Hydrogen production system by water electrolysis

Abstract

The application discloses a water electrolysis hydrogen production system, and relates to the technical field of electrolysis hydrogen production, wherein the water electrolysis hydrogen production system comprises a gas-liquid separator and a gas cooler, the gas cooler is horizontally arranged and is inclined relative to the horizontal direction, the gas-liquid separator is provided with a top wall and a bottom wall, the top wall is provided with an exhaust port, and the bottom wall is provided with a communication port at a low position, and the communication port is communicated with the gas-liquid separator. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system has an electrolysis product flow path and a liquid return flow path, the electrolysis product flow path comprises an air inlet flow path from the gas-liquid separator to the communication port, and the liquid return flow path comprises a condensate flow path from the communication port to the gas-liquid separator. The technical scheme provided by the application aims to simplify the connecting pipeline of the gas cooler, so as to facilitate the pipeline layout.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of hydrogen electrolysis technology, and in particular to a water electrolysis hydrogen production system. Background Technology

[0002] The water electrolysis hydrogen production system is equipped with a gas cooler. The incoming gas is cooled by circulating water through the gas cooler. That is, the gas cooler needs to be equipped with an air inlet, an exhaust outlet, a coolant inlet, and a coolant outlet. In addition, since the liquid carried in the gas will condense and settle during the cooling process, a condensate drain outlet also needs to be provided on the gas cooler, which makes the piping of the gas cooler complex. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main objective of this application is to propose a water electrolysis hydrogen production system that simplifies the connection piping of the gas cooler to facilitate piping layout.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system proposed in this application includes a gas-liquid separator and a gas cooler. The gas cooler is arranged laterally and is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The gas-liquid separator has a top wall and a bottom wall. The top wall is provided with an exhaust port, and the bottom wall is provided with a connecting port at a lower position. The connecting port is connected to the gas-liquid separator. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system has an electrolysis product flow path and a return liquid flow path. The electrolysis product flow path includes an inlet flow path from the gas-liquid separator to the connecting port, and the return liquid flow path includes a condensate flow path from the connecting port to the gas-liquid separator.

[0005] In one embodiment, the exhaust port is located at a high position on the top wall.

[0006] In one embodiment, the gas cooler has an inlet chamber, an outlet chamber, and a heat exchange chamber, with the heat exchange chamber located between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber. The connecting port and the exhaust port are provided corresponding to the heat exchange chamber, and the lowest point of the outlet chamber is lower than the lowest point of the inlet chamber.

[0007] In one embodiment, the bottom wall is further provided with an inlet communicating with the liquid inlet chamber, and the top wall is further provided with an outlet communicating with the liquid outlet chamber.

[0008] In one embodiment, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system further includes a scrubber connected to the exhaust port.

[0009] In one embodiment, an exhaust channel communicating with the exhaust port is formed outside the gas cooler, and a liquid trapping device is provided in the exhaust channel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the liquid trapping device includes at least one of a wire mesh demister and a coalescing filter element.

[0011] In one embodiment, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system further includes a scrubber, and the outlet of the exhaust channel is directly connected to the scrubber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system further includes a gas-water separator, and the outlet of the exhaust channel is directly connected to the gas-water separator.

[0013] In one embodiment, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system further includes a gas product outlet, and the outlet of the exhaust channel is directly connected to the gas product outlet.

[0014] In the technical solution of this application, on the one hand, the connecting port serves as the air inlet, through which the gas discharged from the gas-liquid separator enters. The gas is cooled in the gas cooler, bringing its temperature close to the ambient temperature or the allowable inlet temperature of subsequent equipment. At the same time, because the gas density increases after cooling, its volume can be reduced to a certain extent, which is beneficial for subsequent processing. In addition, it can also prevent high-temperature gas from damaging downstream equipment or affecting sensor accuracy.

[0015] On the other hand, as the gas cools, condensate is generated inside the gas cooler. Due to the inclined bottom wall and the fact that the connection port is located in the lower part of the bottom wall, the condensate slides down the bottom wall under gravity and collects at the connection port, then flows back to the gas-liquid separator. That is, the inlet gas path and the condensate flow path can be arranged in the same pipeline between the gas-liquid separator and the gas cooler. It is worth noting that the inlet gas path and the condensate flow path flow in opposite directions but do not interfere with each other; the condensate flow rate does not affect the normal gas flow. Therefore, the same connection port serves both as an inlet and a condensate return point, significantly reducing the number of interfaces in the gas cooler and thus simplifying the pipeline layout. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first embodiment of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gas cooler in an embodiment of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gas cooler for the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system provided in this application.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 100. Gas-liquid separator; 200. Gas cooler; 201. Heat exchange chamber; 202. Liquid inlet chamber; 203. Liquid outlet chamber; 204. Exhaust passage; 210. First side wall; 220. Second side wall; 230. Top wall; 231. Exhaust port; 232. Liquid outlet; 240. Bottom wall; 241. Connecting port; 242. Liquid inlet; 300, Scrubber; 400, Liquid trap; 500, Gas-liquid separator; 600, Gas product outlet.

