Hydrogen and oxygen generation apparatus and hydrogen gas production method

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen-oxygen generator capable of prolonging a utilization period of a water electrolytic cell and improving hydrogen gas production efficiency, and a hydrogen gas production method.SOLUTION: A hydrogen-oxygen generator comprises an intermediate plate (150) interposed between one end side and the other end side in a lamination direction of a cell stack (110). An electrolysis module comprises a plurality of water supply ports (101) for supplying water to each of a plurality of blocks (111, 112) separated by the intermediate plate, and a plurality of oxygen gas discharge ports (102) for discharging an oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is composed of a gas-impermeable material, and includes a ventilation part for passing a hydrogen gas to a position corresponding to a hydrogen gas discharge path. The intermediate plate is configured so that the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks can be discharged from a hydrogen gas discharge port while regulating the movement between blocks of the water and the oxygen gas.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen and oxygen generator equipped with an electrolysis module that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, and a hydrogen gas production method for producing hydrogen gas using such a hydrogen and oxygen generator.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the opportunities to use hydrogen gas as a clean energy source have been expanding. As a method for obtaining such hydrogen gas, a method of electrolyzing water is widely known. In the production of such hydrogen gas, a hydrogen and oxygen generator equipped with an electrolysis module for electrolyzing water is known.

[0003] As the electrolysis module of the hydrogen and oxygen generator, it includes a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked. The electrolytic cell includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Pure water is circulated on the anode surface side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to generate oxygen gas and hydrogen ions by electrolysis. The hydrogen ions are moved through the inside of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane from the anode surface side to the cathode surface side, and a type that generates hydrogen gas on the cathode surface side is known.

[0004] In this type of electrolysis module, a path for supplying water, a path for discharging oxygen gas, and a path for discharging hydrogen gas are provided so as to penetrate the cell stack. The water supply path and the oxygen gas discharge path are each provided so as to communicate with all the anode chambers, and the hydrogen gas discharge path is provided so as to communicate with all the cathode chambers. Further, this type of electrolysis module is provided with a water supply port for supplying water to the anode chamber through the water supply path, an oxygen gas discharge port for discharging oxygen gas through the oxygen gas discharge path, and a hydrogen gas discharge port for discharging hydrogen gas through the hydrogen gas discharge path. And this type of electrolysis module is configured such that oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are discharged from the oxygen gas discharge port and the hydrogen gas discharge port, respectively, by supplying water from the water supply port while supplying power.

[0005] In an electrolytic cell, pinholes may occur in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane due to chemical degradation or the like. Therefore, in a hydrogen / oxygen generator, the hydrogen concentration in the oxygen gas discharged from the oxygen gas outlet is measured in order to detect the occurrence of such pinholes (see, for example, paragraph 0042 of Patent Document 1 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] When an abnormality such as a pinhole occurs in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane of a hydrogen / oxygen generator, it is usually difficult to investigate which electrolytic cell the abnormality has occurred in without disassembling the cell stack. In addition, since it is also difficult to reassemble the disassembled cell stack as it was, when an abnormality such as a pinhole occurs, a repair method of replacing the entire cell stack is adopted. Therefore, in the cell stack, the service life of all the electrolytic cells is determined by the electrolytic cell with the shortest life, and many electrolytic cells are discarded before the end of their service life. Therefore, in a hydrogen gas production method for producing hydrogen gas using such a device, it is difficult to suppress the consumption of replacement parts, and it is difficult to efficiently produce hydrogen gas. The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and aims to extend the service life of the electrolytic cell and improve the hydrogen gas production efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The present invention for solving the above problems is equipped with an electrolysis module that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, The electrolysis module includes an oxygen gas outlet for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas outlet for discharging the hydrogen gas, The electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked, Each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Water is supplied to the anode chamber, and the oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber while the hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cells in the stacking direction of the plurality of electrolytic cells and communicates with the cathode chambers of the respective electrolytic cells. A hydrogen-oxygen generator configured such that the hydrogen gas generated in each of the cathode chambers of the plurality of electrolytic cells is discharged from the hydrogen gas outlet through the hydrogen gas discharge path. The cell stack further includes one or more intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack. The cell stack is divided into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plates. The electrolysis module includes a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks, and a plurality of the oxygen gas outlets for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a ventilation portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path. Provided is a hydrogen-oxygen generator configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas outlet while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention A hydrogen gas production method for producing hydrogen gas in a hydrogen-oxygen generator including an electrolysis module that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, The hydrogen-oxygen generator The electrolysis module includes an oxygen gas discharge port for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas discharge port for discharging the hydrogen gas, and the electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked, each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other via the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Water is supplied to the anode chamber, and the oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber while the hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cells in the direction in which the plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked and communicates with the cathode chambers of the respective electrolytic cells, and the hydrogen gas generated in the cathode chambers of the plurality of electrolytic cells is configured to be discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge port through the hydrogen gas discharge path. The cell stack further includes one or more intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack, and the cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plates, and the electrolysis module includes a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks, and a plurality of the oxygen gas discharge ports for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a ventilation portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path. The hydrogen and oxygen generation device is configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas discharge port while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks. operating the electrolysis module to produce hydrogen gas, stopping the operation of the electrolysis module and inspecting the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and in the inspection, a hydrogen gas production method for measuring the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane by generating a pressure difference between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] In the present invention, since the cell stack is divided into a plurality of blocks, it is possible to detect an abnormality of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in units of blocks and to replace the electrolytic cell in units of blocks. Therefore, in the blocks where no abnormality is detected, the electrolytic cell can be continuously used as it is, and the service life of the electrolytic cell can be extended.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 6C

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

Figure 11C

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a hydrogen / oxygen generator 1 according to the present embodiment includes an electrolysis module 100 that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The hydrogen / oxygen generator 1 according to the present embodiment has a tank 200 that stores water to be electrolyzed by the electrolysis module 100. The hydrogen / oxygen generator 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to circulate and supply water to the anode side of the electrolysis module 100. The hydrogen / oxygen generator 1 according to the present embodiment supplies an excess amount of water than that consumed by electrolysis to the electrolysis module 100, discharges oxygen gas and water from the anode side of the electrolysis module 100 in a state of a gas-liquid mixed flow, returns the gas-liquid mixed flow to the tank 200, and is configured to be able to perform gas-liquid separation in the tank 200.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the gas-liquid mixed flow is returned to the tank 200 and gas-liquid separation is carried out in the tank 200. However, a gas-liquid separation tank may be provided separately from the tank 200, and the gas-liquid mixed flow may be returned to the gas-liquid separation tank. Further, a partition may be provided inside the tank 200 to divide it into a portion for storing the water to be electrolyzed by the electrolysis module 100 and a portion to which the gas-liquid mixed flow is returned. The partition for dividing may be provided such that the gas phase portions inside the tank communicate with each other between the adjacent one and the other through the partition, or may be provided such that they are completely separated from each other.

[0014] The hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 of the present embodiment further includes a gas-liquid separator 300 so that the water permeating through the membrane is discharged from the cathode side of the electrolysis module 100 accompanied by hydrogen gas, and the water and hydrogen gas can be separated. The hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 of the present embodiment further includes a water supply pipe L1 constituting a water conveyance path for supplying water from the tank 200 to the electrolysis module 100, an oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 constituting an oxygen conveyance path for discharging the gas-liquid mixed flow containing oxygen gas from the electrolysis module 100 and returning it to the tank 200, and a hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 constituting a hydrogen conveyance path for discharging hydrogen gas from the electrolysis module 100.

[0015] The electrolysis module 100 includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 further includes an inspection machine 400 for measuring the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. In the following, the case where the electrolysis module 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape is exemplified, but the electrolysis module may have a cylindrical shape or other shapes.

[0016] The electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 to 8, the lateral dimension (left - right direction) in the front view is longer than the depth dimension (front - back direction). That is, the electrolysis module 100 has a shape such that when viewed from above or below, it is a horizontally long rectangle. In the following description, the first direction along the long side of this rectangle is referred to as the lateral direction X of the electrolysis module 100, the second direction along the short side is referred to as the depth direction Y of the electrolysis module 100, and the direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction may be referred to as the vertical direction Z of the electrolysis module 100.

