Electrolysis system

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes an electrolysis system comprising: an electrolytic cell for electrolyzing water in an electrolyte; the electrolyte tank is used for storing electrolyte and is in fluid communication with the electrolytic tank through an electrolyte circulating pipeline; the distiller is configured to generate desalted water based on the temperature difference of liquid received by the high-temperature liquid inlet and the low-temperature liquid inlet, and supply the desalted water to the electrolyte tank through a desalted water supply pipeline; the cold water pump is configured to supply liquid to the high-temperature liquid inlet through a high-temperature liquid supply pipeline and supply liquid to the low-temperature liquid inlet through a low-temperature liquid supply pipeline; and the heat exchanger is arranged on the electrolyte circulating pipeline and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and is configured to realize mutual fluid isolation and thermal coupling of the electrolyte conveyed by the electrolyte circulating pipeline and the liquid conveyed by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electrolysis, and more particularly, to an improved electrolysis system. BACKGROUND

[0002] An electrolysis system is an electrochemical device capable of converting electrical energy into chemical energy by electrolysis of water, which is widely used in the hydrogen production industry, especially in fields requiring high-purity hydrogen, such as chemical industry, electronics, food processing, etc. In addition, with the development of renewable energy, electrolysis systems are also used to convert renewable energy such as wind energy and solar energy into chemical energy storage, i.e., the production of green hydrogen.

[0003] Taking an alkaline solution electrolytic cell as an example, after supplying direct current to the electrolytic cell, water molecules obtain electrons at the cathode electrode and are reduced into hydrogen molecules and hydroxyl ions, the hydroxyl ions can penetrate the diaphragm to reach the anode electrode and lose electrons at the anode electrode, thereby being oxidized into oxygen molecules and water molecules. With the progress of the above-mentioned electrochemical reaction, the water in the alkaline solution will be continuously consumed, therefore in the existing electrolysis system, a separate water replenishment system needs to be provided for replenishing desalinated water to the electrolysis system, so as to maintain the concentration of the alkaline solution within a certain range. In addition, heat will be produced as a byproduct along with hydrogen and oxygen, therefore in the existing electrolysis system, a separate cooling system (e.g., a heat sink and a fan) also needs to be provided for dissipating the heat generated in the electrolysis process to the surrounding environment, so as to maintain the temperature of the electrolytic cell within a certain range. However, providing a separate water replenishment system and cooling system will undoubtedly increase the energy consumption of the electrolysis system and increase the production cost of the electrolysis system, and dissipating heat to the surrounding environment will undoubtedly reduce the energy utilization rate and working efficiency of the electrolysis system.

[0004] Therefore, in the field, there is an urgent need for a technical solution capable of reducing the production cost and energy consumption of the electrolysis system and improving the energy utilization rate and working efficiency thereof. SUMMARY

