Tunnel furnace for drying hydrogen electrode for electrolysis of water

Abstract

The application provides a tunnel furnace for drying hydrogen electrodes prepared by electrolysis of water, which comprises a furnace body, a conveying mechanism and a turnover mechanism. The furnace body is a hollow structure. An inlet and an outlet are arranged on the two sides of the furnace body respectively and communicate with the hollow structure. Heating elements are arranged above and below the hollow structure and are used to increase the temperature of the hollow structure. The conveying mechanism is uniformly arranged with a plurality of conveying rollers from the outlet to the inlet. The conveying rollers are connected with driving parts for driving the rotation of the conveying rollers. The turnover mechanism is arranged in the middle of the furnace body and is provided with abutting blocks. The abutting blocks abut against the electrodes from the two sides of the conveying mechanism and turn over the electrodes. Compared with the prior art, the electrodes can be uniformly and ventilated on both sides in the tunnel furnace through the cooperation of the turnover mechanism and the conveying mechanism, so that the drying effect of the electrodes is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrode manufacturing technology, and in particular to a tunnel furnace for drying electrodes used in water electrolysis for hydrogen production. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrogen energy, as a highly efficient and environmentally friendly energy source, has received widespread attention worldwide. Electrolysis of water is currently the most widely used method for producing hydrogen. In water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, the core component is the electrode. Electrodes are inserted into an electrolytic cell filled with electrolyte and a direct current is applied to them, ionizing hydrogen ions and oxygen ions. At the cathode, hydrogen ions receive electrons and are then released as hydrogen gas.

[0003] Electrodes often use nickel foam as the substrate, which is immersed in a dosing tank containing a precious metal solution. Conductive and catalytic substances are then attached to the substrate using in-situ growth, electrodeposition, bonding, or surface coating methods. The substrate is then heated, drained, cleaned, and dried to obtain the electrode sheet. Currently, the electrode drying process is generally completed using a tunnel furnace. The tunnel furnace has a continuously operating conveyor belt; the electrodes are placed on the conveyor belt and passed through the furnace for drying. However, in the tunnel furnace, the temperature is low and the ventilation is good on both sides, while the temperature is high and the ventilation is poor in the middle, resulting in poor drying effect. Furthermore, because the electrode is transferred on the conveyor belt, one side of the electrode comes into contact with the conveyor belt, severely affecting the drying effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a tunnel furnace for drying electrodes in water electrolysis hydrogen production, which solves the problem of poor drying effect in the electrode sheet manufacturing process in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a tunnel furnace for drying electrodes in water electrolysis hydrogen production, comprising:

[0006] The furnace body is a hollow structure. An inlet and an outlet communicating with the hollow structure are respectively provided on both sides of the furnace body. Heating elements are arranged above and below the hollow structure to raise the temperature of the hollow structure.

[0007] A conveying mechanism, wherein multiple conveying rollers are evenly arranged from the outlet to the inlet, and each conveying roller is connected to a drive unit that drives its rotation;

[0008] The flipping mechanism consists of two parts located in the middle of the furnace body. Each flipping mechanism is equipped with a stop block, which abuts against the electrodes from both sides of the conveying mechanism and flips the electrodes.

[0009] The electrodes are fed into the hollow structure of the furnace body from the inlet via the conveying mechanism, and after being heated and dried by the heating element, they are conveyed out from the outlet by the conveying mechanism.

[0010] Optionally, the flipping mechanism includes a base, a sliding frame, and a vertical frame. The lower end of the sliding frame is slidably mounted on the base along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism. The vertical frame has a support block that slides up and down. The support block has a rotating shaft, and the stop block is mounted on the rotating shaft. The support block slides up and down within the sliding frame. The rotating shaft has a flipping block. The upper end of the sliding frame has a stop block that rotates the flipping block. The lower end of the sliding frame has a triangular block that cooperates with the flipping block to drive the sliding frame to slide.

[0011] Optionally, the vertical frame is provided with a driving component, which is used to drive the support block to slide up and down along the vertical frame.

[0012] Optionally, the driving component includes a stepper motor, a lead screw, and a nut. The stepper motor drives the lead screw to rotate, the lead screw and the nut are threadedly engaged, and the support block is fixed on the nut.

[0013] Optionally, the support block is an elastically telescopic support block that can extend along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The support block has an inclined surface, and the base frame has a push rod. The push rod interacts with the inclined surface to control the shortening of the support block.

