is connected to the outlet of the main alkali tank. The first outlet pipe is provided with multiple first outlet branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the inlets of multiple auxiliary alkali tanks. The outlet of the first return pipe is connected to the inlet of the main alkali tank. The first return pipe is provided with multiple first return branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the outlets of multiple auxiliary alkali tanks. A first control valve is provided on the first outlet branch pipe, and an alkali pump is provided on the first return branch pipe.

[0006] Optionally, a replenishment branch pipe is provided between two adjacent auxiliary alkali tanks. One end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to a first return branch pipe connected to one of the auxiliary alkali tanks, and the connection point with the first return branch pipe is located downstream of the alkali pump on the first return branch pipe. The other end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to the first outlet pipe, and the connection point with the first outlet pipe is located between two adjacent first control valves of the two adjacent auxiliary alkali tanks.

[0007] Optionally, the second alkali circulation loop includes an alkali circulation pump, a hydrogen separator, and an oxygen separator. The inlet of the hydrogen separator is connected to the hydrogen outlet of the plurality of electrolyzers, and the alkali outlet of the hydrogen separator is connected to the inlet of each of the electrolyzers through the alkali circulation pump. The inlet of the oxygen separator is connected to the oxygen outlet of the plurality of electrolyzers, and the alkali outlet of the oxygen separator is connected to the inlet of each of the electrolyzers through the alkali circulation pump.

[0008] Optionally, the number of hydrogen separators is multiple and the multiple hydrogen separators are arranged in parallel, and / or the number of oxygen separators is multiple and the multiple oxygen separators are arranged in parallel.

[0009] Optionally, the second alkali circulation loop includes a second return pipe connected to the inlet of the hydrogen separator and a third return pipe connected to the inlet of the oxygen separator. The second return pipe has multiple second return branch pipes, each corresponding to a hydrogen outlet of one of the multiple electrolyzers. The third return pipe has multiple third return branch pipes, each corresponding to an oxygen outlet of one of the multiple electrolyzers. The second alkali circulation loop also includes a second outlet pipe connected to the alkali circulation pump and multiple second outlet branch pipes connected to the second outlet pipe, each corresponding to an inlet of one of the multiple electrolyzers.

[0010] Optionally, a second control valve is provided on the second outlet branch pipe.

[0011] Optionally, the electrolytic cell is provided with a heat dissipation mechanism.

[0012] Optionally, the secondary alkali tank is equipped with a heat insulation structure.

[0013] Secondly, this disclosure provides an alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system, including the aforementioned electrolyzer assembly.

[0014] The above technical solution involves a heating structure in the main alkali tank, and a portion of the heated alkali solution in the main alkali tank is transported to the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank via a first alkali circulation loop. Simultaneously, a portion of the heated alkali solution in the electrolyzer that is already producing hydrogen is circulated to the next electrolyzer to be started via a second alkali circulation loop. Thus, compared to existing electrolyzers where the alkali solution temperature rise mainly relies on the voltage and current supplied to the electrolyzer and the heat released during water electrolysis, the alkali solution in multiple electrolyzers can be rapidly heated, improving the start-up speed of multiple alkaline electrolyzers.

[0015] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen production process of the hydrogen electrolyzer group provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0019] 1-Electrolytic cell; 2-Alkali tank; 21-Main alkali tank; 22-Subsidiary alkali tank; 3-Heating structure; 4-First alkali circulation loop; 41-First outlet pipe; 411-First outlet branch pipe; 42-First return pipe; 421-First return branch pipe; 43-First control valve; 44-Fourth control valve; 45-Flow measurement mechanism; 5-Second alkali circulation loop; 51-Alkali circulation pump; 52-Hydrogen separator; 53-Oxygen separator; 531-Second return branch pipe; 54-Second return pipe; 541-Second return branch pipe; 55-Third return pipe; 551-Third return branch pipe; 56-Second outlet pipe; 561-Second outlet branch pipe; 57-Second control valve; 6-Alkali pump; 7-Replenishment branch pipe; 71-Third control valve; 8-Heat dissipation mechanism; 9-Insulation structure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0021] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the terms "first," "second," etc., used are for distinguishing one element from another and do not have sequential or material significance. When the following description relates to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements.