[0017] The electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment includes a water supply port 101 for introducing water to be electrolyzed in the electrolysis module 100 into the module, an oxygen gas discharge port 102 for discharging oxygen gas obtained by electrolysis, and a hydrogen gas discharge port 103 for discharging hydrogen gas obtained by electrolysis. The electrolysis module 100 is provided with a cell stack 110 in which a plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked in the vertical direction Z.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, a cathode chamber 12 and an anode chamber 13 that are vertically adjacent to each other with the solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween. Water is supplied to the anode chamber 13, and oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber 13 while hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber 12.

[0019] In the electrolytic cell 10 of the present embodiment, the anode chamber 13 is disposed above the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, and the cathode chamber 12 is disposed below the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11. Electrode plates 14 for supplying electrical energy to the anode chamber 13 and the cathode chamber 12 are disposed above the anode chamber 13 and below the cathode chamber 12, respectively. The electrolytic cell 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a gasket material (cathode gasket S2) surrounding the cathode chamber 12 and a gasket material (anode gasket S1) surrounding the anode chamber 13. That is, the outer peripheral portions of the cathode chamber 12 and the anode chamber 13 are sealed with gasket materials, and the openings in the vertical direction are closed by the electrode plate 14 and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, respectively, to form highly airtight spaces.

[0020] The cell stack 110 of the present embodiment is composed of bipolar electrolytic cells 10, and one electrode plate 14 is used as the electrode plates of two adjacent electrolytic cells 10 in the vertical direction Z. In the cell stack 110, the cathode chambers 12 and the anode chambers 13 are not continuous in two or more in the vertical direction Z, and the cathode chambers 12 and the anode chambers 13 are arranged alternately. One of the two surfaces of the electrode plate 14 is a cathode surface 14c facing the cathode chamber 12 of one of the two electrolytic cells 10 in which the electrode plate 14 is used, and the surface opposite to the cathode surface 14c is an anode surface 14a facing the anode chamber 13 of the other electrolytic cell 10.

[0021] In the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, two end plates 120, i.e., a first end plate 121 and a second end plate 122, are provided at both ends in the vertical direction Z in which the electrolytic cells 10 are stacked of the cell stack 110. The first end plate 121 is disposed so as to contact from above one end side (upper end portion) of the cell stack 110 in the stacking direction, and the second end plate 122 is disposed so as to contact from below the other end side (lower end portion) of the cell stack 110 in the stacking direction.

[0022] In the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, one or more intermediate plates 150 are further provided between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack 110, and the cell stack 110 is divided into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plates 150. In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 2, one intermediate plate 150 is interposed only at one location, and the cell stack 110 is divided into two blocks. The first block 111 of the two blocks is provided between the first end plate 121 and the intermediate plate 150, and the second block 112 is arranged between the intermediate plate 150 and the second end plate 122. Note that the thicknesses of the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 are preferably greater than that of the intermediate plate 150. Also, the thicknesses of the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 are preferably greater than that of the electrode plate 14.

[0023] When viewed along the stacking direction (vertical direction Z) in the electrolysis module 100, the shape of the electrolytic cell 10 in plan view or bottom view is a horizontally long rectangle, similar to the planar shape or bottom shape of the electrolysis module 100. The first block 111 and the second block 112 each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked vertically in the vertical direction Z. The first block 111 and the second block 112 are stacked vertically via the intermediate plate 150 with all the electrolytic cells 10 having aligned outlines in plan view or bottom view when viewed along the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the first end plate 121, the second end plate 122, and the intermediate plate 150 are each in the shape of a rectangular plate having a size equal to or larger than that of the electrolytic cell 10. The first end plate 121, the second end plate 122, and the intermediate plate 150 in the present embodiment are slightly larger than the electrolytic cell 10 and protrude forward, backward, left, and right from the first block 111 and the second block 112, and are provided in the electrolysis module 100.

[0024] The intermediate plate 150 does not necessarily have to be larger than the electrolytic cell 10 and may have the same size as the electrolytic cell 10. The intermediate plate 150 may have a protruding portion that protrudes outwardly from the electrolytic cell 10. The protruding portion may be formed over the entire circumference, or may be provided on two opposing sides. The protruding portion may be provided so as to protrude only a part of two opposing sides. By providing the protruding portion, a pressing member can be installed to press the protruding portion and the first end plate 121 so as to sandwich the first block 111 from the vertical direction. When a problem occurs in the second block 112, it is possible to inspect only the second block 112 without disassembling the first block by sandwiching the protruding portion and the first end plate 121 with the pressing member. On the other hand, when sandwiching the protruding portion and the second block 112 with the pressing member, it is possible to inspect the first block 111 without disassembling the second block. The protruding portion can be provided so as to protrude 5 mm or more outside the electrolytic cells 10 adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the intermediate plate 150. The protruding portion may protrude 10 mm or more outside, may protrude 15 mm or more outside, or may be provided so as to protrude 20 mm or more outside.

[0025] A hole may be provided in the protruding portion so that it can be moved by hanging or lifting it with a lifting jig. In this case, it is more preferable to provide similar holes for the lifting jig in the first end plate 121 or the second end plate 122, and to provide them so that the hole in the protruding portion and the hole in the first end plate 121, the hole in the protruding portion and the hole in the second end plate, or the hole in the protruding portion, the hole in the first end plate 121, and the hole in the second end plate are in the same position in plan view.

[0026] The intermediate plates 150 may be arranged in multiple layers. For example, when only one block is removed from the module by arranging two intermediate plates in a stacked manner, one side of the other block in the stacking direction is protected by another intermediate plate 150, so damage to the other block can be prevented. In this case, considering the ease of removal, it is more preferable to change the size of each intermediate plate 150 or to prevent the protruding portions of the intermediate plates 150 from overlapping in a plan view. The size of the intermediate plate 150 is not particularly limited, but since fixing bolts pass through the outer peripheral portion of the end plate, it is more preferable to make it inside the position where the bolts pass. Incidentally, fasteners for fastening two members such as bolts and nuts can also apply pressure in the direction in which the members approach each other, so they can be used as the pressing members as described above.

[0027] As a method for protecting each block by stacking multiple intermediate plates 150, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, an upper plate 150a and a lower plate 150b are used as intermediate plates 150 located inside the region through which all fixing bolts B0 pass, which engage with the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 respectively to fix the entire module as a single unit.

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 3A, as all fixing bolts B0 for fixing the entire module, a general bolt having a round bar-shaped shaft portion B0a provided with a thread on the outer peripheral surface and a head portion B0b having a larger diameter than the shaft portion is used, and the head portion B0b is provided at one end side in the length direction of the shaft portion B0a. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, all fixing through holes H0 are provided as through holes for fixing the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 as a whole. The all fixing through holes H0 penetrate the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 in the thickness direction, and are arranged such that a virtual axis extending in the vertical direction passes through the central portions of both. And in the all fixing bolts B0, the shaft portion B0a has an outer diameter equal to or less than the inner diameter of the all fixing through hole H0, and the head portion B0b has a larger diameter than the all fixing through hole H0.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 3A, a fully fixed bolt B0 having a shaft portion longer than the distance from the upper surface 121a of the first end plate 121 to the lower surface 122b of the second end plate is used, and a nut N0 is fitted to the tip of the shaft portion B0a protruding downward from the lower surface 122b of the second end plate 122 to fix the first end plate 121 - the second end plate 122.

[0030] In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the first end plate 121 and the upper plate 150a sandwich the first block 111 from above and below, and first fixing through holes H1 are provided in each of the first end plate 121 and the upper plate 150a so that the stacked state of the electrolytic cell 10 at the first block 111 can be fixed by the first fixing bolt B1. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 3A, second fixing through holes H2 are provided in each of the second end plate 122 and the lower plate 150b so that the second block 112 can be fixed by sandwiching it from above and below with the lower plate 150b and the second end plate 122 by the second fixing bolt B2.