[0019] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0022] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0023] This application proposes a water electrolysis hydrogen production system.

[0024] This water electrolysis hydrogen production system comprises an electrolysis product flow path and a return flow path. The electrolysis product flow path begins at the electrolysis product outlet of the electrolyzer and includes various devices for processing the electrolysis products, such as a gas-liquid separation chamber and a gas cooler. The electrolysis products are typically a gas-liquid mixture of gas (hydrogen or oxygen) and electrolyte. After processing by the gas-liquid separator and gas cooler, liquid components and impurities are effectively removed, achieving gas purification. The electrolysis product flow path ends at the gas product outlet, where the purified gas is discharged. Liquid that settles in the relevant gas processing equipment (such as the gas-liquid separator or gas cooler) is collected through the return flow path and ultimately returned to the electrolyzer.

[0025] Specifically, the electrolyzer has a hydrogen-side electrolysis product outlet and an oxygen-side electrolysis product outlet. Correspondingly, the system constructs hydrogen-side electrolysis product flow paths, oxygen-side electrolysis product flow paths, and corresponding hydrogen-side and oxygen-side return liquid flow paths. In the hydrogen-side and oxygen-side electrolysis product flow paths, the same or different gas processing equipment can be configured, ultimately obtaining high-purity hydrogen and oxygen at their respective gas product outlets.

[0026] Based on the above structure, the technical solution of this application can be selectively applied to the hydrogen-side flow path or the oxygen-side flow path, or simultaneously applied to both the hydrogen-side flow path and the oxygen-side flow path. When both sides adopt the solution of this application, the specific implementation methods can be the same, or different configurations can be adopted according to different requirements for gaseous products.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment of this application, the water electrolysis hydrogen production system includes a gas-liquid separator 100 and a gas cooler 200. The gas cooler 200 is arranged laterally and is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The gas-liquid separator has a top wall 230 and a bottom wall 240. The top wall 230 is provided with an exhaust port 231, and the bottom wall 240 is provided with a connecting port 241 at a lower position. The connecting port 241 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 100. The electrolysis product flow path includes an inlet flow path from the gas-liquid separator 100 to the communication port 241, and the return liquid flow path includes a condensate flow path from the communication port 241 to the gas-liquid separator 100.

[0028] Specifically, the gas cooler 200 also includes a first sidewall 210 and a second sidewall 220, which are arranged opposite each other in the horizontal direction. The top wall 230 and the bottom wall 240 are respectively connected to the first sidewall 210 and the second sidewall 220 on their horizontal sides. Taking the bottom wall 240 as a reference, the first sidewall 210 is connected to the lower side of the bottom wall 240, and the second sidewall 220 is connected to the higher side of the bottom wall 240. The connecting port 241 is located at the lower position of the bottom wall 240, that is, compared with the second sidewall 220, the connecting port 241 is closer to the first sidewall 210.

[0029] In the technical solution of this application, on the one hand, the connecting port 241 serves as the air inlet, through which the gas discharged from the gas-liquid separator 100 enters. The gas is cooled in the gas cooler 200, bringing its temperature close to the ambient temperature or the allowable inlet temperature of downstream equipment (such as dryers, compressors, and storage tanks). At the same time, because the gas density increases after cooling, the gas volume can be reduced to a certain extent, which is beneficial for subsequent processing. In addition, it can also prevent high-temperature gas from damaging downstream equipment or affecting sensor accuracy.

[0030] On the other hand, as the gas cools down, condensate is generated inside the gas cooler 200. Due to the inclined bottom wall 240 and the fact that the connecting port 241 near the first side wall 210 is located in a lower position relative to the bottom wall 240, the condensate slides down the bottom wall 240 under gravity and collects at the connecting port 241, then flows back to the gas-liquid separator 100. That is, between the gas-liquid separator 100 and the gas cooler 200, the inlet air path and the condensate flow path can be arranged in the same pipeline. It is worth noting that the flow directions of the inlet air path and the condensate flow path are opposite but do not interfere with each other, and the condensate flow rate will not affect the normal gas flow. Thus, the same connecting port 241 has the dual functions of air inlet and condensate return, significantly reducing the number of interfaces of the gas cooler 200, thereby simplifying the pipeline layout.

