Cylindrical electrolytic bath structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of hydrogen production electrolytic cells, and discloses a cylindrical electrolytic cell structure which comprises an electrolytic cell body, the electrolytic cell body comprises a cylindrical shell, a diaphragm, an outer electrode and an inner electrode, a first end cover is arranged at one end of the cylindrical shell, and a second end cover is arranged at the end, away from the first end cover, of the cylindrical shell; an inner electrode water outlet is formed in the center of the first end cover, an inner electrode water inlet is formed in the center of the second end cover, an outer electrode lug is arranged on one side of the inner electrode water outlet, and an inner electrode lug is arranged on the side, away from the outer electrode lug, of the inner electrode water outlet. An outer electrode water outlet is formed in the side wall of the end, close to the first end cover, of the cylindrical shell. According to the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure, the cylindrical structure can bear high pressure due to uniform pressure distribution, the liquid leakage risk is greatly reduced, a thick and heavy steel plate is not needed, and the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure is suitable for high-pressure operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of hydrogen production electrolyzers, and in particular to a cylindrical electrolyzer structure. Background Art

[0002] A hydrogen electrolyzer is a device that uses electrolysis to produce hydrogen. It usually consists of an electrolyzer and some electrodes, which are covered with a catalyst to help promote the decomposition of water.

[0003] Alkaline electrolyzers are the most technologically mature hydrogen production electrolyzers and have been widely used commercially. Currently, commercial electrolyzers are disc-shaped or square-shaped, with a stacked structure consisting of polar plates, porous diaphragms and composite sealing layers, with built-in nickel mesh electrodes and mastoid bipolar plate flow channels. The overall structure is sealed by hydraulic or bolt locking on both side end plates.

[0004] At present, both circular and square stacked electrolytic cell structures have obvious shortcomings: first, the stacked structure is prone to stress concentration under high-pressure conditions, causing deformation of the plates and seals, and significantly increasing the risk of leakage; second, the current density inside the cavity is unevenly distributed, the overpotential in the edge area is high, and the electrolysis efficiency is reduced; third, the flow channel is unevenly distributed, resulting in an uneven thermal field, accelerating the corrosion of the diaphragm and electrodes, and even local burn-through; fourth, to ensure sealing, the end plates on both sides are made of extremely thick steel plates, which not only has high material costs, but also has extremely complex and time-consuming assembly and maintenance procedures. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electrolytic cell structure based on a cylindrical shape to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a cylindrical electrolytic cell structure to solve the problems mentioned in the above background.

[0006] The present invention provides the following technical solution: an electrolytic cell structure based on a cylindrical shape, comprising an electrolytic cell body and a height adjustment component, wherein the electrolytic cell body comprises a cylindrical shell, a diaphragm is arranged inside the cylindrical shell, an outer electrode is arranged outside the diaphragm, an inner electrode is arranged inside the diaphragm, a No. 1 end cap is arranged at one end of the cylindrical shell, a No. 2 end cap is arranged at one end of the cylindrical shell away from the No. 1 end cap, an inner electrode water outlet is arranged at the center of the No. 1 end cap, and a No. 2 end cap is arranged at the center of the No. 1 end cap. There is an inner electrode water inlet, an outer electrode ear is arranged on one side of the inner electrode water outlet, an inner electrode ear is arranged on the side of the inner electrode water outlet away from the outer electrode ear, an outer electrode water inlet is arranged on the side wall of one end of the cylindrical shell close to the No. 2 end cover, an outer electrode water outlet is arranged on the side wall of one end of the cylindrical shell close to the No. 1 end cover, the internal space of the diaphragm is the inner electrode flow channel, the space between the cylindrical shell and the diaphragm forms the outer electrode flow channel, and the height adjustment component is arranged below the electrolytic cell body.

[0007] Preferably, the lower end of the outer electrode tab passes through the No. 1 end cover and is welded to the outer electrode, and the lower end of the inner electrode tab passes through the No. 1 end cover and is welded to the inner electrode.

[0008] Preferably, the outer electrode and the inner electrode are made of metals that are resistant to concentrated alkali oxidative corrosion, and both the outer electrode and the inner electrode are cylindrical structures with holes.

[0009] Preferably, the polarity of the outer electrode is opposite to that of the inner electrode, and the outer electrode tab and the inner electrode tab are connected to an external power supply electrode.

