Electrolytic cell of a water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus

Abstract

This utility model discloses an electrolyzer for a water electrolysis hydrogen production device, comprising a tank body and a sealing cover. A front-end plate is located on the left side of the tank body, and a rear-end plate is located on the right side. Multiple bipolar plates are fixedly arranged at intervals inside the tank body. Between adjacent components—between the front-end plate and the first bipolar plate, between each bipolar plate, and between the last bipolar plate and the rear-end plate—a porous anode electrode, a diaphragm, and a porous cathode electrode are sequentially sandwiched, forming multiple electrolysis chambers. Each electrolysis chamber has an electrolyte inlet at its rear and an anolyte outlet and a catholyte outlet at its front, corresponding to the anode and cathode flow fields, respectively. This utility model provides a short-range, directional flow channel for each reaction unit by setting independent electrolyte inlets and anolyte outlets at the front. This design ensures that the electrolyte can be rapidly and uniformly supplied to each electrode surface, improving current efficiency and saving energy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of water electrolysis devices, specifically to an electrolysis cell for a water electrolysis hydrogen production device. Background Technology

[0002] Electrolysis of water is an important method for obtaining high-purity green hydrogen energy, and alkaline water electrolysis technology is widely used due to its mature technology and relatively low cost. The core of an alkaline electrolyzer consists of stacked components such as end plates, electrodes, diaphragms, and electrodes. Currently, most alkaline electrolyzers on the market adopt a large-scale pressure filtration structure, with the electrolyte circulating in a common chamber. However, this traditional structure has some inherent drawbacks: First, the electrolyte has a long flow path and high resistance within the tank, easily leading to uneven distribution and inconsistent current density in each electrolysis chamber, affecting overall energy efficiency; second, if hydrogen and oxygen bubbles are not carried away in time after being released into the electrolyte, they will adhere to the electrode surface, forming a bubble shielding effect, increasing ohmic polarization, leading to increased tank voltage and energy consumption; third, traditional designs usually rely on an external main pipe to achieve fluid distribution to each chamber, requiring extremely high precision in electrode processing and stacking, otherwise leaks or short circuits are likely to occur, making maintenance and repair inconvenient. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new alkaline electrolyzer structure that can optimize electrolyte and gas management, improve current efficiency, and has a compact and reliable structure. Utility Model Content

[0003] (I) Technical Issues

[0004] In order to solve the technical problems in the background art, this utility model provides an electrolyzer for a water electrolysis hydrogen production device.

[0005] (II) Technical Content

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: an electrolytic cell for a water electrolysis hydrogen production device, comprising a cell body and a sealing cover, a front end plate on the left side of the cell body, a rear end plate on the right side of the cell body, and multiple bipolar plates fixedly arranged at intervals inside the cell body, the inner side of the front end plate forming an anode chamber, and the inner side of the rear end plate forming a cathode chamber; an anode flow field is provided on the side of the bipolar plate facing the anode, and a cathode flow field is provided on the side facing the cathode; between adjacent components, i.e., between the front end plate and the first bipolar plate, between each bipolar plate, and between the last bipolar plate and the rear end plate, a porous anode electrode, a diaphragm, and a porous cathode electrode are sequentially sandwiched, together forming multiple electrolysis chambers; an electrolyte inlet is provided on the rear side of each electrolysis chamber, and an anolyte outlet and a cathode outlet are respectively provided on the front side of each electrolysis chamber corresponding to the anode flow field and the cathode flow field.

[0007] Furthermore, the anolyte outlet is connected to the anolyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber to discharge oxygen-rich electrolyte; the catholyte outlet is connected to the catholyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber to discharge hydrogen-rich electrolyte.

[0008] Furthermore, the diaphragm is asbestos cloth, polysulfone composite porous membrane, or porous membrane with a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic coating.

[0009] Furthermore, the anode porous electrode and the cathode porous electrode are nickel mesh, Raney nickel catalyst coated porous substrate, or nickel sulfide catalytic electrodes.

[0010] Furthermore, the bipolar plate is made of nickel plate or nickel-plated steel plate, and its anode flow field and cathode flow field are wavy flow channels formed by etching or stamping.

[0011] Furthermore, an anode electrode terminal block is connected to the front end plate, and a cathode electrode terminal block is connected to the rear end plate.

