SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production system based on SOEC modules and multi-stack core modules

Abstract

An SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on SOEC modules and multi-stack core modules includes a steam generator, a mixer, an air heater, and a plurality of SOEC modules. Each SOEC module includes a thermal housing provided with a hot air module inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, an oxygen-rich air module outlet, and a crude hydrogen product module outlet, and a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores disposed within the thermal housing. The electrolytic cell stack core includes a hot air single-stack inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam single-stack inlet, an oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet, and a crude hydrogen product single-stack outlet.

Description

Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202311031308.8 filed on August 16, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of water electrolysis hydrogen production, and particularly to an SOEC module and an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production device based on a multi-stack core module.

Background Art

[0003] Methods for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using power generation from renewable energy mainly include three technologies: hydrogen production by water electrolysis with alkali, hydrogen production by water electrolysis with a proton exchange membrane, and hydrogen production by water electrolysis with a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC).

[0004] The SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production technology has relatively high electrolysis efficiency (over 90%) and can be integrated with existing petrochemical devices to efficiently utilize the abundant waste heat from petrochemical devices, reduce the power consumption of the SOEC device, and improve the efficiency of the entire system. Therefore, it has become the mainstream water electrolysis hydrogen production technology in the future.

[0005] In the prior art, the skid-mounted method in SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production based on a multi-stack core module generally forms a single stack with one SOEC electrolysis cell stack core and its corresponding heating furnace, multiple single stacks form an SOEC module, and further multiple modules form SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. Here, each SOEC electrolysis cell stack core is arranged in a corresponding electric furnace, and in this way, the SOEC electrolysis cell stack core can be heated to the required temperature by heating with the electric heating wire of the electric furnace.

[0006] Through their research, the inventors have discovered that the skid-mount method in SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production based on a multi-stack core module in the prior art has at least the following drawbacks.

[0007] The high-temperature heating elements of electric furnaces are constantly in a high-temperature state and have low cooling efficiency, making them susceptible to damage and affecting the operational stability of SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment.

[0008] The information disclosed in this background art is intended solely to enhance the overall understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as acknowledging or implying in any way that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The objective of this invention is to improve the operational stability of SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module, The system includes a skid-mounted cabinet equipped with a deionized ultrapure water inlet, a cathode-protected hydrogen inlet, a cold air inlet, a crude hydrogen product outlet, and an oxygen-rich air outlet, and a steam generator, a mixer, an air heater, and a plurality of SOEC modules arranged within the skid-mounted cabinet. The SOEC module includes a thermal insulation housing provided with a high-temperature air module inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, an oxygen-rich air module outlet, and a crude hydrogen product module outlet, and a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores disposed within the thermal insulation housing, wherein the electrolytic cell stack core includes a high-temperature air single stack inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet, an oxygen-rich air single stack outlet, and a crude hydrogen product single stack outlet. The mixer is used to mix cathode protection hydrogen with the vapor generated by the vapor generator to form a hydrogen-containing mixed vapor, which is transported via the hydrogen-containing mixed vapor module inlet to the hydrogen-containing mixed vapor single stack inlet of each electrolytic cell stack core. The air heater is used to heat the air from the cold air inlet to form hot air, which is transported via the hot air module inlet to the hot air single stack inlet of each electrolytic cell stack core.

[0011] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, The oxygen-rich air generated by the electrolytic cell stack core is transported via the oxygen-rich air single stack outlet to the oxygen-rich air module outlet of the corresponding SOEC module by a pipe section, and the crude hydrogen product generated by the electrolytic cell stack core is transported via the crude hydrogen product single stack outlet to the crude hydrogen product module outlet of the corresponding SOEC module by a pipe section.

