Water electrolysis stack

Abstract

The utility model provides a water electrolysis reactor. An anode power supply body of the water electrolysis reactor inhibits corrosion at low cost and has good conductivity. The water electrolysis stack includes: a unit cell including an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode, an anode power supply body, a cathode electrode, and a cathode power supply body, the anode electrode and the anode power supply body being stacked on a surface of the electrolyte membrane, and the cathode electrode and the cathode power supply body being stacked on another surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a water supply unit that supplies water for electrolysis to the cathode electrode, the anode power supply body and the cathode power supply body being conductive porous bodies and being applied with a voltage to generate hydrogen gas at the cathode electrode and oxygen gas at the anode electrode by the water for electrolysis, the anode power supply body including a first layer that contacts the anode electrode and a second layer that contacts the second layer, the second layer is a portion of the anode feeder other than the first layer, the first layer including a portion of the substrate of the anode feeder and a conductive layer provided on the portion of the substrate, and the second layer including another portion of the substrate of the anode feeder and a non-conductive layer provided on the other portion of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a water electrolysis stack, and in particular to a water electrolysis stack for generating electric energy. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to ensure that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy, research and development related to fuel cells that contribute to energy efficiency has been carried out. However, in the research and development of fuel cells, in order to make the anode power supply in the unit cell have good current conductivity and corrosion resistance, the anode power supply substrate is generally plated with gold all over, which greatly increases the manufacturing cost of the fuel cell. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the fuel cell to overcome the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model provides a water electrolysis stack, the anode power supply of which can suppress corrosion at low cost and has good conductivity.

[0004] The utility model provides a water electrolysis stack, comprising: a unit cell, comprising a membrane electrode structure, the membrane electrode structure comprising an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode, an anode power supply, a cathode electrode and a cathode power supply, the anode electrode and the anode power supply are sequentially stacked on the surface of the electrolyte membrane, and the cathode electrode and the cathode power supply are sequentially stacked on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a water supply unit, supplying water for electrolysis to the cathode electrode, the anode power supply and the cathode power supply are conductive porous bodies and are used to apply voltage to generate hydrogen at the cathode electrode and oxygen at the anode electrode through the electrolysis water, the anode power supply comprises a first layer and a second layer, the first layer contacts the anode electrode, the second layer is the part of the anode power supply except the first layer, the first layer comprises a part of the substrate of the anode power supply and a conductive layer arranged on the part of the substrate, and the second layer comprises another part of the substrate of the anode power supply and a non-conductive layer arranged on the another part of the substrate.

[0005] In an embodiment of the present invention, the conductive layer is a gold layer.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, the gold layer is disposed on the entire surface of the anode power supply body that contacts the anode electrode.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the non-conductive layer is a resin layer.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the resin layer is a phenolic resin layer.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the resin layer is a perfluorosulfonic acid resin layer.

[0010] Based on the above, in the water electrolysis stack of the present invention, the portion of the anode power supply body that contacts the anode electrode (the first layer) is plated with a conductive layer (such as a gold layer) to provide good conductivity and corrosion resistance, and the remaining portion of the anode power supply body (the second layer) is coated with a non-conductive layer (such as a resin layer or other types of non-conductive layers). Accordingly, it is not necessary to plate the entire anode power supply body with a high-cost conductive layer (such as a gold layer or other types of conductive layers). Thus, the anode power supply body of the water electrolysis stack of the present invention suppresses corrosion at a low cost and has good conductivity.

[0011] In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a water electrolysis stack according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0013] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C Show Figure 1 The manufacturing and setting process of the anode power supply.

[0014] Description of reference numerals:

[0015] 100: water electrolysis stack;

[0016] 110: unit cell;

[0017] 112: membrane electrode structure;

[0018] 1121: electrolyte membrane;

[0019] 1121a, 1121b: surface;

[0020] 1122: anode electrode;

[0021] 1123: anode power supply;

[0022] 1123a: First floor;

[0023] 1123b: second floor;

[0024] 1124: cathode electrode;

[0025] 1125: cathode power supply;

[0026] 1126: membrane protection sheet;

[0027] 114: partition structure;

[0028] 116: sealing ring;

[0029] 120: Water supply unit;

[0030] B: substrate;

[0031] C: conductive layer;

[0032] L1: water for electrolysis;

[0033] L2: Hydrogen;

[0034] L3: oxygen;

[0035] R: non-conductive layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a water electrolysis stack according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The water electrolysis stack 100 of this embodiment is, for example, a structure in a fuel cell, which includes a unit cell 110 and a water supply unit 120 (schematically shown). The unit cell 110 includes a membrane electrode structure 112, and the membrane electrode structure 112 includes an electrolyte membrane 1121, an anode electrode 1122, an anode power supply 1123, a cathode electrode 1124, and a cathode power supply 1125. The anode electrode 1122 and the anode power supply 1123 are sequentially stacked on the surface 1121a of the electrolyte membrane 1121, and the cathode electrode 1124 and the cathode power supply 1125 are sequentially stacked on the other surface 1121b of the electrolyte membrane 1121. A membrane protection sheet 1126 is also provided between the cathode electrode 1124 and the cathode power supply 1125. The membrane electrode structure 112 is separated from other membrane electrode structures in the fuel cell by a separator structure 114. The separator structure 114 and the electrolyte membrane 1121 are sealed by a sealing ring 116.