[0012] (III) Technical Effects

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: By setting an independent electrolyte inlet at the rear of each electrolysis chamber and setting anolyte and catholyte outlets at the front, a short-range, directional flow channel is provided for each reaction unit. This design ensures that the electrolyte can be supplied quickly and uniformly to each electrode surface and forces the fluid through the flow field, effectively "sweeping away" hydrogen and oxygen bubbles generated by the reaction from the electrodes in a timely manner, greatly reducing the bubble shielding effect, thereby effectively reducing cell voltage, improving current efficiency, and saving energy. This invention integrates the fluid distribution function into each bipolar plate and electrolysis chamber, reducing reliance on bulky external piping. This modular design makes the structure more compact and reduces potential leakage points. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the electrolyzer in a water electrolysis hydrogen production device according to this utility model. Figure 1 .

[0015] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the electrolyzer in a water electrolysis hydrogen production device according to this utility model. Figure 2 .

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the electrolyzer in an electrolysis hydrogen production device for water electrolysis according to this utility model.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of the electrolytic cell of a water electrolysis hydrogen production device according to this utility model.

[0018] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the electrolyzer in an electrolytic water hydrogen production device according to this utility model.

[0019] As shown in the figure: 1. Tank body; 2. Front end plate; 3. Bipolar plate; 4. Rear end plate; 5. Diaphragm; 6. Porous anode electrode; 7. Porous cathode electrode; 8. Electrolysis chamber; 9. Electrolyte inlet; 10. Anode outlet; 11. Cathode outlet; 12. Anode electrode terminal block; 13. Cathode electrode terminal block; 14. Sealing cover. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "center", 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 utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation structure and operation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "provided with," "installed," "connected," "linked," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Combined with appendix Figure 1 To be continued Figure 5 An electrolyzer for hydrogen production via water electrolysis includes a tank body 1 and a sealing cover 14. A front end plate 2 is provided on the left side of the tank body 1, and a rear end plate 4 is provided on the right side of the tank body 1. Multiple bipolar plates 3 are fixedly arranged at intervals inside the tank body 1. The inner side of the front end plate 2 forms an anode chamber, and the inner side of the rear end plate 4 forms a cathode chamber. An anode flow field is provided on the side of the bipolar plate 3 facing the anode, and a cathode flow field is provided on the side facing the cathode. Between adjacent components, namely between the front end plate 2 and the first bipolar plate 3, between each bipolar plate 3, and between the last bipolar plate 3 and the rear end plate 4, a porous anode electrode 6, a diaphragm 5, and a porous cathode electrode 7 are sequentially sandwiched, forming multiple electrolysis chambers 8. An electrolyte inlet 9 is provided on the rear side of each electrolysis chamber 8, and an anolyte outlet 10 and a cathode outlet 11 are provided on the front side of each electrolysis chamber 8 corresponding to the anode flow field and the cathode flow field, respectively.

[0024] The anolyte outlet 10 is connected to the anolyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber and is used to discharge the oxygen-rich electrolyte; the catholyte outlet 11 is connected to the catholyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber and is used to discharge the hydrogen-rich electrolyte.

[0025] The diaphragm 5 is an asbestos cloth, a polysulfone composite porous membrane, or a porous membrane with a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic coating. The anode porous electrode 6 and the cathode porous electrode 7 are nickel mesh, Raney nickel catalyst coated porous substrate, or nickel sulfide catalytic electrodes. The bipolar plate 3 is made of nickel plate or nickel-plated steel plate. Its anode flow field and cathode flow field are wavy flow channels formed by etching or stamping. The front end plate 2 is connected to the anode electrode terminal block 12, and the rear end plate 4 is connected to the cathode electrode terminal block 13.

