A sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer containing the same

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of water electrolysis. The present invention provides a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer containing the same, wherein the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure comprises an independent electrolysis chamber structure and a sealing rubber ring arranged on an anode plate in the independent electrolysis chamber structure, and the sealing rubber ring is used to achieve contact and sealing with a cathode plate in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure, thereby quickly stacking and installing a plurality of single cell structures, facilitating the disassembly and replacement of the single cell structures, facilitating maintenance, and reducing the manufacturing, installation and maintenance costs of the PEM electrolyzer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of PEM water electrolysis, and relates to a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer containing the same. Background Art

[0002] PEM water electrolysis is an electrolysis technology that uses a proton exchange membrane (PEM) as a diaphragm. It requires the use of an electrolyzer device containing PEM. It is suitable for application scenarios that require high energy density. Secondly, since PEM is used as a diaphragm, the problem of electrolyte leakage can be avoided, thereby improving the safety of the system.

[0003] The PEM electrolyzer is mainly composed of a cathode, an anode, a PEM, and a related water management system. The PEM is the core component, and the cathode and anode are located on both sides of the PEM, separating the cathode and cathode and transferring protons through the PEM. The PEM electrolyzer applies an external voltage to make water produce oxygen at the anode and hydrogen at the cathode, thereby achieving water electrolysis.

[0004] PEM electrolyzers usually use a bipolar plate structure. For example, CN116083936A discloses a bipolar plate structure for PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production. The bipolar plate body is made of engineering plastics and is provided with an I-shaped conductive column. The upper and lower ends of the conductive column are respectively clamped in the channels of the bipolar plate body. The middle part of the conductive column is provided with a seal. The seal includes a plurality of raised circles. The upper and lower ends of the conductive column are respectively provided with PVD coatings. By providing the conductive column, the overall coating treatment of the bipolar plate is reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0005] However, the existence of the bipolar plate structure still complicates the installation and disassembly process and may affect the durability of the equipment. Moreover, the current PEM electrolyzer generally has an operating pressure of 1.6 MPa or above, requiring thicker plates and end plates for sealing. All parts need to be customized. After assembly, the overall weight of the electrolyzer is large and the assembly sealing requirements are high, which leads to high manufacturing and maintenance costs of the PEM electrolyzer.

[0006] In general, PEM electrolyzer is an electrolysis technology that is efficient, safe, and quick to start, but it also has problems such as complex assembly and high total cost. Therefore, a new PEM electrolyzer solution needs to be developed. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer containing the same, wherein the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure includes an independent electrolysis chamber structure and a sealing rubber ring arranged on the anode plate in the independent electrolysis chamber structure, and the sealing rubber ring is used to achieve contact and sealing with the cathode plate in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure, so that multiple single cell structures can be quickly stacked and installed, and the single cell structure can be easily disassembled and replaced, which is convenient for maintenance, thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing, installation and maintenance of the PEM electrolyzer.

[0008] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure, comprising:

[0010] An independent electrolysis chamber structure comprises a cathode plate, a cathode diffusion layer, a proton exchange membrane, an anode diffusion layer and an anode plate which are stacked in sequence;

[0011] The sealing rubber ring is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate away from the proton exchange membrane, and is used to contact and seal with the cathode plate in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure to achieve stacking.

[0012] The following are preferred technical solutions of the present invention, but are not intended to be limitations of the technical solutions provided by the present invention. Through the following technical solutions, the technical objectives and beneficial effects of the present invention can be better achieved and realized.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the independent electrolysis chamber structure further comprises a frame, and the proton exchange membrane is arranged on a side frame surface of the frame, so that the cathode diffusion layer is accommodated in the center of the frame.