[0010] Preferably, both ends of the outer surface of the cylindrical shell are sleeved with a sleeve frame, a connecting piece is provided at the middle of the lower end surface of the sleeve frame, and a top ring is provided at the upper end of the sleeve frame.

[0011] Preferably, a base plate is provided below the sleeve frame, the height adjustment assembly is provided between the sleeve frame and the base plate, the height adjustment assembly includes a bracket plate, a bidirectional screw and a handle, two bracket plates are provided, and the two bracket plates are respectively provided at both ends of the upper end surface of the base plate.

[0012] Preferably, the bidirectional screw is rotatably disposed between two bracket plates, one end of the bidirectional screw passes through the bracket plate and is connected to the handle, and the threads at both ends of the outer surface of the bidirectional screw are in opposite directions.

[0013] Preferably, both ends of the bidirectional screw are threadedly connected to a slide seat, the upper end surface of the base plate is provided with a strip slide groove, and the lower end surface of the slide seat is provided with a slider slidably connected to the strip slide groove.

[0014] Preferably, notches are provided at both ends of the slide, connecting shafts are provided in the notches at both ends of the slide, the slide is rotatably connected to a push-pull connecting rod via the connecting shaft, and the push-pull connecting rod is rotatably connected to a connecting piece at one end away from the slide.

[0015] Preferably, both ends of the lower end surface of the sleeve frame are provided with limited telescopic rods, the lower ends of the limited telescopic rods are connected to the base plate, and the base plate is provided with fixing holes.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Based on the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure, the end plates on both sides of the stacked electrolytic cell need to maintain very high pressure to ensure sealing and no leakage. The cylindrical structure can withstand high pressure due to the uniform pressure distribution, and the risk of liquid leakage is greatly reduced. It does not require thick steel plates, and the cost and weight are also greatly reduced, which is more suitable for high-voltage operation. The electrode and the diaphragm can be constructed with zero pole distance, and the current density will not be affected even if the inner and outer electrode flow channels are widened, which is conducive to mass transfer and heat dissipation in the flow channel, reduces the risk of local high temperature, and greatly improves the reliability of the electrolytic cell.

[0017] 2. The cylindrical electrolyzer structure is based on a cylindrical electrolyzer. The cylindrical electrolyzer can be arranged in repeated combinations of multiple units. The connection can be in parallel, that is, the electrode water inlets are connected in parallel and water is introduced at the same time; it can also be in series, that is, one of the electrode water outlets is connected to the other electrode water inlet. The advantage of this is that it can effectively increase the flow rate of the flow channel and facilitate the flow field distribution; the cathode and anode water inlets are separate and not a passage, which effectively reduces the stray current problem caused by the manifold of the current conventional stacked electrolyzer; the cylindrical electrolyzer can be used as a repeating unit to arrange multiple cell bodies to meet different hydrogen production scales; each unit can be independently controlled and monitored to achieve optimal energy consumption and efficiency, and problems can be blocked in time without disassembling the entire structure for maintenance.

[0018] 3. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure is provided with a height adjustment component. When the bidirectional screw rotates forward or reversely, the two slides can move along the bidirectional screw under the limiting action of the slider, approaching or moving away from each other. When the two slides move away from each other, the sleeve frame and the electrolytic cell body can be lifted up by the push-pull connecting rod. Conversely, when the two slides approach each other, the push-pull connecting rod will drive the sleeve frame and the electrolytic cell body to descend, thereby effectively adjusting the height of the electrolytic cell body and facilitating the parallel connection or series connection between the two electrolytic cell bodies through pipelines. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is one of the overall structural schematic diagrams of the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is one of the overall structural schematic diagrams of the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the electrolytic cell body of the present invention; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a top view of the electrolytic cell body of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the sleeve frame and the limiting telescopic rod of the present invention; Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the height adjustment assembly and the base plate of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection mode of two main flow channels of the electrolytic cells of the present invention in parallel or in series.