[0005] To solve the above problems in the prior art, the present disclosure proposes an improved electrolysis system, which comprises: an electrolysis cell for electrolyzing water in an electrolyte; an electrolyte tank for storing the electrolyte, the electrolyte tank being in fluid communication with the electrolysis cell through an electrolyte circulation pipeline; a distiller configured to produce desalinated water based on a temperature difference of liquids received by a high-temperature liquid inlet and a low-temperature liquid inlet, and supply the desalinated water to the electrolyte tank through a desalinated water supply pipeline; a cold water pump configured to supply liquids to the high-temperature liquid inlet through a high-temperature liquid supply pipeline and to the low-temperature liquid inlet through a low-temperature liquid supply pipeline; and a heat exchanger disposed on the electrolyte circulation pipeline and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the electrolyte circulation pipeline and the liquids transported by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline from each other.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrolyte tank comprises a hydrogen side electrolyte tank and an oxygen side electrolyte tank, and the electrolyte circulation pipeline comprises a hydrogen side electrolyte discharge pipeline for transporting electrolyte from the electrolysis cell to the hydrogen side electrolyte tank, an oxygen side electrolyte discharge pipeline for transporting electrolyte from the electrolysis cell to the oxygen side electrolyte tank, and an electrolyte supply pipeline for transporting electrolyte from the hydrogen side electrolyte tank and the oxygen side electrolyte tank to the electrolysis cell.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger is disposed on the electrolyte supply pipeline and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the electrolyte supply pipeline and the liquids transported by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline from each other.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrolysis system further comprises an electrolyte pump disposed on the electrolyte supply pipeline, and the heat exchanger is upstream of the electrolyte pump on the electrolyte supply pipeline.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger is disposed on the hydrogen side electrolyte discharge pipeline and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the hydrogen side electrolyte discharge pipeline and the liquids transported by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline from each other.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger is disposed on the oxygen side electrolyte discharge pipeline and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the oxygen side electrolyte discharge pipeline and the liquids transported by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline from each other.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat exchanger is disposed on the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline, the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline, and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline, and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple electrolyte delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline, electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline, and liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline from each other.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the distiller is in fluid communication with the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank and / or the oxygen-side electrolyte tank through the desalinated water supply pipeline.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the distiller comprises a housing and a distillation unit disposed in the housing, the distillation unit comprising a high-temperature liquid conduit in fluid communication with the high-temperature liquid inlet and a low-temperature liquid conduit in fluid communication with the low-temperature liquid inlet and arranged adjacent to the high-temperature liquid conduit, the high-temperature liquid conduit being made of a gas-permeable waterproof material, and the low-temperature liquid conduit being made of a gas-tight waterproof material.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the low-temperature liquid conduit is arranged to surround the high-temperature liquid conduit in a spiral manner.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the distiller comprises a plurality of distillation units disposed in the housing, wherein each distillation unit comprises one high-temperature liquid conduit and a plurality of low-temperature liquid conduits arranged adjacent to the high-temperature liquid conduit.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the distiller is provided with a desalinated water outlet configured to supply desalinated water to the desalinated water supply pipeline on the housing, the desalinated water outlet being positioned below the distillation unit.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the high-temperature liquid inlet and the low-temperature liquid inlet are disposed on the housing, and the distiller is further provided with a high-temperature liquid outlet in fluid communication with the high-temperature liquid inlet through the high-temperature liquid conduit and a low-temperature liquid outlet in fluid communication with the low-temperature liquid inlet through the low-temperature liquid conduit on the housing.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the high-temperature liquid inlet and the high-temperature liquid outlet are diagonally arranged, and the low-temperature liquid inlet and the low-temperature liquid outlet are diagonally arranged.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrolysis system further comprises a desalinated water pump disposed on the desalinated water supply pipeline.

[0020] The present disclosure can be embodied as the illustrative embodiments in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative, and any variations envisaged under the teachings of the present disclosure should be considered to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings should not necessarily be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a distiller of the electrolysis system in

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description, with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, and the individual drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily being limited to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure shown herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are merely provided for the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure and conveying the spirit and substance of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0028] The present disclosure aims to propose an improved electrolysis system, in particular, an electrolysis system using an alkaline solution (e.g., a potassium hydroxide solution, a sodium hydroxide solution, etc.) as an electrolyte, which is capable of utilizing the heat generated during the electrolysis process to heat a liquid (e.g., seawater from the ocean, lake water from a lake, etc.) from a natural environment to generate water vapor and then converting the water vapor into desalinated water using a distiller, and further using the desalinated water to replenish the water consumed due to the electrolysis. Thus, on one hand, the electrolysis system according to the present disclosure is capable of recycling the heat generated during the electrolysis process, thereby improving its energy utilization, and on the other hand, the electrolysis system no longer needs to be equipped with a separate water replenishment system and a cooling system, thereby simplifying its structure and reducing its production cost.