[0012] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the piping connection structure within the skid-mount cabinet includes the following parts: The first pipe section, on which the steam generator is installed, has its inlet end connected to the deionized ultrapure water inlet, and its outlet end connected to the inlet of the mixer. The second pipe section, whose inlet end is connected to the cathode protection hydrogen inlet, has its outlet end connected to the inlet of the mixer. The third pipe section, on which the steam electric heater is installed, has its inlet end connected to the outlet of the mixer, and its outlet end connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of the first SOEC module among the SOEC modules. The crude hydrogen product module outlet of the first SOEC module is connected to the intake port of the ejector, and the exhaust port of the ejector is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of each second SOEC module. The fourth pipe section, on which the air heater is provided, has its inlet end connected to the cold air inlet, and its outlet end connected to the high-temperature air module inlet of each SOEC module, respectively. Each of the oxygen-rich air module outlets is connected to the inlet end of the fifth pipe section, and the outlet end of the fifth pipe section is connected to the oxygen-rich air outlet. The crude hydrogen product module outlet of each of the second SOEC modules is connected to the inlet end of the sixth pipe section, and the outlet end of the sixth pipe section is connected to the crude hydrogen product outlet.

[0013] Preferably, embodiments of the present invention further include a plurality of gas heat exchangers, each of which is: They are provided at the contact points between the sixth pipe section and the first pipe section, the contact points between the sixth pipe section and the second pipe section, and the contact points between the fourth pipe section and the fifth pipe section.

[0014] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the sixth pipe section is further provided with bypasses, each of which is: They are provided on both sides of the contact point between the sixth pipe section and the first pipe section, and on both sides of the contact point between the sixth pipe section and the second pipe section.

[0015] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the number of SOEC modules is four, The number of the first SOEC modules is one, and the number of the second SOEC modules is three.

[0016] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the nozzle inlet of the ejector is connected to the third pipe section.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, an SOEC module for an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus is further provided, the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus including an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on the multi-stack core module described above, wherein the piping connection structure within the SOEC module includes the following parts: The seventh pipe section, whose inlet end is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, has its outlet end connected to each of the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlets, The electrolytic cell stack core is divided into multiple groups, each group comprising multiple electrolytic cell stack cores connected sequentially in series, the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core in the group being connected to the high-temperature air single-stack inlet of the subsequent electrolytic cell stack cores. The eighth pipe section, whose inlet end is connected to the high-temperature air module inlet, has its outlet end connected to the high-temperature air single-stack inlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core of each group, respectively. The ninth pipe section, whose outlet end is connected to the oxygen-rich air module outlet, has its inlet end connected to the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the last electrolytic cell stack core of each group, respectively. A tenth pipe section, whose outlet end is connected to the crude hydrogen product module outlet, has its inlet end connected to each of the crude hydrogen product single stack outlets.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, another SOEC module for an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus is further provided, the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus including an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on the multi-stack core module described above, wherein the piping connection structure within the SOEC module includes the following parts: The seventh pipe section, whose inlet end is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, has its outlet end connected to each of the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlets, The eighth pipe section with its inlet end connected to the inlet of the high-temperature air module has its outlet end connected to each of the inlets of the high-temperature air single stacks. The ninth pipe section with its inlet end connected to the outlet of each of the oxygen-rich air single stacks has its outlet end connected to the outlet of the oxygen-rich air module. The tenth pipe section with its inlet end connected to the outlet of each of the raw hydrogen product single stacks has its outlet end connected to the outlet of the raw hydrogen product module.

[0019] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, A backup bypass is further provided between the inlet of the high-temperature air single stack and the outlet of the oxygen-rich air single stack of the electrolytic cell stack core.

[0020] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the number of electrolytic cell stack cores of a single SOEC module is 2 to 10, and a group is formed for every two electrolytic cell stack cores.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects.

[0022] In the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production device according to the present invention, due to the provision of piping, the temperature of each electrolytic cell stack core of a plurality of SOEC modules can be simultaneously controlled by one air heater. In the present invention, since a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores in the SOEC module are arranged at a high density in the heat preservation housing, most of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core in the heat preservation housing is confined within the heat preservation housing, thereby effectively reducing the temperature of the environment in which the air heater operates. In this way, the service life of the air heater can be effectively extended, the failure rate of the air heater can be reduced, and furthermore, the operation stability of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment can be improved.