[0031] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The exhaust port 231 is located at a high position on the top wall 230, that is, close to the second side wall 220. Thus, the connecting port 241 and the exhaust port 231 are also a certain distance apart in the horizontal direction, which helps to extend the residence path of the gas in the cooler, enhancing the heat exchange effect. Simultaneously, the bottom wall 240 located between the connecting port 241 and the first side wall 210 may accumulate condensate. The location of the exhaust port 231 close to the second side wall 220 ensures that the gas flow avoids the accumulated liquid, thus preventing airflow disturbance of the bottom liquid, reducing the risk of secondary entrainment of condensate, and improving gas purity. In other embodiments, the exhaust port 231 may also be located in the middle or other positions of the top wall 230.

[0032] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The gas cooler 200 has an inlet chamber 202, an outlet chamber 203, and a heat exchange chamber 201. The heat exchange chamber 201 is located between the inlet chamber 202 and the outlet chamber 203. The connecting port 241 and the exhaust port 231 are provided corresponding to the heat exchange chamber 201. The lowest point of the outlet chamber 203 is lower than the lowest point of the inlet chamber 202. That is, the outlet chamber 203 is close to the first side wall 210, and the inlet chamber 202 is close to the second side wall 220. It can be understood that a heat exchanger is installed in the heat exchange chamber 201. The coolant flows into the flow channel of the heat exchanger from the inlet chamber 202 and then flows out of the gas cooler 200 from the outlet chamber 203. The heat exchanger can be a shell-and-tube type, a U-tube type, a spiral tube type, etc.

[0033] In this way, the gas entering through the connecting port 241 and exiting through the exhaust port 231 can flow through the heat exchange chamber 201 and the internal heat exchanger for heat exchange, thereby removing the heat of the gas through the coolant and reducing the gas temperature. The lowest point of the liquid outlet chamber 203 is lower than the lowest point of the liquid inlet chamber 202, which helps the coolant to collect towards the liquid outlet chamber 203 when the equipment is stopped, facilitating equipment maintenance.

[0034] In other embodiments, the liquid inlet chamber 202 may be close to the first side wall 210, and the liquid outlet chamber 203 may be close to the second side wall 220. Alternatively, the liquid inlet chamber 202 and the liquid outlet chamber 203 may be located on the same side of the heat exchange chamber 201 and separated by a partition.

[0035] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2The bottom wall 240 is further provided with an inlet 242 communicating with the liquid inlet chamber 202, and the top wall 230 is further provided with an outlet 232 communicating with the liquid outlet chamber 203. That is, the inlet 242 is located at a high position on the bottom wall 240, and the outlet 232 is located at a low position on the top wall 230. In this way, the inlet 242, outlet 232, communicating port 241, and exhaust port 231 can be staggered, which is conducive to the independent arrangement and connection of external pipelines, reduces pipeline interference, and improves the convenience of on-site installation and maintenance. In other embodiments, the inlet 242 may also be located on the first side wall 210, and the outlet 232 may be located on the second side wall 220.

[0036] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a scrubber 300, which is connected to the exhaust port 231. Thus, the gas, cooled and dehumidified by the gas cooler 200, enters the scrubber 300, where trace amounts of electrolyte droplets or soluble impurities can be further removed. This is particularly suitable for alkaline water electrolysis systems, resulting in a gaseous product with a relatively low electrolyte content.

[0037] Specifically, in the first embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 The scrubber 300 is directly connected to the exhaust port 231. That is, there are no other gas treatment devices in the electrolysis product flow path between the exhaust port 231 and the scrubber 300, but accessories such as air pumps and flow meters can be installed. Of course, in other embodiments, gas treatment devices can be appropriately added to reduce the processing burden of the scrubber 300.

[0038] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 3 to 6 The gas cooler 200 also has an exhaust channel 204 connected to the exhaust port 231, and a liquid trapping device 400 is provided in the exhaust channel 204. In this way, before the gas discharged from the gas cooler 200 enters the downstream equipment, the liquid trapping device 400 in the exhaust channel 204 can intercept the tiny condensed droplets entrained in the gas, thereby further reducing the liquid content of the outlet gas.

[0039] In one embodiment, the liquid trapping device 400 includes at least one of a wire mesh demister and a coalescing filter element. The wire mesh demister can effectively intercept micron-sized condensate droplets and has a simple structure and low pressure loss; while the coalescing filter element can capture submicron-sized droplets, achieving higher precision liquid removal through a coalescing sedimentation mechanism. The two can be used individually or in combination, and can be flexibly configured according to gas cleanliness requirements, significantly improving the dryness of the outlet gas without significantly increasing the system pressure drop, preventing droplets from entering downstream sensitive equipment. In other embodiments, other forms of liquid trapping structures such as blade-type demisters, cyclone separators, or porous sintered metal can be used to adapt to different flow rates, pressure drops, or maintenance cycle requirements.

