Electrolytic cell unit, bipolar plate for electrolytic cell, and electrolytic cell system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrolytic cell unit, at least comprising: a membrane electrode assembly, which is provided with a proton exchange membrane located in the middle, an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, an anode-side gas diffusion layer and a cathode-side gas diffusion layer; an anode plate arranged on an anode side, wherein the anode plate is constructed with a plurality of anode flow channels, which are located between the anode plate and the anode-side gas diffusion layer, the anode flow channels extending in a longitudinal direction and being spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a cathode plate arranged on a cathode side, wherein the cathode plate is constructed with a plurality of cathode flow channels, which are located between the cathode plate and the cathode-side gas diffusion layer, the cathode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction and being spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction, and a plurality of penetrating through holes are provided in the anode plate, and the penetrating through holes are constructed to bring the anode flow channels into communication with the outside of the anode plate facing away from the anode flow channels. The present invention further relates to a bipolar plate for an electrolytic cell, and an electrolytic cell system. The operating efficiency of the electrolytic cell can be significantly improved, and the mass transfer loss can be reduced.

Description

Electrolytic cell unit, bipolar plate for electrolytic cell, and electrolytic cell system Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electrolytic cells, and in particular to an electrolytic cell monomer. The present invention also relates to a corresponding bipolar plate for the electrolytic cell and an electrolytic cell system. Background Art

[0002] An electrolytic cell is a device that converts electrical energy into chemical energy. Current is passed through an electrolyte, inducing redox reactions at the anode and cathode. Proton exchange membrane electrolytic cells utilize the principle of electrolysis to generate oxygen and hydrogen protons at the anode. These hydrogen protons are then transferred through the proton exchange membrane to the cathode, where they combine with electrons to produce hydrogen. Proton exchange membrane electrolytic cells offer advantages such as high electrolysis efficiency, high product purity, environmental friendliness, and safety, making them widely used in oxygen and hydrogen production.

[0003] During normal operation of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, water is supplied to the anode of the electrolyzer through the anode flow channels of the anode plates. Oxygen generated at the anode is also transported from the electrolyzer to the outside through the anode flow channels. In the anode flow channels, the water supply direction and the oxygen flow direction are opposite, causing oxygen to block the path of water reaching the anode of the electrolyzer, thereby reducing the electrolysis efficiency of the electrolyzer and causing mass transfer losses. Furthermore, existing electrolyzer systems are difficult to disassemble and assemble, resulting in high maintenance costs.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved electrolytic cell unit, which can effectively guide the separate flows of supply water and product oxygen, reliably avoid the obstruction of water transport by oxygen, and reduce the pressure in the anode flow channel to increase the water transport rate, thereby significantly improving the operating efficiency of the electrolytic cell and reducing mass transfer losses.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrolytic cell unit, wherein the electrolytic cell unit comprises at least:

[0007] - a membrane electrode assembly having a proton exchange membrane, an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, an anode-side gas diffusion layer, and a cathode-side gas diffusion layer located in the middle;

[0008] an anode plate disposed on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly, the anode plate being configured with a plurality of anode flow channels located between the anode plate and the anode-side gas diffusion layer, the anode flow channels extending in a longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and

[0009] a cathode plate disposed on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly, the cathode plate being configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels located between the cathode plate and the cathode-side gas diffusion layer, the cathode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction,

[0010] A plurality of through holes are provided on the anode plate, and the through holes are configured to connect the anode flow channel to an exterior of the anode plate that is away from the anode flow channel.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, in the electrolytic cell unit according to the present invention, a plurality of through-holes are provided on the anode plate, and the through-holes connect the anode flow channel to the outside of the anode plate facing away from the anode flow channel, so that the supplied water can flow in the anode flow channel under the action of its own gravity, and the oxygen generated at the anode floats because its density is lower than that of water and at least partially flows out of the anode flow channel through the through-holes, especially flows out into the inter-cell channel of the adjacent electrolytic cell unit. This can effectively guide the water and oxygen to flow separately from each other and reduce the pressure in the anode flow channel, thereby preventing oxygen from blocking the flow path of water to the anode of the electrolytic cell, so that the supplied water can be smoothly supplied to the anode of the electrolytic cell at a larger flow rate, which can significantly improve the working efficiency of the electrolytic cell and reduce mass transfer losses.