[0014] The following is a preferred technical solution of the present invention: the size of the proton exchange membrane is 3-5 mm larger than the inner size of the frame, the size of the anode diffusion layer is the same as the size of the proton exchange membrane, and the size of the cathode diffusion layer is 0.5-1 mm smaller than the inner size of the frame.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the various components of the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure are fixed by sealing glue.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the anode diffusion layer comprises titanium felt, the cathode diffusion layer comprises carbon paper, and the sealing rubber ring comprises a soft rubber ring.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the thickness of the anode plate and the cathode plate are independently selected from 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

[0018] The following is a preferred technical solution of the present invention, wherein the independent electrolysis chamber comprises:

[0019] Proton exchange membrane;

[0020] an anode diffusion layer, which is disposed on one side of the proton exchange membrane by means of sealing glue and has the same size as the proton exchange membrane;

[0021] A cathode diffusion layer, which is arranged on the other side of the proton exchange membrane by means of sealing glue and has a size smaller than that of the proton exchange membrane;

[0022] A resin frame, wherein the inner size of the frame is 3-5 mm smaller than the size of the proton exchange membrane and 0.5-1 mm larger than the size of the cathode diffusion layer, and the proton exchange membrane is arranged on a side surface of the frame by sealing glue so that the cathode diffusion layer is accommodated in the center of the frame;

[0023] an anode plate, covering the anode diffusion layer and arranged on the frame surface of the frame body by means of sealing glue;

[0024] The cathode plate covers the cathode diffusion layer and is arranged on the frame surface of the frame body through sealing glue.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a PEM electrolyzer, comprising:

[0026] End plates, and at least one sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to the first aspect arranged between the end plates.

[0027] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the thickness of the end plate is 20-30 mm.

[0028] The following is a preferred technical solution of the present invention, wherein the working pressure of the PEM electrolyzer is less than 1.6 MPa.

[0029] Compared with the prior art solutions, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0030] The present invention adopts a pre-packaging method to form an independent electrolytic chamber structure, and a stackable single cell is formed by a sealing rubber ring and the independent electrolytic chamber structure, thereby realizing the stacking and installation of the single cell structure to form a PEM electrolyzer. Each independent chamber cannot be disassembled after being packaged, but can be disassembled from the PEM electrolyzer. Therefore, if a problem occurs in one of the chambers, the corresponding chamber can be replaced, and other chambers are not affected. Since the sealing rubber ring has the ability to deform, the influence of the independent electrolytic chamber structure during installation and disassembly is alleviated to a certain extent. Therefore, the PEM electrolyzer using the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure of the present invention is simpler and more convenient to disassemble and replace, and the maintenance cost is lower;

[0031] The present invention uses cathode plates, anode plates and end plates with reduced thickness for assembly, thereby forming a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer that works at a low pressure. Compared with the 2-3 mm thick electrode plates and 50-80 mm thick end plate solutions in the prior art, the present invention can greatly reduce the material cost of the main weight parts, making the electrolyzer lighter, and can be used in places that cannot bear weight, such as coastal beaches, thereby meeting the use requirements of the PEM electrolyzer in more specific usage scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a single cell structure of a sealed PEM electrolyzer provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a top view of the assembled components except the anode plate and the cathode plate in the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of an anode plate in a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure provided by the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a cathode plate in a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure provided by the present invention;

[0036] In the figure: 1-proton exchange membrane, 2-anode diffusion layer, 3-cathode diffusion layer, 4-anode plate, 41-anode water inlet, 42-anode flow channel, 43-oxygen outlet, 44-anode water outlet, 5-cathode plate, 51-cathode water inlet, 52-cathode flow channel, 53-cathode water outlet, 54-hydrogen outlet, 6-frame, 7-sealing rubber ring, 8-sealing glue. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention is further illustrated below through specific implementation methods.

[0038] It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the embodiments are only intended to help understand the present invention and should not be considered as specific limitations of the present invention.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, the present invention provides a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, including:

[0040] The independent electrolysis chamber structure comprises a cathode plate 5, a cathode diffusion layer 3, a proton exchange membrane 1, an anode diffusion layer 2 and an anode plate 4 which are stacked in sequence;

[0041] The sealing rubber ring 7 is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate 4 away from the proton exchange membrane 1, and is used to contact and seal with the cathode plate 5 in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure to achieve stacking.

