Apparatus and method for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production

Abstract

An apparatus to provide purified water to one or more electrolyzers for hydrogen production can include a purifier positioned to receive at least a minimum water flow from a desalination unit to purify water and output purified water to at least one electrolyzer of an electrolyzer room. The water flow can be adjusted to maintain a minimum water flow through one or more beds of the purifier while addressing water demand at the electrolyzer. Flow adjustment can be between providing all purified water to the electrolyzer during high demand operation and other configurations in which little or no purified water is supplied to the electrolyzer, instead water is recirculated back to the water desalination unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to providing purified water for use as a supply for one or more electrolyzer chambers in an electrolyzer for hydrogen production. Some embodiments can be used in conjunction with green hydrogen and green ammonia production, which can utilize renewable energy sources to produce hydrogen and ammonia. Background Technology

[0002] Green ammonia production is possible by using electricity from renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind). For example, examples of ammonia production powered by renewable energy can be found in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 3 957 772 A1.

[0003] Hydrogen can be produced by using one or more electrolyzers. An electrolyzer produces hydrogen from water via electrolysis. An example of a hydrogen production system can be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0290309. Hydrogen production from water that relies on renewable energy to power the operation of various production units can be considered green hydrogen production. Summary of the Invention

[0004] We have identified a novel method and apparatus for controlling how purified water can be supplied to facilitate improvements to conventional systems that typically utilize continuous water recycling to address the purified water operation requirements that electrolyzers may have. For example, implementations can be configured to supply purified water to electrolyzers used for hydrogen production, and can be improved to provide greater operational flexibility, better adapt to changes in purified water demand that may fluctuate significantly due to renewable energy availability, and reduce pumping and water desalination tasks. Implementations can be configured to utilize a water flow control scheme that allows for more precise determination of the electrolyzer's water demand and more precise regulation of flow demand for potentially large-scale operational fluctuations (e.g., changes in water demand due to electrolyzer regulation operations from 0% capacity to 100% capacity due to renewable energy availability, etc.).

[0005] Some implementations can be modified to output a purifier for purifying demineralized water to a pre-selected electrolyzer supply purification level to meet the electrolyzer's demand, while maintaining a predetermined minimum water flow rate through the purifier to maintain the functionality of the purifier bed and prevent purifier bed degradation (e.g., preventing bed material agglomeration, channels that may form in the bed material, etc.). Implementations can be modified such that when demand is at a first predetermined level, all purified water output from the purifier can be supplied to one or more electrolyzers in the electrolyzer chamber. Implementations can also be modified such that purified water output from the purifier can be diverted, so that in response to detecting a second predetermined level where the water demand of one or more electrolyzers in the electrolyzer chamber is below the first predetermined level, a first portion is supplied to the electrolyzers in the electrolyzer chamber, while a second portion bypasses the electrolyzer chamber and is recirculated back to the water demineralization unit. The implementation scheme can also be modified so that the purified water output from the purifier can be diverted. In response to the detection that the water demand of one or more electrolyzers in the electrolyzer chamber is below a second predetermined level and also below a first predetermined level, a third predetermined level, a first portion is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber to bypass the electrolyzer, thereby recirculating back to the water desalination unit while maintaining the pressure head supplying water to the electrolyzer. A second portion bypasses the electrolyzer chamber and is recirculated back to the water desalination unit. In some cases, most of the purified water can simply bypass the electrolyzer chamber, while a small portion may pass through the electrolyzer chamber, bypassing it to maintain the pressure head of the electrolyzer chamber. This small portion can also be recirculated back to the water desalination unit after passing through the supply conduit of the electrolyzer chamber to maintain the pressure head of the electrolyzer chamber.

[0006] The implementation scheme can be modified to include a purified water control system that monitors the electrolyzer demand and accordingly adjusts the water flow to the purifier and / or electrolyzer chamber to address water demand within one of different pre-selected demand levels. In some implementations, the water flow can be controlled such that the water supplied to the purifier for purification is always supplied at least at a pre-selected minimum rate and does not exceed a pre-selected maximum rate. The pre-selected minimum rate can be, for example, 0.6 m / s or other suitable minimum rate value, and the pre-selected maximum rate can be, for example, 3.5 m / s, a value less than 4 m / s, a value between 3.4 m / s and 4 m / s, or other suitable maximum rate settings.

[0007] In some configurations, the purifier may be positioned substantially close to the electrolyzer chamber and distant from the desalination unit. For example, embodiments may be configured such that at least 60%, at least 70%, or 70% to 80% of the total conduit distance used to supply water from the desalination unit to the electrolyzer chamber lies between the purifier and the water desalination unit, while the remaining 40% to 20% lies between the purifier and the electrolyzer chamber. Piping may be provided such that the distance between the purifier and the water desalination unit is four times greater than the distance between the purifier and the electrolyzer chamber. In other embodiments, piping may be provided such that the ratio of the distance between the purifier and the water desalination unit to the distance between the purifier and the electrolyzer chamber is between 4:1 and 3:2. As a non-limiting example, an 800-meter pipe may be located between the purifier and the water desalination unit to supply water from the desalination unit to the purifier, and a 200-meter pipe may be located between the purifier and the electrolytic cell to supply purified water from the purifier to the electrolytic cell, such that the ratio of the pipe distance between the purifier and the water desalination unit to the pipe distance between the purifier and the electrolytic cell is 4:1.