[0014] Optionally, a sensor is provided below the flipping mechanism along the conveying direction. The sensor is used to sense the position of the electrode and is electrically connected to the stepper motor. Each start of the stepper motor drives the support block to move up and down once.

[0015] Optionally, the inlet is provided with a shaking mechanism, which is used to shake the electrode passing through the inlet.

[0016] Optionally, the shaking mechanism includes a base plate, a horizontal plate, and a cam. The base plate and the horizontal plate are both located below the conveyor rollers. An elastic support is provided between the base plate and the horizontal plate. The cam is coaxially connected to the conveyor rollers, and the edge of the cam abuts against the horizontal plate. A shaking block is provided on the horizontal plate between the two conveyor rollers. The shaking block moves up and down during the rotation of the cam. When the shaking block moves upward, it extends above the conveyor rollers.

[0017] Optionally, there are 3-5 shaking blocks, and the lower ends of all the shaking blocks are fixed to the horizontal plate.

[0018] Optionally, a ventilation component is provided at the upper middle part of the tunnel furnace, and the ventilation component is connected to the hollow structure to provide circulating air to the hollow structure.

[0019] As described above, the tunnel furnace of this invention uses conveyor rollers to transport electrodes. The gaps between the conveyor rollers allow the electrodes to move, preventing the electrodes from being transported along with the conveyor belt and affecting the drying effect. The gaps between the conveyor rollers also prevent uneven drying caused by one side of the electrode being affected during the drying process. A flipping mechanism, located in the middle of the furnace body, flips the electrodes during transport. This ensures that the electrodes, from the inlet to the middle of the furnace, are in contact with the conveyor rollers on one side for drying, and after being flipped, they are in contact with the conveyor rollers on the other side for drying. This ensures uniform heating and ventilation during the drying process within the furnace, thus guaranteeing the drying effect. Compared to existing technologies, this solution, through the cooperation of the flipping and conveyor mechanisms, enables the electrodes to be transported evenly and with ventilation from both sides within the tunnel furnace, resulting in a better drying effect. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a tunnel furnace for drying electrodes in water electrolysis hydrogen production, as an example of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 Shown is a top view of a tunnel furnace for drying electrodes in water electrolysis hydrogen production, as an example of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 Displayed as Figure 2 Structural cross-sectional view at point AA;

[0023] Figure 4 Displayed as Figure 2 Enlarged view at point B; shaking mechanism

[0024] Figure 5 Shown is a front view of a flipping mechanism as an example of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a flipping mechanism as an example of the present invention.

[0026] The reference numerals in the embodiments include:

[0027] 10. Furnace body; 11. Hollow structure; 12. Inlet; 13. Outlet; 14. Heating element; 15. Induction element; 16. Ventilation element.

[0028] Conveying mechanism 20, conveying roller 21

[0029] The components include: a flipping mechanism 30, a base 31, a slide rail 311, a push rod 312, a slide frame 32, a stop block 321, a triangular block 322, a vertical frame 33, a support block 34, an inclined plane 341, a rotating shaft 35, a flipping block 36, a stop block 37, a stepper motor 38, a lead screw 39, and a nut 391.

[0030] Base plate 40, horizontal plate 41, elastic support 42, shaking block 43, cam 44. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 6 It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show components relevant to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of components in implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity, and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the component layout may be more complex. The structures, proportions, and sizes shown in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effects and objectives of the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention. Furthermore, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are only for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0033] Before describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, the application environment of the present invention will be described first. The technology of the present invention is mainly applied to the electrode manufacturing process in electrolyte hydrogen production equipment, especially to the cleaning and drying process in the electrode manufacturing process. The present invention solves the technical problem of poor drying effect in the process of drying electrodes after cleaning.

[0034] The specific structure of the tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in the water electrolysis hydrogen production process of this invention is described in conjunction with [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 6 The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production includes:

[0035] Furnace body 10, the furnace body 10 is a hollow structure 11, and an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 communicating with the hollow structure 11 are respectively provided on both sides of the furnace body 10. Heating elements 14 are arranged above and below the hollow structure 11, and the heating elements 14 are used to raise the temperature of the hollow structure 11.

[0036] A conveying mechanism 20, wherein a plurality of conveying rollers 21 are evenly arranged from the outlet 13 to the inlet 12, and the conveying rollers 21 are connected to a drive unit that drives them to rotate.