[0029] Various alternative but non-limiting embodiments of the electrolysis system according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below in conjunction with various drawings. It should be noted that although the following description will be made by way of example with respect to an alkaline solution electrolysis system, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the teachings of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other types of electrolysis systems, such as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis system, a solid polymer anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis system, etc., and thus the specific type of electrolysis system cannot constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0030] Reference is made to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1 , the electrolysis system 10 includes an electrolysis tank 100 configured for electrolyzing water in an electrolyte to generate hydrogen and oxygen. Specifically, the electrolysis tank 100 generally includes a housing and a plurality of single electrolytic cells 101 contained in the housing, wherein each single electrolytic cell 101 includes cathode and anode plates spaced apart from each other, a cathode electrode in contact with the cathode plate, an anode electrode in contact with the anode plate, and a separator between the cathode and anode electrodes, wherein the cathode and anode plates can be electrically connected with an external direct current power source and together with the cathode and anode electrodes are immersed in the electrolyte (e.g., an alkaline solution such as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, etc.), while the separator is also immersed in the electrolyte and allows ions to pass through but prohibits gas molecules to pass through.

[0031] Taking one single electrolytic cell 101 as an example, during operation, the electrolyte will be circulated to flow through the single electrolytic cell 101, and the external direct current power source will supply direct current to its cathode and anode plates, at the cathode electrode, water molecules will generate hydrogen molecules and hydroxide ions due to receiving electrons (i.e., a reduction reaction: 4H2O + 4e - → 2H 2 + 4OH -), where hydrogen molecules are expelled with the electrolyte as they cannot pass through the separator, and hydroxyl ions pass through the separator from the cathode electrode to the anode electrode under the driving of the voltage, and at the anode electrode, the hydroxyl ions generate oxygen molecules and water molecules by losing electrons (i.e., an oxidation reaction: 4OH - → 2H2O + O 2 + 4e - ), where oxygen molecules are expelled with the electrolyte as they cannot pass through the separator. Following the same principle, each single electrolytic cell 101 can receive electrolyte and expel electrolyte containing hydrogen gas at the cathode side and electrolyte containing oxygen gas at the anode side after the above-mentioned electrochemical reactions. To this end, the electrolytic tank 100 is provided with a hydrogen gas side (also referred to as cathode side) electrolyte outlet 110 for expelling electrolyte containing hydrogen gas, an oxygen gas side (also referred to as anode side) electrolyte outlet 120 for expelling electrolyte containing oxygen gas, and an electrolyte inlet 130 for receiving electrolyte. The electrolytic tank 100 is also internally provided with multiple sets of flow channels (also referred to as manifolds) that can distribute electrolyte received through the electrolyte inlet 130 into each single electrolytic cell 101, collect electrolyte containing hydrogen gas expelled by each single electrolytic cell 101 at the hydrogen gas side electrolyte outlet 110, and collect electrolyte containing oxygen gas expelled by each single electrolytic cell 101 at the oxygen gas side electrolyte outlet 120. In addition, as byproducts of hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, heat will also be generated along with hydrogen gas and oxygen gas during the above-mentioned electrochemical reactions, and these heat will be absorbed by the electrolyte and expelled from the electrolytic tank 100 along with the electrolyte to avoid overheating of the electrolytic tank 100 during operation, which of course also results in a higher temperature of the electrolyte at the hydrogen gas side electrolyte outlet 110 and the oxygen gas side electrolyte outlet 120 than at the electrolyte inlet 130.

[0032] Continuing to refer to Figure 1 , the electrolysis system 10 further includes an electrolyte tank 200 for storing electrolyte, and an electrolyte circulation pipeline 310 that fluidly connects the electrolytic tank 100 and the electrolyte tank 200, due to which electrolyte can circulate between the electrolytic tank 100 and the electrolyte tank 200, that is, electrolyte can circulate through the electrolytic tank 100 and the electrolyte tank 200. In this configuration, the electrolyte tank 200 can supply electrolyte to the electrolytic tank 100 through the electrolyte circulation pipeline 310, so that the electrolytic tank 100 can utilize the electrolyte and generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas through the above-mentioned electrochemical reactions, and the electrolytic tank 100 can discharge electrolyte containing hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to the electrolyte tank 200 through the electrolyte circulation pipeline 310, so that the electrolyte can be stored in the electrolyte tank 200, and hydrogen gas and oxygen gas can be separated from the electrolyte in the electrolyte tank 200, that is, the electrolyte tank 200 can also be used to separate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas from the electrolyte.

