A gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of gas-liquid separation technology, and relates to a gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis. It includes a separation tank and a gas-liquid separation component disposed within the separation tank. The gas-liquid separation component includes a support column and a spiral guide baffle sleeved on the support column. The support column is rotatably connected to the separation tank. The spiral guide baffle includes a base column and multiple spiral curved blades disposed on the side wall of the base column, with the multiple spiral curved blades evenly distributed circumferentially on the base column. The base column is sleeved on the support column and rotatably connected to it. A gas outlet, a gas-liquid mixture inlet, and a liquid outlet are sequentially arranged from top to bottom on the side wall of the separation tank. The gas-liquid mixture inlet is directly opposite the spiral guide baffle. This invention can ensure dynamic and stable gas-liquid separation under different operating conditions and is suitable for efficient gas-liquid separation in hydrogen production by water electrolysis, where gas production is extremely high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of gas-liquid separation technology and relates to a gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis, which is suitable for the efficient separation of hydrogen gas and alkaline solution mixture produced by water electrolysis. Background Technology

[0002] In a water electrolysis hydrogen production system, the product generated by the electrolyzer is a mixture of high-temperature hydrogen gas and liquid alkali solution, and the gas production is huge. It is necessary to efficiently separate the gas and liquid phases to obtain pure hydrogen gas and recover the alkali solution.

[0003] Currently, gas-liquid separators in the chemical industry include horizontal separators and vertical separators, but they have the following advantages and disadvantages:

[0004] Horizontal separators, while offering advantages such as stable liquid level, large cross-sectional area, and large processing capacity, also have drawbacks. They require a large floor space, and more importantly, their short airflow channels and droplet settling paths make them unsuitable for scenarios like hydrogen production via water electrolysis, where gas production involves large-volume gas-liquid separation.

[0005] Vertical separators, while occupying a small area, often employ simple gravity settling or static baffle structures, resulting in limited separation efficiency, particularly in capturing fine droplets, making it difficult to meet the requirements for efficient gas-liquid separation in hydrogen production. Although some researchers have proposed using cyclone plates (refer to a gas-water separator disclosed in patent document CN120101112A), which can improve efficiency by utilizing the centrifugal force of the cyclone plates, the separation effect is heavily dependent on the inlet liquid flow rate. When the system operates at low load (low flow rate), the centrifugal force of the cyclone plates is insufficient, and the separation efficiency will decrease significantly, leading to unstable gas-liquid separation operation.

[0006] Therefore, developing a stable gas-liquid separator that can efficiently separate the products of hydrogen production from water electrolysis is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the technical problems of existing gas-liquid separators being unsuitable for gas-liquid separation in water electrolysis hydrogen production with extremely high gas production and unstable gas-liquid separation operation, this utility model provides a gas-liquid separator for water electrolysis hydrogen production.

[0008] To address the technical problems existing in current gas-liquid separation methods, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0009] A gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis includes a separation tank and a gas-liquid separation component disposed inside the separation tank; the gas-liquid separation component includes a support column and a spiral guide baffle sleeved on the support column, and the support column is rotatably connected to the separation tank;

[0010] The spiral guide baffle includes a base column and multiple spiral curved blades disposed on the side wall of the base column. The multiple spiral curved blades are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the base column. The base column is sleeved on the support column and is rotatably connected to the support column.

[0011] The gas outlet, gas-liquid mixture inlet, and liquid outlet are arranged sequentially from top to bottom on the side wall of the separator; the gas-liquid mixture inlet is directly opposite the position of the spiral guide baffle.

[0012] Further specified, the helical surface blade is a right-handed blade; the helix angle of the helical surface blade is 22°, the pitch is 2420mm; the axial length of the helical surface blade is 400mm, the radial width is 286.5mm, and the blade thickness is 6mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separation assembly also includes an umbrella blade assembly sleeved on the support column and located above the spiral guide baffle.

[0014] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separation assembly also includes an umbrella blade assembly sleeved on the support column and located below the spiral guide baffle.

[0015] Further specified, the umbrella blade assembly above the spiral guide baffle has its umbrella opening end facing downwards, while the umbrella blade assembly below the spiral guide baffle has its umbrella opening end facing upwards.

[0016] Further defined, the umbrella blade assembly includes umbrella blades and a plurality of vent holes evenly distributed on the umbrella blades.

