A system and method for designing flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of alkaline electrolytic cell, and particularly relates to a design system and method for flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolytic cell, which comprises an end plate, at least two electrolytic cells, at least one temperature monitoring cavity and a data collector; the electrolytic cell is formed by two adjacent bipolar plates and a gasket, each bipolar plate comprises a polar plate and a polar frame, and the liquid inlet side lower half and the liquid / gas outlet side upper half of the polar frame are designed with a surplus flow channel. By presetting a surplus flow channel structure in the inlet / outlet area of the polar frame of the bipolar plate and cooperating with a flow channel blocking piece which can be selectively blocked, different flow channel quantity and opening angle combinations can be quickly switched without changing hardware; the temperature monitoring cavity is arranged in the adjacent area of the electrolytic cell and is integrated with a multi-point temperature sensor, the temperature field distribution data in the cavity are collected in real time, and the data are transmitted to the data collector for quantitative analysis through wireless transmission, so that the manufacturing cost and period of the flow channel optimization experiment are greatly reduced, and the research and development efficiency is significantly improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the field of alkaline electrolyzers, and particularly relates to a design system and method for flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer. BACKGROUND

[0002] Among many hydrogen production technology routes, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) has become the core technology path for realizing large-scale production of green hydrogen due to high technical maturity, low equipment cost, long service life, and suitability for large-scale industrial application. The performance of an alkaline electrolyzer, as the core equipment of this technology, directly determines the hydrogen production efficiency, energy consumption level, and system stability.

[0003] During the operation of an alkaline electrolyzer, the two-phase flow field distribution of “electrolyte-bubble” inside the electrolysis cell has a decisive influence on the efficiency of electrochemical reaction, heat and mass transfer performance, and energy consumption level. An ideal flow channel design should ensure uniform distribution of electrolyte, efficient discharge of reaction gas, and timely removal of Joule heat generated by electrochemical reaction through fluid convection, thereby maintaining uniform temperature field of the electrolysis cell and avoiding local overheating or dryness, and ultimately achieving low energy consumption and high stability operation. Therefore, the structural optimization (such as number, angle, and distribution) of inlet / outlet flow channels is a key link to improve the overall performance of the electrolyzer.

[0004] However, current alkaline electrolyzer flow channel design mainly relies on two methods: one is the traditional physical experiment method, which tests a special bipolar plate for each flow channel design scheme. Although this method can obtain real data, it has significant defects such as long manufacturing cycle, high trial production cost, and low iteration efficiency, which seriously restricts the rapid optimization process of flow channel structure. The second is the numerical simulation method, which can predict the trends of flow field and temperature field at low cost and high efficiency, but is limited by model simplification, boundary condition setting, and complexity of multiphase flow coupling, and often only provides qualitative analysis results, making it difficult to achieve precise quantitative evaluation of key parameters such as temperature distribution, local hot spots, and flow velocity gradient under actual working conditions, and the engineering guidance value is limited. More importantly, during the operation of the traditional alkaline electrolyzer, the electrolysis cell inside is like a “black box”, lacking effective monitoring means for the dynamic changes of temperature field and flow field inside the cavity. Engineers cannot obtain temperature distribution data of key areas inside the cell in real time, and it is even more difficult to infer the uniformity of the flow field from the changes in the temperature field, resulting in a lack of direct and reliable experimental basis for flow channel design optimization, which often relies on experience or trial and error, with low efficiency and high risk. SUMMARY

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a design system and method for flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolytic cell, which can flexibly and low-costly realize rapid iteration of flow channel structure, can realize real-time and quantitative monitoring of the temperature field inside the electrolytic cell, and thus indirectly reflects the flow field distribution state, thereby accelerating the research and development process of high-performance alkaline electrolytic cells.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a design system for flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolytic cell, the alkaline electrolytic cell comprising an end plate and at least two electrolytic cells, the electrolytic cell being formed by two adjacent bipolar plates and a gasket, each bipolar plate comprising a polar plate and a polar frame.

[0007] The design system comprises at least one temperature monitoring cavity and a data collector.

[0008] The lower half of the liquid inlet side of the polar frame and the upper half of the liquid / gas outlet side of the polar frame are designed with a surplus flow channel, i.e., the number of flow channels is 3-15, and the included angle between adjacent two flow channels is 12°-60°, and the flow channels are equidistantly distributed.

[0009] Each of the flow channels comprises a main flow channel and at least one manifold flow channel, and the design system is provided with a plurality of flow channel blocking pieces for selectively blocking the specified main flow channel or manifold flow channel according to the experimental requirements, so as to flexibly regulate and control the number and opening angle of the flow channels.

[0010] The temperature monitoring cavity is arranged in the region close to the electrolytic cell, and a plurality of temperature sensors are arranged on the inner side of the flat surface of the temperature monitoring cavity for real-time monitoring of the temperature distribution in the electrolytic cell.