[0022] Alkaline hydrogen production devices typically consist of multiple electrolyzers. In this embodiment, hydrogen production is primarily achieved through photovoltaic power generation. However, photovoltaic power generation is limited by sunlight duration, necessitating frequent start-up and shutdown of the electrolyzers. To improve the adaptability of photovoltaic hydrogen production to fluctuations, parallel combined alkaline electrolysis systems are increasingly being developed. When multiple electrolyzers are started to produce hydrogen, the alkaline solution in each electrolyzer needs to be heated sequentially to the required temperature. This is achieved by adjusting the voltage and current of the electrolyzers, as well as the heat released during water electrolysis, to raise the temperature of the alkaline solution. The first electrolyzer is raised from room temperature (10°C) to the normal operating temperature of 90-95°C, with other parameters reaching their rated values. Once hydrogen production is satisfactory, the second electrolyzer is then started. Circulating water is used to maintain a stable alkaline solution temperature in the electrolyzers. The start-up time for a single electrolyzer is approximately 3 hours. For example, if there are 4 electrolyzers in a group, the start-up time for each group is 12 hours. This excessively long start-up time, coupled with the need to vent the generated hydrogen during startup, results in hydrogen waste.

[0023] To solve the above technical problems, such as Figure 1 As shown, this disclosure provides an electrolytic cell assembly, including multiple electrolytic cells 1 and multiple alkali tanks 2 connected to each of the multiple electrolytic cells 1 in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple alkali tanks 2 include at least one main alkali tank 21 with a heating structure 3 and multiple auxiliary alkali tanks 22. The electrolytic cell assembly also includes a first alkali circulation loop 4 and a second alkali circulation loop 5. The first alkali circulation loop 4 is used to transport a portion of the alkali in the main alkali tank 21 to the multiple auxiliary alkali tanks 22 and to return a portion of the alkali in the multiple auxiliary alkali tanks 22 to the main alkali tank 21. The second alkali circulation loop 5 is used to collect a portion of the alkali flowing out with hydrogen in the multiple electrolytic cells 1 and to transport the collected alkali to each electrolytic cell 1 respectively.

[0024] With the above technical solution, when starting up the hydrogen production electrolyzer group, firstly, the alkali solution in the main alkali tank 21 is heated to a preset temperature through the heating structure 3, and then the high-temperature alkali solution in the main alkali tank 21 is sent to the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the main alkali tank 21 through the first alkali solution circulation loop 4, so that the electrolyzer 1 can quickly enter the hydrogen production state. After the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the main alkali tank 21 enters the normal hydrogen production state, then, the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the auxiliary alkali tank 22 is started sequentially, that is, a portion of the high-temperature alkali solution in the main alkali tank 21 is transferred to the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the main alkali tank 21, and at the same time, a portion of the high-temperature alkali solution is sequentially transferred to the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank 22 through the first alkali solution circulation loop, so that the auxiliary alkali tank 22... The alkaline solution used for hydrogen production in electrolyzer 1 is rapidly heated to the hydrogen production temperature, enabling electrolyzer 1 to quickly enter the hydrogen production state. Through the first alkaline solution circulation loop, a portion of the alkaline solution in the auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22 can be returned to the main alkaline solution tank 21 for reheating and recycling. Simultaneously, through the second alkaline solution circulation loop 5, a portion of the alkaline solution flowing out with hydrogen from multiple electrolyzers 1 is collected and transported to the electrolyzer 1 that is stably producing hydrogen and the electrolyzer 1 that is starting up. Thus, compared to the existing electrolyzer 1 where the temperature of the alkaline solution is mainly raised by the voltage and current supplied to the electrolyzer 1 and the heat released during water electrolysis, the alkaline solution in multiple electrolyzers 1 can be rapidly heated, improving the start-up speed of multiple electrolyzers 1 and increasing the hydrogen production efficiency.