[0037] Two flipping mechanisms 30 are provided and are located in the middle of the furnace body 10. Each flipping mechanism 30 is provided with a stop block 37, which abuts against the electrodes from both sides of the conveying mechanism 20 and flips the electrodes.

[0038] The electrodes are fed from the inlet 12 into the hollow structure 11 of the furnace body 10 via the conveying mechanism 20, and after being heated and dried by the heating element 14, they are conveyed out from the outlet 13 by the conveying mechanism 20.

[0039] Specifically, the furnace body 10 can be the furnace body 10 of a tunnel furnace in the prior art, and the heating elements 14 inside can also be the heating elements 14 in a tunnel in the prior art. However, the arrangement of the heating elements 14 can be adjusted according to the furnace body 10, for example, the heating elements 14 can be sparsely distributed in the center of the furnace body 10. The drive unit can use electrodes in conjunction with gear sets or conveyor belt sets to drive each conveyor roller 21. The conveyor rollers 21 are arranged at intervals, and there is a gap between two adjacent conveyor rollers 21 that is smaller than the diameter of the conveyor roller. Two flipping mechanisms 30 are set on both sides of the conveying mechanism 20 and located in the middle of the furnace body 10. The flipping mechanism 30 uses abutment blocks 37 to hold the two ends of the electrode to achieve the clamping of the electrode, and then sets a rotating structure to achieve the flipping of the electrode, so that the electrode faces upward and is conveyed out of the tunnel furnace.

[0040] In the specific implementation process, the electrodes are conveyed by the conveyor rollers 21. The conveyor rollers 21 have gaps between them, allowing the electrodes to move. This prevents the electrodes from being conveyed together with the conveyor belt, which would affect the drying effect. The gaps between the conveyor rollers 21 also prevent uneven drying caused by one side of the electrode being affected during the drying process. The electrode is flipped during the electrode conveying process by the flipping mechanism 30. The flipping mechanism 30 is located in the middle of the furnace body 10. This means that as the electrode moves from the inlet to the middle of the furnace body 10, one side of it contacts the conveyor rollers 21 for drying. After being flipped by the flipping mechanism 30, the other side contacts the conveyor rollers 21 for drying. This ensures that the electrode is heated and ventilated evenly during the drying process in the furnace body 10, thereby guaranteeing the drying effect of the electrode.

[0041] In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism 30 includes a base 31, a sliding frame 32, and a vertical frame 33. The lower end of the sliding frame 32 is slidably disposed on the base 31 along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 20. The vertical frame 33 is slidably disposed on a support block 34. The support block 34 is provided with a rotating shaft 35, and the abutment block 37 is disposed on the rotating shaft 35. The support block 34 slides up and down within the sliding frame 32. The rotating shaft 35 is provided with a flipping block 36. The upper end of the sliding frame 32 is provided with a stop block 321 that causes the flipping block 36 to rotate. The lower end of the sliding frame 32 is provided with a triangular block 322 that cooperates with the flipping block 36 to drive the sliding frame 32 to slide.

[0042] In the specific implementation process Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the base 31 and the vertical frame 33 can be fixed to the furnace body 10, for example, by setting a support plate on the inner wall of the furnace body 10 and fixing the base 31 and the vertical frame 33 to the support plate. The sliding frame 32 is a vertically placed rectangular frame with an opening at the top. Stop blocks 321 are located on both sides of the opening, and a triangular block 322 is located in the middle of the lower end of the sliding frame 32. A support block 34 slides up and down within the rectangular frame of the sliding frame 32. One side of the support block 34 is slidably connected to the vertical frame 33. The base 31 has a sliding groove 311, which is set along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 20. The lower end of the sliding frame 32 is slidably connected to the sliding groove 311. The tilting block 36 includes two arms extending radially along the rotating shaft 35, and each arm has a stop bar that cooperates with the stop block 321. As the support block 34 slides upward within the slide frame 32, the flipping block 36 is blocked by the stop block 321, causing the rotating shaft 35 to rotate. During this process, the electrode held on the stop block 37 can be flipped. As the support block 34 slides downward, since the flipping block 36 has already been flipped, the flipping block 36 will not be blocked by the stop block 321 and can enter the slide frame 32 from the opening. The support block 34 slides down to the bottom, causing the support arm on the flipping block 36 and the triangular block 322 to drive the slide frame 32 to move. This causes the stop block 321 at the upper end of the slide frame 32 to move left and right to the top of the flipping block 36, so that the support block 34 can move upward again and the stop block 321 can act on the flipping block 36 to flip the electrode.