[0031] The fixing of the stacked state of the cell stack 110 by the fully fixed bolt B0 in the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment is generally always performed except when the electrolysis module 100 is disassembled. On the other hand, the fixing of the first block 111 by the first fixing bolt B1 and the fixing of the second block 112 by the second fixing bolt B2 are carried out when the electrolysis module 100 is disassembled and are not generally performed during normal operation. Each of the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 is preferably provided at a position where it does not interfere with the fully fixed bolt B0, and is preferably detachably attachable to the electrolysis module 100 to which the fully fixed bolt B0 is attached.

[0032] Each of the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 may be attached unless the electrolysis module 100 is disassembled. If each of the total fixing bolt B0, the first fixing bolt B1, and the second fixing bolt B2 can be attached even when the electrolysis module 100 is energized, they are attached while ensuring electrical insulation from the end plate and the intermediate plate to prevent the formation of an electrical short circuit.

[0033] In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the upper plate 150a is not provided at the position where the second fixing through hole H2 opens on the upper surface of the lower plate 150b, and the upper plate 150a is provided with a notch (hereinafter, also referred to as "upper plate notch 150a1") larger than the second fixing through hole H2 at a position corresponding to the second fixing through hole H2. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 3A, the lower plate 150b is not provided at the position where the first fixing through hole H1 opens on the lower surface of the upper plate 150a, and the lower plate 150b is provided with a notch (hereinafter, "lower plate notch 150b1") larger than the first fixing through hole H1 at a position corresponding to the first fixing through hole H1.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3A, in the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in this figure, the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 shorter than the total fixing bolt B0 can be used when removing the first block 111 and the second block 112 from the electrolysis module 100. The electrolysis module 100 passes the first fixing bolt B1 through the first fixing through hole H1 to fasten the first end plate 121 and the upper plate 150a, and thereby the first block 111 can be sandwiched and fixed from above and below. The electrolysis module 100 passes the second fixing bolt B2 through the second fixing through hole H2 to fasten the lower plate 150b and the second end plate 122, and thereby the second block 112 can be sandwiched and fixed from above and below. Therefore, in the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in this figure, the first block 111 and the second block 112 can be individually removed while preventing the stacked state of the electrolytic cells 10 constituting the first block 111 and the second block 112 from being disrupted from the original state.

[0035] Still, regarding the relationship between the shapes of the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 and the first fixing through hole H1 and the second fixing through hole H2, it is the same as that between the all fixing bolt B0 and the all fixing through hole H0. That is, the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 also have a shaft portion in the shape of a round bar with a thickness equal to or less than that of the first fixing through hole H1 and the second fixing through hole H2 and having a thread cut on the outer periphery, and a head portion having a diameter larger than that of the first fixing through hole H1 and the second fixing through hole H2, and the length of the shaft portion is such that it can reach the intermediate plate 150 from each end plate 120. In addition, the first fixing bolt B1 is configured such that when the shaft portion is passed through the first fixing through hole H1 upward from the side of the upper plate 150a toward the first end plate 121, the head portion can be in contact with the lower surface of the upper plate 150a in a state where it fits into the lower plate notch portion 150b1. Further, the second fixing bolt B2 is configured such that when the shaft portion is passed through the second fixing through hole H2 downward from the side of the lower plate 150b toward the second end plate 122, the head portion can be in contact with the upper surface of the lower plate 150b in a state where it fits into the upper plate notch portion 150a1.

[0036] In the first fixing bolt B1 illustrated in the figure, the thickness of the head portion (the thickness in the length direction of the shaft portion) is equal to or less than the thickness of the lower plate 150b, and when fixing the first block 111, the head portion does not protrude below the lower surface of the lower plate 150b, but the head portion may have a thickness that protrudes below the lower surface of the lower plate 150b. In the second fixing bolt B2 illustrated in the figure, the thickness of the head portion (the thickness in the length direction of the shaft portion) is equal to or less than the thickness of the upper plate 150a, and when fixing the second block 112, the head portion does not protrude above the upper surface of the upper plate 150a, but the head portion of the second fixing bolt B2 may have a thickness that protrudes above the upper surface of the upper plate 150a.

[0037] Since it has the structure as described above, in the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 3A, even if the first block 111 and the second block 112 are not fixed by the first fixing bolt B1 or the second fixing bolt B2 during assembly, the fixing of the first block 111 and the second block 112 can be carried out later as needed. Incidentally, such an advantage can be similarly exhibited even when through holes having a size capable of accommodating the heads are provided instead of providing notches in the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b.

[0038] If the first block 111 and the second block 112 are fixed in advance at the time of assembling the electrolysis module 100, a structure as illustrated in FIG. 3B may be adopted. The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 3B is the same as the aspect of FIG. 3A in that two intermediate plates 150 between the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b are laminated without interposing the electrolysis cell 10 therebetween. In the electrolysis module 100 of FIG. 3A, the outer peripheral edges of the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b are positioned inside the region through which all the fixing bolts B0 pass, but in the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 3B, upper plates 150a and lower plates 150b having a size such that the outer peripheral edges reach the region through which all the fixing bolts B0 pass are adopted, and through holes H0 for all fixing are provided in both the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b so that the shaft portion B0a of the all-fixing bolt B0 is inserted therethrough.

[0039] In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 3B, counterboring portions (upper plate counterboring portion 150a2, lower plate counterboring portion 150b2) are provided on the lower surface side of the upper plate 150a and the upper surface side of the lower plate 150b, and the heads of the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 are accommodated in the counterboring portions. Even in such a case, the first block 111 and the second block 112 can be separated while maintaining the stacked structure of the electrolysis cell 10. In the aspects shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, since the electrolysis module 100 can be disassembled while fixing the stacked state in each block, not only the disassembly work becomes easy, but also it is possible to prevent an unintentional displacement from occurring in the electrolysis cell 10 in the blocks that do not need to be replaced when replacing the blocks that need to be replaced.

[0040] As described above, the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 are usually attached when disassembling the electrolysis module 100. On the other hand, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B, since the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 are always attached, it is necessary to ensure electrical insulation between the end plate and the intermediate plate. To ensure electrical insulation, a member having electrical insulation may be interposed between the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 and the end plate or the intermediate plate, or a bolt having electrical insulation itself (for example, a resin bolt or a ceramic bolt) may be adopted as the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2. In addition, in order to simplify the configuration of the electrolysis module 100, it is preferable to adopt the configuration as shown in FIG. 3A, and the first fixing bolt B1 and the second fixing bolt B2 are preferably detachable in a state where the entire electrolysis module 100 is fixed by the total fixing bolt B0.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 each have a water supply port 101 and an oxygen gas discharge port 102. Specifically, on the first end plate 121, two water supply ports 101 (hereinafter also referred to as "first water supply ports 101a") are provided so as to be paired in the front-rear direction (depth direction Y) at one end side in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X) in plan view, and two oxygen gas discharge ports 102 (hereinafter also referred to as "first oxygen gas discharge ports 102a") are provided so as to be paired in the front-rear direction at the other end side in the longitudinal direction. That is, in the first end plate 121 which is horizontally long in the present embodiment, the water supply ports 101 are provided at two corner portions at one end side of the long side, and the oxygen gas discharge ports 102 are provided at two corner portions at the other end side.

[0042] The water supply pipe L1 is connected to the water supply port 101 at the first end plate 121. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, the water supply pipe L1 is provided with an on-off valve (hereinafter also referred to as "water supply valve V1") at the connection point with the water supply port 101. That is, the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment can be switched between a state in which the flow with the outside through the water supply port 101 is possible and a state in which the flow with the outside is blocked.