[0012] Exemplarily, the anode flow channel is bounded by two side walls and a top wall spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction, wherein the through-hole is arranged in an upper portion of at least one of the side walls adjacent to the top wall as viewed in the thickness direction.

[0013] Exemplarily, the through-holes are arranged on the side walls symmetrically with respect to a center plane of the anode channel that runs perpendicular to the transverse direction.

[0014] Exemplarily, the through holes are distributed uniformly spaced apart along the longitudinal direction; and / or the through holes are configured as elongated holes extending along the longitudinal direction.

[0015] Exemplarily, the electrolytic cell unit further includes a sealing structure surrounding the membrane electrode assembly in a circumferential direction; and / or, the anode plate and the cathode plate are constructed as an integrally formed metal stamping part; and / or, the anode plate is adhesively fixed to the anode side gas diffusion layer, and the cathode plate is adhesively fixed to the cathode side gas diffusion layer.

[0016] Exemplarily, the proton exchange membrane, the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer are jointly constructed in the form of a catalyst coating membrane; and / or, the anode catalyst layer is made of a precious metal catalyst, and the cathode catalyst layer is made of a non-precious metal catalyst; and / or, viewed in the direction of gravity, the anode plate is located at the top of the electrolytic cell unit.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bipolar plate for an electrolytic cell, wherein the bipolar plate comprises at least:

[0018] an anode plate configured to be arranged on the anode-side gas diffusion layer of the first electrolytic cell, the anode plate being configured with a plurality of anode flow channels extending in a longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and

[0019] a cathode plate fixedly connected to the anode plate, the cathode plate being configured to be arranged on the cathode-side gas diffusion layer of a second electrolytic cell unit, the first electrolytic cell unit and the second electrolytic cell unit being arranged one above the other in a thickness direction, the cathode plate being configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction;

[0020] A plurality of inter-cell channels are formed between the anode plate and the cathode plate, and the inter-cell channels are alternately arranged with the anode flow channels and the cathode flow channels in the transverse direction.

[0021] A plurality of through holes are provided on the anode plate, and the through holes are configured to connect each anode flow channel with at least one adjacent inter-cell channel, wherein at least the first electrolytic cell unit is configured as the electrolytic cell unit according to the present invention.

[0022] Exemplarily, the anode plate and the cathode plate are fixed to each other by welding or bonding.

[0023] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an electrolytic cell system is provided, wherein the electrolytic cell system comprises at least a plurality of electrolytic cell cells according to the present invention stacked on top of each other, wherein the anode plate of one of the electrolytic cell cells and the cathode plate of another adjacent electrolytic cell cell are fixedly connected and function together as a bipolar plate according to the present invention.

[0024] Exemplarily, the electrolytic cell system includes a water supply manifold, an oxygen exhaust manifold, and a hydrogen exhaust manifold. The water supply manifold is connected to the anode flow channel of the anode plate of the electrolytic cell unit, the oxygen exhaust manifold is connected to at least the inter-cell channel of the bipolar plate, and the hydrogen exhaust manifold is connected to the cathode flow channel of the electrolytic cell unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the principles, features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. The accompanying drawings include:

[0026] FIG1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrolytic cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG2 shows a schematic view of a bipolar plate for an electrolytic cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrolytic cell system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and a number of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For the sake of brevity, elements with the same reference numerals are only marked once in the drawings.

[0030] It should be understood that, in this document, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor as implicitly specifying the quantity of the technical features being referenced. A feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly indicate that at least one of the features is included.

