Electrolysis module

Abstract

The application provides an electrolysis module, comprising an electrolysis unit and a scale removal unit, the scale removal unit is used for generating an acidic environment to remove scale of an electrode sheet of the electrolysis unit. The structure of the application is divided into a scale removal unit and an electrolysis unit, the scale removal unit can generate an acidic environment, the acidic environment can dissolve scale such as calcium carbonate, the purpose of removing scale on the electrode surface of the electrolysis unit is achieved, the service life is prolonged, the electrolysis module does not need to be disassembled, and the method is efficient and convenient; compared with a traditional scale removal mode of reversing the electrode, the electrolysis mode of the application can separate the electrolysis unit from the scale removal unit and control them separately, and the control difficulty of the system is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrochemistry, and more particularly to an electrolysis module. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, electrochemical water treatment technology is widely used in water treatment, disinfection, and chemical preparation due to its high efficiency and environmental friendliness. During the water electrolysis reaction, the area near the cathode is alkaline (2H₂O + 2e⁻ → H₂↑ + 2OH⁻). In this alkaline environment, hardness ions such as calcium and magnesium in the water easily accumulate on the electrode surface after prolonged operation, leading to increased cell voltage and energy consumption, reduced current efficiency, and affecting the electrode's lifespan. Current technologies often use a polarity reversal method, which periodically reverses the polarity of the original cathode and anode, transforming the original cathode (scale surface) into the anode. However, this method has the following limitations: (1) It is required that there is no Schottky barrier on the electrode plate when the electrode is reversed; otherwise, there will be an electron-blocking layer on the electrode surface, which will prevent normal electrolysis. At present, the anode of the electrolytic water tank is generally a semiconductor and the cathode is generally a metal sheet, which will inevitably lead to the existence of the Schottky barrier, making the reverse electrode unable to work properly. (2) The reverse electrode setting has high requirements for the descaling time and current density. When the descaling time is too long and the current density is set too high, it will aggravate the corrosion of the electrode plate. (3) Theoretically, polarity reversal is required before the scale hardens. However, the oxide coating of commonly used anode materials DSA is designed for anodizing environments. When used as a cathode, the coating undergoes an irreversible reduction reaction, resulting in drastic changes in coating volume, microcracks, and even peeling. High-frequency reversal will drastically accelerate the failure of the coating, reducing the electrode life from several years to several weeks or even days. Therefore, to avoid electrode damage, low-frequency reversal must be used in practical applications. As a result, scale can easily grow, densify, and firmly adhere to the electrode surface over a long period. When the electrode is reversed, polarity adjustment can only treat the surface scale and cannot effectively remove the hardened scale nuclei. In order to achieve effective cleaning, the polarity adjustment time will be extended, which will prolong the downtime and may increase the damage to the DSA. This not only leads to poor descaling effect, but the remaining rough scale surface will become a new nucleation site, making subsequent scaling faster and more stubborn, forming a vicious cycle of "the more you wash, the easier it is to scale". (4) In order to achieve the reversal, the control system needs to be equipped with a series of equipment such as an additional rectifier, which increases the complexity of the system and brings additional fault points. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art and to provide an electrolysis module.

[0004] An electrolysis module includes an electrolysis unit and a descaling unit, the descaling unit being used to generate an acidic environment to remove scale buildup on the electrode plates of the electrolysis unit.

[0005] In one embodiment, the descaling unit is disposed at the front end of the electrolysis unit.

[0006] In one embodiment, the descaling unit includes a first anode and a first cathode, and the electrolysis unit includes a second anode and a second cathode.

[0007] In one embodiment, the descaling unit is disposed opposite to the electrolysis unit, and the descaling unit and the electrolysis unit are arranged with alternating polarities, such that the polarities of adjacent opposite electrodes are opposite.

[0008] In one embodiment, the descaling unit and the electrolysis unit operate alternately or simultaneously.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first anode comprises at least one of the following: conductive diamond, ruthenium-iridium electrode, ruthenium-tantalum electrode, lead dioxide electrode, tin dioxide electrode, platinum-iridium electrode, aluminum electrode, platinum-plated titanium electrode, stainless steel electrode, sub-titanium oxide electrode, graphite electrode, nickel plate electrode, ruthenium-iridium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium-tantalum oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, iridium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, tantalum oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, niobium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, zirconium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, manganese dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, cobalt tetroxide-coated titanium-based electrode, nickel oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, tin dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, lead dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, and precious metals and their oxides, high-valence metals and their alloys, transition metals and their oxides, carbon materials, conductive ceramics, conductive polymers, and semiconductor materials.

