Electrochemical oxygen consumption device and storage container

Abstract

The present application proposes an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device comprising an ion exchange membrane separating a cathode side and an anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device, an anode plate on the anode side and a cathode plate on the cathode side. The anode plate, the ion exchange membrane and the cathode plate are arranged so as to allow an electrochemical reaction to occur in the event that an electric current is applied to the anode plate and the cathode plate, said electrochemical reaction causing oxygen to be consumed on the cathode side, water to be generated on a first side of the cathode side and the anode side, and water to be consumed on a second side of the cathode side and the anode side. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device further comprises a water guide structure allowing water to be transferred from the first side to the second side in a bypass manner relative to the ion exchange membrane; and a porous hydrophobic layer disposed on a surface of the respective cathode plate or anode plate facing away from the ion exchange membrane at the first side. The utility model provides a storage container. Therefore, water generated on the first side can be efficiently conveyed to the second side, so that water circulation participates in an electrochemical reaction consuming oxygen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electrochemistry and article storage, and in particular to an electrochemical oxygen consumption device and a storage container. Background Art

[0002] For some items (such as fresh food such as vegetables, fruits, and fresh meat), in order to ensure freshness and extend the storage period, they are usually stored in storage containers that can provide a low-oxygen environment. In order to produce a low-oxygen fresh-keeping atmosphere, existing storage containers can be equipped with a low-oxygen chamber and an electrochemical oxygen consumption device, so that the electrochemical reaction of the electrochemical oxygen consumption device consumes oxygen in the low-oxygen chamber to extend the storage period.

[0003] Existing electrochemical oxygen consumption devices generally include an anode plate, a cathode plate, and a membrane assembly (CCM, Catalyst Coated Membrane) located between the two. The membrane assembly usually includes a proton exchange membrane (PEM, Proton Exchange Membrane), a cathode catalyst layer, and an anode catalyst layer. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device can be installed on the wall of the hypoxic chamber so that the cathode plate faces the inside of the hypoxic chamber and the anode plate faces the outside of the hypoxic chamber. For example, when direct current is supplied to the anode plate and the cathode plate respectively, a water electrolysis reaction can occur on the anode side: 2H 2 O→O 2 +4H + +4e - , and the generated H + Passing through the proton exchange membrane to the cathode catalyst layer, oxygen consumption reaction can occur on the cathode side: O 2 +4H + +4e - →2H 2 O. Thus, when the electrochemical oxygen consumption device is working, the oxygen on one side of the cathode plate (i.e., the inner side of the hypoxic chamber) can be consumed, thereby providing a hypoxic atmosphere in the hypoxic chamber. Since the moisture on one side of the anode plate (i.e., the outer side of the hypoxic chamber) is continuously consumed, the water content in the surrounding environment on one side of the anode plate gradually decreases, causing the electrochemical reaction to be unable to continue. Therefore, a water tank is usually provided for the electrochemical oxygen consumption device, and water needs to be replenished in a timely manner to maintain the continuation of the electrochemical reaction. In addition, since water is continuously generated on one side of the cathode plate, water condensation may occur in the hypoxic chamber due to the accumulation of supersaturated moisture, which is not conducive to freshness preservation.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing electrochemical oxygen consumption devices and storage containers. Utility Model Content

[0005] The object of the present application is to provide an improved electrochemical oxygen consumption device and a corresponding storage container so as to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device is provided. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device includes an ion exchange membrane that separates the cathode side and the anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device, an anode plate located on the anode side, and a cathode plate located on the cathode side. The anode plate, the ion exchange membrane, and the cathode plate are arranged to allow an electrochemical reaction to occur when a current is applied to the anode plate and the cathode plate. The electrochemical reaction causes oxygen to be consumed on the cathode side, water to be generated on the first side of the cathode side and the anode side, and water to be consumed on the second side of the cathode side and the anode side. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device further includes: a water guiding structure that allows water to be transported from the first side to the second side bypassing the ion exchange membrane; and a porous hydrophobic layer disposed on the surface of the corresponding cathode plate or anode plate on the first side facing away from the ion exchange membrane.