[0023] Furthermore, in this invention, since multiple electrolytic cell stack cores within the SOEC module are densely arranged within the heat-insulating housing, the temperature inside the heat-insulating housing is a result of the combined action of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core within it. Therefore, compared to the case where each electrolytic cell stack core is heated individually, this invention can effectively improve the stability of the operating temperature of the electrolytic cell stack cores and further improve the operational stability of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment.

[0024] The above description is merely an overview of the technical proposal of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention, to implement the present invention in accordance with the contents of this specification, and to more easily understand the above and other objects, technical features, and advantages of the present invention, one or more preferred embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] To more clearly explain the technical concept of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Clearly, the drawings described below represent only a few embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these without requiring any creative effort. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the SOEC module according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is another schematic diagram of the SOEC module according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, but it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, throughout this specification and the claims, the term "includes," or any variation thereof such as "contains" or "contains," shall be understood to include the elements or components described, without excluding other elements or components.

[0027] In this specification, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish between two different elements or parts, and are not used to limit a particular position or relative relationship. In other words, in some embodiments, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are interchangeable. Example 1

[0028] To improve the operational stability of SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, an embodiment of the present invention is provided, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, which is an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module, and the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus is

[0029] The system includes a skid-mounted cabinet 06 equipped with a water inlet 01, a cathode protection hydrogen inlet 02, an air inlet 03, a crude hydrogen product outlet 04, and an oxygen-rich air outlet 05, and a steam generator 07, a mixer 08, an air heater 09, and a plurality of SOEC modules 10 located within the skid-mounted cabinet 06. The SOEC module 10 includes a thermal insulation housing 25 provided with a hot air module inlet 21, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22, an oxygen-rich air module outlet 23, and a crude hydrogen product module outlet 24, and a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores 26 disposed within the thermal insulation housing 25, the electrolytic cell stack cores 26 including a hot air single stack inlet 31, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet 32, an oxygen-rich air single stack outlet 33, and a crude hydrogen product single stack outlet 34. Mixer 08 is used to mix the cathode protection hydrogen with the steam generated by the steam generator 07 to form a hydrogen-containing mixed steam, which is then transported to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet 32 ​​of each electrolytic cell stack core via the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22. Air heater 09 is typically configured as an electric heater and is used to heat the air from the air inlet 03 to form hot air, which is then transported to the hot air single stack inlet 31 of each electrolytic cell stack core via the hot air module inlet 21.

[0030] Here, water (e.g., deionized ultrapure water) can be introduced into the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the water inlet 01 and heated by the steam generator 07 to produce steam. Cathode protection hydrogen can be introduced into the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the cathode protection hydrogen inlet 02. The cathode protection hydrogen and the steam are mixed by the mixer 08 to form a hydrogen-containing mixed steam, which is then transported to each SOEC module 10 via the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22, thereby supplying the hydrogen-containing mixed steam to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single-stack inlet 32 ​​of the electrolytic cell stack core within the SOEC module 10.

[0031] Air enters the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the air inlet 03 and is heated by the air heater 09 to become hot air. This hot air is transported to each SOEC module 10 via the hot air module inlet 21, thereby supplying hot air to the hot air single-stack inlet 31 of the electrolytic cell stack core within the SOEC module 10.

[0032] In this invention, each SOEC module 10 encloses multiple electrolytic cell stack cores 26 within a heat-insulating space using its heat-insulating housing 25, and places the air heater 09 outside the heat-insulating space. This allows most of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core to be contained within the heat-insulating housing and made available to the other electrolytic cell stack cores. Furthermore, it enables the air heater 09 to operate with relatively low heating power, ensuring the service life of the air heater 09 and the stability of the operating temperature of the electrolytic cell stack cores.

[0033] The operating principle of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained below, using as an example a case in which four SOEC modules are contained within a skid-mount cabinet, and each SOEC module contains four electrolytic cell stack cores (abbreviated as stack cores in Figure 2).