[0011] The temperature sensors transmit the collected data to the data collector through wireless communication for analysis of the rationality of the flow channel configuration.

[0012] Optionally, the temperature sensors are arranged in the form of concentric circles, and there are 2-3 circles, and the radius corresponding to each circle is:

[0013]

[0014] wherein 0≤ i ≤3, i n is the number of circles and is an integer, R 0 is the effective reaction area circle radius, i.e., the radius corresponding to the welding position of the polar frame and the polar plate, R 1, R 2 and R 3 are the radii of the temperature sensor distribution circles of the outer layer, the next outer layer and the inner layer, respectively, in mm.

[0015] Optionally, the total number of the temperature sensors is 18-30, and the number of the temperature sensors corresponding to each circle is:

[0016]

[0017] wherein, n i The unit is pieces, and is the number of temperature sensors per circle, 1 ≤ i ≤ 3, and is an integer; the temperature sensors are distributed in an upper dense and lower sparse manner on the circumference, and the spacing in the upper half is less than the spacing in the lower half, so as to focus on monitoring the upper half region prone to high temperature drying.

[0018] Optionally, the temperature sensors in each temperature monitoring cavity are divided into 3-5 groups, each group is connected in series, and is led out through an explosion-proof Luer connector and connected to a transmitting antenna.

[0019] Optionally, the temperature sensor test range is -20℃-200℃, the accuracy is ±0.5℃, and the acquisition frequency is 1Hz.

[0020] Optionally, the data acquisition device supports communication modes such as Wifi and Bluetooth, has a resolution of 0.1℃, an accuracy of ±0.1%, and a working temperature of -10℃-70℃.

[0021] Optionally, the main body structure of the flow channel blocking piece matches the shape of the manifold flow channel to be blocked, and thin sheet structures are arranged at both ends, the main body structure can be embedded and sealed in the manifold flow channel, and the two thin sheet structures at both ends are respectively attached to the inlet and outlet of the manifold flow channel, so as to achieve fluid isolation.

[0022] Optionally, the flow channel blocking piece matches the shape of the main flow channel to be blocked, and is used for embedding and sealing the main flow channel to achieve fluid isolation.

[0023] Optionally, the radial dimension of the temperature monitoring cavity is consistent with the electrolysis cell, and the thickness is 40mm-100mm.

[0024] In a second aspect, the application provides a design method of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolytic cell, which uses the design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolytic cell as described above, and includes the following steps:

[0025] S1, designing multiple flow channel configuration schemes, and implementing different flow channel structures in a single or multiple electrolysis cells by using a flow channel blocking piece;

[0026] S2, starting the electrolytic cell to run, collecting the temperature field data of the electrolysis cell in real time by using a temperature monitoring cavity, and transmitting the data to a data acquisition device;

[0027] S3, qualitatively judging the uniformity of the two-phase flow field under the corresponding flow channel configuration according to the temperature field distribution uniformity and the local hot spot position;

[0028] S4, adjusting the flow channel number, opening angle or blocking position for the region with uneven temperature field or hot spot, and redesigning the flow channel.

[0029] S5. Repeat steps S2-S4 until the temperature field meets the uniformity standard and the optimal flow channel design is obtained.

[0030] Optionally, the design method uses the temperature standard deviation S t Determine the rationality of the flow channel configuration:

[0031]

[0032] in, T i For the first i Instantaneous temperature at each measurement point, unit: K or C; The arithmetic mean temperature of all measurement points; n This represents the total number of sensor measurement points; if the temperature standard deviation... S t If the value is ≤7.5, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is reasonable; if S t If the value is greater than 7.5, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is unreasonable and there are local hot spots. It is necessary to add a liquid inlet channel or adjust the inlet angle to enhance the turbulence.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0034] The flow channel distribution design system for the alkaline electrolyzer provided in the first aspect of this application, by pre-setting redundant flow channel structures in the inlet / outlet areas of the bipolar plate frame and using selectively pluggable flow channel components, enables rapid switching of different flow channel numbers and opening angle combinations without replacing hardware. Simultaneously, a temperature monitoring chamber integrating multiple temperature sensors is arranged in the vicinity of the electrolysis chamber to collect real-time temperature field distribution data within the chamber, which is then wirelessly transmitted to a data acquisition unit for quantitative analysis. This setup significantly reduces the manufacturing cost and cycle time of flow channel optimization experiments, achieving "multi-purpose use of a single plate and rapid iteration," thus significantly improving R&D efficiency. Furthermore, through real-time monitoring of the temperature field distribution and evaluation using quantitative indicators such as standard deviation, it achieves, for the first time, indirect visualization and quantitative diagnosis of the "black box" flow field state inside the electrolysis chamber, providing accurate and reliable experimental basis for flow channel structure optimization. This effectively breaks through the limitations of traditional reliance on simulation or trial-and-error, accelerating the engineering R&D process of high-performance, low-energy alkaline electrolyzers.

