Sealing assembly for alkaline water electrolyzer, electrolysis unit and electrolyzer

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of electrolysis equipment, in particular to a sealing assembly for an alkaline water electrolysis bath, an electrolysis unit and the electrolysis bath. The sealing assembly comprises a rubber sealing ring, a ring groove is formed in an inner ring of the rubber sealing ring, and a diaphragm is embedded in the ring groove. According to the utility model, the diaphragm of which the outer edge is provided with the hard framework is embedded in the rubber sealing ring, so that the problems that the diaphragm is easy to deform, wrinkle and deviate in the forming or vulcanizing process are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of electrolysis equipment, and more specifically, to a sealing component of an alkaline water electrolysis tank, an electrolysis unit and an electrolysis tank. Background Art

[0002] Alkaline water electrolyzers usually include many parts and structural designs, which are stacked on top of each other. These key components include diaphragms, bipolar plates, cathode and anode electrodes, cathode and anode plate frames, current transmission components, flow channels, sealing gaskets, etc. An electrolyzer can be composed of 5 to 300 identical electrolytic units stacked together. To simplify installation, the electrolyzer has some nested structures that allow the components to be inserted or stacked together and then pressed together with screws. After the press-fitting is completed, the metal end plate is fixed, which connects to the electrical system and passes the electrolyte and gas pipeline.

[0003] As an important sealing component of the electrolytic cell, the sealing gasket is related to the overall life and even safety of the electrolytic cell. Traditional PTFE gaskets are prone to inaccurate installation, different compression amounts during heating and tightening, and material creep during long-term operation, which can lead to overall leakage of the sealing groove, short life, and even damage to the electrolytic cell. In addition, the installation process of PTFE gaskets is very complicated. The installation of traditional electrolytic cells takes about 14 days or more, and the production efficiency is extremely low.

[0004] Later, PTFE gaskets were gradually replaced by rubber gaskets, but the rubber gasket replacement solution still has the following technical difficulties: the diaphragm is easily deformed due to stress, pulling or compression during the rubber molding process; the diaphragm is prone to wrinkles and displacement during the rubber vulcanization process. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a sealing assembly for an alkaline water electrolyzer, which can overcome the problems of easy deformation, wrinkling and displacement of the diaphragm during the molding or vulcanization process.

[0006] The above technical objectives of the utility model are achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A sealing component for an alkaline water electrolyzer comprises a rubber sealing ring, an inner ring of which is provided with a ring groove, and a diaphragm is inlaid on the ring groove.

[0008] Optionally, a hard frame is provided on the outer edge of the diaphragm to prevent the diaphragm from deforming, and the hard frame is located in the annular groove.

[0009] Optionally, the diaphragm and the rubber sealing ring are integrally formed.

[0010] Optionally, a first circular groove is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring, and a first circular boss is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring, which is adapted to the first circular groove to form a mortise and tenon structure; an arc-shaped groove is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring, a gas-liquid through hole for guiding the gas generated by electrolysis to the outside or the electrolyte to the inside is provided on the rubber sealing ring, and a second circular boss is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring, which is adapted to the arc-shaped groove to form a mortise and tenon structure; the arc-shaped groove, the gas-liquid through hole and the second circular boss cooperate with each other to form an integrated flow channel; at least two integrated flow channels that penetrate the rubber sealing ring are provided in the area where the first circular groove and the first circular boss overlap, at least one integrated flow channel is located at the upper end of the rubber sealing ring, and at least one integrated flow channel is located at the lower end of the rubber sealing ring.

[0011] Optionally, an anti-blocking boss is provided on the arc-shaped groove to prevent the integrated flow channel from being blocked.

[0012] Optionally, the second annular boss is concentrically arranged with the gas-liquid through hole, and the inner ring diameter of the second annular boss is larger than the diameter of the gas-liquid through hole.

[0013] Optionally, a plurality of limiting rings for the locking screw to pass through are provided on the rubber sealing ring, and the plurality of limiting rings are evenly spaced and distributed on the outer side of the first circular groove.

[0014] Optionally, the limiting ring and the rubber sealing ring are integrally formed.

[0015] Another object of the utility model is to provide an electrolytic unit for an alkaline water electrolyzer, which comprises: the above-mentioned sealing assembly and a plate composite; the plate composite is embedded in the rubber sealing ring and is located on one side of the diaphragm.

[0016] Another object of the utility model is to provide an electrolytic cell, which comprises: a front end plate, an anode plate, a plurality of the above-mentioned electrolytic units, a cathode plate, and a rear end plate which are stacked in sequence; the front end plate and the rear end plate are locked by a plurality of locking screws, and the front end plate and the rear end plate clamp the anode plate, the plurality of the above-mentioned electrolytic units and the cathode plate therebetween; at least one gas through hole is provided at the upper end of the front end plate and the upper end of the rear end plate, and at least one electrolyte through hole is provided at the upper end of the front end plate and the lower end of the rear end plate.