[0017] Further, the umbrella blades are one or more; when there are multiple umbrella blades, the multiple umbrella blades are distributed sequentially along the axial direction of the support column.

[0018] The total opening area of ​​the plurality of ventilation holes accounts for 30% of the surface area of ​​the umbrella blade; the angle between the umbrella wall and the opening end of the umbrella blade is 30°.

[0019] Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production via water electrolysis also includes a wire mesh demister disposed inside the separator tank; the wire mesh demister is located above the umbrella blade assembly.

[0020] Further defined, the separator includes an upper end cap, a cylinder, and a lower end cap connected from top to bottom; the gas-liquid separation assembly is located inside the cylinder, and the support column is rotatably connected to the cylinder; the gas outlet is located on the upper end cap, the liquid outlet is located on the lower end cap, the gas-liquid mixture inlet is located on the side wall of the cylinder, and the centerline of the gas-liquid mixture inlet is tangent to the inner wall of the cylinder.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0022] 1. This utility model uses a rotating support column inside the separation tank, and a spiral guide baffle is fitted on the support column. The spiral guide baffle includes a base column and multiple spiral curved blades set on the side wall of the base column. The multiple spiral curved blades are evenly distributed in the circumference of the base column. This design can ensure dynamic and stable separation of gas and liquid under different working conditions, and is suitable for efficient separation of gas and liquid with a large gas production in water electrolysis hydrogen production.

[0023] 2. The spiral guide baffle of this utility model is a rotatable impeller structure. The spiral guide baffle with a specific structure has 7 spiral curved blades, which are right-handed blades. The spiral helix angle of the spiral curved blades is 22° and the pitch is 2420mm. The axial length of the spiral curved blades is 400mm, the radial width is 286.5mm and the blade thickness is 6mm. This allows the spiral guide baffle to generate high centrifugal force even at a low flow rate, improving the separation efficiency and solving the problem of decreased separation efficiency when running at low load, thus making the gas-liquid separation process run stably.

[0024] 3. This invention features umbrella-blade assemblies positioned above and below the spiral guide baffle. During the rotation of the gas-liquid separation assembly, the initially separated hydrogen and fine droplets undergo secondary collisions and coalesce with the surface of the umbrella-blade assemblies, further enhancing the dynamic separation of hydrogen and alkali. Furthermore, the total open area of ​​the vent holes accounts for approximately 30% of the umbrella-blade assemblies' surface area, ensuring uniform hydrogen flow while promoting droplet coalescence and improving the separation of alkali and hydrogen.

[0025] 4. In this utility model, a wire mesh demister is installed at the top of the separation tank, which can effectively capture micron-sized mist droplets in the hydrogen gas flow, realize the purification and separation of hydrogen, and facilitate the acquisition of high-purity hydrogen.

[0026] 5. This utility model forms a highly efficient three-stage separation system through the initial centrifugal separation of the spiral guide baffle rotation, the dynamic collision and coalescence of the umbrella blade assembly, and the wire mesh demisting mechanism. It has an excellent effect on removing tiny droplets from water-to-hydrogen products, ensuring the purity of hydrogen.

[0027] 6. The gas-liquid separator of this utility model adopts a vertical layout, which greatly reduces the basic footprint of the equipment while maintaining a large gas processing capacity, and meets the characteristics of large gas production capacity of hydrogen production by water electrolysis. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the orthographic section of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a side view of the spiral flow guide baffle of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram of the spiral flow guide baffle of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of the spiral guide baffle of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of the umbrella blade structure of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the oblique view structure of the umbrella blade of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the wire mesh demister structure of this utility model;

[0035] In the picture:

[0036] 1. Upper end cap; 2. Cylinder; 3. Lower end cap; 4. Gas outlet; 5. Wire mesh demister; 51. Fixed pressure ring; 6. Gas-liquid mixture inlet; 7. Support column; 8. Spiral guide baffle; 9. Umbrella blade assembly; 91. Umbrella blade; 92. Vent hole; 10. Liquid outlet; 11. Bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0038] See Figure 1 In one embodiment of this invention, the gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production via water electrolysis includes a separation tank and a gas-liquid separation component disposed within the separation tank. The gas-liquid separation component is used to separate the products of hydrogen production via water electrolysis (a mixture of high-temperature hydrogen gas and liquid alkaline solution). The gas-liquid separation component includes a support column 7 and a spiral guide baffle 8 sleeved on the support column 7, and the support column 7 is rotatably connected to the separation tank.

