Device for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water and co-producing hydrogen isotope and deuterium

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of water electrolysis for deuterium production, and particularly relates to a device for water electrolysis for hydrogen production and hydrogen isotope co-production for deuterium production, the device comprises a container and a cover body connected to the upper end of the container, a containing cavity is formed in the container, two electrodes are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the containing cavity, and a power supply electrically connected with the electrodes is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container; the upper end of the cover body is connected with an oxygen-hydrogen separation unit and a first vacuum pump, the output end of the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit is connected with the input end of the first vacuum pump through a pipeline, and the output end of the first vacuum pump is connected with metal hydride; the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit is arranged to separate oxygen and hydrogen generated during water electrolysis, deuterium gas and light hydrogen gas are adsorbed through the metal hydride, and then separation conditions needed for deuterium gas separation are provided for the metal hydride through the temperature control sleeve body and the annular light source; therefore, the deuterium gas is separated from the metal hydride, and the deuterium gas can be conveniently collected and utilized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, and specifically to a device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium. Background Art

[0002] Electrolysis of water, as a source of hydrogen, is mainly used to prepare hydrogen and oxygen. Water can be decomposed into hydrogen through electrolysis. At the same time, hydrogen and deuterium are produced at the same time during the electrolysis of water. Because of their similar chemical properties, the hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water contains a small amount of deuterium. If only the hydrogen and oxygen produced by electrolysis of water are used, the deuterium isotopes in them may be wasted. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a device for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium, so as to solve the technical problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides the following technical solutions: a device for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water and producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium, comprising a container and a cover connected to the upper end of the container, wherein a cavity is provided inside the container, and two electrodes are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cavity, a power supply electrically connected to the electrodes is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container, an oxygen-hydrogen separation unit and a vacuum pump 1 are connected to the upper end of the cover, and the output end of the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit is connected to the input end of the vacuum pump 1 through a pipeline, the output end of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to a metal hydride, and an annular light source is sleeved on the outer surface of the metal hydride, a vacuum pump 2 is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container, and the input end of the vacuum pump 2 is connected to the other end of the metal hydride.

[0005] In one embodiment, the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit includes a hollow tube integrally formed at the upper end of the cover body, an exhaust port integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube and connected to the inner cavity of the hollow tube, a ceramic membrane clamped inside the hollow tube, and two temperature control interfaces symmetrically and integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube.

[0006] In one embodiment, a vacuum pump three is fixedly connected to the upper end of the cover body, and the input end of the vacuum pump three is connected to the output end of the vacuum pump one.

[0007] In one embodiment, the outer surface of the metal hydride is also sleeved with a temperature control sleeve, and the outer surface of the temperature control sleeve is provided with two symmetrically arranged temperature control interfaces 2, and the interior of the hollow tube and the temperature control sleeve is provided with a flow channel connected to the temperature control interface 1 and the temperature control interface 2.

[0008] In one embodiment, a feed port is integrally formed at the upper end of the cover body, and a sealing cover is connected to the upper end of the feed port.

[0009] In one embodiment, the annular light source is an ultraviolet light source.

[0010] In one embodiment, the two electrodes are an anode and a cathode, respectively, and the two electrodes are connected to the positive and negative electrodes of a power source, respectively.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are:

[0012] The present application separates oxygen and hydrogen generated during water electrolysis by setting up an oxygen-hydrogen separation unit, and then achieves adsorption of deuterium gas and light hydrogen gas through metal hydride, and then provides the metal hydride with the separation conditions required for separating deuterium gas through a temperature control sleeve and an annular light source, thereby separating deuterium gas from the metal hydride, making it easier to collect and utilize the deuterium gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chamber, power supply and electrode structure of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the ceramic membrane and metal hydride structure of this application;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the temperature control sleeve of this application.