[0037] The water supply unit 120 supplies electrolytic water L1 to the cathode electrode 1124. The anode power supply 1123 and the cathode power supply 1125 are conductive porous bodies and are used to apply voltage to generate hydrogen L2 at the cathode electrode 1124 and oxygen L3 at the anode electrode 1122 through electrolytic water L1. The detailed configuration, working mode and principle of the fuel cell are known in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C Show Figure 1 The anode power supply 1123 of this embodiment is manufactured, for example, in the following manner: first, Figure 2A As shown, a non-conductive layer R (such as an insulating layer such as a resin layer, or other types of non-conductive layers) is coated on the substrate B of the anode power supply 1123. Then, a polishing process or other appropriate process such as Figure 2BAs shown, a portion of the material on one side of the substrate B that will be used to contact the anode electrode 1122 is removed, and a portion of the non-conductive layer R on this side is also removed to expose the substrate B on this side. Figure 2C As shown, a conductive layer C (such as a gold (Au) layer or other types of conductive layers) is plated on a local area including this side of the substrate B to manufacture an anode power supply 1123 , and the anode power supply 1123 is disposed on the anode electrode 1122 .

[0039] Please refer to Figure 2C The anode power supply 1123 of this embodiment includes a first layer 1123a and a second layer 1123b, wherein the first layer 1123a contacts the anode electrode 1122, and the second layer 1123b is the portion of the anode power supply 1123 other than the first layer 1123a. The first layer 1123a includes a portion of the substrate B of the anode power supply 1123 and a conductive layer C disposed on the portion of the substrate B, and the second layer 1123b includes another portion of the substrate B of the anode power supply 1123 and a non-conductive layer R disposed on the other portion of the substrate B. That is, the conductive layer C contacts the electrolyte membrane 1121, and the non-conductive layer R does not contact the electrolyte membrane 1121.

[0040] As described above, in the water electrolysis stack 100 of the present embodiment, the portion of the anode power supply 1123 that contacts the anode electrode 1122 (the first layer 1123a) is plated with a conductive layer C (such as a gold (Au) layer or other types of conductive layers) to provide good conductivity, corrosion resistance and non-flammability, and the remaining portion of the anode power supply 1123 (the second layer 1123b) is coated with a non-conductive layer R (such as a resin layer or other types of non-conductive layers) to provide good corrosion resistance and non-flammability. Accordingly, it is not necessary to plate the entire anode power supply 1123 with a high-cost conductive layer C (such as a gold (Au) layer or other types of conductive layers), so that the current can efficiently flow from the anode power supply 1123 through the conductive layer C (such as a gold (Au) layer or other types of conductive layers) to the anode electrode 1122. Therefore, the anode power supply 1123 of the water electrolysis stack 100 of the present embodiment suppresses corrosion at a low cost and has good conductivity.

[0041] like Figure 2C As shown, the first layer 1123a of the anode power supply 1123 of this embodiment is coated with a non-conductive layer R and plated with a conductive layer C, but the utility model is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first layer 1123a of the anode power supply 1123 may be plated with only a conductive layer C without being coated with a non-conductive layer R. In addition, in this embodiment, the conductive layer C is, for example, disposed on the entire surface of the anode power supply 1123 that contacts the anode electrode 1122. However, the utility model is not limited thereto, and the conductive layer C may also be disposed on most of the surface of the anode power supply 1123 that contacts the anode electrode 1122, while a small portion of the surface does not have the conductive layer C.

[0042] In this embodiment, the resin layer (non-conductive layer R) is, for example, a phenolic resin layer or a perfluorosulfonic acid resin layer to provide good corrosion resistance and non-flammability. In other embodiments, the resin layer (non-conductive layer R) can be other types of resin layers, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0043] In summary, in the water electrolysis stack of the present invention, the portion of the anode power supply body that contacts the anode electrode (the first layer) is plated with a conductive layer (such as a gold layer or other types of conductive layers) to provide good conductivity and corrosion resistance, and the remaining portion of the anode power supply body (the second layer) is coated with a non-conductive layer (such as a resin layer or other types of non-conductive layers). Accordingly, it is not necessary to plate the entire anode power supply body with a high-cost conductive layer (such as a gold layer or other types of conductive layers). Thus, the anode power supply body of the water electrolysis stack of the present invention suppresses corrosion at a low cost and has good conductivity.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the utility model, rather than to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solution recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solution to deviate from the scope of the technical solution of the embodiments of the utility model.

Claims

1. A water electrolysis stack, characterized in that: include: A unit cell, comprising a membrane electrode structure, wherein the membrane electrode structure comprises an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode, an anode power supply, a cathode electrode and a cathode power supply, wherein the anode electrode and the anode power supply are sequentially stacked on a surface of the electrolyte membrane, and the cathode electrode and the cathode power supply are sequentially stacked on another surface of the electrolyte membrane; as well as a water supply unit for supplying electrolysis water to the cathode electrode; The anode power supply and the cathode power supply are conductive porous bodies and are used to apply voltage to generate hydrogen at the cathode electrode and oxygen at the anode electrode by electrolysis of water. The anode power supply body includes a first layer and a second layer, the first layer contacts the anode electrode, and the second layer is a portion of the anode power supply body excluding the first layer. The first layer includes a portion of the substrate of the anode power supply and a conductive layer disposed on the portion of the substrate, The second layer includes another portion of the substrate of the anode power supply and a non-conductive layer disposed on the another portion of the substrate.

2. The water electrolysis stack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive layer is a gold layer.

3. The water electrolysis stack according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gold layer is provided on the entire surface of the anode power supply contacting the anode electrode.

4. The water electrolysis stack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-conductive layer is a resin layer.

5. The water electrolysis stack according to claim 4, characterized in that: The resin layer is a phenolic resin layer.

6. The water electrolysis stack according to claim 4, characterized in that: The resin layer is a perfluorosulfonic acid resin layer.

Images