[0017] In summary, the utility model has the following beneficial effects: by embedding the diaphragm in the rubber sealing ring, the problems of easy deformation, wrinkling and displacement of the diaphragm during the molding or vulcanization process are overcome; a hard skeleton is arranged on the outer edge of the diaphragm to further enhance the diaphragm's ability to resist deformation and wrinkling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram I of the sealing component in the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 It is the structural schematic diagram II of the sealing assembly in the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 perspective drawing;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a front view of the sealing assembly in the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Section view at section AA;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of area B;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electrolysis unit in the utility model;

[0025] Figure 8 It is an exploded view of the electrolysis unit in the utility model;

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a diagram of the stacking state of several electrolytic units in the utility model;

[0027] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electrolytic cell in the utility model.

[0028] In the figure: 1. rubber sealing ring; 11. first circular ring groove; 12. first circular ring boss; 13. arc-shaped groove; 14. gas-liquid through hole; 15. second circular ring boss; 16. anti-blocking boss; 17. integrated flow channel; 18. limit ring; 2. diaphragm; 3. hard skeleton; 4. plate complex; 5. electrode unit; 6. front end plate; 61. gas through hole; 62. electrolyte through hole; 7. rear end plate; 8. locking screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the utility model are given in the accompanying drawings. However, the utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0031] The utility model is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] The utility model provides a sealing component for an alkaline water electrolyzer, comprising: a rubber sealing ring 1, an inner ring of the rubber sealing ring 1 is provided with an annular groove (not shown in the drawings), a diaphragm 2 is inlaid on the annular groove, a hard frame 3 is provided on the outer edge of the diaphragm 2 to prevent the diaphragm 2 from deforming, and the hard frame 3 is located in the annular groove.

[0033] like Figure 1-6 As shown, the rubber sealing ring 1 is a circular gasket with a thickness of about 8-9mm. It is made of one or a combination of two or more of ethylene propylene rubber, EVA rubber, natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, polyacrylate rubber, ethylene acrylate rubber, nitrile rubber, and fluororubber. Of course, it can also be made of modified rubber with excellent heat resistance, alkali resistance, heat oxidation resistance, hot water resistance, and insulation. The diaphragm is made of PPS material or other materials. The hard skeleton 3 is made of hard plastic or composite plastic with high strength. The diaphragm 2 and the hard skeleton 3 need to be combined before the rubber sealing gasket ring 1 is produced to ensure that the diaphragm 2 is tightly fixed in the ring groove during the production process to avoid misalignment between the rubber material and the diaphragm during the molding or vulcanization process.

[0034] The utility model overcomes the problems of easy deformation, wrinkling and displacement of the diaphragm 2 during the molding or vulcanization process by embedding the diaphragm 2 with a hard skeleton 3 on the outer edge into the rubber sealing ring 1. In addition, the sealing assembly with the integrated diaphragm 2 is installed as a sealing gasket in the alkaline water electrolyzer, which simplifies the installation process and improves the installation efficiency.

[0035] During production, the diaphragm 2 and the hard frame 3 are preformed into a semi-finished part, or the hard frame 3 is not required. Then, the semi-finished part is assembled on the ring groove of the rubber sealing ring 1, and the formed integral part is a sealing component for an alkaline water electrolyzer. In addition, in order to improve the connection strength between the diaphragm 2 and the rubber sealing ring 1 and save the assembly process, the semi-finished part can be placed in a molding mold of the rubber sealing ring 1 and integrally molded with the rubber material to obtain a sealing component.

[0036] Furthermore, a first circular groove 11 is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring 1, and a first circular boss 12 adapted to the first circular groove 11 to form a mortise and tenon structure is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring 1; an arc-shaped groove 13 is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring 1, a gas-liquid through hole 14 for guiding the gas generated by electrolysis to the outside or the electrolyte to the inside is provided on the rubber sealing ring 1, and a second circular boss 15 adapted to the arc-shaped groove 13 to form a mortise and tenon structure is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring 1; the arc-shaped groove 13, the gas-liquid through hole 14 and the second circular boss 15 cooperate with each other to form an integrated flow channel 17; at least two integrated flow channels 17 penetrating the rubber sealing ring 1 are provided in the area where the first circular groove 11 and the first circular boss 12 overlap, at least one integrated flow channel 17 is located at the upper end of the rubber sealing ring 1, and at least one integrated flow channel 17 is located at the lower end of the rubber sealing ring 1.