[0020] In the figure: 1. cylindrical shell; 101. outer electrode water inlet; 102. outer electrode water outlet; 2. diaphragm; 3. outer electrode; 301. outer electrode ear; 4. inner electrode; 401. inner electrode ear; 5. No. 1 end cover; 501. inner electrode water outlet; 6. No. 2 end cover; 601. inner electrode water inlet; 7. sleeve; 701. connector; 702. top ring; 8. limit telescopic rod; 9. height adjustment assembly; 901. bracket plate; 902. bidirectional screw; 903. handle; 904. slide seat; 905. push-pull connecting rod; 10. base plate; 1001. fixing hole; 1002. strip slide groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] See also Figure 1-7 A cylindrical electrolytic cell structure includes an electrolytic cell body and a height adjustment component 9. The electrolytic cell body includes a cylindrical shell 1. A diaphragm 2 is arranged inside the cylindrical shell 1. An outer electrode 3 is arranged outside the diaphragm 2. An inner electrode 4 is arranged inside the diaphragm 2. A No. 1 end cap 5 is arranged at one end of the cylindrical shell 1. A No. 2 end cap 6 is arranged at the end of the cylindrical shell 1 away from the No. 1 end cap 5. An inner electrode water outlet 501 is arranged at the center of the No. 1 end cap 5. An inner electrode water inlet 601 is arranged at the center of the No. 2 end cap 6. The inner electrode An outer electrode ear 301 is arranged on one side of the water outlet 501, an inner electrode ear 401 is arranged on the side of the inner electrode water outlet 501 away from the outer electrode ear 301, an outer electrode water inlet 101 is arranged on the side wall of the cylindrical shell 1 close to the No. 2 end cover 6, an outer electrode water outlet 102 is arranged on the side wall of the cylindrical shell 1 close to the No. 1 end cover 5, the internal space of the diaphragm 2 is the inner electrode flow channel, the space between the cylindrical shell 1 and the diaphragm 2 forms the outer electrode flow channel, and the height adjustment component 9 is arranged below the electrolytic cell body.

[0023] Among them; the lower end of the outer electrode tab 301 passes through the No. 1 end cap 5 and is welded to the outer electrode 3, the lower end of the inner electrode tab 401 passes through the No. 1 end cap 5 and is welded to the inner electrode 4, the outer electrode 3 and the inner electrode 4 are made of metals that can withstand concentrated alkali oxidative corrosion, such as nickel, Raney nickel, alloy steel, and the surface may have a precious metal or transition metal coating, such as platinum ruthenium iridium molybdenum, etc., the outer electrode 3 and the inner electrode 4 are both cylindrical with holes. The diaphragm 2 is mainly used to distinguish the hydrogen and oxygen generated in the alkaline electrolytic cell to prevent the explosion caused by the mixing of hydrogen and oxygen. The diaphragm 2 is between the inner electrode 4 and the outer electrode 3, and the distance between it and the electrode is less than 1mm to maximize the current density; Conventional diaphragm 2 is generally a roll or sheet. To realize the cylindrical structure of the present invention, polyphenylene sulfide fiber can be directly woven into a cylinder of the required diameter by equipment; while composite diaphragm 2 is limited by the preparation process and needs to be processed into a cylindrical shape. The process can be to apply an organic polymer solution (such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, PVDF, etc.) consistent with its raw material on one side of the composite diaphragm 2, and fix the two sides of the diaphragm by rolling, and quickly put it into a gel bath for curing to form a stable cylindrical structure; this process can also be implemented by automated equipment. The advantage of such a bonding process is that the polymer used is consistent with the raw material of diaphragm 2, can withstand long-term concentrated alkali oxidation corrosion, and has no material compatibility problems; the organic polymer solution can partially dissolve the surface of diaphragm 2 at the bonding position, and undergo phase transformation in the gel bath to form an integrated porous solid, the bonding surface is more solid, and the porous structure is conducive to ion transmission on both sides, and does not affect the conductivity of the bonding position.

[0024] Among them; the polarity of the outer electrode 3 is opposite to that of the inner electrode 4, the outer electrode tab 301 and the inner electrode tab 401 are connected to the external power electrode, and the outer electrode 3 can be a cathode or an anode; the inner electrode 4 corresponds to the outer electrode, and the outer electrode tab 301 and the inner electrode tab 401 are connected to the external power electrode to realize external current conduction; the cylindrical electrolytic cell can be arranged by repeated arrangement and combination of multiple units, and the connection can be in parallel, that is, the electrode water inlets are connected in parallel and water is introduced at the same time; it can also be in series, that is, one of the electrode water outlets is connected to the other electrode water inlet. The advantage of this is that it can effectively increase the flow rate of the flow channel and is beneficial to the flow field distribution.