[0042] The present invention adopts a pre-packaging method to form an independent electrolytic chamber structure, and forms a stackable single cell with the sealing rubber ring 7 and the independent electrolytic chamber structure, thereby realizing the stacking and installation of the single cell structure to form a PEM electrolyzer. Each independent chamber cannot be disassembled after packaging. If there is a problem with one of the chambers, the corresponding chamber can be replaced, and the other chambers are not affected. Since the sealing rubber ring 7 has the ability to deform, the impact of the installation and disassembly force on the independent electrolytic chamber structure is alleviated to a certain extent. Therefore, the PEM electrolyzer using the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure of the present invention is simpler and more convenient to disassemble and replace, and the maintenance cost is lower.

[0043] In one embodiment, the independent electrolysis chamber structure further includes a frame 6 , and the proton exchange membrane 1 is disposed on a side surface of the frame 6 , so that the cathode diffusion layer 3 is accommodated in the center of the frame 6 .

[0044] In one embodiment, the size of the proton exchange membrane 1 is larger than the inner size of the frame 6 by 3-5 mm, such as 3 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.4 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.8 mm, 4 mm, 4.2 mm, 4.4 mm, 4.6 mm, 4.8 mm or 5 mm, the size of the anode diffusion layer 2 is the same as the size of the proton exchange membrane 1, and the size of the cathode diffusion layer 3 is smaller than the inner size of the frame 6 by 0.5-1 mm, such as 0.5 mm, 0.55 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.85 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.95 mm or 1 mm, but is not limited to the listed values, and other values ​​not listed within the above numerical range are also applicable.

[0045] In one embodiment, the various components of the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure are fixed by sealing glue 8 .

[0046] In one embodiment, the anode diffusion layer 2 comprises titanium felt, the cathode diffusion layer 3 comprises carbon paper, and the sealing rubber ring 7 comprises a soft rubber ring.

[0047] In one embodiment, the frame body 6 includes a resin frame.

[0048] In one embodiment, the thickness of the anode plate 4 and the cathode plate 5 are independently selected from 0.1~0.3mm, for example, 0.1mm, 0.12mm, 0.14mm, 0.16mm, 0.18mm, 0.2mm, 0.22mm, 0.24mm, 0.26mm, 0.28mm or 0.3mm, but are not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the above numerical range are also applicable.

[0049] In one embodiment, the independent electrolysis chamber comprises:

[0050] Proton exchange membrane 1;

[0051] An anode diffusion layer 2 is disposed on one side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through a sealing glue 8 and has the same size as the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0052] A cathode diffusion layer 3 is disposed on the other side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through a sealing glue 8 and has a size smaller than the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0053] A resin frame 6, wherein the inner size of the frame 6 is 3-5 mm smaller than the size of the proton exchange membrane 1 and 0.5-1 mm larger than the size of the cathode diffusion layer 3, and the proton exchange membrane 1 is arranged on one side of the frame 6 by means of a sealing glue 8, so that the cathode diffusion layer 3 is accommodated in the center of the frame 6;

[0054] an anode plate 4, covering the anode diffusion layer 2, and being arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 by means of a sealing glue 8;

[0055] The cathode plate 5 covers the cathode diffusion layer 3 and is arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 through the sealing glue 8.

[0056] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the anode plate 4 is provided with an anode water inlet 41 , an anode flow channel 42 , an anode water outlet 44 and an oxygen outlet 43 from one end to the other end, and the anode flow channel 42 faces the anode diffusion layer 2 .

[0057] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the cathode plate 5 is provided with a cathode water outlet 53 , a cathode flow channel 52 , a cathode water inlet 51 and a hydrogen outlet 54 from one end to the other end, and the cathode flow channel 52 faces the cathode diffusion layer 3 .

[0058] It is understandable that the frame 6 should have openings corresponding to the inlets and outlets of the anode plate 4 and the cathode plate 5 .

[0059] In some specific embodiments, the present invention provides a PEM electrolyzer comprising:

[0060] End plates, and at least one sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure described in the above specific embodiments arranged between the end plates.

[0061] In one embodiment, the thickness of the end plate is 20~30mm, for example 20mm, 21mm, 22mm, 23mm, 24mm, 25mm, 26mm, 27mm, 28mm, 29mm or 30mm, but is not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the above numerical range are also applicable.