[0031] In this specification, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to direct connections, indirect connections through intermediate components, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the meaning of these terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrolytic cell 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here, the electrolytic cell 100 is configured to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen when electricity is applied, and an electrolytic cell stack can be formed by stacking a plurality of electrolytic cell cells 100 on top of each other.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the electrolytic cell unit 100 includes a membrane electrode assembly 10, which is the core component of the electrolytic cell unit 100 and in which the water electrolysis process occurs. The membrane electrode assembly 10 has a proton exchange membrane 11 located in the middle, an anode catalyst layer 12 and a cathode catalyst layer 13 arranged on both sides of the proton exchange membrane 11, and an anode side gas diffusion layer 14 arranged on the anode catalyst layer 12 and a cathode side gas diffusion layer 15 arranged on the cathode catalyst layer 13. The proton exchange membrane 11 is a polymer film with high proton conductivity and good chemical stability and can be constructed as a perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane. Protons can be transferred through the proton exchange membrane 11 and the mixing of hydrogen and oxygen can be prevented. When an external power source is applied to the anode and cathode of the electrolytic cell unit 100, water is supplied to the anode of the membrane electrode assembly 10, passing through the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 to reach the anode catalyst layer 12. Under the action of the anode catalyst, the water molecules undergo an electrolysis reaction and produce oxygen and hydrogen protons. The oxygen is discharged through the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14, while the hydrogen protons are transferred to the cathode catalyst layer 13 through the proton exchange membrane 11 and undergo a reduction reaction by combining with electrons to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen is discharged through the cathode-side gas diffusion layer 15. Here, the anode catalyst layer 12 is illustratively made of a precious metal catalyst, such as platinum, to promote the oxidation reaction, while the cathode catalyst layer 13 is illustratively made of a non-precious metal catalyst, such as nickel, to reduce costs and improve catalytic efficiency. In particular, the proton exchange membrane 11, the anode catalyst layer 12, and the cathode catalyst layer 13 are collectively constructed in the form of a catalyst coated membrane (CCM) to achieve a highly uniform and durable catalyst layer.

[0034] As shown in FIG1 , the electrolytic cell unit 100 includes an anode plate 21 arranged on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, wherein the anode plate is configured to support the anode side gas diffusion layer 14, supply water as a reactant and coolant to the anode of the membrane electrode assembly 10, and discharge the generated oxygen. In particular, the anode plate 21 is bonded and fixed to the anode side gas diffusion layer 14, wherein the anode plate 21 is configured with a plurality of anode flow channels 211 located between the anode plate 21 and the anode side gas diffusion layer 14, wherein the anode flow channels extend along a longitudinal direction X and are spaced apart from each other along a transverse direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The supplied water flows in a guided manner in the anode flow channels 211 and is uniformly transported to the anode catalyst layer 12 through the anode side gas diffusion layer 14, and the oxygen generated at the anode also enters the anode flow channels 211 through the anode side gas diffusion layer 14 and is further discharged.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the electrolytic cell unit 100 includes a cathode plate 22 arranged on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly 10, wherein the cathode plate is configured to support the cathode side gas diffusion layer 15 and discharge the generated hydrogen. In particular, the cathode plate 22 is adhesively fixed to the cathode side gas diffusion layer 15, wherein the cathode plate 22 is configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels 221 located between the cathode plate 22 and the cathode side gas diffusion layer 15, wherein the cathode flow channels extend along the longitudinal direction X and are spaced apart from each other along the transverse direction Y, and the hydrogen generated at the cathode enters the cathode flow channels 221 through the cathode side gas diffusion layer 15 and is further discharged, wherein the hydrogen in the cathode flow channels 221 has a significantly higher gas pressure.

[0036] As shown in FIG1 , the anode plate 21 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 212 . These through-holes are configured to connect each anode channel 211 of the anode plate 21 to the exterior of the anode plate 21 facing away from the anode channel 211. In this case, the supplied water flows in the lower portion of the anode channel 211 under its own gravity. The generated oxygen, after entering the anode channel 211 through the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 , floats to the upper portion of the anode channel 211 due to its lower density than water and at least partially flows out of the anode channel 211 through the through-holes 212 . This significantly reduces the pressure caused by oxygen accumulation in the anode channel 211 , allowing oxygen to be smoothly discharged from the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 , thereby preventing oxygen from blocking the water flow path to the anode catalyst layer 12 . Furthermore, due to the reduced gas pressure in the anode channel 211 , the water supply flow rate can be correspondingly increased. Overall, this significantly improves the operating efficiency of the electrolytic cell 100 and reduces mass transfer losses. For this purpose, it is easy to understand that, when viewed in the direction of gravity, the anode plate 21 of the electrolytic cell unit 100 is located at the top of the electrolytic cell unit 100, and the direction of gravity corresponds to the thickness direction Z, which is perpendicular to the main extension plane of the electrolytic cell unit 100 spanned by the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.