[0043] The oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 is connected to the oxygen gas discharge port 102 at the first end plate 121. The oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 is provided with an on-off valve (hereinafter also referred to as "oxygen gas discharge valve V2") at the connection point with the oxygen gas discharge port 102. That is, the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment can be switched between a state in which the flow with the outside through the oxygen gas discharge port 102 is possible and a state in which the flow with the outside is blocked.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the first end plate 121 is provided with two hydrogen gas discharge ports 103, namely, a first hydrogen gas discharge port 103a provided between two first water supply ports 101a that are paired front and back at one end side in the longitudinal direction, and a second hydrogen gas discharge port 103b provided between two first oxygen gas discharge ports 102a that are paired front and back at the other end side in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] The hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 is connected to the hydrogen gas discharge port 103 at the first end plate 121. The hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 is provided with an on-off valve (hereinafter also referred to as "hydrogen gas discharge valve V3") at the connection point with the hydrogen gas discharge port 103. That is, the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment can be switched between a state in which the flow with the outside through the hydrogen gas discharge port 103 is possible and a state in which the flow with the outside is blocked.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 7, the second end plate 122 in this embodiment is provided with two water supply ports 101 (hereinafter also referred to as "second water supply ports 101b") that are respectively paired with the two first water supply ports 101a provided on the first end plate 121 in the vertical direction Z. Further, the second end plate 122 is provided with two oxygen gas discharge ports 102 (hereinafter also referred to as "second oxygen gas discharge ports 102b") that are respectively paired with the two first oxygen gas discharge ports 102a provided on the first end plate 121 in the vertical direction Z. That is, the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 are common in that water supply ports 101 are provided at two corner portions on one end side of the long side, and oxygen gas discharge ports 102 are provided at two corner portions on the other end side, respectively.

[0047] Regarding the point that the water supply pipe L1 provided with the water supply valve V1 is connected to the water supply port 101, the same applies to the side of the second end plate 122. That is, the electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment can be switched between a state in which it can communicate with the outside through the second water supply port 101b and a state in which the communication with the outside is blocked. Also, regarding the point that the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 provided with the oxygen gas discharge valve V2 is connected to the oxygen gas discharge port 102, the same applies to the side of the second end plate 122. That is, the electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment can be switched between a state in which it can communicate with the outside through the second oxygen gas discharge port 102b and a state in which the communication with the outside is blocked.

[0048] In the second end plate 122 of this embodiment, a hydrogen gas discharge port 103 is not formed, and the electrolysis module 100 can take out hydrogen gas only from the side of the first end plate 121. Incidentally, the electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment may also be provided with a hydrogen gas discharge port 103 connected to the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 also on the second end plate 122 so that hydrogen gas can be taken out from both above and below. Also in this case, a hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 provided with an on-off valve can be connected to the hydrogen gas discharge port 103 provided on the second end plate 122.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 4, 8, 9, etc., in the cell stack 110 in the electrolysis module 100, a plurality of electrolytic cells 10 penetrate in the vertical direction Z in which the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked, penetrate the intermediate plate 150, and communicate with the cathode chambers 12 of the respective electrolytic cells 10. A hydrogen gas discharge path 160 is provided. In the present embodiment, two hydrogen gas discharge paths 160, namely a first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and a second hydrogen gas discharge path 162, are provided, and they are provided at both ends in the lateral direction X of the electrolysis module 100, respectively.

[0050] The first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 communicates with the first hydrogen gas discharge port 103a and is provided so as to extend downward from the first hydrogen gas discharge port 103a. The second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 communicates with the second hydrogen gas discharge port 103b and is provided so as to extend downward from the second hydrogen gas discharge port 103b. The first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 extend so as to reach the cathode chamber 12 provided at the lowermost part of the cell stack 110.

[0051] All the cathode chambers 12 provided in the electrolysis module 100 communicate with the hydrogen gas discharge path 160 at one end side and the other end side in the lateral direction X, respectively. The first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 communicates with the cathode chamber 12 at the left end when viewed from the front in FIG. 2, and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 communicates with the cathode chamber 12 at the right end. Incidentally, the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 communicate with the cathode chamber 12 at the central part in the depth direction Y, respectively. That is, the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 are provided in the electrolysis module 100 so as to extend vertically in the vertical direction Z at both ends in the lateral direction X and at the central part in the depth direction Y.

[0052] Each of the hydrogen gas discharge paths 160 of the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 is arranged to pass through a position away from the anode chamber 13 in a gasket material (anode gasket S1) that defines the periphery of the anode chamber 13 on the anode chamber side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 as shown in FIG. 6A. On the other hand, each of the hydrogen gas discharge paths 160 of the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 passes through a gasket material (cathode gasket S2) so as to communicate with the cathode chamber 12 on the cathode chamber side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0053] Regarding the intermediate plate 150, as shown in FIG. 6C, it has a ventilation portion 151 for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to these hydrogen gas discharge paths 160, and is configured not to block the flow of the hydrogen gas passing through the hydrogen gas discharge path 160. In this embodiment, a through hole is provided in the first end plate 121 so as to extend the hydrogen gas discharge path 160 upward, and the through hole serves as the hydrogen gas discharge port 103. As described above, in this embodiment, the first hydrogen gas discharge port 103a provided at a position corresponding to the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and the second hydrogen gas discharge port 103b provided at a position corresponding to the second hydrogen gas discharge path 162, where the positions in the lateral direction X and the depth direction Y correspond to the first hydrogen gas discharge path 161, are provided such that the two hydrogen gas discharge paths 160 are paired in the lateral direction X. In this embodiment, hydrogen gas can be taken out through two paths, but one of the hydrogen gas discharge ports 103 may be blocked to take out hydrogen gas through only one path.

[0054] When a plurality of intermediate plates 150 are interposed at one location in the stacking direction like the aforementioned upper plate 150a and lower plate 150b, ventilation portions 151 are formed in each of the intermediate plates 150. The ventilation portion 151 may be constituted by a through-hole or the like that penetrates the intermediate plate 150 in the thickness direction. When such through-holes are provided as the ventilation portions 151 in each of the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b, a sealing material (for example, an O-ring or the like) that surrounds the ventilation portion 151 may be arranged so that hydrogen gas does not leak through the interface between the upper plate 150a and the lower plate 150b. The sealing material may be one having conductivity such as a metal gasket or a metal O-ring.

[0055] In the present embodiment, each water supply port 101 has a water supply path 130 that extends vertically and communicates with the anode chamber 13. The water supply path 130 of the present embodiment is not configured to pass through the intermediate plate 150 like the hydrogen gas discharge path 160. The water supply path 130 that extends downward from the first water supply port 101a provided in the first end plate 121 and the water supply path 130 that extends upward from the second water supply port 101b provided in the second end plate 122 are separated by the intermediate plate 150. That is, in the present embodiment, a first water supply path 131 that penetrates the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 in the vertical direction Z in which the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked in the first block 111 and communicates with all the anode chambers 13 of the first block 111, and a second water supply path 132 that penetrates the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 in the vertical direction Z in which the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked in the second block 112 and communicates with all the anode chambers 13 of the second block 112. The two water supply paths 130 are provided so as not to communicate with each other.

[0056] In this embodiment, each oxygen gas outlet 102 has an oxygen gas discharge path 140 that extends vertically and communicates with the anode chamber 13. The oxygen gas discharge path 140 of this embodiment cannot pass through the intermediate plate 150 in the same way as the water supply port 101. The oxygen gas discharge path 140 extending downward from each of the two first oxygen gas outlets 102a provided on the first end plate 121 and the oxygen gas discharge path 140 extending upward from each of the two second oxygen gas outlets 102b provided on the second end plate 122 are separated by the intermediate plate 150. That is, in this embodiment, in the vertical direction Z in which a plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked in the first block 111, a first oxygen gas discharge path 141 that penetrates the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 and communicates with all the anode chambers 13 of the first block 111, and in the second block 112, in the vertical direction Z in which a plurality of electrolytic cells 10 are stacked, the two oxygen gas discharge paths 140 of the second oxygen gas discharge path 142 that penetrates the plurality of electrolytic cells 10 and communicates with all the anode chambers 13 of the second block 112 are provided so as not to communicate with each other.