[0010] In one embodiment, the second anode comprises conductive diamond, lead dioxide, doped or undoped tin dioxide, titanium oxide material, noble metal or its oxide, or carbon-based conductive material.

[0011] In one embodiment, the material of the first cathode and / or the second cathode is a metallic material or a metal oxide.

[0012] In one embodiment, the electrolysis unit further includes a second solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the second anode and the second cathode.

[0013] In one embodiment, the descaling unit further includes a first solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the first anode and the first cathode.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are: The structure of this application is divided into a descaling unit and an electrolysis unit. The descaling unit can generate an acidic environment, which can dissolve scale such as calcium carbonate, thereby achieving the purpose of descaling the electrode surface of the electrolysis unit, extending its service life, and eliminating the need to disassemble the electrolysis module, making it highly efficient and convenient. Compared to the traditional descaling mode with reverse polarity, the electrolysis mode of this application can separate and control the electrolysis unit and the descaling unit, which greatly reduces the control difficulty of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electrolysis module according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an electrolysis module according to another embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 The voltage-current characteristic curves over time are for continuous electrolysis in the electrolytic cell of Comparative Example 1.

[0019] Figure 4 The voltage-current characteristics of the electrolytic structure of this application in simultaneous operation mode are shown in the time curve.

[0020] Figure 5 The voltage-current characteristics of the electrolytic structure of this application in alternating operation mode are shown in the time curve.

[0021] Figure 6 The voltage-current characteristic curves of the electrolytic cell in Comparative Example 2 under alternating power-on and power-off mode are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] This invention provides an electrolysis module, specifically, as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, it includes an electrolysis unit 20 and a descaling unit 10, wherein the descaling unit 10 is used to generate an acidic environment to remove scale from the electrode plates of the electrolysis unit 20.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The structure of this application is divided into a descaling unit 10 and an electrolysis unit 20. The descaling unit 10 can generate an acidic environment, which can dissolve scale such as calcium carbonate, thereby achieving the purpose of descaling the electrode surface of the electrolysis unit 20, extending its service life, and eliminating the need to disassemble the electrolysis module, making it highly efficient and convenient. Compared to the traditional descaling mode with reverse polarity, the electrolysis mode of this application can separate and control the electrolysis unit 20 and the descaling unit 10, which greatly reduces the control difficulty of the system.

[0025] The descaling unit can generate hypochlorite ions, hydrogen ions, etc., to create an acidic environment.

[0026] Based on the above embodiments, for example, the descaling unit 10 is disposed at the front end of the electrolysis unit 20. In this embodiment, the water first flows through the descaling unit 10, and the water carries the generated acidic substances to the scale formation site of the electrolysis unit 20 at the rear end, thereby dissolving and removing the scale.

[0027] Regarding the structure of the electrolysis module, for example, the descaling unit 10 includes a first anode 1 and a first cathode 3, and the electrolysis unit 20 includes a second anode 2 and a second cathode 4. In this embodiment, both the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 include anodes and cathodes, and are connected to an external power source to electrolyze water. When the electrolysis unit 20 is connected to an external power source, during the electrolysis process, hydrogen ions are reduced to hydrogen gas at the cathode (second cathode 4), increasing the hydroxide ion concentration. Therefore, the water near the second cathode 4 becomes alkaline, promoting the gradual deposition of scale (such as calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, etc.) on the surface of the second cathode 4. When the descaling unit 10 is activated, the descaling unit 10 electrolyzes to produce acidic substances. These acidic substances can dissolve scale such as calcium carbonate, thus achieving the purpose of descaling the electrode surface.