[0062] In one embodiment, the operating pressure of the PEM electrolyzer is less than 1.6 MPa, for example 0.1 MPa, 0.3 MPa, 0.5 MPa, 0.8 MPa, 1 MPa, 1.2 MPa, 1.4 MPa or 1.6 MPa, but is not limited to the listed values, and other unlisted values ​​within the above numerical range are also applicable.

[0063] The present invention uses a cathode plate 5, an anode plate 4 and an end plate with reduced thickness for assembly, thereby forming a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure and a PEM electrolyzer operating at low pressure, which greatly reduces the material cost of the main weight parts, making the electrolyzer lighter, and can be used in places that cannot bear weight, such as coastal beaches, meeting the use requirements of PEM electrolyzers in more specific use scenarios. The reduction in working pressure has little effect on output or efficiency.

[0064] Example 1

[0065] This embodiment provides a PEM electrolyzer, such as Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the PEM electrolyzer comprises:

[0066] Two opposite end plates, each with a thickness of 20 mm, and three stacked sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structures, disposed between the two opposite end plates;

[0067] Wherein, the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure comprises:

[0068] Independent electrolysis chamber structure and sealing rubber ring 7;

[0069] Wherein, the independent electrolysis chamber structure includes:

[0070] Proton exchange membrane 1, thickness 50 μm;

[0071] Anode diffusion layer 2, with a thickness of 300 μm, is disposed on one side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through sealing glue 8, and other dimensions are the same as those of the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0072] A cathode diffusion layer 3, with a thickness of 130 μm, is disposed on the other side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through a sealing glue 8, and other dimensions are smaller than the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0073] A resin frame 6, wherein the inner size of the frame 6 is 3 mm smaller than the size of the proton exchange membrane 1 and 0.5 mm larger than the size of the cathode diffusion layer 3, and the proton exchange membrane 1 is arranged on one side of the frame 6 by means of a sealing glue 8, so that the cathode diffusion layer 3 is accommodated in the center of the frame 6;

[0074] an anode plate 4, covering the anode diffusion layer 2, and being arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 by means of a sealing glue 8; the anode plate 4 is provided with an anode water inlet 41, an anode flow channel 42, an anode water outlet 44 and an oxygen outlet 43 from one end to the other end, and the anode flow channel 42 faces the anode diffusion layer 2;

[0075] The cathode plate 5 covers the cathode diffusion layer 3 and is arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 through the sealing glue 8. The sealing rubber ring 7 is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate 4 away from the proton exchange membrane 1, and is used to contact and seal with the cathode plate 5 in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure to achieve stacking; the cathode plate 5 is provided with a cathode water outlet 53, a cathode flow channel 52, a cathode water inlet 51 and a hydrogen outlet 54 from one end to the other end, and the cathode flow channel 52 faces the cathode diffusion layer 3;

[0076] The sealing rubber ring 7 is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate 4 away from the proton exchange membrane 1 through the sealing glue 8, and is used to contact and seal with the cathode plate 5 in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure to achieve stacking of single cell structures.

[0077] Example 2

[0078] This embodiment provides a PEM electrolyzer, such as Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the PEM electrolyzer comprises:

[0079] two opposite end plates, each with a thickness of 30 mm, and a sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure disposed between the two opposite end plates;

[0080] Wherein, the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure comprises:

[0081] Independent electrolysis chamber structure and sealing rubber ring 7;

[0082] Wherein, the independent electrolysis chamber structure includes:

[0083] Proton exchange membrane 1, thickness 80 μm,

[0084] Anode diffusion layer 2, with a thickness of 500 μm, is disposed on one side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through sealing glue 8, and other dimensions are the same as those of the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0085] A cathode diffusion layer 3, with a thickness of 200 μm, is disposed on the other side of the proton exchange membrane 1 through a sealing glue 8, and other dimensions are smaller than the proton exchange membrane 1;

[0086] A resin frame 6, wherein the inner size of the frame 6 is 5 mm smaller than the size of the proton exchange membrane 1 and 1 mm larger than the size of the cathode diffusion layer 3, and the proton exchange membrane 1 is arranged on one side of the frame 6 by means of a sealing glue 8, so that the cathode diffusion layer 3 is accommodated in the center of the frame 6;