[0007] Gas can pass through the porous hydrophobic layer, thus not hindering the progress of the reaction. The water generated on the first side can remain at the porous hydrophobic layer. In the case where the generated water is in a gaseous state, the gaseous water can be retained within the porous hydrophobic layer. The porous hydrophobic layer also helps to retain liquid condensate when the water on the first side tends to be saturated. Therefore, the porous hydrophobic layer can help to establish a water concentration difference between the first side and the second side. Thus, through the porous hydrophobic layer and the water guiding structure, the water generated on the first side can be efficiently transported to the second side to enable the water cycle to participate in the oxygen-consuming electrochemical reaction.

[0008] Thus, the electrochemical reaction can proceed continuously without the need to additionally supply water to the second side. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device can omit the water tank. In addition, it can also prevent the adverse effects caused by the accumulation of water on the first side, such as being unfavorable for the preservation of items.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the porous hydrophobic layer is an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene layer.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the average pore diameter of the porous hydrophobic layer can be between 0.05 μm and 0.2 μm.

[0011] The average pore diameter of the porous hydrophobic layer is, for example, 0.1 μm.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the cathode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device faces a first space, and the anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device faces a second space. The water guiding structure can include a water permeable membrane that allows water to pass through but does not allow oxygen to pass through, and the first space and the second space are at least partially separated by the water permeable membrane.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the water permeable membrane and the ion exchange membrane can be formed as an integral part.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the water permeable membrane and the ion exchange membrane may be located in the same plane, and the water permeable membrane extends from at least one side of the ion exchange membrane.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the water permeable membrane and / or the ion exchange membrane may be formed as one of a perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane, a partially fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, a non-fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, and a composite proton exchange membrane.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the porous hydrophobic layer may extend towards the water permeable membrane and at least partially cover the water permeable membrane.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the water guiding structure may further include at least one of the following: a first water absorbing layer, which is in contact with the porous hydrophobic layer and extends towards the water permeable membrane and at least partially covers the water permeable membrane; a second water absorbing layer, which at least partially covers the corresponding cathode plate or anode plate on the second side and extends towards the water permeable membrane and at least partially covers the water permeable membrane.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the second water absorbing layer may completely cover the corresponding cathode plate or anode plate on the second side.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the portions of the first water absorbing layer and the second water absorbing layer that cover the water permeable membrane may face each other on both sides of the water permeable membrane.

[0020] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a storage container, the storage container including: a housing that defines an internal storage space; and an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device being arranged and adapted to consume oxygen in the internal storage space. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Hereinafter, the present application will be described in more detail by referring to the drawings, and the principles, features, and advantages of the present application can be better understood. The drawings include:

[0022] Figure 1 Schematically showing an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematically showing an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematically showing a storage container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application; and

[0025] Figure 4 Schematically showing a storage container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0026] List of Reference Numerals

[0027] 1 Electrochemical oxygen consumption device

[0028] 11 Ion exchange membrane

[0029] 12 Anode plate

[0030] 13 Cathode plate

[0031] 14 Water guiding structure

[0032] 140 Channel

[0033] 141 Water permeable membrane

[0034] 142 First water absorption layer

[0035] 143 Second water absorption layer

[0036] 15 Porous hydrophobic layer

[0037] 16 Anode catalyst layer

[0038] 17 Cathode catalyst layer

[0039] 18 Power supply

[0040] 101 First side

[0041] 102 Second side

[0042] 103 First space

[0043] 104 Second space

[0044] 2 Storage container

[0045] 3 Housing

[0046] 30 Internal storage space Detailed implementation manners

[0047] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by this application clearer and more understandable, the following will further elaborate on this application in combination with the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application, rather than to limit the protection scope of this application.

[0048] It should be understood that in this text, expressions such as "first" and "second" are only for descriptive purposes, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be construed as implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature.

[0049] Figure 1Schematically shown is an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0050] As Figure 1 shown, the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 includes an ion exchange membrane 11 that separates the cathode side and the anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1, an anode plate 12 located on the anode side, and a cathode plate 13 located on the cathode side. The anode plate 12, the ion exchange membrane 11, and the cathode plate 13 are arranged to allow an electrochemical reaction to occur when a current is applied to the anode plate 12 and the cathode plate 13. The electrochemical reaction causes oxygen to be consumed on the cathode side, water to be generated on the first side 101 of the cathode side and the anode side, and water to be consumed on the second side 102 of the cathode side and the anode side.