[0057] In the electrolysis module 100 of this embodiment, in the electrolysis in the first block 111, water is supplied from a water supply pipe L1 connected to the first water supply port 101a provided on the first end plate 121, and the supplied water is distributed to a plurality of anode chambers 13 provided in the first block 111 through a first water supply path 131. While passing the water from one end side to the other end side of the anode chamber 13, oxygen gas and hydrogen ions are generated. The oxygen gas is discharged to an oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 through the first oxygen gas discharge path 141 and the oxygen gas outlet 102 (the first oxygen gas outlet 102a), and the hydrogen ions are moved to the cathode chamber 12 through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 to generate hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas can be discharged to a hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 from a hydrogen gas outlet 103 through a first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and a second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 arranged at both ends of the cathode chamber 12.

[0058] In the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, in the electrolysis in the second block 112, water is supplied from a water supply pipe L1 connected to a second water supply port 101b provided in the second end plate 122. The supplied water is distributed to a plurality of anode chambers 13 provided in the second block 112 through a second water supply path 132. While the water is passed from one end side to the other end side of the anode chamber 13, oxygen gas and hydrogen ions are generated. The oxygen gas is discharged to an oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 through a second oxygen gas discharge path 142 and an oxygen gas discharge port 102 (second oxygen gas discharge port 102b). At the same time, the hydrogen ions are moved to the cathode chamber 12 through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 to generate hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen gas can be discharged to a hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 from a hydrogen gas discharge port 103 provided in the first end plate 121 through a first hydrogen gas discharge path 161 and a second hydrogen gas discharge path 162 arranged at both ends of the cathode chamber 12.

[0059] In the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, for example, an amount of water more than that electrolyzed in the electrolytic cell 10 is supplied from the first water supply port 101a and the second water supply port 101b, and the oxygen gas generated by electrolysis and the water remaining without being electrolyzed are in a gas-liquid mixed state and are discharged from the first oxygen gas discharge port 102a and the second oxygen gas discharge port 102b, respectively.

[0060] As described above, in the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, the space on the anode side is divided by the intermediate plate 150 and is independent in the first block 111 and the second block 112, while the space on the cathode side is communicated between the first block 111 and the second block 112 to form an integral space as a whole. The electrolysis module 100 is configured such that hydrogen gas discharged from both blocks can be discharged through the same hydrogen gas discharge path 160 and hydrogen gas discharge port 103 while restricting the movement of water and oxygen gas between the blocks. A pressure difference can be generated between the cathode chamber 12 and the anode chamber 13 to easily measure the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, and it is possible to confirm for each block whether there are any abnormalities such as pinholes in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11.

[0061] It is preferable that the material of the intermediate plate 150 is the same as that of the electrode plate, and the materials of the intermediate plate 150 and the electrode plate 14 are conductive materials, and it is more preferable that they are pure titanium or a titanium alloy. In the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, the side of the first block 111 and the side of the second block 112 are electrically insulated at the location where the intermediate plate 150 is provided, and the power supply system for supplying power for electrolysis in the first block 111 and the power supply system for supplying power for electrolysis in the second block 112 may be separate systems, but by adopting a configuration that can supply power with one power supply system, the device configuration can be simplified. More specifically, in the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, an anodic potential is applied to the first end plate 121 and a cathodic potential is applied to the second end plate 122 so that the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122 serve as counter electrodes, whereby electrolysis of water can be simultaneously performed in the first block 111 and the second block 112.

[0062] The electric power used for electrolysis in the present embodiment may be the so-called grid power that is generated by thermal power generation, nuclear power generation, etc., supplied over a wide area by transmission lines, and can be stably used at all times, or may be electric power generated by renewable energy. The renewable energy may be, for example, sunlight, wind power, wave power, tidal power, biomass, geothermal energy, running water, etc. When using grid power, stable electrolysis can be carried out. When using electric power generated by renewable energy, although the power supply is likely to become unstable, it is easy to effectively utilize the time when the operation is forced to stop for the inspection of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11. In addition, when using electric power generated by renewable energy, it is also assumed that the power supply is unstable and the stress applied to the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 is large. Therefore, the effect of the present invention, which can avoid the situation where the replacement time of all the electrolytic cells is determined by the electrolytic cell that first develops an abnormality, can be more prominently exhibited in such a situation where the power is difficult to stabilize.

[0063] When it is detected that an abnormality such as a pinhole has occurred in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 of the electrolysis module 100 of the present embodiment, or when such an abnormality is suspected, for example, after stopping the operation of the electrolysis module 100, the flow between the water supply pipe L1 and the electrolysis module 100 is blocked, and the flow between the electrolysis module 100 and the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2, and the flow between the electrolysis module 100 and the hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 are blocked, and the electrolysis module 100 can be inspected in a state of being isolated from the surroundings in the hydrogen-oxygen generator 1. The inspection in this case may be carried out with the electrolysis module 100 still attached to the hydrogen-oxygen generator 1, or may be carried out after removing the electrolysis module 100 from the hydrogen-oxygen generator 1. And, as described above, a pressure difference can be generated between the cathode chamber 12 and the anode chamber 13 to inspect the soundness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11. The inspection can be started after purging the inside of the electrolysis module 100 after operation stop with nitrogen gas and returning it to atmospheric pressure.

[0064] The inspection may be carried out not only in such cases but also regularly. More specifically, during operation, when the hydrogen concentration in the gas discharged from the anode chamber 13 has started to increase, for example, nitrogen gas is supplied from the hydrogen gas discharge port 103 so that the cathode chamber 12 has a higher pressure than the anode chamber 13, and the gas amount discharged from one or both of the water supply port 101 and the oxygen gas discharge port 102 is measured. When the gas amount is equal to or greater than the reference value, it is determined that a pinhole has occurred in the membrane. The nitrogen gas can be supplied from a nitrogen gas cylinder or the like. Such an inspection can be carried out, for example, when the hydrogen gas concentration in the gas discharged from the anode chamber reaches 3000 ppm or more.

[0065] By such a method, the degree of gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 can be confirmed, and the soundness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 can be evaluated. The pressure of the supplied gas, in the case of nitrogen gas, is equal to or less than the pressure allowable design value of the electrolytic cell 10 to be used, or is 0.2 MPa or more and less than 1.0 MPa in gauge pressure. The reference value of the gas amount is determined by the type of the membrane and the pressure of the supplied gas.

[0066] Other than the above method, nitrogen gas may be supplied from the hydrogen gas outlet 103 to the anode chamber 13 to make the pressure higher than that in the cathode chamber 12, and the gas amount discharged from one or both of the water supply port 101 and the oxygen gas outlet 102 in the cathode chamber 12 may be measured. When the gas amount becomes equal to or more than the reference value, it may be determined that pinholes have occurred in the membrane.

[0067] To more reliably inspect the soundness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, the measurement of the amount of gas passing through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 may be performed twice in one inspection, or may be performed once.

[0068] Also, it is possible to perform an inspection using a gas other than nitrogen gas. For example, when a situation where pinholes are suspected occurs during the operation of the electrolysis module 100, the power supply for electrolysis is stopped, the supply of water is continued on the anode chamber 13 side, and water is discharged as it is from the first oxygen gas outlet 102a and the second oxygen gas outlet 102b. On the cathode chamber 12 side, hydrogen gas is kept under pressure, and the amount of hydrogen gas discharged along with the water discharged from the first oxygen gas outlet 102a and the second oxygen gas outlet 102b is measured to confirm the presence or absence of abnormalities such as pinholes. That is, in the present embodiment, a pinhole inspection can also be performed using hydrogen gas instead of nitrogen gas.

[0069] The inspection does not need to be carried out with the cathode chamber 12 under positive pressure, and it can also be carried out with the anode chamber 13 side under negative pressure. Further, the inspection can also be carried out such that the anode chamber 13 has a higher pressure than the cathode chamber 12. For example, the anode chamber 13 of the first block 111 is filled with nitrogen gas, the anode chamber 13 of the second block 112 is filled with oxygen gas, so that the anode chamber 13 has a higher pressure than the cathode chamber 12, and when there are pinholes or the like, nitrogen gas or oxygen gas is moved to the cathode chamber 12, and by measuring the amount of gas discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge port 103 through the hydrogen gas discharge path 160, the soundness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11 can be confirmed for each block.