[0037] The rubber sealing ring 1 is divided into two sides, the front side and the back side, both of which have a groove flow channel structure and a boss structure. Figure 1 The front side of the rubber sealing ring 1 has two integrated flow channels 17 at the upper and lower ends of the front side. The upper integrated flow channel 17 is mainly for hydrogen and oxygen to pass through, and the lower integrated flow channel 17 is mainly for electrolyte to pass through. Figure 2 The first circular ring boss 12 on the reverse side of the rubber sealing ring 1 can be embedded and matched with the first circular ring groove 11 on the front side. For example, two rubber sealing rings 1 are stacked and placed, and the first circular ring groove 11 of one rubber sealing ring 1 is matched with the first circular ring boss 12 of the other rubber sealing ring 1 to form a mortise and tenon structure, thereby improving the airtightness between the two.

[0038] The depth of the arc groove 13 is about 2-3mm, and its width is greater than the diameter of the gas-liquid through hole 14. The arc groove 13 is embedded with an anti-blocking boss 16 to prevent the integrated flow channel 17 from being blocked. The anti-blocking boss 16 is 1-2mm high and is not connected to the gas-liquid through hole 14 and the inner ring of the rubber sealing ring 1 to avoid stress concentration during compression, which makes the anti-blocking boss 16 easy to damage. The height of the second annular boss 15 is 2-3mm, and the outer diameter needs to be smaller than the width of the arc groove 13 to facilitate nesting during installation.

[0039] The sealing assembly achieves sealing through rubber compression and nested mortise and tenon structures. The second annular boss 15 in the integrated flow channel 17 can prevent the rubber from being compressed too much during installation, resulting in blockage of the flow channel. The compressibility of the rubber can ensure the sealing performance through its own resilience when the electrolytic cell is started and the ambient temperature changes. The embedded structure of the mortise and tenon ensures that there is no leakage of gas and liquid when the entire cell expands and contracts, thereby ensuring the sealing of the entire electrolytic cell.

[0040] Furthermore, the second annular boss 15 is concentrically disposed with the gas-liquid through hole 14 , and the inner ring diameter of the second annular boss 15 is larger than the diameter of the gas-liquid through hole 14 .

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the inner diameter of the second annular boss 15 needs to be larger than the diameter of the gas-liquid through hole 14 to prevent the second annular boss 15 from blocking the gas-liquid through hole 14 due to extrusion deformation.

[0042] Furthermore, a plurality of limiting rings 18 for the locking screw 8 to pass through are provided on the rubber sealing ring 1 , and the plurality of limiting rings 18 are evenly spaced and distributed on the outer side of the first annular groove 11 .

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, eight through holes are evenly spaced on the outer ring of the rubber sealing ring 1, and a stop ring 18 is embedded in each through hole. The stop ring 18 is made of plastic or metal such as PTFE, PSU, PPS, PU, ​​etc., and its molding method is not limited, and it can be compression molding, injection molding or turning. The stop ring 18 is only used as a pressure-bearing and pressure-limiting component, and the compression modulus is not less than 10 times the compression modulus of the rubber sealing ring 1.

[0044] The rubber sealing ring 1 can be embedded in the through hole during the production vulcanization process or the later assembly process. The purpose of providing the limiting ring 18 is to prevent the rubber sealing member 1 from being excessively compressed during the assembly process of the electrolytic cell.

[0045] Furthermore, in order to improve the connection strength between the limit ring 18 and the rubber sealing ring 1 and simplify the assembly process, the limit ring 18 and the rubber sealing ring 1 are integrally formed.

[0046] Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic unit 5 for an alkaline water electrolyzer, which comprises: the above-mentioned sealing assembly and a plate composite 4; the plate composite 4 is embedded in the rubber sealing ring 1 and is located on one side of the diaphragm 2.

[0047] like Figure 7-9As shown, a groove structure is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring 1, and the plate complex 4 is embedded in the rubber sealing ring 1 in an integrally formed manner or a post-assembled manner. The plate complex 4 is not tightly fitted with the diaphragm 2, and the generated gas or electrolyte can enter (flow through) the integrated flow channel 17. The plate complex 4 is a bipolar plate and a membrane electrode assembly, and the overall thickness is about 1-2 mm. Its structure and connection relationship can be set according to the conventional settings in the field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0048] Another object of the utility model is to provide an electrolytic cell, which includes: a front end plate 6, an anode plate (not shown in the drawings), a plurality of the above-mentioned electrolytic units 5, a cathode plate (not shown in the drawings), and a rear end plate 7 stacked in sequence; the front end plate 6 and the rear end plate 7 are locked by a plurality of locking screws 8, and the front end plate 6 and the rear end plate 7 clamp the anode plate, the plurality of the above-mentioned electrolytic units 5 and the cathode plate located therebetween.