[0008] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production. The apparatus may include a purifier positioned to purify a water supply from a water desalination unit to output purified water with a preselected purity level to an electrolyzer in an electrolyzer chamber for hydrogen production via electrolysis. The purifier may be positioned and arranged such that a first portion of the purified water supply output from the purifier can be supplied to the electrolyzer, and a second portion of the purified water supply can be output to an electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit to bypass the electrolyzer chamber conduit and supply the second portion of purified water to the water desalination unit. The water purification control system may be configured to determine the demand for purified water at the electrolyzer and adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier, included in the first portion of the purified water supply, and adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier, included in the second portion of the purified water supply, such that the water flow rate through the purifier is at or above a preselected minimum flow rate and at or below a preselected maximum flow rate, while also supplying sufficient purified water to the electrolyzer to meet the determined demand for purified water.

[0009] In a second aspect, the apparatus may include an electrolyzer chamber supply conduit connected between the electrolyzer and the purifier to receive a first portion of the purified water supply; and an electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit connected between the water desalination unit and the purifier to receive a second portion of the purified water supply, thereby bypassing the electrolyzer chamber conduit and supplying the second portion to the water desalination unit. Each of these conduits may include at least one adjustable valve communicatively connected to the water purification control system, thereby allowing the valve's position to be adjusted via the control system.

[0010] For example, an adjustable valve may be provided that is connected to the bypass conduit of the electrolytic cell chamber. At least one adjustable valve may also be provided that is connected to the supply conduit of the electrolytic cell chamber.

[0011] In a third aspect, the device may include a recirculation conduit connected to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit, such that a head-maintaining bypass portion of the first portion of the purified supply can be delivered to the water desalination unit after bypassing the electrolyzer to maintain its head. An adjustable valve may be connected to the recirculation conduit. The adjustable valve may be communicatively connected to the water purification control system, thereby allowing the valve's position to be adjusted via the control system.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, the water purification control system may include a controller; an electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber, the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor being communicatively connected to the controller; an electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water passing through the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit; and a purifier supply conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier for purification. The controller may include hardware comprising at least one processor and at least one transceiver unit connected to a non-transitory memory.

[0013] In the fifth aspect, the preselected minimum flow rate can be a velocity of 0.6 m / s or other suitable velocities or values ​​corresponding to this velocity. Furthermore, the preselected maximum flow rate can be a velocity not exceeding 4 m / s. For example, the preselected maximum flow rate can be a velocity in the range of 3.5 m / s and 4 m / s. In other embodiments, other suitable maximum flow velocities may alternatively be selected.

[0014] In a sixth aspect, the apparatus may include other elements. For example, the apparatus may include an electrolytic cell chamber. The apparatus may also include an electrolytic cell within the electrolytic cell chamber.

[0015] In the seventh aspect, the purifier may be positioned such that the piping for supplying water from the water desalination unit to the electrolytic cell chamber is arranged such that the ratio of the piping distance between the purifier and the water desalination unit to the piping distance between the purifier and the electrolytic cell chamber is between 4:1 and 3:2.

[0016] In the eighth aspect, the apparatus of the first aspect may include one or more features of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and / or seventh aspects. It should be understood that other embodiments may also utilize other aspects discussed in exemplary embodiments of the apparatus discussed herein. Embodiments of this apparatus may be configured to implement our method for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production.

[0017] In a ninth aspect, a method for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production is provided. The method may include: supplying water to a purifier for purifying water to form purified water for supply to an electrolyzer chamber, thereby forming hydrogen from the purified water via electrolysis; and determining the electrolyzer's demand for purified water, such that: (i) in response to detecting a first preselected level of the electrolyzer's demand for purified water, all purified water output from the purifier is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber for supply to the electrolyzer; (ii) in response to detecting a second preselected level of the electrolyzer's demand for purified water, a first portion of the purified water output from the purifier is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber for supply to the electrolyzer, and a second portion of the purified water output from the purifier is supplied to an electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit for supplying purified water to a water desalination unit; and (iii) in response to detecting a third preselected level of the electrolyzer's demand for purified water, the purified water output from the purifier is transferred to the water desalination unit, such that the purified water bypasses the electrolyzer.

[0018] In some embodiments, the transmission of purified water from the purifier output to the water desalination unit, such that the purified water bypasses the electrolyzer, may include: (a) transmitting a first portion of the purified water from the purifier output to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit to maintain the pressure head supplying water to the electrolyzer and recirculating it back to the water desalination unit; and (b) transmitting a second portion of the purified water from the purifier output to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit to supply the second portion of the purified water to the water desalination unit.

[0019] In other embodiments, the transmission of purified water from the purifier output to the water desalination unit, such that the purified water bypasses the electrolyzer, may include: transmitting a portion of the purified water from the purifier output to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit to supply that portion of the purified water to the water desalination unit.

[0020] In the tenth aspect, the method of the ninth aspect may include other steps. For example, the method may include: forming hydrogen from purified water supplied to the electrolyzer via electrolysis. As another example, the method may also (or alternatively) include: adjusting the water flow rate supplied to the purifier in response to the determined demand for purified water from the electrolyzer.

[0021] In the eleventh aspect, the determination of the electrolyzer's demand for purified water may be based on one or more of the following: (i) load feedback from the electrolyzer, (ii) the flow rate or velocity of purified water detected by a sensor in the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit, (iii) the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier detected by a purifier supply sensor, (iv) the flow rate or velocity of water through the recirculation conduit detected by a recirculation conduit sensor, and (v) the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the electrolyzer through the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit detected by a sensor in the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit. In some embodiments, all of conditions (i) through (v) may be used. Other embodiments may use only a single condition from (i) through (v). Other embodiments may use two or more of these conditions, three of these conditions, or a combination of four of these conditions.

[0022] In aspect 12, the method of aspect 9 may include any or all of the features of aspects 10 and / or 11. Additional embodiments may also include other features or method steps. Embodiments of our equipment or water purification control system may be used to implement embodiments of our methods.