[0070] The inspection of the electrolysis module having a cell stack divided into a plurality of blocks including the first block and the second block as described above may be carried out simultaneously and in parallel for each block, or may be carried out sequentially. For example, it can be carried out by supplying a first gas to the anode chamber of the first block, confirming the soundness of the first block, and then supplying a second gas that is the same as the first gas or different from the first gas to the anode chamber of the second block.

[0071] When an abnormality such as a pinhole is found in any block by the inspection, the electrolytic cell 10 of that block is replaced with a new one, and for the blocks in which no abnormality is found, the same electrolytic cell 10 can be continuously used. In this way, in the hydrogen and oxygen generation device of the present embodiment, the service life of the electrolytic cell 10 can be extended.

[0072] In the hydrogen gas production method using the hydrogen-oxygen generator of the present embodiment, the electrolysis module 100 is operated to produce hydrogen gas, and the operation of the electrolysis module 100 is stopped to inspect the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11. In this inspection, a pressure difference is generated between the cathode chamber 12 and the anode chamber 13 to measure the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 11, so that the soundness of each electrolytic cell 10 can be easily confirmed. Therefore, the consumption of replacement members can be suppressed, and hydrogen gas can be efficiently produced.

[0073] In the hydrogen gas production method, there may be a case where it is desired to increase the production amount of hydrogen gas per unit time compared to the conventional method. In that case, it can be dealt with by increasing the number of stacked electrolytic cells in the cell stack compared to the conventional one. In the case of the conventional method, simply increasing the number of stacked electrolytic cells may result in a high-risk situation where all the electrolytic cells have to be replaced just because one of the electrolytic cells reaches the end of its life early. On the other hand, in the method of the present embodiment, since the electrolytic cells can be replaced in block units, even if the hydrogen gas production capacity is increased, it is difficult to bear the above risks.

[0074] More specifically, the inspection can be carried out using the mechanisms illustrated in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C. Also, the number of electrolytic cells (solid polymer electrolyte membranes) in each block to be inspected is preferably 20 or more and 50 or less.

[0075] In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A, on-off valves are provided in each of the connected pipes. The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A is provided with a branch path (hereinafter also referred to as "water supply branch path L11") that can communicate the space outside the module and the first water supply path 131 without passing through the on-off valve (water supply valve V1). Further, the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A is provided with a branch path (hereinafter also referred to as "hydrogen gas branch path L31") that can communicate the space outside the module and the hydrogen gas discharge path 160 without passing through the on-off valve (hydrogen gas discharge valve V3). In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A, an on-off valve is attached between each branch path and the external space so that the open / closed state of the branch path can be switched. Note that, instead of the method of providing the on-off valve, the open / closed state of the branch path may be made switchable by a detaching operation such as sealing. Although not specified in FIG. 11A, a similar branch path is also provided on the side of the second end plate 122. Further, such a branch path is not provided only for the first block and the second block, and can be provided for each block even when the third and subsequent blocks are provided.

[0076] The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A has a branch path, so that the water supply pipe L1, the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2, and the hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 can be inspected while being connected.

[0077] The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 11A has a water supply branch path L11 connected to the water supply path 130 at an intermediate point in the thickness direction of the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122, and the water supply branch path L11 is configured to communicate with the external space through the side surface portion of the end plate. Further, the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 11A has a hydrogen gas branch path L31 connected to the hydrogen gas discharge path 160 at an intermediate point in the thickness direction of the first end plate 121 and the second end plate 122, and the hydrogen gas branch path L31 is configured to communicate with the external space through the side surface portion of the end plate. Incidentally, the water supply branch path L11 and the hydrogen gas branch path L31 may be formed to communicate with the external space on the upper surface side of the first end plate 121 and the lower surface side of the second end plate as shown in Fig. 11B.

[0078] In the present embodiment, as in the aspect shown in Fig. 11A, it is preferable to configure the electrolysis module 100 such that the branch path and the external space communicate with each other at the side surface portion of the end plate. Further, in the present embodiment, as in the aspect shown in Fig. 11A, it is preferable to provide one branch path on the cathode side and one branch path for each block on the anode side. Incidentally, the communication location between the branch path and the external space does not have to be the side surface portion of the end plate. Also, a plurality of branch paths may be provided on each of the cathode side and the anode side. Hereinafter, such cases will be described with reference to Figs. 11B and 11C.

[0079] The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B is common with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A in that on-off valves are provided in each connected pipe. The electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B is also provided with a branch path (water supply branch path L11) that can communicate the space outside the module and the first water supply path 131 without passing through the on-off valve (water supply valve V1). Further, the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B is provided with a branch path (hereinafter also referred to as "oxygen gas branch path L21") that can communicate the space outside the module and the first oxygen gas discharge path 141 without passing through the on-off valve (oxygen gas discharge valve V2). Furthermore, the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B is provided with a branch path (hydrogen gas branch path L31) that can communicate the space outside the module and the hydrogen gas discharge path 160 without passing through the on-off valve (hydrogen gas discharge valve V3). In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B, an on-off valve is attached between each branch path and the external space so that the opening and closing state of the branch path can be switched. Note that, regarding the point that instead of the method of providing the on-off valve, the opening and closing state of the branch path may be made switchable by a detachable operation such as sealing, it is the same as the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A. Similar branch paths are also provided on the side of the second end plate 122. Such branch paths are not provided only for the first block and the second block, and can also be provided for each block even when the third and subsequent blocks are provided, which is the same as the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A.

[0080] In the hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 equipped with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11C, a three-way valve is provided as an on-off valve (water supply valve V1, oxygen gas discharge valve V2, hydrogen gas discharge valve V3) by omitting the provision of the branch path. In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11C, the water supply pipe L1, the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2, and the hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 are also connected to the electrolysis module 100 via the three-way valve, and the path from the electrolysis module 100 can be switched between each pipe and the external space.

[0081] In the hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 equipped with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 11C, it is provided with three outlets, namely a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet, a first state in which the space between the first outlet and the second outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the third outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked, and a three-way valve that can be switched to a second state in which the space between the first outlet and the third outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the second outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked are provided, the flow path from the first outlet to the third outlet in the three-way valve constitutes a water conveyance path, and a three-way valve is provided in the water supply pipe L1 such that the first outlet is on the side of the electrolysis module 100. Also, in the hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 equipped with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 11C, it is provided with three outlets, namely a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet, a first state in which the space between the first outlet and the second outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the third outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked, and a three-way valve that can be switched to a second state in which the space between the first outlet and the third outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the second outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked are provided, the flow path from the first outlet to the third outlet in the three-way valve constitutes an oxygen conveyance path, and a three-way valve is provided in the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 such that the first outlet is on the side of the electrolysis module 100. Furthermore, in the hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 equipped with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 11C, it is provided with three outlets, namely a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet, a first state in which the space between the first outlet and the second outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the third outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked, and a three-way valve that can be switched to a second state in which the space between the first outlet and the third outlet is in communication and the spaces between the first outlet and the second outlet and between the second outlet and the third outlet are blocked are provided, The flow path from the first outlet to the third outlet in the three-way valve constitutes a hydrogen transport path, and the three-way valve is provided in the hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 such that the first outlet is on the side of the electrolysis module 100. Therefore, in the hydrogen and oxygen generator 1 equipped with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11C, the second outlet of each three-way valve can be used as the gas inlet and outlet in the inspection of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. An example of the inspection in such an electrolysis module 100 is given below.