[0035] The flow channel distribution design method for alkaline electrolyzers provided in the second aspect of this application is based on the physical correlation between temperature field and flow field. It achieves rapid switching between various flow channel structures by flexibly configuring flow channel blocking components in the flow channel distribution design system of the alkaline electrolyzer. Furthermore, it utilizes multi-site, densely arranged temperature sensors to collect real-time temperature field data inside the electrolysis chamber, combined with standard deviation... S tThe equalization index is used to evaluate the uniformity of the flow field, so as to form a closed-loop iteration process of "design -> test -> feedback -> optimization -> retest", which has the beneficial effects of breaking through the limitations of traditional experience trial and error or simulation qualitative analysis, realizing data-driven and precise optimization of the flow channel design, greatly reducing the experimental cost and cycle without changing the bipolar plate hardware, and guiding targeted adjustment of the number, angle or blocking position of the flow channel by positioning the local hot spot and reflecting the flow field defects, thereby significantly improving the gas-liquid distribution uniformity and heat exchange efficiency in the electrolytic cell, and finally obtaining an optimal flow channel design scheme with low energy consumption, high stability and long service life, thereby accelerating the engineering research and development and industrialization process of the high-performance alkaline electrolytic cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 A combined structure schematic diagram of the design system of the flow channel distribution of the alkaline electrolytic cell provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0037] Figure 2 An exploded structure schematic diagram of the design system of the flow channel distribution of the alkaline electrolytic cell provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0038] Figure 3 A structure schematic diagram of the bipolar plate provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0039] Figure 4 An enlarged view of area A in Figure 3 is shown in the figure.

[0040] Figure 5 An enlarged view of area B in Figure 3 is shown in the figure.

[0041] Figure 6 A structure schematic diagram of a flow channel blocking piece matched with the main flow channel provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0042] Figure 7 A cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of a temperature monitoring cavity provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0043] Figure 8 A size schematic diagram of the effective reaction area of the temperature monitoring cavity provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0044] Figure 9 An electrolytic cell temperature monitoring distribution diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0045] Figure 10 (a) A flow channel regulation form schematic diagram for changing the number of blocking devices provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure; (b) A flow channel regulation form schematic diagram for changing the orientation of the blocking device provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure; (c) A flow channel regulation form schematic diagram for changing the included angle of the blocking device provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0046] Figure 11(a) Comparison of equipment economic costs between this application and traditional systems; (b) Comparison of equipment testing time between this application and traditional systems.

[0047] In the diagram: 10, end plate; 20, electrolysis chamber; 21, bipolar plate; 211, electrode plate; 212, electrode frame; 213, main flow channel; 214, manifold flow channel; 22, flow channel blockage component; 30, temperature monitoring chamber; 31, temperature sensor; 32, explosion-proof gland; 40, data acquisition unit; 50, transmitting antenna. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0049] like Figures 1-7 As shown, this application provides a design system for the flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer, including an end plate 10, at least two electrolysis chambers 20, at least one temperature monitoring chamber 30, and a data acquisition unit 40. Each electrolysis chamber 20 is formed by two adjacent bipolar plates 21 and a gasket. Each bipolar plate 21 includes an electrode plate 211 and an electrode frame 212. The lower half of the inlet side and the upper half of the outlet / gas side of the electrode frame 212 both employ a redundant flow channel design, i.e., the number of flow channels is 3-15, the included angle between adjacent flow channels is 12°-60°, and they are equidistantly distributed. Each flow channel includes a main flow channel. The system is designed with multiple flow channel blocking components 22, including flow channel 213 and at least one manifold flow channel 214, to selectively block designated flow channel 213 or manifold flow channel 214 according to experimental requirements, thereby flexibly adjusting the number of flow channels and opening angle. The temperature monitoring chamber 30 is located near the electrolysis chamber 20, and multiple temperature sensors 31 are arranged on its inner flat surface to monitor the temperature distribution inside the electrolysis chamber 20 in real time. The temperature sensors 31 transmit the collected data to the data acquisition unit 40 via wireless communication to analyze the rationality of the flow channel configuration.

[0050] The system for designing the flow channel distribution of the alkaline electrolyzer provided in the first aspect of the present application, by presetting the rich flow channel structure in the inlet / outlet area of the bipolar plate 21 polar frame 212, and cooperating with the flow channel blocking piece 22 which can be selectively blocked, realizes the rapid switching of different flow channel quantity and opening angle combinations without replacing the hardware; at the same time, the temperature monitoring cavity 30 of the multi-point temperature sensor 31 is arranged in the adjacent area of the electrolysis cell 20, the temperature field distribution data in the cavity is collected in real time, and is transmitted to the data collector 40 for quantitative analysis through wireless transmission. By such arrangement, on the one hand, the manufacturing cost and period of the flow channel optimization experiment are greatly reduced, the "one plate with multiple uses and rapid iteration" is realized, and the research and development efficiency is significantly improved; on the other hand, through the real-time monitoring of the temperature field distribution and the quantitative index evaluation of the standard deviation, the indirect visualization and quantitative diagnosis of the "black box" flow field state in the electrolysis cell 20 are realized for the first time, thereby providing accurate and reliable experimental basis for the flow channel structure optimization, effectively breaking the limitations of traditional dependence on simulation or experience trial and error, and accelerating the engineering research and development process of high-performance and low-energy alkaline electrolyzers.