[0033] As Figure 1 illustrated, the electrolyte tank 200 can include a hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 for storing electrolyte containing hydrogen and an oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 for storing electrolyte containing oxygen. Accordingly, the electrolyte circulation line 310 can include a hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 fluidly connecting the hydrogen-side electrolyte outlet 110 of the electrolysis tank 100 with an inlet 211 of the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, an oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 fluidly connecting the oxygen-side electrolyte outlet 120 of the electrolysis tank 100 with an inlet 221 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, and an electrolyte supply line 313 fluidly connecting an outlet 212 of the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and an outlet 222 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 with the electrolyte inlet 130 of the electrolysis tank 100, that is, the outlet 212 of the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and the outlet 222 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 can be fluidly connected to each other and supply electrolyte to the electrolyte inlet 130 of the electrolysis tank 100 through the same electrolyte supply line 313. To this end, as Figure 1 illustrated, the electrolysis system 10 further includes an electrolyte pump 410 disposed on the electrolyte supply line 313, which can drive electrolyte in the electrolyte supply line 313 to flow in a direction from the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 to the electrolysis tank 100, thereby delivering electrolyte in the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 to the electrolysis tank 100. In particular, as Figure 1 illustrated, the inlet 211 and the outlet 212 of the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 are disposed at the top and the bottom thereof, respectively, and the inlet 221 and the outlet 222 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 are also disposed at the top and the bottom, respectively.

[0034] Under the above configuration, electrolyte from the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 can be delivered to the electrolysis tank 100 through the electrolyte supply line 313, the electrolysis tank 100 can generate hydrogen and oxygen by electrochemical reaction using these electrolytes and discharge electrolyte containing hydrogen and electrolyte containing oxygen, while electrolyte containing hydrogen from the electrolysis tank 100 can be delivered to the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 through the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311, and then undergo separation of hydrogen from electrolyte and storage of electrolyte in the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, and electrolyte containing oxygen from the electrolysis tank 100 can be delivered to the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 through the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312, and then undergo separation of oxygen from electrolyte and storage of electrolyte in the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220.

[0035] As can be seen from the foregoing, water in the electrolyte will be consumed due to electrolysis, and in order to maintain the concentration of the electrolyte within the optimal range, it is necessary to supplement the electrolysis system 10 with desalinated water. To this end, as shown in Figure 1 the distiller 500 includes a high-temperature liquid inlet 510 and a low-temperature liquid inlet 520 for receiving liquid, and can convert water vapor in the liquid received through the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 into desalinated water based on a temperature difference between the liquid received through the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 and the liquid received through the low-temperature liquid inlet 520. In addition, the electrolysis system 10 further includes a high-temperature liquid supply line 321 in fluid communication with the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 of the distiller 500 for supplying liquid to the high-temperature liquid inlet 510, a low-temperature liquid supply line 322 in fluid communication with the low-temperature liquid inlet 520 of the distiller 500 for supplying liquid to the low-temperature liquid inlet 520, and a desalinated water supply line 323 fluidly connecting a desalinated water outlet 530 of the distiller 500 with a desalinated water inlet 223 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 for supplying desalinated water produced by the distiller 500 to the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, in this way, the electrolysis system 10 can be supplemented with water consumed due to electrolysis. In particular, the electrolysis system 10 further includes a cold water pump 420 for supplying liquid (e.g., seawater from the ocean, lake water from a lake, etc.) to the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 and the low-temperature liquid supply line 322, in other words, the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 can fluidly connect an outlet of the cold water pump 420 with the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 of the distiller 500, and the low-temperature liquid supply line 322 can fluidly connect the outlet of the cold water pump 420 with the low-temperature liquid inlet 520 of the distiller 500. In particular, the electrolysis system 10 further includes a desalinated water pump 430 disposed on the desalinated water supply line 323 for driving desalinated water to flow in a direction from the distiller 500 toward the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, thereby delivering desalinated water produced by the distiller 500 into the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220. It is worth mentioning that although in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the desalinated water produced by the distiller 500 is supplied to the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, this is merely exemplary. In an embodiment not shown, the desalinated water produced by the distiller 500 can also be supplied to the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, since the outlet 212 of the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210 and the outlet 222 of the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220 are in fluid communication with each other, the electrolytes from the two electrolyte tanks will be supplied to the electrolysis cell 100 after mixing, thereby making it possible to supply desalinated water to either electrolyte tank to serve the purpose of supplementing the electrolysis system 10 with water.