[0025] Wherein; both ends of the outer surface of the cylindrical shell 1 are sleeved with a sleeve frame 7, the middle part of the lower end surface of the sleeve frame 7 is provided with a connecting piece 701, and the upper end of the sleeve frame 7 is provided with a top ring 702. The sleeve frame 7 can effectively support the electrolytic cell body, and the connecting piece 701 is provided to facilitate connection with the height adjustment component 9, and the top ring 702 is provided to facilitate lifting the cylindrical electrolytic cell structure.

[0026] Among them; a base plate 10 is arranged below the sleeve frame 7, and a height adjustment component 9 is arranged between the sleeve frame 7 and the base plate 10. The height adjustment component 9 includes a bracket plate 901, a bidirectional screw 902 and a handle 903. Two bracket plates 901 are arranged, and the two bracket plates 901 are respectively arranged at both ends of the upper surface of the base plate 10. The bidirectional screw 902 is rotatably arranged between the two bracket plates 901. One end of the bidirectional screw 902 passes through the bracket plate 901 and is connected to the handle 903. The threads on the two ends of the outer surface of the bidirectional screw 902 are in opposite directions. The bracket plate 901 is provided to facilitate the installation of the bidirectional screw 902, and the bidirectional screw 902 can be driven to rotate synchronously by rotating the handle 903.

[0027] Among them, both ends of the bidirectional screw 902 are threadedly connected to the slide 904, the upper end surface of the base plate 10 is provided with a strip slide 1002, and the lower end surface of the slide 904 is provided with a slider slidably connected to the strip slide 1002. Both ends of the slide 904 are provided with notches, and connecting shafts are provided in the notches at both ends of the slide 904. The slide 904 is rotatably connected to a push-pull connecting rod 905 through the connecting shaft. The push-pull connecting rod 905 is rotatably connected to the connecting piece 701 at one end of the slide 904, and the bidirectional screw 902 is rotated forward or reversely. When the two slides 904 are moved away from each other, the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body can be lifted up by the push-pull connecting rod 905. On the contrary, when the two slides 904 are moved toward each other, the push-pull connecting rod 905 will drive the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body to descend, thereby effectively adjusting the height of the electrolytic cell body and facilitating the parallel connection or series connection of the two electrolytic cell bodies through pipelines.

[0028] Among them, both ends of the lower end surface of the sleeve frame 7 are provided with limited telescopic rods 8, the lower ends of the limited telescopic rods 8 are connected to the base plate 10, and the base plate 10 is provided with fixing holes 1001. By providing the limited telescopic rods 8, it can effectively play an auxiliary limiting role for the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body, ensuring that the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body move up and down in the vertical direction. By providing fixing holes 1001 on the base plate 10, it is convenient to install fixing bolts, and the base plate 10 is fixed by fixing bolts, and the overall stability is guaranteed.

[0029] Working principle: the electrolytic cell body includes a cylindrical shell 1, a diaphragm 2 is arranged inside the cylindrical shell 1, an outer electrode 3 is arranged outside the diaphragm 2, and an inner electrode 4 is arranged inside the diaphragm 2. The outer electrode 3 can be a cathode or an anode; the inner electrode 4 corresponds to the outer electrode, and the outer electrode tab 301 and the inner electrode tab 401 are connected to the external power supply electrode to realize external current conduction. The diaphragm 2 is mainly used to distinguish the hydrogen and oxygen produced in the alkaline electrolytic cell. The cylindrical structure can withstand high pressure due to the uniform pressure distribution, and the risk of liquid leakage is greatly reduced. There is no need for heavy steel plates, and the cost and weight are also greatly reduced. It is more suitable for high-voltage operation; the diaphragm 2 is between the inner electrode 4 and the outer electrode 3, and the distance between it and the electrode is less than 1 mm to maximize the current density.