[0023] In a thirteenth aspect, a water purification control system is provided. An embodiment of the water purification control system can be configured to implement an embodiment of our method for controlling the supply of purified water. The control system may include a controller having a processor connected to a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The controller may be configured to determine the demand for purified water at the electrolyzer in the electrolyzer chamber, and to adjust the proportion of purified water output from the purifier, including in a first portion of the purified water supplied to the electrolyzer, and to adjust the proportion of purified water output from the purifier, including in a second portion of the purified water bypassing the electrolyzer, such that the flow rate of water through the purifier for water purification is at or above a preselected minimum flow rate, and the flow rate of water through the purifier is at or below a preselected maximum flow rate.

[0024] In the fourteenth aspect, the water purification control system may further include a plurality of sensors communicatively connected to the controller. These sensors may include one or more of the following: (i) an electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water passing through the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit; (ii) a purifier supply sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier; (iii) a recirculation conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water passing through the recirculation conduit; and / or (iv) an electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the electrolyzer through the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit. Some embodiments may utilize all of these sensors as well as additional sensors. Other embodiments may utilize only one, two, or three of these sensors.

[0025] In aspect fifteen, the control system of aspect thirteen may include any or all of the features of aspect fourteen, as well as additional elements or features. Further embodiments may also include features of, for example, our equipment. Furthermore, embodiments of the control system may be configured to utilize one or more features of our method (e.g., specific minimum or maximum flow values, etc.).

[0026] It should be understood that implementations of this method and apparatus can utilize a variety of conduit arrangements and process control elements. For example, some implementations may utilize, for instance, automated process control systems and / or distributed control systems (DCS). As another example, implementations may utilize sensors (e.g., pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flow rate sensors, concentration sensors, etc.), controllers, valves, piping, and other process control elements. A wide variety of conduit arrangements and process control systems can be used to meet a specific set of design criteria.

[0027] Further details, objectives, and advantages of our methods for providing purified water for hydrogen production, apparatus for providing purified water for hydrogen production, systems for providing purified water for hydrogen production, and methods for their manufacture and use will become apparent from the following description of some exemplary embodiments thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Exemplary embodiments of our methods for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, apparatus for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, systems for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, and methods for manufacturing and using them are shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that similar reference numerals used in the drawings may identify similar parts.

[0029] Figure 1This is a schematic block diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a device 1 for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production. Figure 1 The schematic diagram also illustrates an exemplary method for providing purified water for hydrogen production.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of controller 10, which can be used in a first exemplary embodiment of device 1 for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a first exemplary method for controlling the supply of purified water used for hydrogen production. Figure 1 The first exemplary embodiment of the water purification control system 11 shown can be modified to facilitate... Figure 3 The execution of the first exemplary method shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] refer to Figures 1-3 The device 1 controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production may include a water desalination unit 3, which desalinates and / or deionizes the water used to supply hydrogen-producing water supply stream 2a to the electrolyzer chamber assembly 12, which includes a purifier 5 for purifying water to supply to the electrolyzer E in the electrolyzer chamber 7. The hydrogen-producing water supply stream 2a can be supplied to, for example, the purifier 5 via a purifier water supply conduit positioned between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3.

[0033] In some configurations, the purifier 5 may be positioned such that it is at a preselected minimum distance from the electrolytic cell 7. This position can be chosen such that the purifier 5 is substantially close to the electrolytic cell 7, but relatively far from the water desalination unit (e.g., the purifier 5 is positioned closer to the electrolytic cell 7 compared to the more distant water desalination unit 3). For example, embodiments may be configured such that at least 60%, at least 70%, or 70% to 80% of the total conduit distance for supplying water from the water desalination unit 3 to the electrolytic cell 7 is located between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 4, while the remaining 40% to 20% of the conduit distance is located between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell E of the electrolytic cell 7 to supply water to the electrolytic cell E.

[0034] In some embodiments of device 1, conduits may be provided for supplying water from the water desalination unit 3 to the electrolytic cell 7, such that the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 4 is four times greater than the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7. In other embodiments of device 1, conduits may be provided such that the ratio of the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3 to the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7 is between 4:1 and 3:2. As a non-limiting example, 1,600 meters of conduit may be located between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3 to supply water from the desalination unit 3 to the purifier 5, and 400 meters of conduit may be located between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7 to supply purified water from the purifier 5 to the electrolytic cell 7, such that the ratio of the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3 to the conduit distance between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7 is 4:1. As another non-limiting example, a 500-meter pipe may be located between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3 to supply water from the desalination unit 3 to the purifier 5, and a 333.33-meter pipe may be located between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7 to supply purified water from the purifier 5 to the electrolytic cell 7, such that the ratio of the pipe distance between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3 to the pipe distance between the purifier 5 and the electrolytic cell 7 is 3:2.

[0035] Sensor S can be positioned to detect or monitor the flow rate of water supplied to purifier 5. For example, this sensor can be considered a purifier supply sensor or a first sensor S1, positioned to detect the flow rate or water supply speed of water supplied to purifier 5. The sensor can be communicatively connected to controller 10 (CTRL). Controller 10 can be configured to receive data generated by the first sensor regarding the water supply rate or water supply speed supplied to purifier 5.

[0036] Purifier 5 may include one or more beds of water purification material for adsorbing impurities from water to form a purified water stream 2b, which consists of liquid water with a preselected purity content. The preselected purity content may be within a preselected water purity content threshold suitable for use as a supply to electrolyzer E for the formation of hydrogen via electrolysis. For example, the purified water stream 2b output from purifier 5 may be a liquid water stream as ultrapure water (or, as may be called, high-purity water). Ultrapure water can also be considered Class 1 water, which achieves a theoretically ideal purity level, with a resistivity of 18.2 megohms (MΩ).