[0036] As Figure 1As shown, the electrolysis system 10 further comprises a heat exchanger 600, which is arranged on both the electrolyte circulation pipeline 310 and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline 321, so that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the electrolyte circulation pipeline 310 and the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline 321 from each other. In this configuration, the electrolyte delivered by the electrolyte circulation pipeline 310 can flow through the heat exchanger 600, and the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline 321 can also flow through the heat exchanger 600, so that the electrolyte warmed up by absorbing the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction can heat the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline 321 in the heat exchanger 600, thereby warming it up and containing water vapor, but the electrolyte and the liquid do not intermix with each other, so that the temperature of the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline 321 (hereinafter referred to as high-temperature liquid) will be higher than that of the liquid delivered by the low-temperature liquid supply pipeline 322 (hereinafter referred to as low-temperature liquid), thereby allowing the distiller 500 to convert the water vapor in the high-temperature liquid into desalinated water based on the temperature difference between the two, for replenishing the water consumed by the electrolysis. Therefore, the above-mentioned configuration allows, on the one hand, the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction to be utilized to produce desalinated water for replenishing the electrolysis system, thereby eliminating the necessity of equipping the electrolysis system with a separate desalinated water supply system, and on the other hand, the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction to be consumed by producing desalinated water, so as to help the electrolytic cell to cool down, thereby eliminating the necessity of equipping the electrolysis system with a separate cooling system (e.g., a heat sink and a fan), thus simplifying the structure of the electrolysis system, thereby reducing the cost of its production and manufacture, and improving the energy utilization rate and working efficiency of the electrolysis system by recycling the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 wherein a schematic perspective view of a distiller of an electrolysis system in Figure 1 is shown. As shown in Figure 2 , the distiller 500 comprises a housing 501 and at least one (two are shown in the figure, but one, three, four or more can also be provided) distillation unit 540 arranged in the housing 501, wherein the high-temperature liquid inlet 510, the low-temperature liquid inlet 520 and the desalinated water outlet 530 are all arranged on the housing 501. In addition, the high-temperature liquid outlet 550 and the low-temperature liquid outlet 560 are also arranged on the housing 501. As shown in Figure 2As shown, each distillation unit 540 includes a high-temperature liquid conduit 541 that fluidly connects a high-temperature liquid inlet 510 to a high-temperature liquid outlet 550 (i.e., connects between the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 and the high-temperature liquid outlet 550) and at least one (two are shown in the figure, but there may also be one, three, four or more) low-temperature liquid conduit 542 that fluidly connects a low-temperature liquid inlet 520 to a low-temperature liquid outlet 560 (i.e., connects between the low-temperature liquid inlet 520 and the low-temperature liquid outlet 560). The high-temperature liquid conduit 541 can... Each cryogenic liquid conduit 542 is made of a breathable and waterproof material (e.g., hollow fiber made of fluorinated membrane), allowing gas (e.g., water vapor) to pass through but preventing liquid (e.g., liquid water) from passing through. Each cryogenic liquid conduit 542 can be made of an airtight and waterproof material (e.g., stainless steel or other metal), preventing both gas and liquid from passing through. Each cryogenic liquid conduit 542 is arranged adjacent to a high-temperature liquid conduit 541, and specifically, each cryogenic liquid conduit 542 is arranged to spirally surround the high-temperature liquid conduit 541. In this configuration, high-temperature liquid received by the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 can be conveyed to the high-temperature liquid outlet 550 through the high-temperature liquid conduit 541 of each distillation unit 540, and cryogenic liquid received by the cryogenic liquid inlet 520 can be conveyed to the cryogenic liquid outlet 560 through the respective cryogenic liquid conduit 542 of each distillation unit 540. During the above-mentioned transportation process, water vapor in the high-temperature liquid can penetrate the wall of the high-temperature liquid pipe 541 to reach the outside, while the low-temperature liquid keeps the wall of the low-temperature liquid pipe 542 at a low temperature, so that water vapor can condense on the wall of the adjacent low-temperature liquid pipe 542 and be converted into desalinated water, thereby realizing the production of desalinated water.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the desalinated water outlet 530 is positioned below each distillation unit 540, allowing the desalinated water produced by each distillation unit 540 to collect at the desalinated water outlet 530 under its own gravity, eliminating the need for additional structures for collecting the desalinated water. Specifically, the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 and high-temperature liquid outlet 550 are arranged diagonally (i.e., diagonally opposite), and the low-temperature liquid inlet 520 and low-temperature liquid outlet 560 are arranged diagonally intersecting the aforementioned diagonals, so that the high-temperature and low-temperature liquids have substantially intersecting flow directions. This allows water vapor to condense more uniformly on the pipe wall of the low-temperature liquid pipe 542, thereby improving the desalination water production efficiency. Furthermore, if the liquid supplied to the high-temperature liquid inlet 510 and low-temperature liquid inlet 520 is taken from the natural environment (e.g., ocean, lake, etc.), the liquid discharged from the high-temperature liquid outlet 550 and low-temperature liquid outlet 560 can also be discharged into the natural environment. It should be noted that, although by means of… Figure 2One particular configuration of the distiller 500 is described, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any configuration of the distiller is within the scope of the present disclosure, provided that the heat recovered from the electrolyte can be used to produce desalinated water for replenishing the electrolysis system.