[0034] In embodiments of the present invention, deionized ultrapure water enters the skid-mount cabinet 06 via a water inlet 01 and forms saturated steam in a steam generator 07 (electrically heated saturated steam generator), while cathode protection hydrogen enters the skid-mount cabinet 06 via a cathode protection hydrogen inlet 02 and is heated. The saturated steam and cathode protection hydrogen are then uniformly mixed in a mixer 08. The mixed hydrogen-containing steam is transported to the hydrogen-containing steam single-stack inlets 32 of each electrolytic cell stack core via a hydrogen-containing steam module inlet 22.

[0035] Furthermore, air enters the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the air inlet 03, is heated by the air heater 09 to become high-temperature air, and then the high-temperature air is transported via the hot air module inlet 21 to the hot air single-stack inlet 31 of each electrolytic cell stack core. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, one air heater 09 is provided for heating the air, and the heated high-temperature air enters each insulation housing 25 through a plurality of branch pipes and further enters the hot air single-stack inlet 31 of each electrolytic cell stack core 26 in the SOEC module 10 through the branch pipes.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present invention, since multiple electrolytic cell stack cores within the SOEC module 10 are densely arranged within the thermal insulation housing 25, most of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core is confined within the thermal insulation housing 25, while the air heater 09 is located outside the thermal insulation housing 25, thereby effectively reducing the impact of high-temperature radiation from the electrolytic cell stack cores on the ambient temperature.

[0037] It should be understood that the skid-mount cabinet 06 is not necessary to achieve the objective of water electrolysis hydrogen production or to solve the operational stability problem of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus. In the embodiments of the present invention, by installing the skid-mount cabinet 06, many functional components within the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus can be integrated and arranged, reducing the occupied area and facilitating overall relocation. Example 2

[0038] Based on Example 1, in further embodiments of the present invention, the oxygen-rich air and crude hydrogen products generated by each electrolytic cell stack core 26 can also be configured as follows:

[0039] The oxygen-rich air generated by the electrolytic cell stack core 26 is transported via the oxygen-rich air single stack outlet 33 and the pipe section to the oxygen-rich air module outlet 23 of the corresponding SOEC module 10. The crude hydrogen product generated by the electrolytic cell stack core 26 is transported via the crude hydrogen product single stack outlet 34 and the pipe section to the crude hydrogen product module outlet 24 of the corresponding SOEC module 10.

[0040] In the embodiments of the present invention, since there is no need to install a separate heating furnace for the electrolytic cell stack core, multiple electrolytic cell stack cores can be densely arranged within the SOEC module. Because the distance between each electrolytic cell stack core located within the heat-insulating housing is very small, and the heat-insulating housing has a heat-insulating effect, the ambient temperature within the heat-insulating housing is a result of the combined effect of heat radiation from each electrolytic cell stack core. In this way, compared to conventional techniques in which each electrolytic cell stack core is heated individually, embodiments of the present invention can also effectively improve the stability of the operating temperature of each electrolytic cell stack core.

[0041] As described above, in the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention, the presence of piping allows a single air heater to simultaneously control the temperature of each electrolytic cell stack core in multiple SOEC modules. In the embodiment of the present invention, since the multiple electrolytic cell stack cores in the SOEC module are densely arranged within the insulation housing, most of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core within the insulation housing is trapped within the insulation housing, thereby effectively lowering the temperature of the environment in which the air heater operates. In this way, the service life of the air heater is effectively extended, the failure rate of the air heater is reduced, and the operational stability of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus is improved.

[0042] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, since multiple electrolytic cell stack cores within the SOEC module are densely arranged within the heat-insulating housing, the temperature inside the heat-insulating housing is a result of the combined action of the thermal energy radiated from each electrolytic cell stack core within it. Therefore, compared to the case where each electrolytic cell stack core is heated individually, the embodiments of the present invention can effectively improve the stability of the operating temperature of the electrolytic cell stack cores and further improve the operational stability of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. Example 3

[0043] Based on Examples 1 and 2, and with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the connection structure of the piping within the skid-mounted cabinet of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment will be further described in the embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, it is as follows:

[0044] In the embodiments of the present invention, the piping connection structure within the skid-mount cabinet includes a plurality of pipe sections. In the embodiments of the present invention, both ends of each pipe section are defined by the flow direction of the fluid (gas, liquid, or gas-liquid mixture) within each pipe section. The end into which the fluid flows is called the inlet end, and the end out which the fluid flows is called the outlet end.