[0087] an anode plate 4, covering the anode diffusion layer 2, and being arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 by means of a sealing glue 8; the anode plate 4 is provided with an anode water inlet 41, an anode flow channel 42, an anode water outlet 44 and an oxygen outlet 43 from one end to the other end, and the anode flow channel 42 faces the anode diffusion layer 2;

[0088] A cathode plate 5, covering the cathode diffusion layer 3, and arranged on the frame surface of the frame body 6 by means of a sealing glue 8; the cathode plate 5 is provided with a cathode water outlet 53, a cathode flow channel 52, a cathode water inlet 51 and a hydrogen outlet 54 from one end to the other end, and the cathode flow channel 52 faces the cathode diffusion layer 3;

[0089] The sealing rubber ring 7 is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate 4 away from the proton exchange membrane 1 for contacting and sealing with one end plate. The other end plate is arranged on the plate surface of the cathode plate 5 away from the cathode diffusion layer 3 .

[0090] The present invention illustrates the detailed structural features of the present invention through the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above detailed structural features, that is, it does not mean that the present invention must rely on the above detailed structural features to be implemented. Those skilled in the art should understand that any improvement of the present invention, equivalent replacement of the components selected by the present invention, addition of auxiliary components, selection of specific methods, etc., all fall within the protection scope and disclosure scope of the present invention.

[0091] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present invention, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0092] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0093] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure operating at low pressure, characterized in that: include: An independent electrolysis chamber structure comprises a cathode plate (5), a cathode diffusion layer (3), a proton exchange membrane (1), an anode diffusion layer (2) and an anode plate (4) which are stacked in sequence; the thickness of the anode plate (4) and the cathode plate (5) are independently selected from 0.1 to 0.3 mm; A sealing rubber ring (7) is arranged on the plate surface of the anode plate (4) on the side away from the proton exchange membrane (1) and is used to contact and seal with the cathode plate (5) in another sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure to achieve stacking; The various components of the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure are fixed by sealing glue (8); The working pressure of the sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure is less than 1.6 MPa.

2. The sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The independent electrolysis chamber structure further comprises a frame (6), and the proton exchange membrane (1) is arranged on a side frame surface of the frame (6), so that the cathode diffusion layer (3) is accommodated in the center of the frame (6).

3. The sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The size of the proton exchange membrane (1) is 3-5 mm larger than the inner size of the frame (6), the size of the anode diffusion layer (2) is the same as the size of the proton exchange membrane (1), and the size of the cathode diffusion layer (3) is 0.5-1 mm smaller than the inner size of the frame (6).

4. The sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The anode diffusion layer (2) comprises titanium felt, the cathode diffusion layer (3) comprises carbon paper, and the sealing rubber ring (7) comprises a soft rubber ring.

5. The sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The independent electrolysis chamber comprises: Proton exchange membrane (1); An anode diffusion layer (2) is arranged on one side of the proton exchange membrane (1) by means of a sealing glue (8) and has the same size as the proton exchange membrane (1); A cathode diffusion layer (3) is arranged on the other side of the proton exchange membrane (1) through a sealing glue (8) and has a size smaller than that of the proton exchange membrane (1); A resin frame (6), wherein the inner size of the frame (6) is 3-5 mm smaller than the size of the proton exchange membrane (1) and 0.5-1 mm larger than the size of the cathode diffusion layer (3); the proton exchange membrane (1) is arranged on a side frame surface of the frame (6) by means of a sealing glue (8), so that the cathode diffusion layer (3) is accommodated in the center of the frame (6); an anode plate (4), covering the anode diffusion layer (2) and being arranged on the frame surface of the frame body (6) by means of a sealing glue (8); A cathode plate (5) covers the cathode diffusion layer (3) and is arranged on the frame surface of the frame body (6) by means of sealing glue (8).

6. A PEM electrolyzer, characterized in that: include: End plates, and at least one sealed PEM electrolyzer single cell structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 arranged between the end plates.

7. The PEM electrolyzer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The thickness of the end plate is 20-30 mm.

8. The PEM electrolyzer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The working pressure of the PEM electrolyzer is less than 1.6 MPa.

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