[0017] In the figure: 1. container; 11. cavity; 2. cover; 21. feed port; 22. sealing cover; 3. electrode; 4. power supply; 5. oxygen-hydrogen separation unit; 51. exhaust port 1; 52. temperature control interface 1; 53. ceramic membrane; 54. pipeline; 6. vacuum pump 1; 7. metal hydride; 71. ring light source; 72. temperature control sleeve; 8. vacuum pump 2; 9. vacuum pump 3; 10. flow channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0020] Example:

[0021] See also Figure 1-4The present application provides a technical solution: a device for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water and producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium, comprising a container 1 and a cover 2 connected to the upper end of the container 1, wherein the container 1 is used to contain an electrolyte solution (usually sulfuric acid and other electrolytes are used to increase the conductivity of water, thereby enhancing the electrolysis efficiency) and water for electrolysis reaction. The container 1 may be made of glass or plastic and has good corrosion resistance. The cover 2 is used to prevent liquid from splashing during the electrolysis process. A cavity 11 is provided inside the container 1, and two electrodes 3 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cavity 11. A power supply 4 electrically connected to the electrode 3 is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container 1, and the power supply 4 is used to provide current to drive the electrolysis reaction. It can be a DC power supply, and it is necessary to provide appropriate voltage and current to achieve water electrolysis. The two electrodes 3 are respectively an anode and a cathode, and the two electrodes 3 are respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the power supply 4; the electrode 3 is used to transmit current in the chamber 11 and promote the electrolysis reaction of water. When the current passes through the water, the water molecules will undergo an electrolysis reaction to produce hydrogen and oxygen: 2H2O(l)→2H2(g)+O2(g). Inert materials such as platinum, carbon or titanium are usually used. The upper end of the cover body 2 is connected to an oxygen-hydrogen separation unit 5 and a vacuum pump-6. The oxygen-hydrogen separation unit 5 includes a hollow tube integrally formed at the upper end of the cover body 2, an exhaust port-51 integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube and connected to the inner cavity of the hollow tube, a ceramic membrane 53 clamped inside the hollow tube, and two temperature control interfaces-52 symmetrically and integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube; the ceramic membrane 53 uses membrane separation to separate oxygen and hydrogen. The ceramic membrane 53 has high thermal stability and chemical stability. Common materials include aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, etc. The principle of the ceramic membrane 53 separating oxygen and hydrogen is based on the difference in permeability of the gas in the ceramic membrane 53. The ceramic membrane 53 is usually made of a porous ceramic material and has a microporous or nanoporous structure. When gas molecules pass through these pores, their permeation rate is affected by factors such as the size, shape and molecular weight of the gas molecules. Since oxygen and hydrogen are different in these aspects, their permeation rates in the ceramic membrane 53 are also different. The commonly used ceramic membrane separation device includes two distinct chambers, namely an oxygen permeable chamber and a hydrogen permeable chamber. These chambers are separated by a ceramic membrane 53. When the mixed gas passes through the ceramic membrane 53, due to the different permeation rates of oxygen and hydrogen, oxygen and hydrogen will be separated in the ceramic membrane 53 and enter the oxygen permeable chamber and the hydrogen permeable chamber respectively, and oxygen can be discharged from the exhaust port 51, while hydrogen can enter the inside of the hollow tube.

[0022] In the oxygen permeable chamber, the concentration of oxygen gradually increases, while the concentration of hydrogen gradually decreases, and finally high-purity oxygen is obtained. In the hydrogen permeable chamber, the concentration of hydrogen gradually increases, while the concentration of oxygen gradually decreases, and finally high-purity hydrogen is obtained. The temperature control interface 1 52 can be connected to an external gas pipe, and by sending hot gas (liquid) or low-temperature gas (liquid) into the hollow tube, a good separation temperature can be provided to the ceramic membrane 53.