[0051] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the temperature sensors 31 are arranged in the form of concentric circles, and there are 2 to 3 circles, and the radius corresponding to each circle is:

[0052] (1)

[0053] wherein 0≤ i ≤3, i n is the number of layers and is an integer, R 0 is the effective reaction area circle radius, that is, the radius corresponding to the welding position of the polar frame 212 and the polar plate 211, R 1, R 2 and R 3 are the radii of the temperature sensor 31 distribution circles of the outer layer, the next outer layer and the inner layer respectively, and the unit is mm.

[0054] Specifically, the temperature sensors 31 are arranged in the form of concentric circles on the inner side flat surface of the temperature monitoring cavity 30 (that is, the side close to the reaction area of the electrolysis cell 20), forming 2 or 3 annular temperature measurement networks to comprehensively cover the temperature distribution of the effective reaction area of the electrolysis cell 20; wherein the reference radius R 0 is defined as the circumferential radius corresponding to the welding boundary of the polar frame 212 and the polar plate 211, representing the outer edge of the actual electrolysis reaction area, and serving as the reference for sensor arrangement; the outer layer radius R 1 is located inside R 0, and is used for monitoring the area close to the outer edge of the polar plate 211 which is prone to local high temperature due to uneven fluid or gas accumulation; the next outer layer radius R 2 is located inside R1 inner side, covering the middle of the reaction area, used to capture the temperature changes of the main flow field area; inner layer ring radius R 3 is an optional design, located in the centermost area, used to monitor the temperature of the center area of the electrolysis cell 20. This ring can be removed according to actual needs to simplify the structure.

[0055] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 7 , the total number of temperature sensors 31 is 18 to 30, and the number of temperature sensors 31 corresponding to each ring is:

[0056] (2)

[0057] wherein, n i is the number of temperature sensors 31 per ring, 1 ≤ i ≤ 3, and is an integer; the sensors are distributed densely in the upper half and sparsely in the lower half on the circumference, with a smaller spacing in the upper half to focus on monitoring the upper half area where high temperature and dryness are prone to occur.

[0058] Specifically, based on the physical characteristics of the alkaline electrolyzer operation that "the upper half area is prone to gas accumulation, insufficient liquid supply, and local high temperature or dryness", the temperature sensors 31 are scientifically and differently arranged: the total number is controlled to be 18 to 30, and is distributed in 2 to 3 rings to ensure the balance between spatial monitoring points and data efficiency; on each ring, a "dense in the upper half and sparse in the lower half" non-uniform distribution strategy is adopted - the upper half circle (gas accumulation side) has a l 1 small spacing and dense distribution, and the lower half circle (liquid inlet side) has a l 2 large spacing and sparse distribution l 2> l 1), to focus on enhancing the monitoring sensitivity of the high temperature risk area and accurately capturing local hot spots and dryness trends. Among them, l 1 is the spacing of the temperature sensors 31 in the upper half; l 2 is the spacing of the temperature sensors 31 in the lower half. The number of temperature sensors 31 in the upper / lower half is:

[0059] (3)

[0060] wherein, n 上,i and n 下,i are the number of temperature sensors 31 in the upper / lower half of the first i ring, respectively. n 上,i including two temperature sensors 31 (i.e. ). Then the position of each temperature sensor 31 is calculated as follows:

[0061] (4)

[0062] wherein, x i,j and y i,j are the coordinates of the temperature sensor 31, i is the number of turns of the temperature sensor 31, j is the serial number of the temperature sensor 31. The positions of the corresponding temperature sensors 31 can be arranged according to this model.

[0063] This design significantly improves the early warning ability of abnormal working conditions without increasing hardware costs, avoiding equipment damage and efficiency loss; at the same time, the data on the upper half of the multiple sites can be used to infer flow field defects, accurately guiding optimization measures such as "increasing flow channels" and "adjusting angles", improving flow field uniformity and heat exchange efficiency; its layout closely follows the real physical law of "gas-liquid separation, upper heat and lower temperature", and has both engineering practicability and scientific rationality, and can effectively support the "rainbow bridge" multi-scheme parallel experiment (details of the "rainbow bridge" experiment will be described later), accelerate the iteration of flow channel structure and performance optimization, and realize the maximization of monitoring resource value and intelligent closed-loop optimization.