[0082] When measuring the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11A, first, the operation of the electrolysis module 100 is stopped. At this time, the circulation of water on the anode side may be continued, and the oxygen gas remaining in the anode chamber may be expelled as much as possible. After the oxygen gas is sufficiently discharged from the electrolysis module 100, the supply of water to the electrolysis module 100 is temporarily stopped, and the on-off valves (water supply valve V1, oxygen gas discharge valve V2) of the water supply pipe L1 and the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2, which serve as the water reflux path, are closed. Next, a pipe is connected to the water supply branch path L11, and the tip of this pipe is immersed in a separately prepared water tank. The pipe is not particularly limited in terms of material or shape, and for example, commercially available products such as polytetrafluoroethylene tubes can be used. Next, the on-off valve of the hydrogen gas discharge pipe L3 is closed, the hydrogen gas branch path L31 is connected to a nitrogen gas cylinder, and the cathode chamber side is brought to a predetermined pressurized state. The pressure generated on the cathode chamber side during the inspection can be adjusted by providing a regulator or the like on the nitrogen gas cylinder. If it seems that a specified amount or more of bubbles are discharged from the pipe in this state, it can be considered that nitrogen gas has permeated from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber in an amount exceeding the normal amount, and it can be determined that there are pinholes or the like and it does not have sufficient soundness. And by measuring the amount of bubbles (nitrogen gas) released per unit time from the tip of the pipe, it is possible to confirm how much nitrogen gas leakage is occurring in each block.

[0083] When measuring the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, first, the operation of the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 11B is stopped. At this time, the circulation of water on the anode side may be continued to expel as much oxygen gas remaining in the anode chamber as possible. After the oxygen gas has been sufficiently discharged from the electrolysis module 100, the supply of water to the electrolysis module 100 is temporarily stopped, and the on-off valve of the oxygen gas discharge pipe L2 serving as the water reflux path is closed. Next, a pipe is connected to the oxygen gas branch path L21, and the tip of this pipe is immersed in a separately prepared water tank. Although two oxygen gas branch paths L21 are provided for each block, the pipe may be connected to one block at a time. In that case, for the oxygen gas branch path L21 to which the pipe is not connected, the on-off valve is closed, and only the oxygen gas branch path L21 to which the pipe is connected has the on-off valve opened. Note that the pipe is not particularly limited in terms of material or shape, and for example, commercially available products such as polytetrafluoroethylene tubes can be used. Incidentally, the pipe may be connected not to the oxygen gas branch path L21 but to one of the water supply branch paths L11 provided in two for each block. The pressure generated on the cathode chamber side during inspection can be adjusted by providing a regulator or the like on the nitrogen gas cylinder. If it seems that bubbles exceeding a specified amount are discharged from the pipe in this state, it can be considered that nitrogen gas has permeated from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber in an amount exceeding the normal amount, and it can be determined that there are pinholes or the like and it does not have sufficient soundness. In order to quickly discharge the nitrogen gas that has moved from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber, the supply of water to the anode chamber by the water supply pipe L1 may be continued until the inspection is completed. By measuring the amount of bubbles (nitrogen gas) released per unit time from the tip of the pipe, it is possible to check how much nitrogen gas leakage is occurring in each block.

[0084] The electrolysis module 100 shown in Fig. 11C can also be inspected for pinholes in the same manner as described above. In the inspection, a test gas may be supplied to the cathode chamber so that the cathode chamber has a higher pressure than the anode chamber, and water may be supplied to the anode chamber to quickly discharge the test gas that has moved from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber from the electrolysis module 100. This is the same as described above.

[0085] In the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 2 and the like, the cell stack 110 is divided into two blocks. However, in order to extend the service life of a larger number of electrolytic cells 10, the cell stack 110 may be divided into three blocks as shown in Fig. 10. That is, the intermediate plate 150 does not have to be a single sheet and may be a plurality of sheets as shown in Fig. 10.

[0086] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, there are a plurality of intermediate plates 150 including a first intermediate plate 150' and a second intermediate plate 150". The blocks formed by partitioning the cell stack 110 are formed not only between the intermediate plate 150 and the end plate 120 but also between the intermediate plates 150 between the first intermediate plate 150' and the second intermediate plate 150".

[0087] The electrolysis module 100 shown in Fig. 10 is common with the electrolysis module 100 shown in Fig. 2 in that it has a first block 111 between the first end plate 121 and the intermediate plate 150, and a second block 112 between the second end plate 122 and the intermediate plate 150. The electrolysis module 100 shown in Fig. 10 includes two intermediate plates 150, i.e., a first intermediate plate 150' that defines the first block 111 together with the first end plate 121, and a second intermediate plate 150'' that defines the second block 112 together with the second end plate 122, and has a third block 113 between the two intermediate plates 150, which is different from the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 2 in this regard.

[0088] It is the same in the aspect as shown in Fig. 10 that it is possible to fix the blocks by interposing a plurality of intermediate plates 150 between adjacent blocks. That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of intermediate plates 150 such as the aforementioned upper plate 150a and lower plate 150b are provided in an overlapping manner as intermediate plates 150 partitioning between adjacent blocks, and between the intermediate plates 150 (upper plate 150a or lower plate 150b) and another intermediate plate 150 or end plate provided on the opposite side of the block with which the intermediate plate 150 is in contact, it is configured to be fastened with fasteners such as bolts and nuts, and is configured to be disassembled while fixing the blocks when disassembling the electrolysis module 100, so that it is possible to easily replace the blocks that need to be replaced. And in this regard, it is the same when three or more blocks are provided.

[0089] Each of the first intermediate plate 150' and the second intermediate plate 150'' is common with the intermediate plate 150 of the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in Fig. 2 in that it is preferably gas-impermeable and the same as the electrode plate 14, preferably made of a conductive material such as pure titanium or a titanium alloy, and has a vent portion at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path.

[0090] In the cell stack 110 of the electrolysis module 100 shown in FIG. 10, the first intermediate plate 150' that separates the two blocks, i.e., the first block 111 and the third block 113, is different from the intermediate plate 150 of the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 in that it is provided with a water supply port 101 (the third water supply port 101c) that communicates with the water supply path 130 in the third block 113 and an oxygen gas discharge port 102 (the third oxygen gas discharge port 102c) that communicates with the oxygen gas discharge path 140 in the third block 113. On the other hand, the second intermediate plate 150'' that separates the two blocks, i.e., the third block 113 and the second block 112, has the same structure as the intermediate plate 150 of the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 2. That is, the electrolysis module 100 shown in FIG. 10 is also common with the electrolysis module 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 in that the space on the anode side is independent for each block while the space on the cathode side communicates between the blocks to form one overall space.

[0091] The first intermediate plate 150' shown in FIG. 10 has the water supply port 101 and the oxygen gas discharge port 102, and is configured to be able to supply water to one of the two blocks adjacent to the first intermediate plate 150' and to be able to discharge oxygen gas from the one block. Therefore, for example, even if a third intermediate plate having the water supply port 101 and the oxygen gas discharge port 102 similar to the first intermediate plate 150' is further inserted between the first intermediate plate 150' and the second intermediate plate 150'' to further divide the third block 113 into a total of four blocks, it is possible to arrange the third block 113 in FIG. 10 in a state where two are arranged vertically between the first block 111 and the second block 112.

[0092] That is, the first intermediate plate 150' can be inserted in the middle of the cell stack 110 to divide the water supply path 130 and the oxygen gas discharge path 140 in the stacking direction of the cell stack 110, respectively, in the middle. Since the first intermediate plate 150' is provided with a water supply port 101 and an oxygen gas discharge port 102 that can communicate with one of the water supply path 130 and the oxygen gas discharge path 140 that are each divided into two through the first intermediate plate 150', one block can be formed by inserting it at an arbitrary position of the cell stack 110. And when three or more blocks are formed in this way, a pressure difference can be generated between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber in the same way as the electrolysis module 100 shown in FIG. 2, and the inspection of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane can be easily performed.

[0093] Since a water supply pipe L1, an oxygen gas discharge pipe L2, etc. are also connected to this first intermediate plate 150', by providing a branch path or connecting the pipes via a three-way valve, the mechanisms exemplified in FIGS. 11A to 11C can also be provided to the first intermediate plate 150', and the inspection can be carried out without removing each pipe from the first intermediate plate 150'.