[0037] In this case, the anode plate 21 of the electrolysis cell 100 is designed to be fixedly connected to the cathode plate 22 of another adjacent electrolysis cell and to function together as a bipolar plate 20 , as described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2 .

[0038] 2 shows a schematic view of a bipolar plate 20 for an electrolysis cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this case, one bipolar plate 20 is simultaneously associated with two electrolysis cell cells 100 stacked on top of each other.

[0039] As shown in FIG2 , the bipolar plate 20 includes an anode plate 21 , which can be arranged on the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 of a first electrolytic cell unit, wherein the first electrolytic cell unit is configured as the electrolytic cell unit 100 according to the present invention, wherein the anode plate 21 is configured with a plurality of anode flow channels 211 , which extend in a longitudinal direction X and are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction Y.

[0040] As shown in FIG2 , the bipolar plate 20 includes a cathode plate 22 that is fixedly connected to the anode plate 21 and can be arranged on the cathode-side gas diffusion layer 15 of the second electrolytic cell. The first electrolytic cell and the second electrolytic cell are arranged one on top of the other in the thickness direction Z. The cathode plate 22 is configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels 221 that extend in the longitudinal direction X and are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction Y. The cathode flow channels 221 and the anode flow channels 211 are arranged opposite each other in the transverse direction Y.

[0041] As shown in FIG2 , the bipolar plate 20 forms a plurality of inter-cell channels 23 between the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 . The inter-cell channels also extend along the longitudinal direction X and are alternately arranged with the anode flow channels 211 and the cathode flow channels 221 in the transverse direction Y.

[0042] As shown in FIG2 , a plurality of through-holes 212 are provided on the anode plate 21. The through-holes are configured to connect each anode flow channel 211 to at least one adjacent inter-cell channel 23. As a result, oxygen entering the anode flow channel 211 via the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 can partially flow into the inter-cell channel 23 through the through-holes 212, while water as a reactant remains in the anode flow channel 211. This enables the oxygen and water to flow in opposite directions, separating from each other, thereby avoiding mutual interference between the two. It can also reduce the gas pressure in the anode flow channel 211, allowing oxygen to smoothly enter the anode flow channel 211 from the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14 and water to smoothly flow from the anode flow channel 211 into the anode-side gas diffusion layer 14. In addition, the water supply flow rate can be increased accordingly. This can significantly improve the electrolysis efficiency of the electrolytic cell, achieve drying of the product oxygen to a certain extent, and minimize mass transfer losses.

[0043] For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the anode flow channel 211 of the anode plate 21 is bounded by two side walls 213 spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction Y and a top wall 214 disposed between the two side walls 213. When viewed in the thickness direction Z or the direction of gravity, the through-holes 212 of the anode plate 21 are disposed in the upper portion of at least one of the two side walls 213, adjacent to the top wall 214. This prevents water in the anode flow channel 211 from flowing into the inter-cell channel 23 through the through-holes 212, thereby minimizing the drying of oxygen in the inter-cell channel 23.

[0044] For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the through-holes 212 of the anode plate 21 are arranged on both side walls 213 of the anode flow channel 211, which can increase the flow rate of oxygen through the through-holes 212. In particular, the through-holes 212 are symmetrically arranged on the side walls 213 about a center plane T of the anode flow channel 21, which extends perpendicular to the transverse direction Y. The center plane extends in the longitudinal direction X and the thickness direction Z, thereby enabling simple and cost-effective manufacturing of the anode plate 21.

[0045] Illustratively, the through-holes 212 of the anode plate 21 are evenly spaced apart along the longitudinal direction X, which allows oxygen in the anode flow channel 21 to flow evenly to the inter-cell channel 23 .

[0046] For example, the through-hole 212 of the anode plate 21 is configured as an elongated hole extending in the longitudinal direction X. This allows for a relatively large flow area of ​​the through-hole 212 to increase the flow rate of oxygen while also avoiding adverse effects on the strength of the anode plate 21. Of course, other configurations of the through-hole 212 deemed appropriate by those skilled in the art are also contemplated.

