Alkaline electrolytic cell starting device

Abstract

The utility model relates to an alkaline electrolytic bath starting device in the field of hydrogen energy preparation. The alkaline electrolytic bath starting device comprises an alkaline tank, an alkaline preparation box, a first heat exchanger, an alkaline water box, an alkaline water pump, an alkaline electrolytic bath and a hot salt tank, the alkali tank is communicated with the alkali preparation box, the alkali preparation box is communicated with the first heat exchanger through a first pipeline, a heat exchange medium inlet of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the hot salt tank, energy storage fused salt is contained in the hot salt tank, an alkaline water outlet of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the alkaline water tank, and the alkaline water tank introduces alkaline water into the alkaline electrolytic bath through an alkaline water pump; the alkali preparation tank is communicated with the alkali water tank through a second pipeline, the first pipeline is provided with a first switch valve, and the second pipeline is provided with a second switch valve. The alkaline electrolytic bath starting device can effectively utilize photo-thermal resources of an industrial park comprehensive project, energy storage fused salt is used for heating alkaline water, the temperature of the alkaline water for the alkaline electrolytic bath is rapidly increased, the starting time of the alkaline electrolytic bath is shortened, electric energy consumption is reduced, and multi-energy complementation is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hydrogen energy production technology, and more specifically, to an alkaline electrolyzer start-up device. Background Technology

[0002] Electrolysis of water is currently the most important technology for producing high-purity hydrogen. Alkaline electrolysis of water was the first technology to be industrialized. This technology decomposes alkaline water into hydrogen and oxygen using an alkaline electrolyzer. The optimal electrolysis reaction temperature of the alkaline water in the electrolyzer is about 85-90℃. During the start-up process of the electrolyzer, electrical energy is required to slowly heat the alkaline water, which not only consumes a lot of electrical energy, leading to increased energy consumption, but also prolongs the system start-up time, making it difficult to adapt to the requirements of rapid and frequent start-ups and shutdowns.

[0003] In recent years, alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production projects have been closely integrated with large-scale comprehensive projects in industrial parks involving wind, solar, and energy storage. However, due to the cyclical nature of wind and solar resources, wind and solar power generation is not continuous, resulting in poor coupling between alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production and the aforementioned new energy power sources. Currently, the power consumption per unit of hydrogen produced by water electrolysis hydrogen production technology is the primary indicator of product market competitiveness. Reducing unit power consumption has become a top priority for technological innovation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new type of alkaline electrolyzer or its supporting equipment to improve start-up speed and reduce unit power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device.

[0005] An alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to the present invention includes an alkali tank, an alkali mixing tank, a first heat exchanger, an alkali water tank, an alkali water pump, an alkaline electrolytic cell, and a hot salt tank;

[0006] The alkali tank is connected to the alkali mixing box, the alkali mixing box is connected to the first heat exchanger through the first pipeline, the heat exchange medium inlet of the first heat exchanger is connected to the hot salt tank, the hot salt tank is filled with energy storage molten salt, the alkali water outlet of the first heat exchanger is connected to the alkali water tank, and the alkali water tank pumps alkali water into the alkaline electrolytic cell through the alkali water pump.

[0007] The alkali mixing tank is connected to the alkali water tank via a second pipeline. The first pipeline is equipped with a first switch valve, and the second pipeline is equipped with a second switch valve.

[0008] In some embodiments, the alkaline electrolytic cell is connected to the alkali preparation tank via a return water pipeline, and the alkaline water after electrolysis in the alkaline electrolytic cell flows back to the alkali preparation tank via the return water pipeline.

[0009] In some embodiments, a cold salt tank is also included, with the heat exchange medium outlet of the first heat exchanger connected to the cold salt tank.

[0010] In some embodiments, the system further includes a demineralized water tank, a second heat exchanger, and a pure water tank. The demineralized water tank is connected to the second heat exchanger via a third pipeline. The heat exchange medium inlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the hot salt tank. The demineralized water outlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the pure water tank. The outlet of the pure water tank is connected to the alkali mixing tank.