[0045] The first pipe section 41 is provided with a steam generator 07, the inlet end of which is connected to a water inlet 01, and the outlet end of which is connected to the inlet of a mixer 08. The inlet end of the second pipe section 42 is connected to a cathode protection hydrogen inlet 02, and the outlet end of which is connected to the inlet of a mixer 08. The inlet end of the third pipe section 43 is connected to the outlet of a mixer 08, and the outlet end of which is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of the first SOEC module in the SOEC module 10. Preferably, the third pipe section 43 may also be provided with a steam electric heater 11.

[0046] In this way, deionized ultrapure water enters the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the water inlet 01 and forms saturated steam via the steam generator 07 in the first pipe section 41. Cathode protection hydrogen enters the second pipe section 42 in the skid-mount cabinet 06 via the cathode protection hydrogen inlet 02 (preferably, the cathode protection hydrogen may be heated in the second pipe section 42). The saturated steam and cathode protection hydrogen then enter the mixer 08, where they are uniformly mixed to form hydrogen-containing mixed steam, which enters the third pipe section 43. The third pipe section 43 is provided with a steam electric heater 11. The heated hydrogen-containing mixed steam is transported via the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22 to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet 32 ​​of each electrolytic cell stack core. The steam generator 07 in the embodiment of the present invention may be an electrically heated saturated steam generator or a saturated steam generator heated by an external heat source.

[0047] The crude hydrogen product module outlet of the first SOEC module is connected to the intake port of the ejector 12, the exhaust port of the ejector 12 is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of each second SOEC module, and the nozzle of the ejector 12 is connected to the third pipe section 43. Preferably, in embodiments of the present invention, the nozzle inlet of the ejector 12 is connected to the third pipe section 43. In this way, a portion of the crude hydrogen product and hydrogen-containing mixed steam generated by the first SOEC module is transported via the ejector 12 to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of each second SOEC module. As a result, after the steam is decomposed in the first SOEC module, the generated crude hydrogen product still contains residual steam that has not been electrolyzed. By introducing this residual steam into the second SOEC module and further electrolyzing it, the hydrogen content in the crude hydrogen product produced in the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus is increased.

[0048] In this embodiment of the present invention, the SOEC module 10 is divided into two types: a first SOEC module and a second SOEC module. The first SOEC module refers to an SOEC module directly connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam in the third pipe section 43, and the second SOEC module refers to an SOEC module connected to the crude hydrogen product generated by the first SOEC module. In other words, the second SOEC module performs further processing using the crude hydrogen product generated by the first SOEC module.

[0049] In the embodiments of the present invention, multiple SOEC modules 10 can be provided, and by performing various optimal combinations depending on the actual situation, the electrolysis of hydrogen-containing mixed steam can be made more complete. In practice, the number of SOEC modules 10 may preferably be four, of which one is the first SOEC module and three are the second SOEC modules.

[0050] The fourth pipe section 44, on which the air heater 09 is provided, has its inlet end connected to the air inlet 03 and its outlet end connected to the hot air module inlet 21 of each SOEC module 10. In this embodiment of the present invention, the air heater 09 is located outside the SOEC module 10 as a heating element primarily for controlling the multiple electrolytic cell stack cores 26. The SOEC module 10 is provided with a heat-insulating housing 25. Therefore, heat radiation from the electrolytic cell stack cores 26 does not directly affect the air heater 09.