[0064] In one possible implementation, the design system determines the rationality of the flow channel configuration by the temperature standard deviation S t

[0065] (5)

[0066] wherein, T i is the instantaneous temperature of the i-th measurement point, unit: K or C; i is the arithmetic mean temperature of all measurement points; is the total number of sensor measurement points; if the temperature standard deviation n t ≤0.2, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is reasonable; if S t >0.2, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is not reasonable, and there is a local hot spot area, which needs to increase the liquid inlet flow channel or adjust the inlet angle to enhance the flow disturbance. S t

[0067] Specifically, this scheme introduces the temperature field standard deviation S S t as a quantitative evaluation index, objectively measures the uniformity of the temperature distribution inside the electrolysis chamber 20 in a mathematical way, and thus scientifically judges the rationality of the flow channel configuration: when S t ≤7.5, it indicates that the temperature field is uniformly distributed and there is no significant local hot spot, and the flow channel design meets the requirements of efficient heat exchange and stable operation; when S t ​7.5, then the precise exposure exists high temperature "dead zone" or alkaline liquid flow area, prompting the need to increase the number of liquid inlet channel, adjust the inlet angle or optimize the plug scheme to enhance the fluid disturbance and heat transfer efficiency. This method will convert the original experience or qualitative simulation flow channel evaluation process into experimental data-driven quantitative decision-making, greatly improving the optimization efficiency and engineering reliability, effectively avoiding the membrane dry, efficiency decline or equipment damage caused by local overheating, while providing closed-loop feedback for the "one plate multiple tests, fast iteration" experimental mode, significantly reducing the research and development cost and cycle, is the key technical support to realize the high performance, low energy consumption and long service life of alkaline electrolysis cell.

[0068] As shown in Figure 9 , 2 liquid inlets and 3 gas / liquid outlets are used. Under this condition, the inlet temperature of the electrolysis chamber 20 (Tin) is 75°C, and the outlet temperature of the gas and liquid (Tout) is about 90°C. As can be seen in the figure, the temperature in the waist area is relatively high, such as the right side of the waist temperature is 102-105°C, and the left side of the waist temperature is 93-98°C. Generally, the temperature standard deviation can be used to judge the uniformity of the flow of the liquid / gas corresponding to the flow channel setting, and the calculation formula is as above (5).

[0069] It should be noted that the qualitative relationship between temperature field and flow field is further described. Combined with the heat convection equation and the correlation of heat transfer coefficient and velocity:

[0070] (6)

[0071] wherein, q is the heat transfer amount, h is the heat transfer coefficient, Δ T is the temperature difference, u is the two-phase flow velocity. The greater the gas-liquid two-phase flow velocity u , the more intense the flow field, the greater the heat transfer coefficient h , the smaller the temperature difference Δ T between the fluid and the bipolar plate 21, the better the temperature uniformity. If the flow field configuration is unreasonable, a local "dead zone" (velocity tends to 0) is formed, then the heat transfer coefficient h is small, and the heat cannot be taken away in time, and the temperature difference Δ T increases sharply, forming a local hot spot (i.e. non-uniform temperature field). Therefore, it can be concluded that the more uniform the temperature field, the more uniform the flow field. In addition, the voltage of the chamber under different plug schemes can be measured by a multimeter, and then the energy consumption of the scheme can be obtained. However, this method cannot guide how to improve the flow channel configuration. The chamber temperature field monitoring cavity has the function of optimizing the flow channel configuration.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the temperature sensors 31 in each temperature monitoring cavity 30 are divided into 3-5 groups, each group is connected in series and is led out through the explosion-proof Luer cap 32 and connected to the transmitting antenna 50.

[0073] Specifically, all the temperature sensors 31 are divided into 3-5 groups, and the sensors in each group are connected in series to reduce the wiring complexity and the number of acquisition channels. The sensor lead sleeve is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, which has the characteristics of alkali corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance and wear resistance, ensuring long-term stable operation. The lead is sealed out from the cavity side wall through the explosion-proof Luer cap 32 and connected to the wireless transmitting antenna 50, avoiding the damage to the cavity sealing or causing safety hazards caused by threading.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the temperature sensor 31 selects an industrial-grade chip with a measurement range of -20℃-200℃, an accuracy of ±0.5℃, and a sampling frequency of 1Hz, which meets the dynamic temperature field monitoring requirements.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the data collector 40 supports communication methods such as WiFi and Bluetooth, has a resolution of 0.1℃, an accuracy of ±0.1%, and a working temperature of -10℃-70℃.

[0076] Specifically, the data monitored by the temperature sensor 31 is transmitted to the external data collector 40 through the transmitting antenna 50 using wireless communication protocols such as WiFi and Bluetooth. The data collector 40 has data storage, real-time display, and threshold alarm functions, with a resolution of 0.1℃, an accuracy of ±0.1%, and supports subsequent temperature field visualization and standard deviation calculation.