[0040] Specifically, in the second embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a scrubber 300, and the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 is directly connected to the scrubber 300. That is, no other gas treatment equipment is installed between the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 and the scrubber 300.

[0041] In this way, after the gas is initially cooled by the gas cooler 200 and then demisted a second time by the liquid capture device 400 in the exhaust channel 204, it can directly enter the scrubber 300 for deep purification. Because the gas temperature is low and the liquid content has been greatly reduced, the load on the scrubber 300 is significantly reduced, water consumption is reduced, and the scrubbing efficiency or equipment corrosion caused by high temperature or high humidity gas is avoided, thereby improving the overall purification efficiency and system life.

[0042] Specifically, in the third embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a gas-water separator 500, and the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 is directly connected to the gas-water separator 500. That is, no other gas processing equipment is installed between the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 and the gas-water separator 500.

[0043] In this way, the cooled and preliminarily demisted gas can be subjected to further deep gas-liquid separation, which is especially suitable for applications with strict limits on dew point or total water content. The gas-liquid separator 500 can be implemented using gravity sedimentation, cyclone separation, or high-efficiency filter elements, forming a multi-stage protection with the aforementioned liquid capture device 400 to ensure that the gas products consistently meet high purity requirements over the long term.

[0044] Specifically, in the fourth embodiment, please refer to Figure 6 The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a gaseous product outlet 600, and the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 is directly connected to the gaseous product outlet 600. That is, no other gas processing equipment is installed between the outlet of the exhaust channel 204 and the gaseous product outlet 600.

[0045] When the system has relatively lenient requirements for gas purity or the front-end cooling and liquid capture processes have already met the standards, intermediate processing units such as the scrubber 300 and gas-liquid separator 500 can be omitted, allowing the gas to be directly output as a product after cooling and mist capture. This solution significantly simplifies the process, reduces the number of equipment and floor space, lowers manufacturing costs and operational complexity, and is particularly suitable for small, mobile, or modular hydrogen production units.

[0046] Specifically, the above-mentioned scheme can be flexibly selected based on various factors such as the demand for gaseous products, the liquid interception device 400 installed in the exhaust channel 204, and the installation space.

[0047] For example, when it is necessary to obtain gaseous products with low electrolyte content and the water content is not a concern, the first embodiment or the second embodiment can be selected; When it is necessary to obtain a gaseous product with low liquid content, and the ratio of electrolyte to water is not important, the third or fourth embodiment can be selected. When installation space is limited, the fourth embodiment can be selected, and by configuring a high-efficiency liquid trap 400, the purity of the gaseous products can be ensured to meet the requirements.

[0048] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A water electrolysis hydrogen production system, characterized in that, The device includes a gas-liquid separator (100) and a gas cooler (200). The gas cooler (200) is arranged laterally and is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The gas-liquid separator has a top wall (230) and a bottom wall (240). The top wall (230) is provided with an exhaust port (231), and the bottom wall (240) is provided with a connecting port (241) at a lower position. The connecting port (241) is connected to the gas-liquid separator (100). The water electrolysis hydrogen production system has an electrolysis product flow path and a return liquid flow path. The electrolysis product flow path includes an inlet flow path from the gas-liquid separator (100) to the connecting port (241), and the return liquid flow path includes a condensate flow path from the connecting port (241) to the gas-liquid separator (100).

2. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust port (231) is located at a high position on the top wall (230).

3. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas cooler (200) has an inlet chamber (202), an outlet chamber (203), and a heat exchange chamber (201). The heat exchange chamber (201) is located between the inlet chamber (202) and the outlet chamber (203). The connecting port (241) and the exhaust port (231) are provided corresponding to the heat exchange chamber (201). The lowest point of the outlet chamber (203) is lower than the lowest point of the inlet chamber (202).

4. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom wall (240) is also provided with an inlet (242) that communicates with the liquid inlet chamber (202), and the top wall (230) is also provided with an outlet (232) that communicates with the liquid outlet chamber (203).

5. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a scrubber (300) connected to the exhaust port (231).

6. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas cooler (200) also has an exhaust channel (204) that connects to the exhaust port (231), and a liquid trapping device (400) is provided in the exhaust channel (204).

7. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid trapping device (400) includes at least one of a wire mesh demister and a coalescing filter element.

8. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a scrubber (300), and the outlet of the exhaust channel (204) is directly connected to the scrubber (300).

9. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a gas-water separator (500), and the outlet of the exhaust channel (204) is directly connected to the gas-water separator (500).

10. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The water electrolysis hydrogen production system also includes a gas product outlet (600), and the outlet of the exhaust channel (204) is directly connected to the gas product outlet (600).

Images