[0028] Based on the above embodiments, in the preferred embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged opposite each other, and the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged with the same polarity, so that adjacent opposite electrodes have the same polarity. For example, as... Figure 1As shown, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged opposite each other, and the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged with alternating polarities, so that the polarities of adjacent opposite electrodes are opposite. That is, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged opposite each other, the first anode 1 and the first cathode 3 are arranged opposite each other, the second anode 2 and the second cathode 4 are arranged opposite each other, and the first anode 1 and the second cathode 4 are arranged adjacent to each other, the first cathode 3 and the second anode 2 are arranged adjacent to each other, the first anode 1 and the second anode 2 are arranged in a cross configuration, and the first cathode 3 and the second cathode 4 are arranged in a cross configuration. In this embodiment, when the electrolysis unit 20 is connected to an external power source, the water near the second cathode 4 is in an alkaline environment, so scale easily adheres to the surface of the second cathode 4. When the descaling unit 10 is started, during the electrolysis process, the water is oxidized at the anode (first anode 1) to generate oxidation products (such as ozone, oxygen atoms, etc.) and hydrogen ions. The water near the electrode is acidic. The acidic environment can dissolve the scale formed on the cathode surface. Furthermore, since the electrodes of the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are arranged in an alternating polarity, the acidic substances generated by the first anode 1 are easily carried to the surface of the second cathode 4, thereby achieving the purpose of surface descaling.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are alternately or simultaneously powered on. In this embodiment, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 can be controlled by a control system to operate in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner. In a time-sharing connection, when the electrolysis unit 20 starts, the descaling unit 10 is turned off, and vice versa. In a simultaneous connection, the electrolysis unit and the descaling unit are synchronously powered on for at least a portion of the time. The electrolysis mode of this application allows for separate control of the electrolysis reaction and the descaling reaction, significantly reducing the control complexity of the system.

[0030] Regarding the control of the electrolysis module, in one embodiment, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 are connected to two different power systems. Specifically, the descaling unit 10 is connected to a first power source, and the electrolysis unit 20 is connected to a second power source. The connection and disconnection of the first and second power sources are controlled by a control system. Through the above embodiment, the descaling unit 10 and the electrolysis unit 20 can operate alternately or simultaneously. If the same power source is connected, circuit switches and other settings need to be added, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0031] Regarding the descaling unit 10, in one embodiment, the material of the first anode 1 includes conductive diamond, ruthenium-iridium electrode, ruthenium-tantalum electrode, lead dioxide electrode, tin dioxide electrode, platinum-iridium electrode, aluminum electrode, platinum-plated titanium electrode, stainless steel electrode, sub-titanium oxide electrode, graphite electrode, nickel plate electrode, ruthenium-iridium oxide coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium-tantalum oxide coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium oxide coated titanium-based electrode, iridium oxide coated titanium-based electrode, tantalum oxide coated titanium-based electrode, niobium oxide coated titanium-based electrode, zirconium oxide coated titanium-based electrode, manganese dioxide coated titanium-based electrode, cobalt tetroxide coated titanium-based electrode, nickel oxide coated titanium-based electrode, tin dioxide coated titanium-based electrode, lead dioxide coated titanium-based electrode, as well as at least one of noble metals and their oxides, high-valence metals and their alloys, transition metals and their oxides, carbon materials, conductive ceramics, conductive polymers, and semiconductor materials.

[0032] Regarding the descaling unit 10, in one embodiment, the first cathode 3 is a metallic material or a metal oxide. For example, stainless steel, or titanium dioxide. Other embodiments will not be described in detail in this application.

[0033] Regarding the electrolysis unit 20, in one embodiment, the second anode 2 includes conductive diamond, lead dioxide, doped or undoped tin dioxide, titanium oxide material, noble metal or its oxide, and carbon-based conductive material. The lead dioxide includes lead dioxide, porous lead dioxide, and doped lead dioxide; the titanium oxide material includes titanium dioxide and Magnéli phase titanium oxide; the noble metal or its oxide includes Pt, Pd, Ir, Pt-Ir, RuO2, IrO2, etc.; and the carbon-based conductive material includes graphite, expanded graphite, glassy carbon, CNT composite, etc. These will not be described in detail in this application.

[0034] Regarding the electrolysis unit 20, in one embodiment, the material of the second cathode 4 is a metallic material or a metal oxide. For example, stainless steel, or titanium dioxide. Other embodiments will not be described in detail in this application.