[0025] It should be noted that the heat tracing structure 3 can be an electric heat tracing structure, which can be composed of a conductive polymer, two parallel metal wires and an insulating sheath. After being heated by electricity, it heats the alkali solution in the main alkali solution tank 21. Of course, the above-mentioned heat tracing structure 3 being an electric heat tracing mechanism is illustrative. In other embodiments, the heat tracing structure 3 can also be other structures. For example, the heat tracing structure 3 can also be a wind-heated structure. This disclosure does not limit the specific structure of the heat tracing structure 3, as long as it can achieve the heating of the alkali solution in the main alkali solution tank 21.

[0026] To facilitate the transfer of a portion of the high-temperature alkali solution from the main alkali tank 21 to the various auxiliary alkali tanks 22 and the return of a portion of the low-temperature alkali solution from the auxiliary alkali tanks 22 to the main alkali tank 21 for heating, in some feasible embodiments, the first alkali circulation loop 4 includes a first outlet pipe 41 and a first return pipe 42. The inlet of the first outlet pipe 41 is connected to the outlet of the main alkali tank 21, and the first outlet pipe 41 is provided with multiple first outlet branch pipes 411, which are respectively connected to the inlets of multiple auxiliary alkali tanks 22. In this way, the high-temperature alkali solution in the main alkali tank 21 can be transferred to the corresponding auxiliary alkali tanks 22 through different first outlet branch pipes 411. The number of first outlet branch pipes 411 on the first outlet pipe 41 can be the same as that of the auxiliary alkali tanks 22. The number of alkali tanks 22 is equal. To facilitate the sequential startup of different electrolytic cells 1, a first control valve 43 is installed on the first outlet branch pipe 411. Thus, by controlling the opening or closing of the first control valve 43, the high-temperature alkali solution in the main alkali tank 21 can be selectively diverted to the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank 22. Furthermore, the outlet of the first return pipe 42 is connected to the inlet of the main alkali tank 21. The first return pipe 42 is equipped with multiple first return branch pipes 421, each corresponding to the outlet of a different auxiliary alkali tank 22. An alkali pump 6 is installed on each first return branch pipe 421, which provides power to return the alkali solution from the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank 22 to the main alkali tank 21 for reheating and reuse. Alternatively, the first return branch pipe 421 can also be connected to the inlet of the corresponding electrolytic cell 1, allowing the alkali pump 6 to transport the alkali solution from the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank 22 to the corresponding electrolytic cell 1.

[0027] To reduce the startup time of the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the secondary alkaline solution tank 22 that starts later in the startup sequence, i.e., when the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to one of the two adjacent secondary alkaline solution tanks 22 is already in normal hydrogen production and it is necessary to start the electrolyzer 1 corresponding to the other adjacent secondary alkaline solution tank 22, a replenishment branch pipe 7 is installed between the two secondary alkaline solution tanks 22. One end of the replenishment branch pipe 7 is connected to the first return branch pipe 421 of the secondary alkaline solution tank 22 that is already in normal hydrogen production, and the connection point with the first return branch pipe 421 is located downstream of the alkaline solution pump 6 on the first return branch pipe 421. This allows the alkaline solution in the corresponding secondary alkaline solution tank 22 that is in normal hydrogen production to be diverted to the replenishment branch pipe 7. At the same time, the other end of the replenishment branch pipe 7 is connected to the first outlet pipe 41, and the connection point with the first outlet pipe 41 is located between the two adjacent first control valves 43 of the two adjacent secondary alkaline solution tanks 22. Thus, by setting up the replenishment branch pipe 7, the high-temperature alkaline solution in the auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22, which is already in a normal hydrogen production state, can be transported to the first outlet pipe 41, and this high-temperature alkaline solution, together with the high-temperature alkaline solution in the main alkaline solution tank 21, can be transported to the downstream auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22 to be started, and the high-temperature alkaline solution in the auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22 to be started can be transported to the corresponding electrolyzer 1, so as to reduce the start-up time of the corresponding electrolyzer 1 and improve the start-up efficiency.