[0077] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figures 3 to 5 The main structure of the flow passage blocking piece 22 matches the shape of the manifold flow passage 214 to be blocked, and thin sheet structures are provided at both ends. The main structure can be embedded and sealed in the manifold flow passage 214, and the two thin sheet structures at both ends are respectively attached to the inlet and outlet of the manifold flow passage 214 to achieve fluid isolation.

[0078] Specifically, the main structure of the flow channel blocking component 22 is customized according to the specific configuration of the manifold flow channel 214 to be blocked: for the upper part of the multi-channel manifold flow channel 214, such as 3-12 parallel channels, the main body of the blocking component is composed of a corresponding number of block units arranged sequentially, and can block multiple channels simultaneously after being embedded as a whole; for the lower part of the single-channel manifold flow channel 214, the main body of the blocking component is a single block structure, adapted to a single flow channel cross-section; all blocking components have thin sheet structures at both ends, which are respectively attached to the inlet of the manifold flow channel 214 after installation. The outlet end face forms an "embedded + end face double seal" structure, effectively blocking the flow of fluid; the main body and the thin sheet can be laser welded together, or integrally machined from a metal blank, or made of polytetrafluoroethylene material by molding or precision machining, taking into account corrosion resistance, sealing and easy assembly and disassembly; this design supports the flexible selection of the blocking position and number according to experimental needs without replacing the bipolar plate 21, realizing rapid reconstruction of the flow channel structure and parallel testing of multiple schemes, significantly improving experimental efficiency and reducing R&D costs.

[0079] In another possible implementation, such as Figure 6 As shown, the flow channel blocker 22 is shaped to match the main flow channel 213 to be blocked, and is used to embed and seal the main flow channel 213 to achieve fluid isolation.

[0080] Specifically, the flow channel blocking component 22 is precisely customized according to the cross-sectional shape and size of the main flow channel 213 to be blocked. Its outer contour completely matches the inner cavity of the main flow channel 213, and it can be tightly embedded and fit against the flow channel wall to achieve physical filling and fluid isolation. A thin sheet welding structure or flange can be provided on one side of the flow channel blocking component 22 so that it can be firmly locked after insertion, prevent displacement, and form a secondary seal to enhance the flow resistance effect. The material can be carbon steel nickel-plated structure consistent with the bipolar plate 21 to ensure mechanical strength and alkali corrosion resistance. Alternatively, corrosion-resistant polymer materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be used, which are formed by molding or machining, taking into account chemical stability and easy disassembly and assembly characteristics. During installation, there is no need to disassemble the electrolytic cell. It can be completed by simply inserting it from the flow channel opening.

[0081] In one possible implementation, the radial dimension of the temperature monitoring chamber 30 is the same as that of the electrolysis chamber 20, and the thickness is 40mm-100mm.

[0082] Specifically, the radial dimension (i.e., outer contour diameter or side length) of the temperature monitoring chamber 30 is completely consistent with that of the electrolysis chamber 20 to ensure a tight fit with the electrolysis chamber 20 and coverage of the entire effective reaction area, achieving blind-spot-free temperature monitoring. The chamber thickness is designed to be 40mm to 100mm, providing ample space for the internal arrangement of multi-turn temperature sensors 31 and their leads, explosion-proof glands 32, sealing structures, etc., while ensuring sufficient structural strength and thermal stability to prevent deformation or leakage in high-temperature, high-pressure alkaline environments. The chamber material is preferably a corrosion-resistant metal (such as nickel-plated carbon steel), with the inner flat surface precisely machined to fit the sensor layout diagram, and a standard interface reserved on the outer side for installing the explosion-proof glands 32 and wireless transmission modules. The overall structure contacts the electrolysis chamber 20 through gaskets, ensuring that the heat conduction path accurately reflects the temperature field of the chamber, while also ensuring system sealing and safety, meeting the requirements for reliable and stable industrial-grade operation, and providing a reliable hardware carrier for high-precision temperature field monitoring.

[0083] Secondly, this application provides a design method for the flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer, employing the above-mentioned design system for the flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer, including the following steps:

[0084] S1. Design various flow channel configuration schemes and implement different flow channel structures in one or more electrolysis chambers 20 by using flow channel blocking components 22;

[0085] S2. Start the electrolytic cell and use the temperature monitoring chamber 30 to collect the temperature field data of the electrolysis chamber 20 in real time and transmit it to the data acquisition unit 40.

[0086] S3. Based on the uniformity of the temperature field distribution and the location of local hot spots, qualitatively determine the uniformity of the two-phase flow field under the corresponding flow channel configuration;

[0087] S4. For areas with uneven temperature fields or hot spots, adjust the number of flow channels, opening angle, or blockage location to redesign the flow channels.