[0039] Returning to Figure 1 The heat exchanger 600 is disposed on both the electrolyte supply line 313 and the high temperature liquid supply line 321 so that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the electrolyte supply line 313 and the liquid delivered by the high temperature liquid supply line 321 from each other. In this configuration, the electrolyte from the hydrogen side electrolyte tank 210 and the oxygen side electrolyte tank 220 delivered by the electrolyte supply line 313 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the electrolysis tank 100, and the liquid delivered by the high temperature liquid supply line 321 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the distiller 500, thereby enabling the electrolyte to heat the liquid delivered by the high temperature liquid supply line 321 in the heat exchanger 600 before entering the electrolysis tank 100, while the heated liquid will be used to produce desalinated water in the distiller 500 as previously described. It is noted that although the heat exchanger 600 is described as being disposed on both the electrolyte supply line 313 and the high temperature liquid supply line 321, the heat exchanger 600 can be disposed on only one of the electrolyte supply line 313 and the high temperature liquid supply line 321, provided that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the electrolyte supply line 313 and the liquid delivered by the high temperature liquid supply line 321 from each other. Figure 1 One particular arrangement of the heat exchanger 600 is described, but this is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments, the heat exchanger 600 can be arranged in other ways, provided that the heat recovered from the electrolyte can be used to produce desalinated water for replenishing the electrolysis system. Other alternative but non-limiting arrangements of the heat exchanger are described below in connection with Figures 3-5 One particular arrangement of the heat exchanger 600 is described, but this is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments, the heat exchanger 600 can be arranged in other ways, provided that the heat recovered from the electrolyte can be used to produce desalinated water for replenishing the electrolysis system. Other alternative but non-limiting arrangements of the heat exchanger are described below in connection with

[0040] Reference is made to Figure 3 wherein a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The illustrated embodiment is similar to Figure 1The embodiments shown are largely the same, with the main difference being that the heat exchanger 600 is disposed on both the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 and the high-temperature liquid supply line 321, so that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte supplied by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 and the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321. In this configuration, the electrolyte from the electrolyzer 100 supplied by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, and the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the distiller 500. This allows the electrolyte to heat the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 in the heat exchanger 600 before entering the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, and the heated liquid will be used to produce desalinated water in the distiller 500 as described above. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the electrolyte supplied by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 tends to have a higher temperature compared to the electrolyte supplied by the electrolyte supply line 313. This is because the electrolyte supplied by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line 311 has not yet dissipated heat in the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210. Therefore, the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 can be heated to a higher temperature in the heat exchanger 600. This helps to increase the temperature difference between the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 and the liquid supplied by the low-temperature liquid supply line 322, thereby improving the efficiency of the distillation unit 500 in producing desalinated water. It also helps to cool the electrolyte more effectively, thereby reliably promoting the heat dissipation of the electrolyzer 100.