[0047] For example, the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 are constructed as an integrally formed metal stamping part, thereby enabling cost-effective production of the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22. The anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 can be made of the same metal material, which should have high strength, good chemical stability, and electrical conductivity, such as stainless steel. However, it is also conceivable that the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 are made of different materials.

[0048] As an example, the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 are fixed to each other by welding. However, it is also conceivable that the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22 are fixed to each other by bonding or form-fitting with an adhesive.

[0049] For example, as shown in Figure 1, the electrolytic cell unit 100 further includes a sealing structure 30 that circumferentially surrounds the membrane electrode assembly 10 and is clamped between the anode plate 21 and the cathode plate 22. The sealing structure 30 can effectively prevent the product gas in the gas diffusion layer from leaking to the outside.

[0050] FIG3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrolytic cell system 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] As shown in FIG3 , the electrolytic cell system 1000 includes a plurality of electrolytic cell cells 100 stacked one on top of the other along a thickness direction Z, wherein the anode plate 21 of each electrolytic cell cell 100 is arranged at the top of the electrolytic cell cell 100 along the gravity direction corresponding to the thickness direction Z and is fixedly connected to the cathode plate of another adjacent electrolytic cell cell located above. For example, the anode plate 21 of the first electrolytic cell cell 100′ in the electrolytic cell cells 100 is fixedly connected to the cathode plate 22 of the second electrolytic cell cell 100″ located above, and the anode plate and the cathode plate together function as a bipolar plate 20, wherein the first electrolytic cell cell 100′ and the second electrolytic cell cell 100″ are both constructed as electrolytic cell cells 100 according to the present invention, wherein a through-hole 212 is provided on the anode plate 21, and the through-hole connects the anode flow channel 211 with the cathode plate 22 in the first electrolytic cell cell 100′. The inter-cell channel 23 between the anode plate 21 of one electrolytic cell unit 100' and the cathode plate 22 of the second electrolytic cell unit 100" is connected. In a similar manner, the cathode plate 22 of the first electrolytic cell unit 100' is fixedly connected to the anode plate 21 of the electrolytic cell unit 100 immediately below and together they function as a bipolar plate 20, while the anode plate 21 of the second electrolytic cell unit 100" is fixedly connected to the cathode plate 22 of the electrolytic cell unit 100 immediately above and together they function as a bipolar plate 20.

[0052] Here, when a specific electrolytic cell 100 in the electrolytic cell system 1000 has poor performance or is defective, the corresponding electrolytic cell can be easily removed from the electrolytic cell stack and a new replacement electrolytic cell can be installed, thereby reducing the maintenance cost of the electrolytic cell system 1000.

[0053] Illustratively, the electrolytic cell system 1000 includes end plates located on both sides in the thickness direction Z, and the end plates are configured to clamp and fix an electrolytic cell stack composed of a plurality of electrolytic cell units 100 .

[0054] Exemplarily, the electrolytic cell system 1000 includes a water supply manifold, an oxygen exhaust manifold, and a hydrogen exhaust manifold, wherein the water supply manifold is connected to the anode flow channel 211 of the anode plate 21 of each electrolytic cell unit 100 and is configured to supply water as a reactant and coolant to the anode side gas diffusion layer 14, the oxygen exhaust manifold is connected to at least the inter-cell channel 23 of the bipolar plate 20 and is configured to discharge the product oxygen, it is also possible that the oxygen exhaust manifold is also connected to the anode flow channel 211 of each electrolytic cell unit 100, and the hydrogen exhaust manifold is connected to the cathode flow channel 221 of each electrolytic cell unit 100 to discharge the product hydrogen.

[0055] The above explanation of the embodiments only describes the present invention within the framework of the examples. Of course, the individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another as long as it makes technical sense, without departing from the framework of the present invention.