[0035] The first anode 1 and the second anode 2 can be integral electrodes or electrodes composed of an active material layer formed on the surface of a substrate layer. The substrate layer can be solid, porous, multi-porous, mesh-like, etc.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the electrolysis unit 20 further includes a first solid electrolyte membrane 5, which is disposed between the second anode 2 and the second cathode 4. In this embodiment, when the descaling unit 10 is activated, acidic substances are generated. Under a weakly acidic environment, the scale on the solid electrolyte membrane can be removed simultaneously, and the acidic environment is conducive to the regeneration and repair of the solid electrolyte membrane, extending the service life of the electrolysis module.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the descaling unit 10 further includes a second solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the first anode 1 and the first cathode 3. In this embodiment, the products of the descaling unit 10 during reaction are hydrogen and oxygen. In embodiments without a solid electrolyte membrane, the products of the descaling unit 10 during reaction contain hypochlorous acid. Therefore, this application can be used depending on the specific application, such as in water dispensers or other electrical appliances, or in medical, home, or other fields, where the structure of this embodiment can be adopted, and the products are non-toxic. For industrial or other applications, a structure with or without a solid electrolyte membrane can be selected. For example, in wastewater treatment equipment, the descaling unit 10 outputs water containing hypochlorous acid during operation, and the hypochlorous acid can participate in the wastewater treatment reaction, allowing for more efficient utilization of the descaling unit 10's reaction.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, this is the voltage-current characteristic curve of continuous electrolysis in a conventional electrolytic cell of Comparative Example 1 over time. The curve clearly shows that the electrolytic cell operates stably in the early stages, but as time progresses, polarization accumulates, the cell's internal resistance increases, and the current efficiency decreases. Figure 4 This is a voltage-current variation curve for continuous electrolysis operation in simultaneous operation mode, according to an embodiment of the electrolysis structure of this application. Figure 5 This is another embodiment of the electrolysis structure of this application, showing the voltage-current variation curve during continuous electrolysis operation in alternating operation mode. Figure 6 As Figure 5 Comparative Example 2 shows the voltage-current characteristics over time of an electrolytic cell that did not employ the method of this application (i.e., no descaling), during alternating power-on and power-off cycles. In other words, in... Figure 5 During the period when the descaling unit is started (the electrolysis unit is off), Figure 6 Comparative Example 2: The electrolysis unit was shut down and the descaling unit was not activated. From Figure 4 As can be seen, the electrolytic cell using the method of this invention exhibits a significantly reduced voltage rise during operation in synchronous mode. From... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The comparison shows that, using the method of the present invention, the voltage rise during operation is significantly reduced and the current decay trend is significantly suppressed in the alternating mode.

[0039] The graphs in the above embodiments are waveforms obtained by smoothing the original data to reduce high-frequency noise and highlight the overall trend. The smoothing method used is Savitzky-Golay filtering.

[0040] Among them, the above Figure 3-6 In the embodiments described, the operating conditions (such as current, voltage, temperature, etc.) of the electrolytic cells in the comparative examples and embodiments of the method of this application are the same.

[0041] This application also provides the following specific embodiments.

[0042] Example 1 The electrolysis structure includes a descaling unit and an electrolysis unit. The descaling unit includes a first anode and a first cathode, and the electrolysis unit includes a second anode and a second cathode.

[0043] The first anode is lead dioxide, the first cathode is a metal or metal oxide, the second anode is a ruthenium-based electrode, and the second cathode is a metal or metal oxide.

[0044] This embodiment adopts a mode in which the electrolysis unit and the descaling unit operate simultaneously.

[0045] Figure 4 The voltage-current characteristic curve of the electrolytic structure in this embodiment varies with time.

[0046] pass Figure 4 Comparative Example 1 ( Figure 1 The comparison shows that the voltage rise during operation of the electrolyzer is significantly reduced, and the performance of the electrolyzer is maintained. In this embodiment, the voltage rise during operation is significantly reduced, and the current decay trend is significantly suppressed. Since the MMO anode (especially the iridium-based anode) is a highly efficient chlorine-evolving electrode, it can generate a large amount of hypochlorous acid through the chlorine evolution reaction. This acidic substance can effectively dissolve and remove scale, thus maintaining the performance of the electrolyzer.