[0037] Purified water stream 2b can be supplied to an electrolysis chamber 7 (EH) comprising one or more electrolyzers E. Purified water stream 2b can be supplied to the electrolysis chamber 7 via a purified water stream output conduit positioned between the purifier 5 and the electrolysis chamber 7. Purified water can be conveyed from the purified water stream output conduit to the electrolysis chamber supply conduit 2c to supply one or more electrolyzers E in the electrolysis chamber 7. The portion of purified water stream 2b supplied from the purifier to the electrolysis chamber 7 can be considered the first portion of purified water stream 2b. This first portion can be primarily delivered to the electrolysis chamber to supply purified water to the electrolyzers E, thereby meeting the purified water requirements for electrolysis and hydrogen production via the electrolyzers.

[0038] Sensor S can be positioned to detect or monitor the flow rate of purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber 7 to the electrolyzer E. This sensor can be considered either sensor S of the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c or a second sensor S2, positioned to detect, for example, the flow rate or water supply speed of purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber 7 to the electrolyzer E. Sensor S can be communicatively connected to controller 10 (CTRL). Controller 10 can be configured to receive data from sensor S of the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c regarding the water supply rate or water supply speed generated by the sensor.

[0039] Any portion of purified water supplied through the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c but not to the electrolyzer E may include a head-maintaining bypass portion of the purified water flow 2b, which bypasses the electrolyzer E of the electrolyzer chamber 7 to maintain the head for supplying water to the electrolyzer E, and recirculates it back to the water desalination unit 3 via a recirculation conduit 2d located between the electrolyzer chamber 7 and the water desalination unit 3, and also maintains the water flow rate or velocity at or above a preselected minimum velocity limit.

[0040] A control valve V can be connected between the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c and the recirculation conduit 2d. In some arrangements, the control valve V of the recirculation conduit 2d can be considered as the first control valve V1. The first control valve V1 can be adjusted between an open position and a closed position to facilitate the pressure head maintenance of the bypass section that forms the purified water flow and recirculates this section of flow to the water desalination unit 3 through the recirculation conduit 2d. The control valve V of the recirculation conduit 2d can have many different positions between its open and closed positions to regulate the flow rate of purified water through the recirculation conduit 2d.

[0041] The control valve V of the recirculation conduit 2d is communicatively connected to the controller 10, such that the controller 10 can provide a control signal for adjusting the control valve between its open and closed positions (e.g., adjusting the valve from the open position to the closed position or between any intermediate position between fully open and fully closed). The controller 10 can communicate with the control valve to initiate regulation of the valve, thereby controlling the flow rate of purified water through valve V and through the recirculation conduit 2d.

[0042] The electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp can be connected to the purified water output conduit to receive a second portion of the purified water stream 2b that can be diverted from the vapor. For example, the diversion of the purified water stream 2b can occur, for instance, after the purified water is output from the purifier 5. As another example, it is conceivable that the diversion of the first and second portions of the purified water stream 2b formed by the purifier 5 can occur at the purifier 5 (e.g., by utilizing multiple outlets of the purifier 5 or by arranging other diversion conduits located at the purifier 5).

[0043] Control valve V can be positioned in the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp, and / or connected between the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp and the purified water output conduit connected to purifier 5, to deliver purified water stream 2b from purifier 5 (e.g., to a unit downstream of purifier 5 or recirculated to desalination unit 3, etc.). This control valve V in the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp can be considered a second control valve V2. This control valve is adjustable between an open position and a closed position.

[0044] The controller 10 is communicatively connected to the control valve V of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to initiate position adjustment of the valve between its open and closed positions, thereby regulating the flow rate of water through the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp. The control valve V of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp can have many different positions between its open and closed positions to regulate and / or control the flow rate of purified water through the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp.

[0045] Sensor S can be positioned to detect or monitor the flow rate of purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to bypass the electrolyzer chamber 7. This sensor can be considered either sensor S of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp or a third sensor S3, positioned to detect, for example, the flow rate or water supply speed of the purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp. Sensor S can be communicatively connected to controller 10 (CTRL). Controller 10 can be configured to receive data from sensor S of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp regarding the purified water supply rate or purified water supply speed generated by the sensor.

[0046] Sensor S may be positioned to detect or monitor the flow rate of purified water supplied to recirculation conduit 2d. This sensor may be considered either sensor S4 of recirculation conduit 2d or a fourth sensor S4, positioned to detect, for example, the flow rate or water supply speed of purified water supplied to recirculation conduit 2d (e.g., positioned to detect the water velocity or flow rate at recirculation conduit valve V1 or some other suitable location on recirculation conduit 2d). Sensor S of recirculation conduit 2d may be communicatively connected to controller 10 (CTRL). Controller 10 may be configured to receive data from sensor S of recirculation conduit 2d regarding the water flow rate or water supply speed generated by the sensor.

[0047] An electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp can be positioned between the purifier 5 and the water desalination unit 3, thus allowing purified water supplied from the purifier 5 to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to be recirculated back to the water desalination unit 3. The electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp and the recirculation conduit 2d can be connected to at least one water desalination unit recirculation conduit 2e to convey purified water back to the water desalination unit 3. Each water desalination unit recirculation conduit 2e can be connected between the water desalination unit 3 and the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp and / or the recirculation conduit 2d to facilitate the flow of purified water recirculated back to the water desalination unit 3.