[0028] In addition, in order to facilitate the control of the flow rate of the high-temperature alkaline solution passing through the replenishment branch pipe 7, in some specific embodiments, a third control valve is also provided on the replenishment branch pipe 7. The flow rate of the high-temperature alkaline solution passing through the replenishment branch pipe 7 is controlled by adjusting the valve opening of the third control valve, so that there is enough high-temperature alkaline solution in the auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22 under normal hydrogen production state for the corresponding electrolyzer 1 to use, while some of the excess high-temperature alkaline solution can flow into the auxiliary alkaline solution tank 22 to be started through the replenishment branch pipe 7.

[0029] Of course, in order to control the flow rate of the high-temperature alkali solution in the main alkali solution tank 21 into each auxiliary alkali solution tank 22, a fourth control valve 44 is provided on the first outlet pipe 41 connected to the main alkali solution tank 21. The flow rate of the first outlet pipe 41 into each auxiliary alkali solution tank 22 is controlled by controlling the valve opening of the fourth control valve 44.

[0030] During hydrogen production, water decomposes in electrolyzer 1 to produce hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen, along with the circulating electrolyte, are discharged from the hydrogen outlet and oxygen outlet of electrolyzer 1, respectively. To facilitate the recovery and recycling of the alkaline solution that flows out with the hydrogen and oxygen during hydrogen production in electrolyzer 1, in some feasible embodiments, a second alkaline solution circulation loop 5 includes an alkaline solution circulation pump 51, a hydrogen separator 52, and an oxygen separator 53. The inlet of the hydrogen separator 52 is connected to the hydrogen outlets of multiple electrolyzers 1, and the alkaline solution outlet of the hydrogen separator 52 is connected to the inlet of each electrolyzer 1 via the alkaline solution circulation pump 51. The inlet of the oxygen separator 53 is connected to the oxygen outlets of multiple electrolyzers 1, and the alkaline solution outlet of the oxygen separator 53 is connected to the inlet of each electrolyzer 1 via the alkaline solution circulation pump 51. Thus, hydrogen and oxygen are separated from the alkaline solution by the hydrogen separator 52 and oxygen separator 53, and then the separated alkaline solution is selectively transported to each electrolyzer 1 by the alkaline solution circulation pump 51. In order to improve the separation efficiency of hydrogen and alkaline solution, in some feasible embodiments, the number of hydrogen separators 52 is multiple and the multiple hydrogen separators 52 are arranged in parallel, and / or the number of oxygen separators 53 is multiple and the multiple oxygen separators 53 are arranged in parallel. For example, there can be two hydrogen separators 52 and two oxygen separators 53, with two hydrogen separators 52 and two oxygen separators 53 arranged in parallel. Thus, by setting up two hydrogen separators 52 and two oxygen separators 53, alkaline solution, hydrogen and oxygen can be separated quickly.