[0030] Further, by rotating the handle 903, the bidirectional screw 902 can be driven to rotate synchronously, and the bidirectional screw 902 can rotate forward or reversely. Under the limiting action of the slider, the two slides 904 can move along the bidirectional screw 902, approaching or moving away from each other. When the two slides 904 move away from each other, the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body can be lifted up by the push-pull connecting rod 905. On the contrary, when the two slides 904 approach each other, the push-pull connecting rod 905 will drive the sleeve frame 7 and the electrolytic cell body to descend, thereby effectively adjusting the height of the electrolytic cell body and facilitating the connection of the two electrolytic cell bodies in parallel or in series through pipelines. The cylindrical electrolytic cell can be arranged by repeating a plurality of units, and the connection can be in parallel, that is, the electrode water inlets are connected in parallel and water is introduced at the same time; it can also be in series, that is, one of the electrode water outlets is connected to the other electrode water inlet. The advantage of this is that the flow rate of the flow channel can be effectively increased, which is beneficial to the flow field distribution.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cylindrical electrolytic cell structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises an electrolytic cell body and a height adjustment component (9), wherein the electrolytic cell body comprises a cylindrical shell (1), a diaphragm (2) is arranged inside the cylindrical shell (1), an outer electrode (3) is arranged outside the diaphragm (2), and an inner electrode (4) is arranged inside the diaphragm (2); a No. 1 end cap (5) is arranged at one end of the cylindrical shell (1), and a No. 2 end cap (6) is arranged at the end of the cylindrical shell (1) away from the No. 1 end cap (5); an inner electrode water outlet (501) is arranged at the center of the No. 1 end cap (5), and an inner electrode water inlet (601) is arranged at the center of the No. 2 end cap (6); and the inner electrode water outlet (501) is arranged at the center of the No. 1 end cap (5). An outer electrode ear (301) is arranged on one side of the opening (501), an inner electrode ear (401) is arranged on the side of the inner electrode water outlet (501) away from the outer electrode ear (301), an outer electrode water inlet (101) is arranged on the side wall of one end of the cylindrical shell (1) close to the second end cover (6), an outer electrode water outlet (102) is arranged on the side wall of one end of the cylindrical shell (1) close to the first end cover (5), the internal space of the diaphragm (2) is the inner electrode flow channel, the space between the cylindrical shell (1) and the diaphragm (2) forms the outer electrode flow channel, and the height adjustment component (9) is arranged below the electrolytic cell body.

2. A cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the outer electrode tab (301) passes through the first end cover (5) and is welded to the outer electrode (3), and the lower end of the inner electrode tab (401) passes through the first end cover (5) and is welded to the inner electrode (4).

3. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the outer electrode (3) and the inner electrode (4) is a metal that is resistant to concentrated alkali oxidation corrosion, and the outer electrode (3) and the inner electrode (4) are both cylindrical structures with holes.

4. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The polarities of the outer electrode (3) and the inner electrode (4) are opposite, and the outer electrode tab (301) and the inner electrode tab (401) are connected to an external power supply electrode.

5. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the outer surface of the cylindrical housing (1) are sleeved with sleeve frames (7), a connecting piece (701) is provided in the middle of the lower end surface of the sleeve frame (7), and a top ring (702) is provided at the upper end of the sleeve frame (7).

6. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: A base plate (10) is arranged below the sleeve frame (7), and the height adjustment component (9) is arranged between the sleeve frame (7) and the base plate (10). The height adjustment component (9) comprises a support plate (901), a bidirectional screw (902) and a handle (903). Two support plates (901) are provided, and the two support plates (901) are respectively arranged at two ends of the upper surface of the base plate (10).

7. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bidirectional screw (902) is rotatably disposed between the two bracket plates (901), one end of the bidirectional screw (902) passes through the bracket plate (901) and is connected to the handle (903), and the threads at both ends of the outer surface of the bidirectional screw (902) are in opposite directions.

8. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: Both ends of the bidirectional screw (902) are threadedly connected to a slide seat (904), the upper end surface of the base plate (10) is provided with a strip slide groove (1002), and the lower end surface of the slide seat (904) is provided with a sliding block slidably connected to the strip slide groove (1002).

9. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sliding seat (904) is provided with slots at both ends, and connecting shafts are arranged in the slots at both ends of the sliding seat (904). The sliding seat (904) is rotatably connected to a push-pull connecting rod (905) via the connecting shaft, and the push-pull connecting rod (905) is rotatably connected to a connecting piece (701) at one end away from the sliding seat (904).

10. The cylindrical electrolytic cell structure according to claim 9, characterized in that: Both ends of the lower surface of the sleeve frame (7) are provided with limited telescopic rods (8), the lower ends of the limited telescopic rods (8) are connected to the base plate (10), and the base plate (10) is provided with fixing holes (1001).

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