[0048] The device 1 controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production may include a purified water control system 11. The purified water control system 11 may include sensors S, controllers 10, valves V, and associated conduits and processing units (e.g., purifier 5, electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp, etc.) or may be considered to include only sensors S and controller 10. The water purification control system 11 may be configured to determine the demand for purified water at the electrolyzer E and adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier 5 in a first portion of the purified water supply capable of being supplied to the electrolyzer E, and adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier 5 in a second portion of the purified water supply to bypass the electrolyzer E and recirculate to the water desalination unit 3, such that the water flow rate through the purifier 5 is at or above a preselected minimum flow rate, and the water flow rate through the purifier is at or below a preselected maximum flow rate. The determination of the demand for water in the electrolyzer may also be based on other factors. For example, the manifold of the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c can be gradually reduced in size to keep the entire length of the conduit within preselected minimum and preselected maximum water velocity standards. Electrolyzer requirements can also be determined based on variations in the pipe dimensions within the manifold of the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c, since the flow rate in the common section of the manifold may be reduced due to the electrolyzer supply conduit of the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c branching off from the manifold to supply different electrolyzers in the electrolyzer chamber 7. The preselected minimum flow rate can be any suitable flow rate (e.g., a water velocity of 0.6 m / s), and the preselected maximum flow rate can be any suitable flow rate (e.g., a water velocity of 3.5 m / s or 4 m / s), which meets a preselected set of design criteria and also helps prevent purifier bed degradation.

[0049] Figure 2An exemplary embodiment of controller 10 is shown. The controller (CTRL) may include hardware. The controller hardware may include a processor (PROC) and a transceiver (TRSC), the processor being communicatively connected to non-transitory memory (MEM), and the transceiver including at least one receiver and at least one transmitter for communicative connection with sensor S and valve V. At least one application (App) and / or data storage (DS) may be stored on memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk drive, solid-state drive, or other type of non-transitory memory). The code of the application (App) may be run by the processor to define a method for providing purified water for hydrogen production, and controller 10 may supervise and / or implement the method via communication with sensor S, valve V, and / or other processing elements of device 1. An embodiment of the method for providing purified water for hydrogen production may be or include a purified water control scheme defined by the code of the application running by the processor of controller 10. The code may be defined to cause the processor of the controller to invoke one or more data storages stored on the memory of controller 10 and / or on memory (e.g., a remote database, etc.) communicatively connected to the controller when the processor running the application executes the application.

[0050] Controller 10 is communicatively connected to at least one input device 21, at least one output device 23, and / or at least one input / output device 25. Examples of input devices may include, for example, sensors S or devices communicatively connected to controller 10, allowing a user to provide input to controller 10 (e.g., keypad, microphone, pointer device, laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.). Examples of input / output devices 25 may include devices that can provide data to the controller and also output data received from the controller, such as, for example, printers, touchscreen displays, laptop computers, smartphones, or other types of input / output devices. At least one output device 23 may include at least one speaker, display, printer, or other type of output device. In some embodiments, controller 10 may be a component of an automated process control system or a distributed control system (DCS) of device 1.

[0051] from Figure 3 The exemplary embodiment of the method for providing purified water shown illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the operation of device 1 that can be monitored and / or controlled by the controller 10 of the purified water control system 11. For example, the embodiment of device 1 and the embodiment of the purified water control system 11 can be configured to perform… Figure 3 The exemplary method shown.

[0052] In the first step ST1, water from the desalination unit 3 is supplied to the purifier 5, which, as discussed above, is positioned at a pre-selected minimum distance from the electrolyzer chamber 7. In the second step ST2, the water requirement of the electrolyzer E in the electrolyzer chamber 7 is determined. This determination of the electrolyzer water requirement allows for the selection of one of the various purified water flow control options. This requirement can be determined based on data regarding: (i) load feedback from electrolyzer E, (ii) the flow rate or velocity of purified water detected by sensor SS (e.g., a sensor detecting flow through valve V or other location of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp) of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp, (iii) the flow rate or velocity of purified water supplied to purifier 5 detected by purifier supply sensor S1, (iv) the flow rate or velocity of purified water through recirculation conduit 2d (e.g., valve V or other selected location of recirculation conduit 2d) detected by recirculation conduit sensor S4, and (v) the flow rate or velocity of purified water supplied to electrolyzer E through electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c detected by electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor S2. Load feedback from electrolyzer E can be provided via one or more sensors, detectors, or other elements of electrolyzer E and / or electrolyzer chamber 7. This data can be communicated to controller 10 via one or more communication connections to these elements. This data may include detected velocity data, flow rate data, or other data that may correspond to water velocity or water flow rate.

[0053] For example, in the third step ST3 of the method, if a first pre-selected level of water demand for electrolyzer E is detected, a first portion of the purified water output from purifier 5 (e.g., purified water stream 2b) can be supplied to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c to supply the electrolyzer E in the electrolyzer chamber 7. When the first pre-selected level of water demand is detected, this first portion can be the entire purified water output from purifier 5.

[0054] The first preselected level of water demand can be considered as a high demand for water. This occurs, for example, when electrolyzer E is operating at full capacity and the available power supply for the operation of electrolyzer E is fully available. In response to the detection of the first preselected level of water demand, valve V of the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp can be completely closed, so that no purified water passes through the valve. During this third step ST3, water supplied to the electrolyzer may not flow out of the head-maintaining bypass section, so that all water is supplied to the electrolyzer. However, it is conceivable that during this third step ST3, the head-maintaining bypass section of purified water may optionally be diverted from the first section, thereby bypassing electrolyzer E to maintain the head supplying water to the electrolyzer, and recirculated back to the desalination unit via recirculation conduit 2d and valve V of recirculation conduit 2d. This optional use of the head-maintaining bypass section may occur for the entire duration of the detection of the first preselected level of water demand, or only for a portion of that time period (or not at all as described above).