[0056] Other advantages and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention in its broader sense is not limited to the specific details, representative configurations, and exemplary embodiments shown and described. Rather, various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrolytic cell unit (100), characterized in that, The electrolytic cell unit (100) at least comprises: - a membrane electrode assembly (10), the membrane electrode assembly having a proton exchange membrane (11) located in the middle, an anode catalyst layer (12), a cathode catalyst layer (13), an anode-side gas diffusion layer (14), and a cathode-side gas diffusion layer (15); - an anode plate (21) disposed on the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly (10), the anode plate being configured with a plurality of anode flow channels (211) located between the anode plate (21) and the anode-side gas diffusion layer (14), the anode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and being spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X); and - a cathode plate (22) disposed on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly (10), the cathode plate being configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels (221) located between the cathode plate (22) and the cathode-side gas diffusion layer (15), the cathode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and being spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y), wherein, a plurality of through holes (212) are provided on the anode plate (21), the through holes being configured to communicate the anode flow channels (211) to the outside of the anode plate (21) facing away from the anode flow channels (211).

2. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anode flow channels (211) are bounded by two side walls (213) and a top wall (214) spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y), wherein, when viewed in the thickness direction (Z), the through holes (212) are disposed in the upper part of at least one of the side walls (213) adjacent to the top wall (214).

3. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The through holes (212) are symmetrically disposed on the side walls (213) with respect to a central plane (T) of the anode flow channels (211) perpendicular to the transverse direction (Y).

4. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the through holes (212) are uniformly spaced along the longitudinal direction (X); and / or the through holes (212) are configured as elongated holes extending along the longitudinal direction (X).

5. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that, The electrolytic cell unit (100) further comprises a sealing structure (30) surrounding the membrane electrode assembly (10) in the circumferential direction; and / or The anode plate (21) and the cathode plate (22) are configured as integrally formed metal stampings; and / or The anode plate (21) is adhesively fixed to the anode-side gas diffusion layer (14), and the cathode plate (22) is adhesively fixed to the cathode-side gas diffusion layer (15).

6. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that, The proton exchange membrane (11), the anode catalyst layer (12), and the cathode catalyst layer (13) are jointly configured in the form of a catalyst coated membrane; and / or The anode catalyst layer (12) is made of a noble metal catalyst, while the cathode catalyst layer (13) is made of a non-noble metal catalyst; and / or When viewed in the direction of gravity, the anode plate (21) is located at the uppermost part of the electrolytic cell unit (100).

7. A bipolar plate (20) for an electrolytic cell, characterized in that, The bipolar plate (20) at least comprises: - An anode plate (21) configured to be disposed on the anode-side gas diffusion layer (14) of the first electrolytic cell unit (100'), the anode plate (21) being configured with a plurality of anode flow channels (211) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X); and - A cathode plate (22) fixedly connected to the anode plate (21), the cathode plate being configured to be disposed on the cathode-side gas diffusion layer (15) of the second electrolytic cell unit (100''), the first electrolytic cell unit (100') and the second electrolytic cell unit (100'') being disposed overlapping each other in a thickness direction (Z), the cathode plate (22) being configured with a plurality of cathode flow channels (221), the cathode flow channels extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y), wherein a plurality of inter-cell channels (23) are formed between the anode plate (21) and the cathode plate (22), and the inter-cell channels are alternately arranged with the anode flow channels (211) and the cathode flow channels (221) in the transverse direction (Y) in sequence, wherein a plurality of through holes (212) are provided in the anode plate (21), the through holes being configured to communicate each anode flow channel (211) with at least one adjacent inter-cell channel (23), and wherein at least the first electrolytic cell unit (100') is configured as the electrolytic cell unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The electrolytic cell unit (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The anode plate (21) and the cathode plate (22) are fixed to each other by welding or bonding.

9. An electrolytic cell system (1000), characterized in that, The electrolytic cell system includes at least a plurality of electrolytic cell units (100) stacked on one another according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the anode plate (21) of one electrolytic cell unit in the electrolytic cell units (100) and the cathode plate (22) of an adjacent other electrolytic cell unit are fixedly connected and jointly function as the bipolar plate (20) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The electrolytic cell system (1000) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The electrolytic cell system (1000) includes a water supply manifold, an oxygen discharge manifold, and a hydrogen discharge manifold, the water supply manifold communicating with the anode flow channels (211) of the anode plate (21) of the electrolytic cell unit (100), the oxygen discharge manifold communicating with at least the inter-cell channels (23) of the bipolar plate (20), and the hydrogen discharge manifold communicating with the cathode flow channels (221) of the electrolytic cell unit (100).

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