[0051] Each oxygen-rich air module outlet 23 is connected to the inlet end of the fifth pipe section 45, and the outlet end of the fifth pipe section 45 is connected to the oxygen-rich air outlet 05. The oxygen-rich air generated by each electrolytic cell stack core 26 in the SOEC module 10 is concentrated and then connected to the outside via the oxygen-rich air module outlet 23. After each oxygen-rich air module outlet 23 is connected to the fifth pipe section 45, it is concentrated and connected to the oxygen-rich air outlet 05 in the skid-mount cabinet 06.

[0052] Each crude hydrogen product module outlet 24 of the second SOEC module is connected to the inlet end of the sixth pipe section 46, and the outlet end of the sixth pipe section 46 is connected to the crude hydrogen product outlet 04. The crude hydrogen products generated in each electrolytic cell stack core 26 within the second SOEC module are concentrated and then connected to the outside via the crude hydrogen product module outlet 24. Each crude hydrogen product module outlet 24 is then connected to the sixth pipe section 46, and subsequently concentrated and connected to the crude hydrogen product outlet 04 in the skid-mount cabinet 06.

[0053] Preferably, in embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of gas heat exchangers 47 may be provided, positioned at the contact points between the sixth pipe section 46 and the first pipe section 41, the contact points between the sixth pipe section 46 and the second pipe section 42, and the contact points between the fourth pipe section 44 and the fifth pipe section 45, respectively.

[0054] Preferably, in embodiments of the present invention, the sixth pipe section 46 is further provided with bypasses 48, each bypass 48 located on both sides of the contact point between the sixth pipe section 46 and the first pipe section 41, and on both sides of the contact point between the sixth pipe section 46 and the second pipe section 42. Thus, if a failure occurs at a particular location of the heat exchanger 47, the crude hydrogen products in the sixth pipe section 46 can use the corresponding bypass 48 as a backup path, thereby preventing interference with the normal operation of the equipment.

[0055] Preferably, the number of SOEC modules in the embodiment of the present invention may be four. There may be one first SOEC module and three second SOEC modules. Example 4

[0056] Based on any of the SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatuses of Examples 1 to 3, and with reference to Figure 2, the piping connection structure within the SOEC module 10 in the embodiment of the present invention may include the following:

[0057] The inlet end of the seventh pipe section 51 is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22, and its outlet end is connected to each hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet 32, respectively. In embodiments of the present invention, the electrolytic cell stack core is divided into a plurality of groups, each group comprising a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores connected sequentially in series, and the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core in the group is connected to the hot air single-stack inlet of the subsequent electrolytic cell stack cores. In embodiments of the present invention, an example is shown where the SOEC module 10 comprises four electrolytic cell stack cores, which are divided into two groups, each group comprising two electrolytic cell stack cores.

[0058] The inlet end of the eighth pipe section 52 is connected to the hot air module inlet 21, and its outlet end is connected to the hot air single stack inlet 31 of the first electrolytic cell stack core of each group, respectively.

[0059] The inlet end of the ninth pipe section 53 is connected to the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet 33 of the last electrolytic cell stack core of each group, and its outlet end is connected to the oxygen-rich air module outlet 23. The inlet end of the tenth pipe section 54 is connected to the crude hydrogen product single-stack outlet 34, and its outlet end is connected to the crude hydrogen product module outlet 24.

[0060] By sequentially connecting the electrolytic cell stack cores of each group in series, the oxygen-rich air discharged from the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core in the group can be introduced into the hot air single-stack inlet of the subsequent electrolytic cell stack core. This allows the heat from the oxygen-rich air to be utilized by the subsequent electrolytic cell stack core, further reducing the heating requirements of the air heater 09 and improving energy utilization efficiency.

[0061] Preferably, in embodiments of the present invention, a backup bypass 55 may be further provided between the hot air single-stack inlet 31 and the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet 33 of the electrolytic cell stack core 26. In this way, if a particular electrolytic cell stack core 26 fails, the corresponding bypass 55 can be used as a backup path to prevent any impact on the normal operation of the SOEC module.