[0055] As another example, in the fourth step ST4 of the method, if a second preselected level of water demand for electrolyzer E is detected, the purified water stream 2b can be split into a first portion and a second portion, such that the first portion of purified water output from purifier 5 (e.g., purified water stream 2b) can be supplied to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c to supply water to electrolyzer E in electrolyzer chamber 7. The second portion of purified water can be supplied to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to bypass the electrolyzer chamber, thereby recirculating to the water desalination unit 3. During this fourth step ST4, the head maintenance bypass portion of purified water can optionally be split from the first portion of purified water to bypass electrolyzer E to maintain the head supplying water to the electrolyzer, and recirculated back to the water desalination unit via recirculation conduit 2d and valve V of recirculation conduit 2d. This can occur for the entire duration of the detection of the second preselected level of water demand, or only for a portion of that time period.

[0056] A second pre-selected level of water demand can be considered as a moderate demand for water. This occurs, for example, when electrolyzer E operates at partial capacity and the available electricity powering its operation may only be intermittently available. This moderate demand condition can also be detected for other operating conditions. The second pre-selected demand level can be between a high demand level defined by a first pre-selected demand level and a low demand level that can be defined as a third pre-selected demand level.

[0057] As another example, in the fifth step ST5 of the method, if a third preselected level of water demand from the electrolyzer E is detected, the purified water stream 2b can be split into a first portion and a second portion, such that the first portion of purified water output from the purifier 5 (e.g., purified water stream 2b) can be supplied to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c, thereby bypassing the electrolyzer E in the electrolyzer chamber 7 to maintain the pressure head supplying water to the electrolyzer, and recirculated to the water desalination unit 3 via the recirculation conduit 2d and its valve. During the fifth step ST5, the second portion of purified water can be supplied to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to bypass the electrolyzer chamber 7, thereby also recirculating to the water desalination unit 3.

[0058] In the sixth step ST6, the water flow rate supplied from the water desalination unit 3 to the purifier 5 is adjusted to meet the needs of the electrolyzer chamber and to maintain at least a preselected minimum water flow rate or velocity through the purifier 5. This preselected minimum flow rate or velocity can be determined to avoid purifier bed degradation. In some embodiments, the preselected minimum flow rate or velocity of water through the purifier 5 can be 0.6 m / s. The water flow rate supplied to the purifier 5 can be adjusted to avoid a preselected maximum flow rate or velocity of water. This preselected maximum flow rate or velocity of water can be between 4 m / s and 3.5 m / s, or can be otherwise selected, to prevent the flow rate of water through the purifier 5 from exceeding a rate detrimental to the equipment and / or the equipment's operating flow design.

[0059] As described above, controller 10 can monitor the execution of the method implementation based on sensor data and other data. Furthermore, the water flow adjustment performed in step ST6 can cause the method to return to step ST1 because the water supply to the purifier may change, and the changed water supply may cause the method's operating cycle to restart. The method can then return to one of the first and second steps, as well as the third, fourth, or fifth step, which may be necessary to address the determined purified water requirements and subsequent adjustments to the water flow that may occur or occur concurrently with the execution of the third, fourth, or fifth step.

[0060] It should be understood that, based on the determination made in step ST2, steps ST3, ST4, or ST5 described above can be performed in conjunction with step ST6. Furthermore, in some implementations, Figure 3 Exemplary implementations of the method shown can be performed in a continuous or semi-continuous manner (e.g., continuously at predetermined time intervals).

[0061] The following is an exemplary description, which further illustrates a non-limiting example of how a process control scheme monitored and / or executed by controller 10 can be adopted in the course of multiple operating cycles of a defined processing scheme to address different purified water requirements of electrolyzer E that can be detected over a period of time.

[0062] For example, in step ST2, the initial demand for water can be determined as a first preselected level, and the purified water in step ST3 can be appropriately delivered, and the water flow rate can be appropriately adjusted in step ST6, which can result in the adjustment of the water supply to purifier 5 in step ST1. Controller 10 can then determine in step ST2 that the electrolyzer's water demand has changed from the first preselected level to a second preselected level, and can then execute step ST4 instead of step ST3, thereby adjusting the delivery of purified water from a complete supply to the electrolyzer chamber to a partial supply to the electrolyzer chamber 7, wherein a bypass portion is diverted to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit 2bp to bypass the electrolyzer chamber and recirculate to the water desalination unit 3. The extent of the bypass (e.g., the proportion of the second portion of the purified water flow 2b delivered to bypass the electrolyzer chamber and recirculate to the water desalination unit 3) can be based on a specific demand level detected as moderate. As described in step ST6, the water flow rate supplied to purifier 5 can also be adjusted to accommodate this demand change.

[0063] Subsequently, an adjustable flow rate of water supplied to purifier 5 occurs, and controller 10 can then determine in step ST2 that the electrolyzer's water demand has changed again, from a second preselected level to a third preselected level, and can then execute step ST5 instead of step ST4 to adjust the delivery of purified water so that all water is recycled back to the water desalination unit 3. As described in step ST6, the water flow rate supplied to purifier 5 can also be adjusted to accommodate this change in demand.

[0064] Subsequently, an adjustable flow rate of water supplied to purifier 5 occurs, and controller 10 can then determine in step ST2 that the electrolyzer's water demand has changed again, from a third preselected level to a second preselected level, and can then execute step ST4 instead of step ST5 to adjust the delivery of purified water so that it is no longer entirely recycled back to the desalination unit 3. As described in step ST6, the water flow rate supplied to purifier 5 can also be adjusted to accommodate this change in demand.

[0065] Subsequently, an adjustable flow rate of water supplied to purifier 5 occurs, and controller 10 can then determine in step ST2 that the electrolyzer's water demand has changed again, from a second preselected level to a third preselected level, and can then execute step ST5 instead of step ST4 to adjust the delivery of purified water so that all water is recycled back to the water desalination unit 3. As described in step ST6, the water flow rate supplied to purifier 5 can also be adjusted to accommodate this change in demand.