[0043] In some embodiments, the vertical frame 33 is provided with a driving member, which drives the support block 34 to slide up and down along the vertical frame 33. For example, Figure 6 As shown, the support block 34 is driven to move up and down along the vertical frame 33 by the driving component, which can better control the position of the vertical frame 33.

[0044] In some embodiments, the driving component includes a stepper motor 38, a lead screw 39, and a nut 391. The stepper motor 38 drives the lead screw 39 to rotate. The lead screw 39 and the nut 391 are threadedly engaged. The support block 34 is fixed to the nut 391. For example, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the drive uses a lead screw 39 and a nut 391. The rotation of the lead screw 39 drives the nut 391 to move up and down, connecting the support block 34 to the nut 391 and thus allowing the support block 34 to slide up and down. This enables the support block 34 to slide up and down smoothly, making the electrode flipping process more stable. The lead screw 39 is driven to rotate by a stepper motor 38, which facilitates the control of the position and forward and reverse rotation of the lead screw 39, and thus facilitates the control of the up and down sliding of the support block 34.

[0045] In some embodiments, the support block 34 is an elastically telescopic support block 34, capable of extending along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 35. The support block 34 is provided with an inclined surface 341, and a push rod 312 is provided on the base frame. The push rod 312 interacts with the inclined surface 341 to control the shortening of the support block 34. For example, Figure 6 As shown, the support block 34 has an internal elastic structure that allows it to extend and retract. For example, the support block 34 is composed of a fixed block and a sliding block. The sliding block is slidably connected to the fixed block, and the sliding direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 20. The sliding block is supported by a spring, similar to the structure of an elastic telescopic rod. The abutment block 37 is fixed to the sliding block. When there is no other external interference, the sliding block slides out towards the fixed block under the action of the spring, so that the two abutment blocks 37 are relatively close to each other and can clamp the two sides of the electrode on the conveying mechanism 20. After the electrode is flipped, the support block 34 moves downward to put down the electrode. At this time, the push block acts on the inclined surface 341 to compress the spring, so that the sliding block slides towards the fixed block, that is, towards the direction away from the conveying mechanism 20, so that the two abutment blocks 37 move away from each other and release the clamping of the electrode.

[0046] In some embodiments, a sensor 15 is provided below the flipping mechanism 30 along the conveying direction. The sensor 15 is used to sense the position of the electrode and is electrically connected to the stepper motor 38. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the flipping mechanism 30 can be controlled to flip the electrode by sensing the electrode through the sensor 15. This setting automates the electrode conveying and flipping without manual intervention, allowing the electrode to complete the flipping and conveying automatically within the tunnel furnace. In a specific implementation, the stepper motor 38 can be configured so that its activation once drives the support block 34 to slide upward above the opening, flipping the electrode. Subsequently, the support block 34 moves downward below the conveying roller 21, placing the electrode on the conveying roller 21 and releasing the clamping block 37 from the electrode. The activation of the stepper motor 38 can be initiated by sensing the electrode being conveyed to the designated position through the sensor 15, thus further improving the automation of the tunnel furnace.

[0047] In some embodiments, a vibration mechanism is provided at the inlet 12, which is used to vibrate the electrode passing through the inlet 12. For example, Figures 1 to 4As shown, the shaking mechanism is installed at the inlet 12 of the furnace body 10 and is located outside the hollow structure 11. The electrodes are cleaned before entering the furnace body 10 for drying. The cleaning process makes their surface contain a lot of moisture. The shaking mechanism can shake off the moisture on the electrode surface, further improving the drying effect of the electrodes.

[0048] In some embodiments, the shaking mechanism includes a base plate 40, a horizontal plate 41, and a cam 44. The base plate 40 and the horizontal plate 41 are both located below the conveyor roller 21. An elastic support member 42 is provided between the base plate 40 and the horizontal plate 41. The cam 44 is coaxially connected to the conveyor roller 21, and the edge of the cam 44 abuts against the horizontal plate 41. A shaking block 43 is provided on the horizontal plate 41 between the two conveyor rollers 21. The shaking block 43 moves up and down during the rotation of the cam 44. When the shaking block 43 moves upward, it extends above the conveyor roller 21.