[0051] This electrochemical reaction is, for example, an electrolysis of water reaction. In this embodiment, a direct current can be applied to the anode plate 12 and the cathode plate 13 such that an electrochemical reaction that consumes water and generates hydrogen ions occurs on the anode side, and an electrochemical reaction that consumes oxygen and generates water occurs at the cathode side.

[0052] The electrochemical reactions occurring on the anode side and the cathode side are respectively:

[0053] Anode: 2H 2 O → 4H + + O 2 + 4e -

[0054] Cathode: O 2 + 4H + + 4e - → 2H 2 O

[0055] As shown in the above electrochemical reaction formulas, water reacts on the anode side to generate hydrogen ions (i.e., protons), oxygen, and electrons. The hydrogen ions pass through the ion exchange membrane 11 (here a proton exchange membrane) to reach the cathode side, and the electrons reach the cathode side through an external circuit, thus reacting with oxygen together on the cathode side to generate water. Therefore, in Figure 1 the embodiment shown, the cathode side is the first side 101 where water is generated, and the anode side is the second side 102 where water is consumed.

[0056] The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 further includes a water guiding structure 14 and a porous hydrophobic layer 15. The water guiding structure 14 is configured to allow water to be transported from the first side 101 to the second side 102 bypassing the ion exchange membrane 11. "Bypassing" means that water can be transported from the first side 101 to the second side 102 via the water guiding structure 14 without passing through the ion exchange membrane 11. The porous hydrophobic layer 15 is arranged on the surface of the corresponding cathode plate 13 or anode plate 12 at the first side 101 facing away from the ion exchange membrane 11. As Figure 1As shown, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 is disposed on the surface of the cathode plate 13 facing away from the ion exchange membrane 11. The porous hydrophobic layer 15 can at least partially, for example, completely cover the cathode plate 13.

[0057] Gas can pass through the porous hydrophobic layer 15, thus not hindering the progress of the reaction. For example, oxygen can pass through the porous hydrophobic layer 15 to react on the cathode side. The water generated on the cathode side can remain at the porous hydrophobic layer 15 on the cathode plate 13. In the case where the generated water is in a gaseous state, the gaseous water can be retained within the porous hydrophobic layer 15. The porous hydrophobic layer 15 also helps to retain liquid condensate when the water on the first side 101 tends to be saturated. Therefore, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can help establish a water concentration difference between the first side 101 and the second side 102. Thus, through the porous hydrophobic layer 15 and the water guiding structure 14, the water generated on the first side 101 can be efficiently transported to the second side 102 to enable the water cycle to participate in the oxygen-consuming electrochemical reaction.

[0058] Thereby, the electrochemical reaction can proceed continuously without the need to additionally supply water to the second side 102. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 can dispense with a water tank. In addition, it can also prevent adverse effects caused by water accumulation on the first side 101, such as being unfavorable for item preservation.

[0059] The water guiding structure 14 can, for example, include a channel 140 communicating from the first side 101 to the second side 102. As an example, the channel 140 can be submerged by water, such that water can be transported from the first side 101 via the channel 140 to the second side 102, while oxygen cannot be transported from the second side 102 via the channel 140 to the first side 101. In other embodiments, the water guiding structure 14 can also have other embodiments for preventing oxygen passage.

[0060] The porous hydrophobic layer 15 can, for example, be configured as an e-PTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) layer. It is also feasible for the porous hydrophobic layer 15 to be made of other hydrophobic materials.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the average pore size of the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can be between 0.05 μm and 0.2 μm. In particular, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can have an average pore size of 0.1 μm. This helps to improve the efficiency of oxygen consumption through the electrochemical reaction.

[0062] As Figure 1As shown, the cathode plate 13 is arranged opposite to the anode plate 12, and the ion exchange membrane 11 is arranged between the cathode plate 13 and the anode plate 12. In addition, the electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 may further include an anode catalyst layer 16 located between the anode plate 12 and the ion exchange membrane 11 and a cathode catalyst layer 17 located between the cathode plate 13 and the ion exchange membrane 11. The anode plate 12, the cathode plate 13, the anode catalyst layer 16, and the cathode catalyst layer 17 are stacked on top of each other. The anode plate 12, the cathode plate 13, the anode catalyst layer 16, and the cathode catalyst layer 17 can be made of materials commonly used in the art. For example, the anode plate 12 and the cathode plate 13 can be made of conductive graphite, metal, or composite conductive materials, the anode catalyst layer can be made of platinum, iridium, ruthenium, etc., and the cathode catalyst layer can be made of platinum, palladium, etc.