[0039] See Figure 1 The separator is assembled by welding together an upper head 1, a cylindrical body 2, and a lower head 3, and these three parts are interconnected. Both the upper head 1 and the lower head 3 are standard elliptical heads. The cylindrical body 2, upper head 1, and lower head 3 are all made of 316L stainless steel to withstand the corrosion from the high-temperature alkaline solution generated by the electrolytic cell.

[0040] See Figure 1A support column 7 is axially mounted on the central axis inside the cylinder 2. The support column 7 is rotatably connected to the cylinder 2, allowing it to rotate around the central axis of the cylinder 2. To facilitate the connection between the support column 7 and the cylinder 2, grid-shaped mounting plates are installed at the top and bottom openings of the cylinder 2. The mounting plates can be detachably connected to the cylinder 2 or welded together. The rotatable connection between the support column 7 and the mounting plates is a mature technology in the field and will not be described in detail here. The grid-shaped mounting plates are all located on the cross-section of the cylinder 2, which facilitates the installation of the support column 7 inside the cylinder 2 and allows the separated hydrogen gas to flow upward through the grid-shaped mounting plates to the upper end cap 1, and the separated alkali solution to flow downward through the grid-shaped mounting plates to the lower end cap 3. The support column 7 is made of 420 stainless steel; a spiral guide baffle 8 is fitted on the side wall of the support column 7, and the spiral guide baffle 8 is fixedly fitted in the middle of the support column 7 by a key connection; the upper end and the lower end of the spiral guide baffle 8 are respectively connected to the support column 7 by a pair of bearings 11, and the bearings 11 are corrosion-resistant PTFE cage deep groove ball bearings.

[0041] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The spiral guide baffle 8 includes a base column and multiple spiral curved blades disposed on the side wall of the base column. The multiple spiral curved blades are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the base column. The base column is sleeved on the support column 7, and the upper end and lower end of the base column are respectively connected to the support column 7 through a pair of bearings 11.

[0042] Preferably, the surface of the helical curved blades is coated with a tungsten carbide wear-resistant coating. The outer diameter of the helical guide baffle 8 is... With cylinder 2 (inner diameter) The inner wall maintains an operating clearance of approximately 1 mm.

[0043] In one possible embodiment of this utility model, the helical curved blade is a right-handed blade; the helix angle of the helical curved blade is 22°, the pitch is 2420mm, the axial length of the helical curved blade is 400mm, the radial width is 286.5mm, and the blade thickness is 6mm. Preferably, there are 7 helical curved blades, evenly distributed around the circumference of the base column, and the helical direction of the helical curved blades is the same as the axial direction of the base column. This design allows the rotational speed of the helical guide baffle 8 to be maximized when the gas-liquid mixture entering the cylinder 2 directly impacts the helical curved blades of the helical guide baffle 8 at a relatively low flow rate. This ensures that the helical guide baffle 8 can still generate a high centrifugal force, thereby guaranteeing the rotation of the gas-liquid separation component, improving the separation efficiency of hydrogen and alkali, and ensuring stable operation of the gas-liquid separation.

[0044] See Figure 1A gas outlet 4 is welded to the center of the top of the upper head 1 to discharge and collect the separated hydrogen gas; the gas outlet 4 is a tubular structure with a nominal diameter of DN80mm. A liquid outlet 10 is provided at the center of the bottom of the lower head 3 to discharge and collect the separated alkaline solution; the liquid outlet 10 is a tubular structure with a nominal diameter of DN50mm. A gas-liquid mixture inlet 6 is provided on the upper side wall of the cylinder 2 to introduce the hydrogen production products from water electrolysis into the cylinder 2; the gas-liquid mixture inlet 6 is a tubular structure with a nominal diameter of DN100mm. Preferably, the centerline of the gas-liquid mixture inlet 6 is tangent to the inner wall of the cylinder 2, and the outlet direction of the gas-liquid mixture inlet 6 is directly opposite to the spiral curved blades on the spiral guide baffle 8. This ensures that the incoming fluid (a mixture of hydrogen and alkali) enters the cylinder 2 tangentially and impacts the spiral curved blades at the optimal angle, efficiently driving the spiral guide baffle 8 to rotate, which in turn drives the support column 7 to rotate, thereby achieving efficient separation of hydrogen and alkali in the hydrogen production products from water electrolysis.