[0088] S5. Repeat steps S2-S4 until the temperature field meets the uniformity standard and the optimal flow channel design is obtained.

[0089] The flow channel distribution design method for the alkaline electrolyzer provided in the second aspect of this application is based on the physical correlation between the temperature field and the flow field. It achieves rapid switching between various flow channel structures by flexibly configuring flow channel blocking components 22 in the flow channel distribution design system of the alkaline electrolyzer. Furthermore, it utilizes multi-site, densely arranged temperature sensors 31 to collect real-time temperature field data inside the electrolysis chamber 20, combined with the standard deviation S. tEquivalent quantitative indicators are used to evaluate the uniformity of the flow field, thus forming a closed-loop iterative process of "design → testing → feedback → optimization → retesting". Its beneficial effect is that it completely breaks the limitations of traditional reliance on experience-based trial and error or qualitative analysis through simulation, realizing data-driven and precise optimization of flow channel design. It significantly reduces experimental costs and cycles without replacing the bipolar plate 21 hardware. At the same time, by locating local hot spots, it infers flow field defects and guides targeted adjustments to the number, angle, or blockage location of flow channels, significantly improving the uniformity of gas-liquid distribution and heat exchange efficiency in the electrolyzer. Ultimately, it obtains the optimal flow channel design scheme with low energy consumption, high stability, and long life, accelerating the engineering research and development and industrialization process of high-performance alkaline electrolyzers.

[0090] To enable those skilled in the art to clearly understand the above-described implementation details and operations of this application, and to demonstrate the significant advancements in the design system and method for the flow channel distribution of the alkaline electrolyzer in the embodiments of this application, the following examples illustrate the above technical solutions through various control methods of the electrolyte inlet flow channel and the "rainbow bridge" experiment.

[0091] like Figure 10 As shown in (a), the number of blocking devices is changed to 2, 3, and 4 passage manifold channels 214 respectively; Figure 10 As shown in (b), the orientation of the blocking device is changed to a two-channel manifold flow channel 214 structure, with angles to the vertical of 15°, 30°, and 45° respectively; Figure 10 As shown in (c), by changing the included angle of the blocking device, a two-channel manifold flow channel 214 structure is formed, with the included angles between the two channels being 30°, 45°, and 60° respectively. It can be seen that the new structure allows for multiple schemes in one small chamber and enables rapid iteration of flow channel design schemes.

[0092] The above flow channel control methods effectively save economic and time costs. Figure 2 Taking a bipolar plate 21 structure (6 inlets and 6 outlets on one side for hydrogen / oxygen) as an example, the number of electrolysis chambers 20 is 12. Considering both the alkali inlet and gaseous alkali outlet factors, and adjusting the number, orientation, and angle of the clogging devices, the flow channel distribution design system for an alkaline electrolyzer can be carried out. This approach significantly reduces experimental costs and time during the design phase, improving R&D efficiency. The economic cost of the equipment and testing time in this application are comparable to, for example... Figure 11 As shown. The equipment cost for a single test of the system in this application is 12,000 yuan, while the equipment cost for a traditional system (experience-based trial and error) test is 280,000 yuan. The testing time for a single test of the system in this application is 10 days, while the testing time for a traditional system is 15 days.

[0093] Furthermore, compared to directly blocking the inlets / outlets of the flow channels, the flow channel blocking component 22 can block several specific manifold flow channels 214 in different areas as needed. This allows for the simultaneous implementation of two or more flow channel structure schemes in a single test, i.e., a regional "rainbow bridge" experiment, further improving testing efficiency. The "rainbow bridge" experiment is illustrated using the example of changing the orientation of the flow channel blocking component 22. As shown in Table 1, the "rainbow bridge" experiment is conducted using four chambers as a group. ○ indicates unblocked items, and × indicates blocked items. Specifically, in groups 1-4, the electrolysis chambers 20 block alkaline inlets 3, 4, 5, and 6; in groups 5-8, the electrolysis chambers 20 block alkaline inlets 1, 2, 5, and 6; and in groups 9-12, the electrolysis chambers 20 block alkaline inlets 1, 2, 3, and 4. A single experiment can determine the impact of three different alkaline inlet flow channels on performance, further improving testing efficiency. The performance of the flow channel scheme can be judged by setting up a corresponding temperature monitoring chamber 30 in the electrolysis chamber 20 of similar blockage schemes, or by measuring the average chamber voltage of different blockage schemes with a multimeter. ,unit V To determine energy consumption () E Unit: kWh / Nm 3 The relationship between the two is as follows: .

[0094] Table 1. “Rainbow Bridge” Experiment – ​​Taking the Change of the Orientation of the Flow Channel Blockage as an Example

[0095] .