[0063] In addition, although not shown here, the electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 may further include an anode diffusion layer and a cathode diffusion layer. For example, the anode catalyst layer 16 may be formed integrally with the anode diffusion layer, and the cathode catalyst layer 17 may be formed integrally with the cathode diffusion layer.

[0064] The electrochemical oxygen consumption device may further include a power source 18. The positive electrode of the power source 18 is connected to the anode plate 12, and the negative electrode of the power source 18 is connected to the cathode plate 13.

[0065] Figure 2 The electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0066] In this embodiment, the electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 has a structure similar to that of the Figure 1 electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 shown. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device 1 includes an ion exchange membrane 11, an anode plate 12, a cathode plate 13, a water guiding structure 14, and a porous hydrophobic layer 15. When an electric current is applied to the anode plate 12 and the cathode plate 13, an electrochemical reaction can occur. The electrochemical reaction causes oxygen to be consumed on the cathode side, water to be generated on the first side 101 of the cathode side and the anode side, and water to be consumed on the second side 102 of the cathode side and the anode side.

[0067] In Figure 2 the embodiment shown, the following electrochemical reactions can occur on the anode side and the cathode side:

[0068] Anode: 4OH - →O 2 +2H 2 O + 4e -

[0069] Cathode: O 2 +2H 2 O + 4e - →4OH -

[0070] As shown in the above electrochemical reaction formula, oxygen, water, and electrons react at the cathode to generate OH - . OH - enters the anode side through the ion exchange membrane 11 (here an anion exchange membrane), and is oxidized at the anode side to generate oxygen, water, and electrons. The electrons can reach the cathode side through the external circuit. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2 , the anode side is the first side 101 where water is generated, and the cathode side is the second side 102 where water is consumed.

[0071] In this case, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can be arranged on the surface of the anode plate 12 facing away from the ion exchange membrane 11. The water generated on the anode side can be retained at the porous hydrophobic layer 15 on the anode plate 12. Through the porous hydrophobic layer 15 and the water guiding structure 14, the generated water can be efficiently transported from the first side 101 (here the anode side) to the second side 102 (here the cathode side) to enable the water cycle to participate in the oxygen-consuming electrochemical reaction.

[0072] Figure 3 The storage container 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0073] As shown in Figure 3 , the storage container 2 includes a housing 3 and an electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1. The housing 3 defines an internal storage space 30, for example, for storing fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat. The storage container 2 can be, for example, a refrigerator. The housing 3 can be the wall of a refrigerated drawer or the wall of a refrigerated compartment in a refrigerator. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 can be configured as the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 according to the embodiments of the present application. The electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 is arranged to be adapted to consume oxygen in the internal storage space 30.

[0074] For example, the housing 3 can be provided with an opening (not labeled), and the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 can be disposed in the opening and form a seal around the opening. For example, the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 can especially be formed as an integral structure, so only one opening needs to be provided on the housing 3, thereby simplifying the installation and subsequent maintenance of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 on the storage container 2, and facilitating the manufacture of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 and the storage container 2.

[0075] In addition, the housing 3 can further include a door (not shown), and the door can be configured to be able to open to allow items to be placed into the internal storage space 30, and be able to close to prevent oxygen from entering the internal storage space 30. When the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 operates, the oxygen in the internal storage space 30 can be consumed. Therefore, the housing 3 can define a storage environment with a low-oxygen atmosphere.

[0076] The storage container 2 of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned refrigerator, and can also be a cold storage warehouse, a refrigerated carriage, or a storage container without a cooling function, etc.

[0077] In Figure 3 the illustrated embodiment, when a direct current is applied to the anode plate 12 and the cathode plate 13 of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1, an electrochemical reaction that consumes water and generates hydrogen ions can occur on the anode side, and an electrochemical reaction that consumes oxygen and generates water can occur on the cathode side. The cathode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 faces the first space 103, and the anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 faces the second space 104. Here, the first space 103 can be a part of the internal storage space 30 of the storage container 2, or the first space 103 can communicate with the internal storage space 30 of the storage container 2. The second space 104 can be isolated from the first space 103 and the internal storage space 30 of the storage container 2. The second space 104 can communicate with the external environment of the storage container 2, for example.