[0045] See Figure 1 In one implementation of this utility model, the gas-liquid separation assembly further includes two sets of umbrella blade assemblies 9 sleeved on the support column 7, both sets of umbrella blade assemblies 9 being fixedly connected to the support column 7. One set of umbrella blade assemblies 9 is located above the spiral guide baffle 8, and the other set is located below the spiral guide baffle 8. The umbrella blade assembly 9 above the spiral guide baffle 8 has its umbrella opening end facing downwards, and the umbrella blade assembly 9 below the spiral guide baffle 8 has its umbrella opening end facing upwards.

[0046] In this invention, each umbrella blade assembly 9 consists of one or more umbrella blades 91; the umbrella blades 91 are made of 304 stainless steel.

[0047] In one possible implementation of each umbrella blade assembly 9, the umbrella blade assembly 9 consists of an umbrella blade 91.

[0048] In one possible implementation of each umbrella blade assembly 9, the umbrella blade assembly 9 consists of two, three, four, or more umbrella blades 91. The two, three, four, or more umbrella blades 91 are distributed sequentially along the axial direction of the support column 7.

[0049] Preferably, the set of umbrella blade assemblies 9 above the spiral guide baffle 8 consists of two umbrella blades 91. The two umbrella blades 91 are distributed along the axial direction of the support column 7 above the spiral guide baffle 8. The other set of umbrella blade assemblies 9 below the spiral guide baffle 8 consists of three umbrella blades 91, and the three umbrella blades 91 are distributed sequentially along the axial direction of the support column 7 below the spiral guide baffle 8.

[0050] Specifically, the umbrella blade 91 has a conical structure; the umbrella blade 91 above the spiral guide baffle 8 has its small end (conical end) facing the lower endcap 3 and its large end (umbrella opening end) facing the upper endcap 1. The umbrella blade 91 below the spiral guide baffle 8 has its small end (conical end) facing the upper endcap 1 and its large end (umbrella opening end) facing the lower endcap 3.

[0051] In a possible embodiment of this invention, the angle between the umbrella wall and the umbrella opening of the umbrella blade 91 is preferably 30°, so as to maximize the extension of the collision path of the hydrogen gas flow.

[0052] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment of this invention, each umbrella blade 91 has a plurality of vent holes 92 evenly distributed on its surface. The total opening area of ​​the plurality of vent holes 92 accounts for 30% of the surface area of ​​the umbrella blade 91, so as to ensure uniform hydrogen flow while promoting droplet coalescence. The diameter of the vent holes 92 is 8 mm to ensure the uniformity and flow of hydrogen.

[0053] See Figure 1 In one implementation of this utility model, the gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis further includes a wire mesh demister 5 disposed inside the separator tank; the wire mesh demister 5 is located above the umbrella blade assembly 9 on the spiral guide baffle 8.

[0054] See Figure 7 Specifically, a wire mesh demister 5 is installed on the inner wall of the upper end cap 1 directly below the gas outlet 4 via a fixing ring 51. The wire mesh demister 5 is woven from 316L stainless steel wire with a thickness of 150mm and is used to capture micron-sized mist droplets in the hydrogen gas flow.

[0055] The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production via water electrolysis provided by this utility model operates as follows:

[0056] (1) The product discharged from the electrolyzer for hydrogen production by water electrolysis (i.e., the hydrogen-alkali mixture) enters the cylinder 2 from the gas-liquid mixture inlet 6 at a flow rate of about 15 m / s along the tangential direction. The gas-liquid mixture directly impacts the spiral curved blades of the spiral guide baffle 8. The spiral guide baffle 8 rotates and drives the gas-liquid separation component to rotate.

[0057] (2) Initial centrifugal separation: The mixture generates a strong centrifugal force under the drive of the high-speed rotating spiral guide baffle 8, realizing the initial centrifugal separation of hydrogen and alkali. After the initial separation, the denser alkali droplets are thrown towards the inner wall of the cylinder 2, and after collision, they form a liquid film. Under the action of gravity, they flow down the wall to the lower end cap 3, and the hydrogen after the initial separation flows upward.