[0049] The front end plate 6 has the same structure as the rear end plate 7, and is made of metal. The surface coating is required to be resistant to corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. The front end plate 6 is used as an example below. The front end plate 6 has a gas through hole 61 and an electrolyte through hole 62 corresponding to the electrolytic unit 5. The gas through hole 61 and the electrolyte through hole 62 cooperate with the integrated flow channel 17 through corresponding pipelines, wherein the gas through hole 61 is located at the upper end of the front end plate 6, and the electrolyte through hole 62 is located at the lower end of the front end plate 6. The principle is that the gas density is less than the liquid density. The front end plate 6 is also provided with assembly holes whose number and position correspond to the limit ring 18 one by one, which are used to cooperate with the limit ring 18 and the locking screw 8 in the electrolytic unit 5. The number of holes needs to be related to the number of press-fitting of the electrolytic cell and the size and quality of the electrolytic cell. The above-mentioned assembly holes are also used as fastening screw holes for pressing the electrolytic unit 5. When the electrolytic cell is installed, the locking screw 8 is passed through the front end plate 6 and the rear end plate 7 to fix multiple electrolytic units 5. Different manufacturers have different ways of connecting internal circuits, and need to make holes on the front end plate 6 or the rear end plate 7 to connect wires, power-on devices, etc. This is not the invention point of the utility model and will not be elaborated here.

[0050] In summary, the utility model has the following beneficial effects: (1) By embedding the diaphragm 2 with a hard skeleton 3 on the outer edge into the rubber sealing ring 1, the problems of easy deformation, easy wrinkling and easy displacement of the diaphragm 2 during the molding or vulcanization process are overcome. In the later stage, the diaphragm can be embedded in the sealing rubber ring without embedding the hard skeleton through process improvement. (2) The electrolytic cell uses better rubber sealing materials than PTFE, thereby improving the conversion efficiency. It can withstand higher cavity temperatures and higher cavity pressures. In addition, the rubber has a longer-lasting rebound performance, ensuring the long-term reliability of the seal and extending the overall service life. (3) The diaphragm 2 and the electrode plate complex are integrated on the rubber sealing ring 1, which simplifies the installation process and reduces the material and installation costs. (4) The rubber sealing ring 1 can effectively prevent vibration, reduce resonance during the start-up and shutdown and operation of the electrolytic cell, and improve the service life.

[0051] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions under the concept of the present invention belong to the protection scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, some improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly for an alkaline water electrolyzer, characterized in that: include: A rubber sealing ring, wherein an annular groove is provided on the inner ring of the rubber sealing ring, and a diaphragm is inlaid on the annular groove.

2. The sealing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein a hard frame is provided on the outer edge of the diaphragm to prevent the diaphragm from deforming, and the hard frame is located in the annular groove.

3. The sealing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The diaphragm and the rubber sealing ring are integrally formed.

4. The sealing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that A first circular groove is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring, and a first circular boss is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring to match the first circular groove to form a mortise and tenon structure; an arc-shaped groove is provided on one side of the rubber sealing ring, a gas-liquid through hole for guiding the gas generated by electrolysis to the outside or the electrolyte to the inside is provided on the rubber sealing ring, and a second circular boss is provided on the other side of the rubber sealing ring to match the arc-shaped groove to form a mortise and tenon structure; the arc-shaped groove, the gas-liquid through hole and the second circular boss cooperate with each other to form an integrated flow channel; at least two integrated flow channels that penetrate the rubber sealing ring are provided in the area where the first circular groove and the first circular boss overlap, at least one integrated flow channel is located at the upper end of the rubber sealing ring, and at least one integrated flow channel is located at the lower end of the rubber sealing ring.

5. The sealing assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that An anti-blocking boss is arranged on the arc-shaped groove to prevent the integrated flow channel from being blocked.

6. The sealing assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that The second annular boss is concentrically arranged with the gas-liquid through hole, and the inner ring diameter of the second annular boss is larger than the diameter of the gas-liquid through hole.

7. The sealing assembly according to claim 2, wherein: A plurality of limiting rings for the locking screw to pass through are arranged on the rubber sealing ring, and the plurality of limiting rings are evenly spaced and distributed on the outer side of the first circular groove.

8. The sealing assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that The limiting ring and the rubber sealing ring are integrally formed.

9. An electrolysis unit for an alkaline water electrolyzer, characterized in that: include: The sealing assembly and the electrode plate composite according to any one of claims 1 to 7; the electrode plate composite is embedded in the rubber sealing ring and is located on one side of the diaphragm.

10. An electrolytic cell, characterized in that: include: A front end plate, an anode plate, several electrolytic units as claimed in claim 7, a cathode plate, and a rear end plate are stacked in sequence; the front end plate and the rear end plate are locked by several locking screws, and the front end plate and the rear end plate clamp the anode plate, several electrolytic units and the cathode plate therebetween; at least one gas through hole is opened at the upper end of the front end plate and the upper end of the rear end plate, and at least one electrolyte through hole is opened at the upper end of the front end plate and the lower end of the rear end plate.

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