[0011] In some embodiments, the heat exchange medium outlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the cold salt tank.

[0012] In some embodiments, the demineralized water tank is connected to the pure water tank via a fourth pipeline, a third switch valve is installed on the third pipeline, and a fourth switch valve is installed on the fourth pipeline.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] 1. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device of this utility model can effectively utilize the light and heat resources of the industrial park's comprehensive project, heat the alkaline water with the energy storage molten salt, quickly increase the temperature of the alkaline water used in the alkaline electrolytic cell, shorten the start-up time of the alkaline electrolytic cell, reduce power consumption, and achieve multi-energy complementarity.

[0015] 2. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device of this utility model, by setting up a component for preheating alkaline water, enables the start-up device to be more adaptable to scenarios with long downtime, broadens the application scenarios of the device, and further improves the energy utilization rate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanism layout of the alkaline electrolytic cell starting device of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0019] Example 1

[0020] This embodiment provides an alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device, which mainly includes an alkali tank 1, an alkali mixing tank 2, a first heat exchanger 3, an alkali water tank 4, an alkali water pump 5, an alkaline electrolytic cell 6, and a hot salt tank 7.

[0021] Alkali tank 1 is connected to alkali preparation tank 2 via a pipeline, used to deliver alkaline electrolyte into alkali preparation tank 2. Alkali preparation tank 2 is connected to first heat exchanger 3 via first pipeline 8, used to pass the prepared alkaline solution into first heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange with the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange medium inlet of first heat exchanger 3 is connected to hot salt tank 7, and the energy storage molten salt stored in hot salt tank 7 enters first heat exchanger 3 as the heat exchange medium. After heat exchange with the energy storage molten salt, the alkaline solution enters alkaline water tank 4 from the alkaline water outlet of first heat exchanger 3 through a pipeline. The alkaline solution in alkaline water tank 4 is pumped into alkaline electrolytic cell 6 by alkaline water pump 5. Alkali preparation tank 2 is connected to alkaline water tank 4 via second pipeline 9. During continuous operation, the alkaline solution exiting alkaline electrolytic cell 6 has a higher temperature and can be recycled. The alkaline solution does not need to be heat exchanged again through first heat exchanger 3, but is directly passed into alkaline water tank 4 through second pipeline 9. At this time, the first pipeline 8 is equipped with a first switch valve 10, and the second pipeline 9 is equipped with a second switch valve 11. The flow direction of the alkaline water coming out of the alkaline water tank 4 is controlled by the first switch valve 10 and the second switch valve 11.

[0022] The working principle of the alkaline electrolyzer start-up device provided in this embodiment is as follows: In the event of a short-term (<4h) shutdown, the alkaline water in the alkali tank 2 exchanges heat with the hot molten salt in the self-heating salt tank 7 and enters the alkaline electrolyzer 6 after heat exchange, maintaining a stable internal temperature (85-90℃) within the alkaline electrolyzer 6, allowing for immediate start-up of hydrogen production. This invention effectively utilizes the solar thermal resources of the industrial park's integrated project, heating the alkaline water with the stored molten salt, rapidly increasing the temperature of the alkaline water used in the alkaline electrolyzer, shortening the start-up time of the alkaline electrolyzer, reducing energy consumption, and achieving multi-energy complementarity.

[0023] Furthermore, a return water pipeline 12 is provided, with its two ends connected to the alkaline electrolytic cell 6 and the alkali mixing tank 2, respectively. The alkaline water after electrolysis in the alkaline electrolytic cell 6 flows back to the alkali mixing tank 2 through the return water pipeline 12 for recycling.