[0031] To facilitate the recycling of the alkaline solution that flows out along with hydrogen and oxygen during hydrogen production in electrolyzer 1, in some feasible embodiments, the second alkaline solution circulation loop 5 includes a second return pipe 54 connected to the inlet of the hydrogen separator 52 and a third return pipe 55 connected to the inlet of the oxygen separator 53. The second return pipe 54 has multiple second return pipe branches 541, each connected to a hydrogen outlet of one of the electrolyzer 1. The third return pipe 55 has multiple third return pipe branches 551, each connected to an oxygen outlet of one of the electrolyzer 1. This allows the hydrogen and oxygen containing some alkaline solution generated in the corresponding electrolyzer 1 to flow through the second and third return pipe branches 541 and 551 respectively into the corresponding second and third return pipes 54 and 55, respectively, and then into the hydrogen separator. Gas-liquid separation is performed in the separator 52 and oxygen separator 53; the second alkali circulation loop 5 also includes a second outlet pipe 56 connected to the alkali circulation pump 51 and a plurality of second outlet branch pipes 561 respectively connected to the second outlet pipe 56. The plurality of second outlet branch pipes 561 are respectively connected to the inlets of the plurality of electrolytic cells 1. Thus, the alkali separated after passing through the hydrogen separator 52 and oxygen separator 53 enters the alkali circulation pump 51, and the alkali circulation pump 51 selectively transports the alkali to the corresponding electrolytic cell 1 through the plurality of second outlet branch pipes 561 on the second outlet pipe 56. In order to facilitate the control of the amount of alkali transported, in some feasible embodiments, a second control valve 57 can also be provided on the second outlet branch pipe 561. By controlling the valve opening of the second control valve 57, the flow rate of the alkali entering the corresponding electrolytic cell 1 and the flow rate of the alkali entering the electrolytic cell 1 can be selectively controlled.

[0032] The electrolytic hydrogen production process releases heat, raising the temperature of the alkaline solution in electrolyzer 1. To maintain the alkaline solution temperature in electrolyzer 1 within the reaction temperature range for stable hydrogen production, a heat dissipation mechanism 8 is installed on the electrolyzer in some feasible embodiments. For example, the heat dissipation mechanism can be a heat exchanger installed on the electrolyzer, through which a low-temperature coolant is circulated. The low-temperature coolant exchanges heat with the high-temperature alkaline solution in electrolyzer 1 or the high-temperature alkaline solution about to enter the electrolyzer, thereby maintaining the temperature of the alkaline solution in electrolyzer 1 within the reaction temperature range. In addition to the heat exchanger on the electrolytic cell mentioned above, a heat exchange branch can also be provided. The heat exchange branch is set between two adjacent electrolytic cells to exchange the heat in the electrolytic cell that is producing hydrogen normally with the next electrolytic cell to be started. The heat exchange branch heats the alkaline solution in the electrolytic cell to be started, so as to utilize the heat generated in the electrolytic cell that is producing hydrogen normally to increase the start-up speed of the electrolytic cell to be started. After the electrolytic cell to be started produces hydrogen normally, the heat exchange branch on the tube wall is cooled by the heat exchanger corresponding to the electrolytic cell.

[0033] To reduce the temperature drop of the alkali solution in the auxiliary alkali solution tank during startup, in some feasible embodiments, an insulation structure 9 is provided on the auxiliary alkali solution tank. The insulation structure 9 can be made of insulation materials such as insulation cotton, polyurethane foam, and rock wool. In this way, by wrapping the outer periphery of each auxiliary alkali solution tank 22 with the insulation structure 9, the heat exchange between the high-temperature alkali solution in each auxiliary alkali solution tank 22 and the outside can be reduced.

[0034] It is understood that, in addition to the structure described above, the electrolytic cell assembly also includes other necessary technical features required for an electrolytic cell assembly. For example, the electrolytic cell assembly may also include a controller. The first control valve, the second control valve, the third control valve, and the fourth control valve are all solenoid valves and are respectively connected to the controller signal. A flow measurement mechanism 45 is provided at the first control valve 43 to reflect the flow rate of alkali entering the corresponding auxiliary alkali tank 22 in real time. In addition, it may also include a temperature monitoring mechanism. There are multiple temperature monitoring mechanisms, which can be set in the corresponding electrolytic cell 1 to monitor the temperature of the alkali in the electrolytic cell 1 in real time, or they can be set on the main alkali tank 21 and the auxiliary alkali tank 22 to monitor the temperature of the alkali in the main alkali tank 21 and the auxiliary alkali tank 22 in real time. Of course, they can also be set on the first outlet pipe 41, the first return pipe 42, the second outlet pipe 56, the second return pipe 54, and the third return pipe 55.