[0096] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of protection of this application is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of one or more embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0097] One or more embodiments in this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of this application. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments in this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A system for designing a flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer, characterized by, The alkaline electrolyzer comprises an end plate (10), at least two electrolytic cells (20), each electrolytic cell (20) being formed by two adjacent bipolar plates (21) and a gasket, each bipolar plate (21) comprising a polar plate (211) and a polar frame (212); The design system comprises at least one temperature monitoring cavity (30) and a data collector (40); The lower half of the liquid inlet side and the upper half of the liquid / gas outlet side of the polar frame (212) are designed with a surplus flow channel, the number of flow channels of the polar frame (212) is 3-15, the included angle between adjacent two flow channels is 12°-60°, and the flow channels are equidistantly distributed; Each flow channel comprises a main flow channel (213) and at least one manifold flow channel (214), and the design system is provided with a plurality of flow channel blocking pieces (22) for selectively blocking the specified main flow channel (213) or manifold flow channel (214) according to the experimental requirements, so as to flexibly control the number and opening angle of the flow channels; The temperature monitoring cavity (30) is arranged in the area close to the electrolytic cell (20), and a plurality of temperature sensors (31) are arranged on the inner side flat surface of the temperature monitoring cavity (30) for real-time monitoring of the temperature distribution in the electrolytic cell (20); The temperature sensor (31) transmits the collected data to the data collector (40) through wireless communication for analyzing the rationality of the flow channel configuration; The main body structure of the flow channel blocking piece (22) matches the shape of the manifold flow channel (214) to be blocked, and the two ends are provided with sheet structures, the main body structure can be embedded and sealed in the manifold flow channel (214), and the two sheet structures at the two ends are respectively attached to the inlet and outlet of the manifold flow channel (214) to realize fluid isolation. Alternatively, the flow channel blocking piece (22) matches the shape of the main flow channel (213) to be blocked for embedding and sealing the main flow channel (213) to realize fluid isolation.

2. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized by, The temperature sensors (31) are arranged in the form of concentric circles, and there are 2-3 circles, and the radius corresponding to each circle is: wherein 0≤ i ≤3, i is the number of turns and is an integer, R 0 is the effective reaction area circle radius, i.e. the radius corresponding to the welding position of the pole frame (212) and the pole plate (211), R 1, R 2 and R 3 are the radii of the temperature sensor (31) distribution circles of the outer layer, the sub-outer layer and the inner layer, respectively, in mm.

3. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 2, characterized by, The total number of temperature sensors (31) is 18-30, and the number of temperature sensors (31) corresponding to each circle is: wherein, n i The unit is the number of temperature sensors (31) per circle; the temperature sensors (31) are densely distributed on the circumference, and the interval of the upper half is smaller than that of the lower half, so as to focus on monitoring the upper half area prone to dryness.

4. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized by, The temperature sensors (31) in each temperature monitoring cavity (30) are divided into 3-5 groups, each group is connected in series, and is led out through an explosion-proof gland (32) and connected to a transmitting antenna (50).

5. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized by, The temperature sensor (31) has a test range of -20℃-200℃, an accuracy of ±0.5℃, and a collection frequency of 1Hz.

6. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized by, The data collector (40) supports Wifi and Bluetooth communication modes, has a resolution of 0.1℃, an accuracy of ±0.1%, and a working temperature of -10℃-70℃.

7. The design system of flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 1, characterized by, The radial dimension of the temperature monitoring cavity (30) is consistent with that of the electrolytic cell (20), and the thickness is 40mm-100mm.

8. A method of designing a flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer, characterized by, The design system of the flow channel distribution of the alkaline electrolyzer according to any one of claims 1-7 comprises the following steps: S1, design multiple flow channel configuration schemes, and implement different flow channel structures in a single or multiple electrolytic cells (20) through flow channel blocking pieces (22); S2, start the electrolytic cell operation, use the temperature monitoring cavity (30) to collect the temperature field data of the electrolytic cell (20) in real time, and transmit to the data collector (40); S3, according to the uniformity of the temperature field distribution and the local hot spot position, qualitatively judge the uniformity of the two-phase flow field under the corresponding flow channel configuration; S4, for the area where the temperature field is not uniform or there is a hot spot, adjust the number of flow channels, opening angle or blocking position, and redesign the flow channel; S5, repeat steps S2-S4 until the temperature field meets the uniformity standard, and obtain the optimal flow channel design scheme.

9. The method of designing a flow channel distribution of an alkaline electrolyzer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The design method passes temperature standard deviation S t Judge the rationality of flow channel configuration: in, T i For the first i Instantaneous temperature at each measurement point, unit: K or C; The arithmetic mean temperature of all measurement points; n This represents the total number of sensor measurement points; if the temperature standard deviation... S t If the value is ≤7.5, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is reasonable; if S t If the value is greater than 7.5, it indicates that the flow channel configuration is unreasonable and there are local hot spots. It is necessary to add a liquid inlet channel or adjust the inlet angle to enhance the turbulence.

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