[0026] The working principle of this invention is as follows: An external alkaline electrolyte (such as KOH solution) first enters the individual electrolysis chambers 8 through the electrolyte inlet 9. Compared to the common chamber supply of traditional pressure filtration structures, this design, through the separation effect of the bipolar plates 3, precisely distributes the electrolyte to each reaction unit, ensuring a uniform electrolyte supply in each electrolysis chamber 8 and providing a stable reaction environment for subsequent electrolysis reactions. When the equipment is powered on, the positive terminal of the external power supply is connected to the anode electrode terminal block 12, and the negative terminal is connected to the cathode electrode terminal block 13. Current is conducted through the bipolar plates 3 to the electrode structures of each electrolysis chamber 8. At this time, the "electrode-diaphragm" assembly, consisting of the porous anode electrode 6, the diaphragm 5, and the porous cathode electrode 7, is activated in each electrolysis chamber 8. On the surface of the porous anode electrode 6, OH- in the alkaline electrolyte undergoes an oxidation reaction to generate O2, H2O, and electrons. The generated oxygen dissolves or disperses in the electrolyte, forming an oxygen-rich electrolyte. On the surface of the porous cathode electrode 7, H2O in the electrolyte gains electrons and undergoes a reduction reaction to generate H2 and OH-. The generated hydrogen gas also disperses in the electrolyte, forming a hydrogen-rich electrolyte. During the reaction, the diaphragm 5 only allows OH- to migrate from the anode side to the cathode side, preventing cross-mixing of H2 and O2 gases, while avoiding direct convection of the electrolytes at the two electrodes, ensuring the safe and stable conduction of the electrolysis reaction. The electrolyte flows along a directional path of "rear inlet - front outlet" within the electrolysis chamber 8: guided by the wavy anode and cathode flow fields formed by etching or stamping on the surface of the bipolar plate 3, the electrolyte is forced to pass through the surfaces of the porous anode electrode 6 and the porous cathode electrode 7. During this process, the flowing electrolyte efficiently "sweeps away" H2 and O2 bubbles generated on the electrode surfaces due to the reaction—avoiding the formation of a shielding effect due to bubble adhesion. At the same time, it propels the gas-rich electrolyte towards the outlet. The oxygen-rich electrolyte is discharged through the anolyte outlet 10 at the front of the electrolysis chamber 8, corresponding to the anode flow field, and enters the subsequent gas-liquid separation system. The hydrogen-rich electrolyte is discharged through the catholyte outlet 11 at the front of the electrolysis chamber 8, corresponding to the cathode flow field, and also enters the gas-liquid separation system, ultimately separating high-purity hydrogen.

[0027] Throughout the entire operation, the short-path flow channel formed by the independent electrolyte inlet 9 and the separate anolyte outlet 10 and catholyte outlet 11 ensures rapid electrolyte replenishment and timely gas discharge, effectively reducing the cell voltage. The bipolar plate 3 not only conducts current but also guides fluid flow through flow field design, while replacing the distribution function of traditional external pipelines, reducing leakage points and ensuring long-term stable and efficient operation of the equipment.

[0028] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the inventive spirit of the present invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrolyzer for a water electrolysis hydrogen production device, comprising a tank body (1) and a sealing cover (14), wherein a front end plate (2) is provided on the left side of the tank body (1), a rear end plate (4) is provided on the right side of the tank body (1), and a plurality of bipolar plates (3) are fixedly arranged at intervals inside the tank body (1), characterized in that: The inner side of the front end plate (2) forms an anode chamber, and the inner side of the rear end plate (4) forms a cathode chamber; the bipolar plate (3) has an anode flow field on the side facing the anode and a cathode flow field on the side facing the cathode; Between adjacent components, namely between the front end plate (2) and the first bipolar plate (3), between each bipolar plate (3), and between the last bipolar plate (3) and the rear end plate (4), a porous anode electrode (6), a diaphragm (5), and a porous cathode electrode (7) are sequentially sandwiched, forming multiple electrolytic chambers (8). Each electrolysis chamber (8) is provided with an electrolyte inlet (9) at the rear, and an anolyte outlet (10) and a catholyte outlet (11) are provided at the front of each electrolysis chamber (8) corresponding to the anode flow field and the cathode flow field, respectively.

2. The electrolyzer of the water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anolyte outlet (10) is connected to the anolyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber and is used to discharge the electrolyte rich in oxygen; the catholyte outlet (11) is connected to the catholyte flow field of each electrolysis chamber and is used to discharge the electrolyte rich in hydrogen.

3. The electrolyzer of the water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm (5) is an asbestos cloth, a polysulfone composite porous membrane, or a porous membrane with a polytetrafluoroethylene hydrophobic coating.

4. The electrolyzer of the water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anode porous electrode (6) and cathode porous electrode (7) are nickel mesh, Raney nickel catalyst coated porous substrate or nickel sulfide catalytic electrodes.

5. The electrolyzer of the water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bipolar plate (3) is made of nickel plate or nickel-plated steel plate, and its anode flow field and cathode flow field are wavy flow channels formed by etching or stamping.

6. The electrolyzer of the water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end plate (2) is connected to an anode electrode terminal block (12), and the rear end plate (4) is connected to a cathode electrode terminal block (13).

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