[0041] refer to Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The embodiments shown are the same as Figure 1 and Figure 3The embodiments shown are largely the same, with the main difference being that the heat exchanger 600 is disposed on both the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 and the high-temperature liquid supply line 321, so that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte supplied by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 and the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321. In this configuration, the electrolyte from the electrolyzer 100 supplied by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, and the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the distiller 500. This allows the electrolyte to heat the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 in the heat exchanger 600 before entering the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, and the heated liquid will be used to produce desalinated water in the distiller 500 as described above. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the electrolyte supplied by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 tends to have a higher temperature than the electrolyte supplied by the electrolyte supply line 313. This is because the electrolyte supplied by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line 312 has not yet dissipated heat in the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220. Therefore, the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 can be heated to a higher temperature in the heat exchanger 600. This also helps to increase the temperature difference between the liquid supplied by the high-temperature liquid supply line 321 and the liquid supplied by the low-temperature liquid supply line 322, thereby improving the efficiency of the distillation unit 500 in producing desalinated water. Furthermore, it helps to cool the electrolyte more effectively, thereby reliably promoting the heat dissipation of the electrolyzer 100.

[0042] refer to Figure 5 The diagram shows a schematic layout of an electrolysis system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The embodiments shown are the same as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4The illustrated embodiments are generally the same, and their main difference is that the heat exchanger 600 is provided on all of the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 311, the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 312, and the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321, so that the heat exchanger 600 can fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 311, the electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 312, and the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321 from each other. In this configuration, the electrolyte from the electrolysis cell 100 delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 311 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank 210, thereby heating the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321 in the heat exchanger 600, while the electrolyte from the electrolysis cell 100 delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 312 can flow through the heat exchanger 600 before entering the oxygen-side electrolyte tank 220, thereby heating the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321 in the heat exchanger 600, and the heated liquid will be used to produce desalinated water in the distiller 500 as described above. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the electrolyte delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 311 and the electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 312 both have a higher temperature than the electrolyte delivered by the electrolyte supply conduit 313, so the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321 can be heated to a higher temperature in the heat exchanger 600, which helps to further increase the temperature difference between the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply conduit 321 and the liquid delivered by the low-temperature liquid supply conduit 322, thereby improving the efficiency of the distiller 500 in producing desalinated water, and also helps to uniformly cool down the electrolyte delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 311 and the electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge conduit 312, thereby more reliably facilitating heat dissipation of the electrolysis cell 100.

[0043] The above describes in detail the optional but non-limiting embodiments of the electrolysis system according to the present disclosure with the help of the accompanying drawings. It is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications and supplements to the technology and structure and recombination of features in the embodiments should all be considered within the scope of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and supplements that can be conceived under the teaching of the present disclosure should be considered as part of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure includes equivalent technologies known at the filing date of the present disclosure and equivalent technologies not yet foreseen.

Claims

1. An electrolysis system, characterized by, Comprising: an electrolyzer (100) for electrolyzing water in an electrolyte; an electrolyte tank (200) for storing the electrolyte, the electrolyte tank (200) being in fluid communication with the electrolyzer (100) through an electrolyte circulation line (310); a distiller (500) configured to produce desalinated water based on a temperature difference of liquids received by a high-temperature liquid inlet (510) and a low-temperature liquid inlet (520), and to supply the desalinated water to the electrolyte tank (200) through a desalinated water supply line (323); a cold water pump (420) configured to supply liquid to the high-temperature liquid inlet (510) through a high-temperature liquid supply line (321) and to the low-temperature liquid inlet (520) through a low-temperature liquid supply line (322); and a heat exchanger (600) disposed on the electrolyte circulation line (310) and the high-temperature liquid supply line (321), and configured to fluidically isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the electrolyte circulation line (310) and the liquid transported by the high-temperature liquid supply line (321) from each other.