[0024] Example 2

[0025] This embodiment 2 is based on embodiment 1. By incorporating a component for preheating the alkaline water, the start-up device can be further adapted to scenarios with longer downtime, broadening its application scenarios and further improving energy utilization. Specifically:

[0026] The device also includes a demineralized water tank 14, a second heat exchanger 15, and a pure water tank 16. The demineralized water from the demineralized water tank 14 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 15 via a third pipeline 17, where it exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium. The inlet of the heat exchange medium in the second heat exchanger 15 is connected to the outlet of the molten salt storage tank 7, which serves as the heat exchange medium for the second heat exchanger 15. After heat exchange, the demineralized water enters the pure water tank 16 from the outlet of the second heat exchanger 15, and is then piped into the alkali mixing tank 2. In this embodiment, the outlet of the heat exchange medium in the second heat exchanger 15 is connected to a cold salt tank 13 via a pipeline, and the molten salt after heat exchange is recycled and stored in the cold salt tank 13.

[0027] The working principle of the alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device provided in this embodiment is as follows: Under the premise of long-term (≥4h) shutdown, the demineralized water in the demineralized water tank 14 enters the second heat exchanger 15 to exchange heat with the hot molten salt. After being initially heated to about 50°C, it enters the alkali mixing tank 2 to mix with alkali to prepare alkaline water. After the alkaline water is heated to about 90°C by the hot molten salt in the first heat exchanger 3, it enters the alkaline electrolytic cell 6. After the internal temperature of the alkaline electrolytic cell 6 reaches the standard (85~90°C) and stabilizes, the hydrogen production is started. The alkaline water before startup returns to the alkali mixing tank 2 through the return water pipeline 12 for recycling.

[0028] Furthermore, the demineralized water tank 14 is connected to the pure water tank 16 via the fourth pipeline 18. At this point, a third switch valve 19 is installed on the third pipeline 17, and a fourth switch valve 20 is installed on the fourth pipeline 18. By setting up a fourth pipeline parallel to the third pipeline 17, and installing switch valves on both pipelines, when the alkaline water does not require preheating and only needs to be replenished with a small amount of water consumed in the electrolysis reaction, simply opening the fourth switch valve 20 and closing the third switch valve 19 is sufficient, making operation simple and convenient.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0030] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A start-up device for an alkaline electrolytic cell, characterized in that, It includes an alkali tank (1), an alkali mixing tank (2), a first heat exchanger (3), an alkali water tank (4), an alkali water pump (5), an alkaline electrolytic cell (6), and a hot salt tank (7); The alkali tank (1) is connected to the alkali mixing tank (2), the alkali mixing tank (2) is connected to the first heat exchanger (3) through the first pipeline (8), the heat exchange medium inlet of the first heat exchanger (3) is connected to the hot salt tank (7), the hot salt tank (7) is filled with energy storage molten salt, the alkali water outlet of the first heat exchanger (3) is connected to the alkali water tank (4), and the alkali water tank (4) pumps alkali water into the alkaline electrolytic cell (6) through the alkali water pump (5); The alkali mixing tank (2) is connected to the alkali water tank (4) through the second pipeline (9). The first pipeline (8) is equipped with a first switch valve (10), and the second pipeline (9) is equipped with a second switch valve (11).

2. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The alkaline electrolytic cell (6) is connected to the alkali preparation tank (2) through the return water pipe (12), and the alkaline water after electrolysis reaction in the alkaline electrolytic cell (6) flows back to the alkali preparation tank (2) through the return water pipe (12).

3. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cold salt tank (13), and the heat exchange medium outlet of the first heat exchanger (3) is connected to the cold salt tank (13).

4. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It also includes a demineralized water tank (14), a second heat exchanger (15), and a pure water tank (16). The demineralized water tank (14) is connected to the second heat exchanger (15) through a third pipeline (17). The heat exchange medium inlet of the second heat exchanger (15) is connected to the hot salt tank (7). The demineralized water outlet of the second heat exchanger (15) is connected to the pure water tank (16). The outlet of the pure water tank (16) is connected to the alkali mixing tank (2).

5. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a cold salt tank (13), and the heat exchange medium outlet of the second heat exchanger (15) is connected to the cold salt tank (13).

6. The alkaline electrolytic cell start-up device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The demineralized water tank (14) is connected to the pure water tank (16) through the fourth pipeline (18). A third switch valve (19) is installed on the third pipeline (17), and a fourth switch valve (20) is installed on the fourth pipeline (18).

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