[0035] Secondly, this disclosure provides an alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system, including the aforementioned electrolyzer assembly. Through the aforementioned electrolyzer assembly, the start-up time of each successive start-up of the corresponding electrolyzer 1 can be reduced during the alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production process, thereby improving hydrogen production efficiency. Furthermore, this alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned electrolyzer assembly, which will not be elaborated here.

[0036] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0037] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0038] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrolytic cell assembly, characterized in that, It includes multiple electrolytic cells and multiple alkali tanks that are connected to each of the multiple electrolytic cells. The multiple alkali tanks include at least one main alkali tank with a heating structure and multiple auxiliary alkali tanks. The electrolytic cell group further includes a first alkali circulation loop and a second alkali circulation loop. The first alkali circulation loop is used to transport a portion of the alkali in the main alkali tank to a plurality of auxiliary alkali tanks and to return a portion of the alkali in the plurality of auxiliary alkali tanks to the main alkali tank. The second alkali circulation loop is used to collect a portion of the alkali flowing out with hydrogen in the plurality of electrolytic cells and to transport the collected alkali to each of the electrolytic cells respectively. The first alkali solution circulation loop includes a first outlet pipe and a first return pipe. The inlet of the first outlet pipe is connected to the outlet of the main alkali solution tank. The first outlet pipe is provided with multiple first outlet branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the inlets of multiple auxiliary alkali solution tanks. The outlet of the first return pipe is connected to the inlet of the main alkali solution tank. The first return pipe is provided with multiple first return branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the outlets of multiple auxiliary alkali solution tanks. A replenishment branch pipe is provided between two adjacent secondary alkali tanks. One end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to a first return branch pipe connected to one of the secondary alkali tanks, and the other end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to the first outlet pipe.

2. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first control valve is installed on the first outlet branch pipe, and an alkali pump is installed on the first return branch pipe.

3. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to the first return branch pipe at a point downstream of the alkali pump on the first return branch pipe, and the other end of the replenishment branch pipe is connected to the first outlet pipe at a point between two adjacent first control valves of the two adjacent auxiliary alkali tanks.

4. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second alkali circulation loop includes an alkali circulation pump, a hydrogen separator, and an oxygen separator. The inlet of the hydrogen separator is connected to the hydrogen outlet of the plurality of electrolytic cells, and the alkali outlet of the hydrogen separator is connected to the inlet of each of the electrolytic cells through the alkali circulation pump. The inlet of the oxygen separator is connected to the oxygen outlet of the plurality of electrolytic cells, and the alkali outlet of the oxygen separator is connected to the inlet of each of the electrolytic cells through the alkali circulation pump.

5. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The number of hydrogen separators is multiple and the multiple hydrogen separators are arranged in parallel, and / or the number of oxygen separators is multiple and the multiple oxygen separators are arranged in parallel.

6. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second alkaline solution circulation loop includes a second return pipe connected to the inlet of the hydrogen separator and a third return pipe connected to the inlet of the oxygen separator. The second return pipe is provided with multiple second return branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the hydrogen outlets of the multiple electrolyzers. The third return pipe is provided with multiple third return branch pipes, which are respectively connected to the oxygen outlets of the multiple electrolyzers. The second alkaline solution circulation loop also includes a second outlet pipe connected to the alkaline solution circulation pump and a plurality of second outlet branch pipes respectively connected to the second outlet pipe, and the plurality of second outlet branch pipes are respectively connected to the inlets of the plurality of electrolytic cells one by one.

7. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, A second control valve is installed on the second outlet branch pipe.

8. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrolytic cell is equipped with a heat dissipation mechanism.

9. The electrolytic cell assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auxiliary alkali solution tank is equipped with a heat insulation structure.

10. A system for producing hydrogen through alkaline electrolysis, characterized in that, Includes the electrolytic cell assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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