[0078] The water guiding structure 14 can include a water permeable membrane 141 that allows moisture to pass through but does not allow oxygen to pass through. The first space 103 and the second space 104 are at least partially separated by the water permeable membrane 141. Thereby, it helps to reduce the moisture in the internal storage space 30, supply moisture to the anode side, and maintain a low oxygen atmosphere in the internal storage space 30.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the water permeable membrane 141 can be formed as an integral part with the ion exchange membrane 11. In Figure 3 it, the ion exchange membrane 11 and the water permeable membrane 141 are schematically separated by a dashed line, but the two are actually formed as an integral body. Thereby, not only the structure of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 can be simplified, but also the structure of the storage container 2 can be simplified, facilitating the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 and the storage container 2.

[0080] The ion exchange membrane 11 and the water permeable membrane 141 can be particularly located in the same plane, and the water permeable membrane 141 extends from at least one side of the ion exchange membrane 11. In Figure 3 it, the water permeable membrane 141 extends from one side of the four sides of the ion exchange membrane 11. As an example, the water permeable membrane 141 can also extend from three sides of the four sides of the first membrane. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the ion exchange membrane 11 and the water permeable membrane 141 can also not be located in the same plane. For example, the ion exchange membrane 11 can be located in a horizontal plane, while the water permeable membrane 141 can be located in a vertical plane. That is to say, the water permeable membrane 141 can be bent relative to the ion exchange membrane 11. Additionally, the water permeable membrane 141 can also completely surround the ion exchange membrane 11. According to the opening design on the housing 3 of the storage container 2, the specific shapes of the ion exchange membrane 11 and the water permeable membrane 141 can be appropriately adjusted. For example, the ion exchange membrane 11 and the water permeable membrane 141 can be square, rectangular, circular, oval, etc.

[0081] As an example, the water-permeable membrane 141 and / or the ion-exchange membrane 11 is formed as one of a perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane, a partially fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, a non-fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, and a composite proton exchange membrane. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and various membranes capable of achieving water permeability but not oxygen permeability can be used. Since the ion-exchange membrane 11 and the water-permeable membrane 141 can be made of the same material to form an integral member, the production process can be simplified. For example, an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer can be coated on both sides of a part of a membrane, so that this part is formed as the ion-exchange membrane 11, and the remaining part is formed as the water-permeable membrane 141.

[0082] Figure 3 It is also shown that a porous hydrophobic layer 15 is arranged on the cathode plate 13 to improve the efficiency of circulating the water generated on the cathode side to the anode side. It can be seen that the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can extend towards the water-permeable membrane 141 and at least partially cover the water-permeable membrane 141. The water generated on the cathode side can diffuse from the cathode plate 13 to the water-permeable membrane 141 via the porous hydrophobic layer 15. Thus, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can be used to guide the water generated on the cathode side to the water-permeable membrane 141. This helps to establish a water concentration difference on both sides of the water-permeable membrane 141, thereby further improving the efficiency of circulating the water generated on the cathode side to the anode side. For example, the porous hydrophobic layer 15 can completely cover the cathode plate 13 and the water-permeable membrane 141 on the side facing the first space 103.

[0083] Figure 4 A storage container 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is schematically shown.

[0084] Figure 4 The shown storage container 2 has the same Figure 3 The shown storage container 2 has a similar structure. Different from Figure 3 the shown embodiment, in Figure 4 the shown embodiment, the water guiding structure 14 of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 may include a first water-absorbing layer 142. The first water-absorbing layer 142 is in contact with the porous hydrophobic layer 15, extends towards the water-permeable membrane 141 and at least partially covers the water-permeable membrane 141. The first water-absorbing layer 142 can, for example, partially cover the porous hydrophobic layer 15. Thus, the first water-absorbing layer 142 can be used to guide the water generated on the cathode side to the water-permeable membrane 141. This also helps to establish a water concentration difference on both sides of the water-permeable membrane 141, thereby further improving the efficiency of circulating the water generated on the first side 101 to the second side 102.