[0023] The output end of the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit 5 is connected to the input end of the vacuum pump 6 through a pipeline 54, the output end of the vacuum pump 6 is connected to the metal hydride 7, and the outer surface of the metal hydride 7 is sleeved with a ring light source 71, and the ring light source 71 is a UV light source; a vacuum pump 2 8 is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container 1, and the input end of the vacuum pump 2 8 is connected to the other end of the metal hydride 7, the outer surface of the metal hydride 7 is also sleeved with a temperature control sleeve 72, and the outer surface of the temperature control sleeve 72 is provided with two symmetrically arranged temperature control interfaces 2, and the hollow tube and the temperature control sleeve 72 are provided with a flow channel 10 connected to the temperature control interface 1 52 and the temperature control interface 2. The separated hydrogen passes through the hollow tube into the pipe 54 and is then sent into the metal hydride 7 by the vacuum pump 6. The hydrogen containing deuterium will first be adsorbed on the surface of the metal hydride 7. The metal hydride 7 is a material that can store hydrogen. Therefore, when the hydrogen containing deuterium passes through the metal hydride 7, the deuterium will also be effectively adsorbed and stored. If it is desired to separate the deuterium from the metal hydride 7, when the metal hydride 7 has adsorbed enough deuterium, the metal hydride 7 releases the adsorbed deuterium by lowering the temperature or adjusting the pressure, and the adsorption temperature is adjusted to utilize the difference in adsorption characteristics between deuterium and light hydrogen. Normally, the adsorption characteristics of deuterium and light hydrogen will change with the change of temperature, so the separation of deuterium and light hydrogen can be achieved by temperature control, and the temperature adjustment of the metal hydride 7 needs to rely on the temperature control sleeve 72. The temperature control interface 2 can be connected to the air pipe. By sending hot gas (liquid) or low-temperature gas (liquid) into the flow channel 10 in the temperature control sleeve 72, a good separation temperature can be provided for the metal hydride 7. At the same time, in order to achieve photocatalytic reaction and improve the separation efficiency of deuterium on the metal hydride 7, the photosensitivity of the metal hydride 7 is combined with the semiconductor material so that there is a photosensitive material on the surface of the metal hydride 7. The surface of the metal hydride 7 will be combined with other photosensitive materials or modified to change its optical properties or chemical properties to achieve photocatalytic reaction. The metal hydride 7 is irradiated by the ring light source 71 (ultraviolet light). The ultraviolet light may trigger a chemical reaction on the surface or produce active intermediates, thereby affecting the adsorption state of the deuterium gas. In addition, UV light may also change the surface structure or active sites of metal hydride 7, indirectly affecting the adsorption and desorption process of deuterium gas.

[0024] The upper end of the cover body 2 is also fixedly connected to a vacuum pump 3 9, and the input end of the vacuum pump 3 9 is connected to the output end of the vacuum pump 1 6. The vacuum pump 3 9 is designed to directly extract the separated hydrogen without passing through the metal hydride 7. The upper end of the cover body 2 is also integrally formed with a feed port 21, and the upper end of the feed port 21 is connected to a sealing cover 22, so that water and electrolyte can be easily added to the cavity 11 through the feed port 21.

[0025] The above shows and describes the basic principles and main features of the present application and the advantages of the present application. For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present application is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and the present application can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present application; therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive. The scope of the present application is limited by the attached claims rather than the above description, and it is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims in the present application, and any figure marks in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved.

[0026] Although the embodiments of the present application 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 application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water and producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium, comprising a container (1) and a cover (2) connected to the upper end of the container (1), characterized in that: The container (1) has a cavity (11) formed inside, and two electrodes (3) are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the cavity (11); a power source (4) electrically connected to the electrode (3) is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container (1); an oxygen-hydrogen separation unit (5) and a vacuum pump (6) are connected to the upper end of the cover (2); the output end of the oxygen-hydrogen separation unit (5) is connected to the input end of the vacuum pump (6) through a pipeline (54); the output end of the vacuum pump (6) is connected to a metal hydride (7), and an annular light source (71) is sleeved on the outer surface of the metal hydride (7); a vacuum pump (8) is fixedly connected to one side of the outer surface of the container (1), and the input end of the vacuum pump (8) is connected to the other end of the metal hydride (7).

2. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oxygen-hydrogen separation unit (5) comprises a hollow tube integrally formed on the upper end of the cover body (2), an exhaust port (51) integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube and connected to the inner cavity of the hollow tube, a ceramic membrane (53) clamped inside the hollow tube, and two temperature control interfaces (52) symmetrically and integrally formed on the outer surface of the hollow tube.

3. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper end of the cover body (2) is also fixedly connected to a vacuum pump three (9), and the input end of the vacuum pump three (9) is connected to the output end of the vacuum pump one (6).

4. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer surface of the metal hydride (7) is also sleeved with a temperature control sleeve (72), and the outer surface of the temperature control sleeve (72) is provided with two symmetrically arranged temperature control interfaces 2, and the hollow tube and the temperature control sleeve (72) are provided with a flow channel (10) in communication with the temperature control interface 1 (52) and the temperature control interface 2.

5. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the cover body (2) is also integrally formed with a feed port (21), and the upper end of the feed port (21) is connected to a sealing cover (22).

6. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular light source (71) is an ultraviolet light source.

7. The device for producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water and co-producing hydrogen isotopes to produce deuterium according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two electrodes (3) are respectively an anode and a cathode, and the two electrodes (3) are respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of a power source (4).

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