[0062] In conventional technology, a common method for heating an electrolytic cell stack in an electric furnace involves placing the electrolytic cell stack inside an electric furnace equipped with heating elements such as electric heating wires, and heating the electrolytic cell stack to the required temperature using the electric heating wires. This conventional heating method primarily utilizes thermal radiation from the electric heating elements to preheat the air inside the furnace and the electrolytic cell stack. The required preheating time is relatively long, and the electric heating elements are constantly at high temperatures. During operation, the air inside the heating furnace is virtually stagnant, resulting in a relatively slow heat transfer rate. Furthermore, the heating elements are constantly at high temperatures and cannot be effectively cooled, making them susceptible to damage.

[0063] One embodiment of the present invention employs a preheating method in which high-temperature air is heated outside the SOEC module and then introduced into each electrolytic cell stack core within the SOEC module. Because high-temperature air flows through the electrolytic cell stack core, the heating rate that raises the temperature of the electrolytic cell stack to the required temperature by convection, heat conduction, and thermal radiation is relatively fast, and the preheating time is relatively short. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the heating element in the electric heater for air heating is constantly exposed to air during the heating process, making it less susceptible to damage from high-temperature heating.

[0064] Embodiments of the present invention employ the form of an SOEC module, which allows multiple independent electrolytic cell stack cores to be compactly arranged within a single cavity (insulated housing). Each electrolytic cell stack core functions as a heat source for the others, and their heat interacts to contribute to maintaining a high-temperature atmosphere within the cavity. Furthermore, the SOEC module facilitates insulation design. Insulation only needs to be effectively performed within the insulated housing. Since the insulated housing can be manufactured in a relatively regular shape, insulation for excessively irregular shapes is unnecessary, thus simplifying the structure of the insulation components in embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, because the insulation housing in embodiments of the present invention is a hollow component, it can reduce the weight of the cavity and the amount of material used while reliably providing excellent heat retention and insulation.

[0065] In embodiments of the present invention, multiple electrolytic cell stack cores can be connected in parallel or in series by mutual air supply, enabling effective utilization and repeated use of the heat of the high-temperature air, thereby reducing heat loss from the high-temperature air. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, the compact arrangement allows for a reduction in the spacing between electrolytic cell stack cores, achieving optimization of space and occupied area.

[0066] In embodiments of the present invention, the SOEC module can transfer crude hydrogen products from an upper module to a lower module using an ejector (i.e., transfer crude hydrogen products from the first SOEC module to the second SOEC module). This makes it possible to use multiple SOEC modules in a cascade configuration, improve the steam reuse rate, and enable direct heat utilization by reducing the direct cooling of crude hydrogen products. Example 5

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3, the piping connection structure within the SOEC module 10 can also be configured as follows.

[0068] The inlet end of the seventh pipe section 61 is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet 22, and its outlet end is connected to each hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet 32, respectively. The inlet end of the eighth pipe section 62 is connected to the hot air module inlet 21, and its outlet end is connected to each hot air single stack inlet 31, respectively. The inlet end of the ninth pipe section 63 is connected to each oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet 33, and its outlet end is connected to the oxygen-rich air module outlet 23. The inlet end of the tenth pipe section 64 is connected to each crude hydrogen product single-stack outlet 34, and its outlet end is connected to the crude hydrogen product module outlet 24.

[0069] The above description of the disclosed embodiments will enable those skilled in the art to practice or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be realized in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is not limited to these embodiments shown herein, but rather conforms to the broadest scope that is consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module, A steam generator for heating water to produce steam, A mixer for mixing cathode protection hydrogen and the steam generated by the steam generator to produce a hydrogen-containing mixed steam, An air heater for heating air to generate hot air, SOEC module includes a thermal insulation housing provided with a hot air module inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, an oxygen-rich air module outlet, and a crude hydrogen product module outlet, and a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores disposed within the thermal insulation housing, SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus, characterized in that the hydrogen-containing mixed steam discharged from the mixer can be supplied to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlet of each electrolytic cell stack core via the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, the hot air generated by the air heater can be supplied to the hot air single stack inlet of each electrolytic cell stack core via the hot air module inlet, and the oxygen-rich air module outlet and the crude hydrogen product module outlet are configured to discharge the oxygen-rich air and crude hydrogen product generated by each electrolytic cell stack core, respectively.

2. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 1, further comprising a skid-mount cabinet, wherein the steam generator, mixer, air heater, and SOEC module are each disposed within the skid-mount cabinet, and the skid-mount cabinet is provided with a water inlet for supplying the water to the steam generator, a cathode protection hydrogen inlet for supplying the cathode protection hydrogen to the mixer, an air inlet for supplying the air to the air heater, a crude hydrogen product outlet communicating with the crude hydrogen product module outlet, and an oxygen-rich air outlet communicating with the oxygen-rich air module outlet.

3. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of SOEC modules, wherein the plurality of SOEC modules comprises a first SOEC module and a plurality of second SOEC modules communicating via an ejector, the crude hydrogen product module outlet of the first SOEC module is connected to the intake port of the ejector, the exhaust port of the ejector is connected to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of each second SOEC module, and the crude hydrogen product module outlet of each second SOEC module is connected to the respective crude hydrogen product outlet.

4. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 3, further comprising a steam electric heater, wherein the hydrogen-containing mixed steam discharged from the mixer is heated by the steam electric heater and supplied to the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet of the first SOEC module and the nozzle inlet of the ejector.

5. The number of SOEC modules is four. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of first SOEC modules is one and the number of second SOEC modules is three.

6. A first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the steam generated by the steam generator and the crude hydrogen products discharged from the SOEC module, and / or A second heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange the cathode protection hydrogen with the crude hydrogen product discharged from the SOEC module before introducing it into the mixer, and / or SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a third heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with oxygen-rich air discharged from the SOEC module before introducing the air into the air heater.

7. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to claim 6, further comprising bypass channels connected in parallel to the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger, respectively.

8. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on a multi-stack core module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores are divided into a plurality of groups, each group comprising a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores connected sequentially in series, the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core in each group being connected to the hot air single-stack inlet of the subsequent electrolytic cell stack cores, and the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the last electrolytic cell stack core in each group being connected to the oxygen-rich air module outlet via a pipe section.

9. SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus based on the multi-stack core module according to claim 8, characterized in that a backup bypass is provided between at least a portion of the hot air single-stack inlet and the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the electrolytic cell stack core.

10. SOEC module for SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production system, The SOEC module includes a thermal insulation housing and a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores disposed within the thermal insulation housing. The aforementioned heat-insulating housing is provided with a hot air module inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet, an oxygen-rich air module outlet, and a crude hydrogen product module outlet. Each of the electrolytic cell stack cores includes a hot air single stack inlet, a hydrogen-containing mixed vapor single stack inlet, an oxygen-rich air single stack outlet, and a crude hydrogen product single stack outlet. SOEC module for SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus, characterized in that a plurality of pipe sections are provided within the heat-insulating housing, connected between the hydrogen-containing mixed steam module inlet and each of the hydrogen-containing mixed steam single stack inlets, between the hot air module inlet and at least a portion of the hot air single stack inlets of the electrolytic cell stack core, between the oxygen-rich air module outlet and at least a portion of the oxygen-rich air single stack outlets of the electrolytic cell stack core, and between the crude hydrogen product module outlet and each of the crude hydrogen product single stack outlets.

11. The SOEC module for an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores are divided into a plurality of groups, each group comprising a plurality of electrolytic cell stack cores connected sequentially in series, the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the first electrolytic cell stack core in each group being connected to the hot air single-stack inlet of the subsequent electrolytic cell stack cores, and the oxygen-rich air single-stack outlet of the last electrolytic cell stack core in each group being connected to the oxygen-rich air module outlet via a pipe section.

12. The SOEC module for an SOEC water electrolysis hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that a backup bypass is provided between the hot air single stack inlet and the oxygen-rich air single stack outlet of the electrolytic cell stack core.

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