[0049] In the specific implementation process, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, during the rotation of the conveyor roller 21, the cam 44 rotates accordingly. The cam 44 drives the horizontal plate 41 during its rotation. With the cooperation of the elastic support member 42, the horizontal plate 41 always abuts against the cam 44, which is why the horizontal plate 41 moves up and down under the action of the cam 44. Because a shaking block 43 is provided on the horizontal plate 41, extending from the gap between the two conveyor rollers 21, it can lift the electrodes on the conveyor rollers 21 upwards and shake them, thus removing moisture from the electrode surface.

[0050] In some embodiments, there are 3-5 shaking blocks 43, and the lower ends of all the shaking blocks 43 are fixed to the horizontal plate 41. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, three shaking blocks 43 are selected and continuously arranged between three adjacent conveyor rollers 21 to shake the electrodes during the conveying process.

[0051] In some embodiments, a ventilation element 16 is provided at the upper center of the tunnel furnace, the ventilation element 16 being connected to the hollow structure 11 and used to provide circulating air to the hollow structure 11. For example, Figure 3 As shown, due to the high temperature and poor ventilation in the middle of the furnace body 10, a ventilation component 16 is installed in the middle of the upper part of the furnace body 10. This ventilation component 16 ventilates the hollow structure 11 according to the conditions inside the furnace body 10, ensuring that the ventilation status throughout the hollow structure 11 remains consistent, which is beneficial for improving the drying effect of the electrodes. Specifically, the ventilation component 16 can be composed of a pipeline air pump, which pumps gas into or out of the hollow structure 11.

[0052] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tunnel furnace for drying electrodes in water electrolysis for hydrogen production, characterized in that, include: The furnace body is a hollow structure. An inlet and an outlet communicating with the hollow structure are respectively provided on both sides of the furnace body. Heating elements are arranged above and below the hollow structure to raise the temperature of the hollow structure. A conveying mechanism, wherein multiple conveying rollers are evenly arranged from the outlet to the inlet, and each conveying roller is connected to a drive unit that drives its rotation; The furnace body includes two flipping mechanisms located in the middle. Each flipping mechanism has a stop block that abuts against the electrodes from both sides of the conveying mechanism and flips the electrodes. The flipping mechanism comprises a base, a sliding frame, and a vertical frame. The lower end of the sliding frame is slidably mounted on the base along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism. The vertical frame has a support block that slides vertically, and a rotating shaft is mounted on the support block. The stop block is mounted on the rotating shaft. The support block slides vertically within the sliding frame. A flipping block is mounted on the rotating shaft. The upper end of the sliding frame has a stop block that rotates the flipping block, and the lower end of the sliding frame has a triangular block that cooperates with the flipping block to drive the sliding frame to slide. The electrodes are fed into the hollow structure of the furnace body through the inlet via the conveying mechanism. After being heated and dried by the heating element, they are conveyed out from the outlet by the same mechanism. A shaking mechanism is provided at the inlet to shake the electrodes passing through it. The shaking mechanism includes a base plate, a horizontal plate, and a cam. The base plate and the horizontal plate are both located below the conveying rollers. An elastic support is provided between the base plate and the horizontal plate. The cam is coaxially connected to the conveying rollers, and the edge of the cam abuts against the horizontal plate. A shaking block is provided on the horizontal plate between the two conveying rollers. The shaking block moves up and down during the rotation of the cam. When the shaking block moves upward, it extends above the conveying rollers. There are 3-5 shaking blocks, and the lower ends of all the shaking blocks are fixed to the horizontal plate.

2. The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical frame is equipped with a driving component, which is used to drive the support block to slide up and down along the vertical frame.

3. The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving component includes a stepper motor, a lead screw, and a nut. The stepper motor drives the lead screw to rotate, and the lead screw and the nut are threaded together. The support block is fixed on the nut.

4. The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support block is an elastically telescopic support block that can extend along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The support block has an inclined surface, and the base has a push rod. The push rod interacts with the inclined surface to control the shortening of the support block.

5. The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism has a sensor located below it along the conveying direction. The sensor is used to sense the position of the electrode. The sensor is electrically connected to the stepper motor. Each time the stepper motor is started, it drives the support block to move up and down once.

6. The tunnel furnace for drying the electrode in water electrolysis hydrogen production according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The tunnel furnace is provided with a ventilation component at the upper middle part, which is connected to the hollow structure and is used to provide circulating air to the hollow structure.

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