[0066] Subsequently, an adjustable flow rate of water supplied to purifier 5 occurs, and controller 10 can then determine in step ST2 that the electrolyzer's water demand has changed again, from a third preselected level to a first preselected level, and can then execute step ST3 instead of step ST5 to adjust the delivery of purified water so that all water is supplied to electrolyzer chamber 7 via electrolyzer chamber supply conduit 2c. As described in step ST6, the water flow rate supplied to purifier 5 can also be adjusted to accommodate this change in demand.

[0067] As described above, the method can be repeated multiple times, and the different delivery routes for the purified water options in steps ST3, ST4, and ST5 can be varied to accommodate the changing water requirements of the determined electrolyzer.

[0068] It should also be understood that, in addition to steps ST3, ST4, and ST5, other steps may exist to address additional pre-selected demand levels for electrolyzer water. For example, multiple different intermediate demand conditions may exist (e.g., multiple different pre-selected discrete intermediate demand levels or a large number of different pre-selected levels) to address various demand levels for electrolyzer water that may present between the minimum water condition demand at the third pre-selected demand level and the maximum water condition demand at the first pre-selected demand level. Different predetermined intermediate demand levels may be defined such that the proportion of purified water supplied from purifier 5 in the first portion of the purified water supply that can be supplied to electrolyzer E may be adjusted, and the proportion of purified water supplied from purifier 5 in the second portion of the purified water supply that bypasses electrolyzer E and is recycled to water desalination unit 3 may be adjusted, such that the water flow rate through purifier 5 is at or above the pre-selected minimum flow rate and at or below the pre-selected maximum flow rate, while also providing sufficient purified water to electrolyzer E to meet the electrolyzer's demand for purified water to form hydrogen via electrolysis.

[0069] The method may also include additional steps. For example, the method may include an embodiment of the modified equipment 1 or an embodiment of the water purification control system 11. The method may also include using water supplied to the electrolyzer E to form hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable energy sources that help power or fully power the operation of the electrolyzer E.

[0070] An embodiment of device 1 can be configured such that the water desalination unit 3 is a centralized unit supplying water to multiple different electrolytic cell assembly 12. For example, the second electrolytic cell assembly 12 can be supplied with water from the water desalination unit 3 via a second electrolytic cell supply conduit 4a, and a recirculated portion of the water can be received from the second electrolytic cell assembly 12 via a recirculation conduit 4b, such as... Figure 1 As shown by the dashed line. In this configuration, at least one second water purification control system 11 may be present for the second electrolyzer chamber assembly 12, which may also be configured to utilize an embodiment of a method for providing purified water (e.g., Figure 3 (Exemplary implementation of the method shown).

[0071] Implementations of our equipment, systems, and methods can significantly improve operational flexibility, substantially increase profitability by reducing the capital costs of providing purified water for hydrogen production, and also provide maintenance and safety benefits associated with specific implementations and operations. For example, implementations can operate without continuous recirculation of purified water, which reduces pumping and treatment requirements for the desalination unit and also allows for a smaller desalination unit size. Process control in the implementations can also provide operational improvements by allowing flow regulation based on more precise calculations that address significantly varying electrolyzer flow requirements at the electrolyzer (e.g., wide operational regulation between 0% and 100% capacity). Furthermore, implementations can be modified to mitigate the potential environmental impact of hydrogen production methods by maintaining minimum fluid flow rates through one or more purifiers to avoid purifier bed agglomeration that could inhibit purification or require additional maintenance and / or channels that could form in the material bed that could inhibit purification or require additional maintenance.

[0072] It should be understood that the implementation schemes explicitly shown and discussed herein can be modified to meet a specific set of design objectives or a specific set of design criteria. For example, the arrangement of valves, pipes, and other conduit elements (e.g., conduit connections, fittings, seals, etc.) used to interconnect different units of a plant to achieve fluid communication between different components (e.g., pumps, conduits, valves, etc.) can be arranged to meet specific plant layout designs that address available plant area, plant equipment dimensions, and other design considerations. As another example, the flow rate, pressure, and temperature of fluids through various equipment or system components can be varied to address different design configurations and other design criteria.

[0073] The plant, the equipment for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, the method for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, and / or the system for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production can each be configured to include process control elements positioned and configured to monitor and control operations (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors, flow sensors, automated process control systems with at least one workstation (the workstation includes a processor, non-transitory memory, and at least one transceiver for communicating with sensor elements, valves, and controllers to provide a user interface for the automated process control system, which may operate at the workstation and / or another computer device in the plant) etc.).

[0074] As another example, it is conceivable that specific features described separately or as part of an embodiment may be combined with other separately described features or as part of other embodiments. Therefore, elements and actions of the various embodiments described herein may be combined to provide additional embodiments. Thus, although certain exemplary embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems, and methods of making and using them have been shown and described above, it should be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be practiced and implemented differently in other ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production, the apparatus comprising: Water desalination unit; The electrolytic cell in the electrolytic cell chamber is used to generate hydrogen via electrolysis; A purifier, configured to purify the water supply from the water desalination unit to output purified water with a preselected purity level for supply to the electrolyzer in the electrolyzer chamber. The purifier is positioned and arranged such that a first portion of the purified water supply that can be output from the purifier can be supplied to the electrolyzer, and a second portion of the purified water supply can be output to the water desalination unit. An electrolyzer chamber supply conduit is connected between the electrolyzer and the purifier to receive the first portion of the purified water supply. An electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit is connected between the water desalination unit and the purifier to receive the second portion of the purified water supply, bypass the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit, and supply the second portion to the water desalination unit, wherein the device includes an adjustable valve connected to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit; and A water purification control system is configured to determine the demand for purified water at the electrolyzer, and to adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier in a first portion of the purified water supply, and to adjust the proportion of purified water supplied from the purifier in a second portion of the purified water supply, such that the water flow rate through the purifier is at or above a preselected minimum flow rate, and the water flow rate through the purifier is at or below a preselected maximum flow rate, while also supplying sufficient purified water to the electrolyzer to meet the determined demand for purified water.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises: A recirculation conduit is connected to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit, such that the pressure head maintenance bypass portion of the first part of the purified water supply can be delivered to the water desalination unit after bypassing the electrolyzer to maintain the pressure head for the electrolyzer.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device includes an adjustable valve connected to the recirculation conduit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one adjustable valve connected to the supply conduit of the electrolytic cell chamber.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the water purification control system comprises: Controller; An electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor is configured to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water supplied to the electrolyzer chamber, and the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor is communicatively connected to the controller. An electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit sensor is configured to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water passing through the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit. and A purifier supply conduit sensor is configured to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier for purification.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the preselected minimum flow rate is a speed of 0.6 m / s and the preselected maximum flow rate is a speed of no more than 4 m / s.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the purifier is positioned such that the conduit for supplying water from the water desalination unit to the electrolytic cell chamber is arranged such that the distance between the conduit and the water desalination unit has a ratio between 4:1 and 3:2 compared to the distance between the conduit and the electrolytic cell chamber.