[0047] Example 2 The electrolysis structure includes a descaling unit and an electrolysis unit. The descaling unit includes a first anode and a first cathode, and the electrolysis unit includes a second anode and a second cathode.

[0048] The first anode is conductive diamond, the first cathode is a metal or metal oxide, the second anode is a ruthenium-based electrode, and the second cathode is a metal or metal oxide.

[0049] This embodiment adopts an alternating operation mode of the electrolysis unit and the descaling unit.

[0050] Figure 5 The voltage-current characteristic curve of the electrolytic structure in this embodiment varies with time.

[0051] pass Figure 5 Comparative Example 2 ( Figure 6The comparison shows that the voltage rise during operation of the electrolytic cell is significantly reduced, and the performance of the electrolytic cell is maintained. The anode in this embodiment uses a conductive diamond electrode (BDD), which is intrinsically stable, corrosion-resistant, has no risk of coating peeling, and is easy to clean. However, due to the high Schottky barrier, existing dual-electrode electrolytic cells using conductive diamond as the anode are difficult to adjust even with electrode adjustment, or in other words, cannot achieve a significant descaling effect. Furthermore, conductive diamond has a high chlorine evolution potential, resulting in poor acid production. Therefore, the electrolytic scaling in this embodiment effectively solves the cathode scaling problem of existing electrolytic cells using conductive diamond as the anode, achieving the effect of maintaining the performance of the electrolytic cell.

[0052] It should be understood that the electrolysis module of this application also includes other necessary electronic components that should have the intended function, such as circuit boards, and if necessary, an internal power supply. For example, the electrolysis module has conductive terminals that are connected to an external power supply or an internal power supply. These will not be described in detail in this application.

[0053] In particular, this application proposes an embodiment in which the first cathode and second anode of the descaling unit can form a three-electrode circuit with the electrodes of the electrolysis unit. For example, if either the first cathode or the second anode of the descaling unit is damaged, the remaining electrode can still form a descaling unit for generating acidic substances with the anode or cathode of the electrolysis unit. Its circuit connection structure needs to be set separately, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0054] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0055] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrolysis module, characterized in that, It includes an electrolysis unit and a descaling unit, wherein the descaling unit is used to generate an acidic environment to remove scale from the electrode plates of the electrolysis unit.

2. The electrolysis module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The descaling unit is located at the front end of the electrolysis unit.

3. The electrolysis module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The descaling unit includes a first anode and a first cathode, and the electrolysis unit includes a second anode and a second cathode.

4. The electrolysis module according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The descaling unit is arranged opposite to the electrolysis unit, and the descaling unit and the electrolysis unit are arranged with alternating polarities, so that the polarities of adjacent opposite electrodes are opposite.

5. The electrolysis module according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The descaling unit and the electrolysis unit operate alternately or simultaneously.

6. The electrolysis module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first anode includes at least one of the following: conductive diamond, ruthenium-iridium electrode, ruthenium-tantalum electrode, lead dioxide electrode, tin dioxide electrode, platinum-iridium electrode, aluminum electrode, platinum-plated titanium electrode, stainless steel electrode, sub-titanium oxide electrode, graphite electrode, nickel plate electrode, ruthenium-iridium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium-tantalum oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, ruthenium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, iridium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, tantalum oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, niobium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, zirconium oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, manganese dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, cobalt tetroxide-coated titanium-based electrode, nickel oxide-coated titanium-based electrode, tin dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, lead dioxide-coated titanium-based electrode, and precious metals and their oxides, high-valence metals and their alloys, transition metals and their oxides, carbon materials, conductive ceramics, conductive polymers, and semiconductor materials.

7. The electrolysis module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second anode includes conductive diamond, lead dioxide, doped or undoped tin dioxide, titanium oxide materials, noble metals or their oxides, and carbon-based conductive materials.

8. The electrolysis module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material of the first cathode and / or the second cathode is a metallic material or a metal oxide.

9. The electrolysis module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electrolysis unit further includes a second solid electrolyte membrane, which is disposed between the second anode and the second cathode.

10. The electrolysis module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The descaling unit also includes a first solid electrolyte membrane, which is disposed between the first anode and the first cathode.

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