Alkaline Electrolysis Gas Separation Baffles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In alkaline water electrolysis, the mixing of oxygen and hydrogen gases in the circulator tank can lead to their concentrations reaching the flammability limit, affecting gas purity and safety, as both gases dissolve in the electrolyte and are gradually released, posing a risk of explosion.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus introduces oxygen gas from the anode chamber and hydrogen gas from the cathode chamber into separate gas phase regions of the electrolyte tanks, using dedicated feed and exhaust pipes to manage gas composition and prevent flammability limits, while a communicating pipe maintains electrolyte levels and flow between tanks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are allowed to mix in the circulator tank during electrolysis operation, then gas production continues without interruption, but the gas composition reaches flammability limit creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The circulator tank is divided into separate gas phase regions for oxygen and hydrogen gases. The oxygen gas phase region and hydrogen gas phase region are physically separated by a baffle structure, preventing mixing of the two gases while allowing both to coexist in the same tank. This segmentation eliminates the flammability risk while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A baffle structure serves as an intermediary physical barrier between the oxygen and hydrogen gas phases. The baffle prevents direct contact and mixing between the two gases, acting as a mediator that allows both gases to be present in the circulator tank without creating a flammable mixture.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If separate circulator tanks are used for anode and cathode electrolyte, then gas mixing is prevented, but electrolyte circulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using completely separate circulator tanks for anode and cathode electrolyte, the invention merges them into a single circulator tank with internal separation. The gas phase regions are separated by baffles, but the liquid electrolyte circulation path remains unified, simplifying the overall system compared to completely separate tanks while still preventing gas mixing.
3Productivity
If dissolved gases are allowed to accumulate in the electrolyte, then gas production efficiency is maintained, but gas purity decreases due to gradual release into gas phase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes dissolved gases from the electrolyte by providing dedicated gas phase regions where gases can be collected and separated. The baffle structure enables the extraction of gases from the liquid electrolyte, allowing them to be removed from the circulation system before they can accumulate to harmful levels, thus maintaining both efficiency and purity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents the gas composition in the circulator tanks from reaching flammability limits, enhancing gas purity and safety by separating and managing the gases within the electrolyte tanks, thereby reducing the adverse effects of dissolved gases on the electrolyte.
Implementation Method 1
water is electrolyzed using a basic water solution (alkaline water) in which an alkali metal hydroxide (such as NaOH and KOH) dissolves as an electrolyte, which generates hydrogen gas at a cathode and oxygen gas at an anode
Implementation Method 2
An electrolytic cell for alkaline water electrolysis usually includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber which are separated by an ion-permeable separating membrane
Implementation Method 3
Since oxygen gas and hydrogen gas dissolving in the electrolyte in the circulator tank are gradually released into a gas phase
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An apparatus for alkaline water electrolysis including: an electrolysis vessel; first and second gas-liquid separators respectively separating electrolytes and oxygen/hydrogen gas flowing out from anode/cathode chambers; first and second electrolyte tanks respectively storing the electrolytes separated by the first/second gas-liquid separators; oxygen and hydrogen gas feed pipes respectively introducing the separated oxygen/hydrogen gas into gas phase parts of the first/second electrolyte tanks; oxygen and hydrogen gas exhaust pipes respectively allowing oxygen/hydrogen gas to flow out from the gas phase parts of the first/second electrolyte tanks therethrough; and a circulator supplying the electrolytes from the first and second electrolyte tanks to the electrolysis vessel.