[0085] Alternatively or additionally, the water guiding structure 14 may include a second water absorption layer 143. The second water absorption layer 143 may at least partially cover the corresponding cathode plate 13 or anode plate 12 (the cathode plate 13 in this embodiment) at the second side 102, extend towards the water permeable membrane 141 and at least partially cover the water permeable membrane 141. Thus, the second water absorption layer 143 can be used to guide the water passing through the water permeable membrane 141 to the corresponding cathode plate 13 or anode plate 12 (the anode plate 12 in this embodiment) at the second side 102. This is beneficial to improving the efficiency of the water cycle generated on the first side 101 to the second side 102.

[0086] For example, the second water absorption layer 143 may completely cover the corresponding cathode plate 13 or anode plate 12 at the second side 102, so that the distribution of water on the second side 102 is more uniform.

[0087] As Figure 4 shown, when the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device 1 is provided with the first water absorption layer 142 and the second water absorption layer 143, the portions of the first water absorption layer 142 and the second water absorption layer 143 covering the water permeable membrane 141 may be opposite to each other on both sides of the water permeable membrane 141.

[0088] Although specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail herein, they are given for purposes of explanation only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present application. Various substitutions, changes and modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. In specific implementations, multiple features can be combined with each other according to actual needs and when technically feasible. In particular, features in different embodiments can also be combined with each other.

Claims

1. An electrochemical oxygen consumption device, the electrochemical oxygen consumption device (1) comprising an ion exchange membrane (11) separating a cathode side and an anode side of the electrochemical oxygen consumption device (1), an anode plate (12) located on the anode side and a cathode plate (13) located on the cathode side, the anode plate (12), the ion exchange membrane (11) and the cathode plate (13) being arranged to allow an electrochemical reaction to occur when an electric current is applied to the anode plate (12) and the cathode plate (13), wherein the electrochemical reaction causes oxygen to be consumed on the cathode side, water to be generated on a first side (101) of the cathode side and the anode side, and water to be consumed on a second side (102) of the cathode side and the anode side, wherein: The electrochemical oxygen consumption device (1) further comprises: a water conducting structure (14) that allows water to be transferred from the first side (101) to the second side (102) in a bypass manner relative to the ion exchange membrane (11); and A porous hydrophobic layer (15) is arranged on the surface of the cathode plate (13) or anode plate (12) at the first side (101) facing away from the ion exchange membrane (11).

2. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The porous hydrophobic layer (15) is an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene layer.

3. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The average pore size of the porous hydrophobic layer (15) is between 0.05 μm and 0.2 μm; or The average pore size of the porous hydrophobic layer (15) is 0.1 μm.

4. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cathode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device (1) faces the first space (103), and the anode side of the electrochemical oxygen-consuming device (1) faces the second space (104). The water-conducting structure (14) comprises a water-permeable membrane (141) that allows water to pass through but does not allow oxygen to pass through. The first space (103) and the second space (104) are at least partially separated by the water-permeable membrane (141).

5. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water permeable membrane (141) and the ion exchange membrane (11) are formed as an integral part; and / or The water permeable membrane (141) and the ion exchange membrane (11) are located in the same plane, and the water permeable membrane (141) extends from at least one side of the ion exchange membrane (11).

6. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water permeable membrane (141) and / or the ion exchange membrane (11) is formed as one of a perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane, a partially fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane, a non-fluorinated polymer proton exchange membrane and a composite proton exchange membrane.

7. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The porous hydrophobic layer (15) extends toward the water-permeable membrane (141) and at least partially covers the water-permeable membrane (141).

8. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water guiding structure (14) further comprises at least one of the following: A first water-absorbing layer (142) which contacts the porous hydrophobic layer (15) and extends toward the water-permeable membrane (141) and at least partially covers the water-permeable membrane (141); A second water absorbing layer (143) at least partially covers the corresponding cathode plate (13) or anode plate (12) at the second side (102) and extends toward the water permeable membrane (141) and at least partially covers the water permeable membrane (141).

9. The electrochemical oxygen consumption device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second water absorbing layer (143) completely covers the corresponding cathode plate (13) or anode plate (12) at the second side (102); and / or Portions of the first water-absorbing layer (142) and the second water-absorbing layer (143) that cover the water-permeable film (141) are opposed to each other on both sides of the water-permeable film (141).

10. A storage container, characterized in that: The storage container (2) comprises: a housing (3) defining an internal storage space (30); and The electrochemical oxygen consumption device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electrochemical oxygen consumption device (1) is arranged to consume oxygen in an internal storage space (30).

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