8. A method for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production using the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising: Water is supplied to a purifier for purifying the water to form purified water for supply to an electrolyzer in an electrolytic cell chamber for the formation of hydrogen from the purified water via electrolysis. Determine the electrolyzer's requirement for the purified water, such that: In response to a first preselection level that detects a demand for purified water from the electrolyzer, all of the purified water output from the purifier is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber for use in the electrolyzer. In response to a second preselection level that detects a demand for purified water from the electrolyzer, a first portion of the purified water output from the purifier is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber for supply to the electrolyzer, and a second portion of the purified water output from the purifier is supplied to the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit for supplying the purified water to the water desalination unit. and In response to a third preselection level that detects a demand for purified water from the electrolyzer, the purified water output from the purifier is transferred to the water desalination unit, thereby bypassing the electrolyzer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transferring the purified water output from the purifier to the water desalination unit such that the purified water bypasses the electrolyzer comprises: A first portion of the purified water output from the purifier is transferred to the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit to maintain the pressure head for supplying water to the electrolyzer, and then recycled back to the water desalination unit. and A second portion of the purified water output from the purifier is transferred to a bypass conduit in the electrolysis cell to supply the second portion of the purified water to the water desalination unit.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method comprises: Hydrogen is formed from the purified water supplied to the electrolyzer via electrolysis.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the electrolyzer's demand for the purified water is based on one or more of the following: (i) load feedback from the electrolyzer, (ii) the flow rate or velocity of the purified water detected by a sensor in the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit, (iii) the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier detected by a purifier supply sensor, (iv) the flow rate or velocity of water through the recirculation conduit detected by a recirculation conduit sensor, and (v) the flow rate or velocity of water through the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit for supplying to the electrolyzer detected by an electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the electrolyzer's demand for the purified water is based on: (i) load feedback from the electrolyzer, (ii) the flow rate or velocity of the purified water detected by a sensor in the electrolyzer chamber bypass conduit, (iii) the flow rate or velocity of the water supplied to the purifier detected by a purifier supply sensor, (iv) the flow rate or velocity of the water through the recirculation conduit detected by a recirculation conduit sensor, and (v) the flow rate or velocity of the water through the electrolyzer chamber supply conduit for supplying to the electrolyzer detected by an electrolyzer chamber supply conduit sensor.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method comprises: In response to the determined demand for purified water from the electrolyzer, the water flow rate supplied to the purifier is adjusted.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein transferring the purified water output from the purifier to the water desalination unit such that the purified water bypasses the electrolyzer comprises: A portion of the purified water output from the purifier is transferred to the bypass conduit of the electrolyzer chamber to supply the portion of the purified water to the water desalination unit.

15. A water purification control system for controlling the supply of purified water for hydrogen production by performing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14, the water purification control system comprising: A controller having a processor connected to a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the controller being configured to determine the demand for purified water at the electrolyzer in the electrolyzer chamber, and to adjust the proportion of purified water output from the purifier included in a first portion of the purified water supplied to the electrolyzer, and to adjust the proportion of purified water output from the purifier included in a second portion of the purified water bypassing the electrolyzer, such that the flow rate of water through the purifier for purifying water is at or above a preselected minimum flow rate, and the flow rate of water through the purifier is at or below a preselected maximum flow rate.

16. The water purification control system according to claim 15, wherein the water purification control system comprises: Multiple sensors communicatively connected to the controller, the sensors including: (i) Electrolyte chamber bypass conduit sensor, the electrolyte chamber bypass conduit sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water through the electrolyte chamber bypass conduit; (ii) A purifier supply sensor, which is configured to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier; (iii) A recirculation duct sensor, said recirculation duct sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water through the recirculation duct; and / or (iv) Electrolyte chamber supply conduit sensor, the electrolyte chamber supply conduit sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water passing through the electrolyte chamber supply conduit for supplying to the electrolyte.

17. The water purification control system according to claim 15, wherein the water purification control system comprises: Multiple sensors communicatively connected to the controller, the sensors including: (i) Electrolyte chamber bypass conduit sensor, the electrolyte chamber bypass conduit sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of purified water through the electrolyte chamber bypass conduit; (ii) A purifier supply sensor, which is configured to detect the flow rate or velocity of water supplied to the purifier; (iii) A recirculation duct sensor, said recirculation duct sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water through the recirculation duct; and (iv) Electrolyte chamber supply conduit sensor, the electrolyte chamber supply conduit sensor being positioned to detect the flow rate or velocity of water passing through the electrolyte chamber supply conduit for supplying to the electrolyte.

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