2. The electrolysis system of claim 1, wherein, The electrolyte tank (200) comprises a hydrogen-side electrolyte tank (210) and an oxygen-side electrolyte tank (220), and the electrolyte circulation line (310) comprises a hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line (311) for transporting electrolyte from the electrolyzer (100) to the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank (210), an oxygen-side electrolyte discharge line (312) for transporting electrolyte from the electrolyzer (100) to the oxygen-side electrolyte tank (220), and an electrolyte supply line (313) for transporting electrolyte from the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank (210) and the oxygen-side electrolyte tank (220) to the electrolyzer (100).

3. The electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The heat exchanger (600) is disposed on the electrolyte supply line (313) and the high-temperature liquid supply line (321), and configured to fluidically isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the electrolyte supply line (313) and the liquid transported by the high-temperature liquid supply line (321) from each other.

4. The electrolysis system of claim 3, wherein, The electrolysis system further comprises an electrolyte pump (410) disposed on the electrolyte supply line (313), and the heat exchanger (600) is upstream of the electrolyte pump (410) on the electrolyte supply line (313).

5. The electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The heat exchanger (600) is disposed on the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line (311) and the high-temperature liquid supply line (321), and configured to fluidically isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte transported by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge line (311) and the liquid transported by the high-temperature liquid supply line (321) from each other.

6. The electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The heat exchanger (600) is disposed on the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (312) and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline (321), and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (312) and the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline (321) from each other.

7. The electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The heat exchanger (600) is disposed on the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (311), the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (312) and the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline (321), and is configured to fluidly isolate and thermally couple the electrolyte delivered by the hydrogen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (311), the electrolyte delivered by the oxygen-side electrolyte discharge pipeline (312) and the liquid delivered by the high-temperature liquid supply pipeline (321) from each other.

8. The electrolysis system of claim 2, wherein, The distiller (500) is in fluid communication with the hydrogen-side electrolyte tank (210) and / or the oxygen-side electrolyte tank (220) through the desalinated water supply pipeline (323).

9. The electrolysis system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The distiller (500) comprises a shell (501) and a distillation unit (540) disposed in the shell (501), the distillation unit (540) comprising a high-temperature liquid pipe (541) in fluid communication with the high-temperature liquid inlet (510) and a low-temperature liquid pipe (542) in fluid communication with the low-temperature liquid inlet (520) and arranged adjacent to the high-temperature liquid pipe (541), the high-temperature liquid pipe (541) being made of a gas-permeable waterproof material, and the low-temperature liquid pipe (542) being made of a gas-tight waterproof material.

10. The electrolysis system of claim 9, wherein, The low-temperature liquid pipe (542) is arranged to surround the high-temperature liquid pipe (541) in a spiral manner.

11. The electrolysis system of claim 9, wherein, The distiller (500) comprises a plurality of distillation units (540) disposed in the shell (501), wherein each distillation unit (540) comprises one high-temperature liquid pipe (541) and a plurality of low-temperature liquid pipes (542) arranged adjacent to the high-temperature liquid pipe (541).

12. The electrolysis system of claim 9, wherein, The distiller (500) is provided with a desalinated water outlet (530) configured to supply desalinated water to the desalinated water supply pipeline (323) on the shell (501), the desalinated water outlet (530) being positioned below the distillation unit (540).

13. The electrolysis system of claim 9, wherein, The high-temperature liquid inlet (510) and the low-temperature liquid inlet (520) are disposed on the shell (501), and the distiller (500) is further provided with a high-temperature liquid outlet (550) in fluid communication with the high-temperature liquid inlet (510) through the high-temperature liquid pipe (541) and a low-temperature liquid outlet (560) in fluid communication with the low-temperature liquid inlet (520) through the low-temperature liquid pipe (542) on the shell (501).

14. The electrolysis system of claim 13, wherein, The high-temperature liquid inlet (510) and the high-temperature liquid outlet (550) are arranged diagonally, and the low-temperature liquid inlet (520) and the low-temperature liquid outlet (560) are arranged diagonally.

15. The electrolysis system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The electrolysis system also comprises a desalinated water pump (430) provided on the desalinated water supply line (323).

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