[0094] Note that the above examples of the hydrogen / oxygen generator and the hydrogen gas production method in this embodiment are merely limited examples. Therefore, the hydrogen / oxygen generator and the hydrogen gas production method of the present invention are not limited to the above examples at all.

[0095] As described above, this specification includes the following disclosures.

[0096] (1) An electrolysis module that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas is provided, The electrolysis module is provided with an oxygen gas discharge port for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas discharge port for discharging the hydrogen gas, The electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked, Each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other with the solid polymer electrolyte membrane therebetween. Water is supplied to the anode chamber, and oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber while hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cells in the direction in which the plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked and communicates with the cathode chambers of the respective electrolytic cells. A hydrogen-oxygen generator configured such that the hydrogen gas generated in the cathode chamber of each of the plurality of electrolytic cells is discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge port through the hydrogen gas discharge path. The cell stack further includes one or more intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack. The cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plates. The electrolysis module is provided with a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks, and a plurality of oxygen gas discharge ports for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a vent portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path. A hydrogen-oxygen generator configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas discharge port while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks.

[0097] (2) The electrolysis module includes two end plates, a first end plate and a second end plate. In the electrolysis module, the first end plate and the second end plate are respectively disposed at both ends of the cell stack in the direction in which the electrolytic cells are stacked. The intermediate plate is interposed only at one location of the cell stack so as to divide the cell stack into two blocks, namely, a first block on the first end plate side and a second block on the second end plate side. The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port of the first block are opened to the first end plate. The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port of the second block are opened to the second end plate. The hydrogen gas generator according to (1), wherein the hydrogen gas discharge port is opened to the first end plate.

[0098] (3) The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port are provided in the intermediate plate, and one of the two blocks adjacent to the intermediate plate is configured to be able to supply water through the intermediate plate and to be able to discharge the oxygen gas through the intermediate plate from the one block. The hydrogen gas generator according to (1).

[0099] (4) The electrolysis module is such that the cell stack is composed of bipolar electrolytic cells, the intermediate plate is composed of a conductive material, and power can be supplied to the plurality of blocks by one power system. The hydrogen gas generator according to any one of (1) to (3).

[0100] (5) A hydrogen gas production method for producing hydrogen gas in a hydrogen-oxygen generator equipped with an electrolysis module for electrolyzing water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, The hydrogen-oxygen generator is The electrolysis module includes an oxygen gas discharge port for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas discharge port for discharging the hydrogen gas. The electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked. Each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other with the solid polymer electrolyte membrane therebetween, and is configured such that water is supplied to the anode chamber and oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber while hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cells in the direction in which the plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked and communicates with the cathode chambers of the respective electrolytic cells. The hydrogen gas generated in the cathode chamber of each of the plurality of electrolytic cells is configured to be discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge port through the hydrogen gas discharge path. The cell stack further includes one or more intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack. The cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plates. The electrolysis module includes a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks, and a plurality of oxygen gas discharge ports for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a ventilation portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path. The hydrogen and oxygen generator is configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas discharge port while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks. Operating the electrolysis module to produce hydrogen gas. Stopping the operation of the electrolysis module and inspecting the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. In the inspection, a hydrogen gas production method for measuring the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane by generating a pressure difference between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber.

[0101] (6) The hydrogen gas production method according to claim 5, wherein in the inspection, nitrogen gas is supplied to the cathode chamber so that the cathode chamber has a higher pressure than the anode chamber, and the gas permeability is measured.

[0102] In the present invention as described above, it is possible to extend the service life of the electrolytic cell in the hydrogen-oxygen generator, and it is possible to improve the production efficiency of hydrogen gas.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0103] 10: Electrolytic cell, 11: Solid polymer electrolyte membrane, 12: Cathode chamber, 13: Anode chamber, 14: Electrode plate, 100: Electrolysis module, 101: Water supply port, 102: Oxygen gas discharge port, 103: Hydrogen gas discharge port, 110: Cell stack, 111: First block, 112: Second block, 120: End plate, 130: Water supply path, 140: Oxygen gas discharge path, 150: Intermediate plate, 151: Ventilation part, 160: Hydrogen gas discharge path

Claims

1. An electrolysis module that electrolyzes water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, The electrolysis module includes an oxygen gas outlet for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas outlet for discharging the hydrogen gas, The electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked, Each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, water is supplied to the anode chamber, and the oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber and the hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. It is configured as such, The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cell in the direction in which the plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked and communicates with the cathode chamber of each of the electrolytic cells, A hydrogen / oxygen generator configured such that the hydrogen gas generated in the cathode chamber of each of the plurality of electrolytic cells is discharged from the hydrogen gas outlet through the hydrogen gas discharge path, Further comprising one or more intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack, The cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plate, The electrolysis module is provided with a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks and a plurality of the oxygen gas outlets for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks, The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a ventilation portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path, A hydrogen / oxygen generator configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas outlet while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks.

2. The electrolysis module includes two end plates, a first end plate and a second end plate, In the electrolysis module, the first end plate and the second end plate are respectively arranged at both ends of the cell stack in the direction in which the electrolytic cells are stacked, The intermediate plate is interposed only at one location of the cell stack so as to partition the cell stack into two blocks, a first block on the first end plate side and a second block on the second end plate side. The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port of the first block are opened in the first end plate, The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port of the second block are opened in the second end plate, The hydrogen - oxygen generation device according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen gas discharge port is opened in the first end plate.

3. The water supply port and the oxygen gas discharge port are provided in the intermediate plate, and water can be supplied to one of the two blocks adjacent to the intermediate plate through the intermediate plate, and the oxygen gas can be discharged from the one block through the intermediate plate. The hydrogen - oxygen generation device according to claim 1.

4. The electrolysis module, wherein the cell stack is composed of bipolar electrolytic cells, the intermediate plate is composed of a conductive material, and power can be supplied to the plurality of blocks by one power system. The hydrogen - oxygen generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A hydrogen gas production method for producing hydrogen gas in a hydrogen - oxygen generation device equipped with an electrolysis module for electrolyzing water to generate hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, The hydrogen - oxygen generation device, The electrolysis module is provided with an oxygen gas discharge port for discharging the oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas discharge port for discharging the hydrogen gas, The electrolysis module is provided with a cell stack in which a plurality of electrolytic cells are stacked, Each of the plurality of electrolytic cells includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a cathode chamber and an anode chamber adjacent to each other through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, water is supplied to the anode chamber, and the oxygen gas is discharged from the anode chamber while the hydrogen gas is discharged from the cathode chamber. The cell stack is provided with a hydrogen gas discharge path that penetrates the electrolytic cells in the stacking direction of the plurality of electrolytic cells and communicates with the cathode chambers of the respective electrolytic cells, The hydrogen gas generated in the cathode chambers of the plurality of electrolytic cells is configured to be discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge port through the hydrogen gas discharge path, The cell stack further includes one or a plurality of intermediate plates interposed between one end side and the other end side in the stacking direction of the cell stack, The cell stack is partitioned into a plurality of blocks by the intermediate plate, The electrolysis module is provided with a plurality of water supply ports for supplying the water to each of the plurality of blocks, and a plurality of oxygen gas discharge ports for discharging the oxygen gas from each of the plurality of blocks. The intermediate plate is made of a gas-impermeable material and has a ventilation portion for allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through at a position corresponding to the hydrogen gas discharge path. The hydrogen and oxygen generator is configured to be able to discharge the hydrogen gas discharged from the plurality of blocks from the hydrogen gas discharge port while restricting the movement of the water and the oxygen gas between the blocks. Operating the electrolysis module to produce hydrogen gas. Stopping the operation of the electrolysis module and inspecting the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. A hydrogen gas production method in which, in the inspection, a pressure difference is generated between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber to measure the gas permeability of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Claim 6 The hydrogen gas production method according to claim 5, wherein, in the inspection, nitrogen gas is supplied to the cathode chamber so that the cathode chamber has a higher pressure than the anode chamber to measure the gas permeability.

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