[0058] (3) Secondary collision coalescence: As hydrogen flows upward and alkali flows downward, it passes through two sets of umbrella blade assemblies 9. Due to the rotation of the gas-liquid separation assembly, the umbrella blade assemblies 9 above and below the spiral guide baffle 8 rotate accordingly. The fine droplets contained in the primary separation product undergo secondary collision and coalescence with the surface of the umbrella blades 91. The coalesced droplets, after becoming larger, settle downward under gravity. Hydrogen passes through the vent holes 92 on the surface of the umbrella blades 91 and continuously gathers upward along the center of the cylinder 2, avoiding collision with the alkali separated by the spiral guide baffle 8. The vent holes 92 ensure the uniform distribution and permeability of the hydrogen flow. Through secondary collision coalescence, the separation of hydrogen and alkali is further realized, improving the separation efficiency.

[0059] (4) After two-stage dynamic separation of primary centrifugal separation and secondary collision coalescence, hydrogen gas continuously rises and passes through wire mesh demister 5 to capture residual tiny mist droplets, thereby achieving fine separation of hydrogen gas and obtaining pure hydrogen gas.

[0060] (5) Drainage and exhaust: The separated pure hydrogen gas is discharged and collected from the top gas outlet 4. The alkaline solution accumulated in the lower head 3 is collected. The drain valve on the liquid outlet 10 is opened periodically, and the alkaline solution is discharged from the liquid outlet 10 for secondary use, thus realizing the recovery of alkaline solution.

[0061] Obviously, the embodiments described above are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production via water electrolysis, characterized in that, It includes a separation tank and a gas-liquid separation assembly disposed inside the separation tank; the gas-liquid separation assembly includes a support column (7) and a spiral guide baffle (8) sleeved on the support column (7), and the support column (7) is rotatably connected to the separation tank; The spiral guide baffle (8) includes a base column and multiple spiral curved blades disposed on the side wall of the base column. The multiple spiral curved blades are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the base column. The base column is sleeved on the support column (7) and is rotatably connected to the support column (7). The gas outlet (4), gas-liquid mixture inlet (6), and liquid outlet (10) are arranged sequentially from top to bottom on the side wall of the separator; the gas-liquid mixture inlet (6) is directly opposite the spiral guide baffle (8).

2. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 1, characterized by, The spiral curved blade is a right-handed blade; the spiral helix angle of the spiral curved blade is 22°, the pitch is 2420mm; the axial length of the spiral curved blade is 400mm, the radial width is 286.5mm, and the blade thickness is 6mm.

3. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 1, characterized by, The gas-liquid separation assembly also includes an umbrella blade assembly (9) sleeved on the support column (7) and located above the spiral guide baffle (8).

4. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 3, characterized by, The gas-liquid separation assembly also includes an umbrella blade assembly (9) sleeved on the support column (7) and located below the spiral guide baffle (8).

5. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 4, characterized in that, The umbrella blade assembly (9) above the spiral flow guide baffle (8) has its umbrella opening end facing downwards, while the umbrella blade assembly (9) below the spiral flow guide baffle (8) has its umbrella opening end facing upwards.

6. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by, The umbrella blade assembly (9) includes an umbrella blade (91) and a plurality of ventilation holes (92) evenly distributed on the umbrella blade (91).

7. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 6, characterized by, The umbrella blades (91) are one or more; when there are multiple umbrella blades (91), the multiple umbrella blades (91) are distributed sequentially along the axial direction of the support column (7).

8. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 6, characterized by, The total opening area of ​​the plurality of ventilation holes (92) accounts for 30% of the surface area of ​​the umbrella blade (91); the angle between the umbrella wall and the umbrella opening end of the umbrella blade (91) is 30°.

9. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 3, characterized by, The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis also includes a wire mesh demister (5) installed inside the separator tank; the wire mesh demister (5) is located above the umbrella blade assembly (9).

10. The gas-liquid separator for hydrogen production by water electrolysis according to claim 1, characterized by, The separator includes an upper head (1), a cylinder (2), and a lower head (3) connected from top to bottom; the gas-liquid separation assembly is located inside the cylinder (2), and the support column (7) is rotatably connected to the cylinder (2); the gas outlet (4) is located on the upper head (1), the liquid outlet (10) is located on the lower head (3), the gas-liquid mixture inlet (6) is located on the side wall of the cylinder (2), and the center line of the gas-liquid mixture inlet (6) is tangent to the inner wall of the cylinder (2).

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