Elastic Cushion for Ion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elastic cushion members are unable to be installed in ion exchange membrane electrolyzers with extremely small gaps between electrodes and current collecting plates, due to structural limitations and material constraints.
Innovation Solution
An elastic cushion member comprising a pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates arranged in parallel, with a metal elastic body wound between them, and a detachable fixing member to allow for adjustable thickness and installation in tight spaces, eliminating unnecessary materials and enabling flexible assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If conventional elastic cushion members are used, then they can maintain distance between electrodes, but they cannot be installed in electrolyzers with extremely small gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic cushion member is divided into multiple thin plates (first through fourth thin plates) stacked together, with elastic bodies arranged between them. This segmentation allows the overall structure to achieve the required thin profile while maintaining functional integrity through the distributed arrangement of elastic elements across multiple layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-layer or simple multi-layer structure to a three-dimensional stacked configuration of thin plates with elastic bodies positioned in the spaces between them. This dimensional arrangement enables the cushion member to achieve extreme thinness in the gap direction while maintaining sufficient elastic force through the vertical stacking of multiple elastic elements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid materials are used to maintain electrode distance, then distance stability is improved, but ion exchange membrane damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses flexible thin plates made of corrosion-resistant materials instead of rigid structures. These thin plates can deform elastically to apply gentle, uniform pressure that maintains electrode distance stability without concentrating stress on the ion exchange membrane, thereby preventing membrane damage while achieving the required distance control.
3Length of stationary object
If non-rigid materials are used to reduce electrode distance, then close contact is achieved, but non-uniform distance and membrane piercing occur
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic cushion member is segmented into multiple thin plates with elastic bodies distributed between them. This segmentation distributes the elastic force uniformly across multiple contact points, preventing localized over-compression that would cause non-uniform distance or membrane piercing, while still achieving the required close contact between electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining multiple thin plates with elastic bodies arranged between them. This composite configuration integrates the benefits of rigid structures (uniform force distribution) with flexible materials (elastic deformation capability), achieving both uniform electrode distance and close contact without membrane damage.
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
Enables installation in electrolyzers with gaps as small as 1 mm or less, improving electrolysis performance by maintaining consistent pressure and preventing deformation, while reducing storage and transportation costs.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic cushion member having a pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates arranged at a distance in parallel fashion and a fixing member which fixes the pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates, wherein a metal elastic body is wound between the pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an elastic cushion member and an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer using the same, which elastic cushion member can be installed even in an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer having such a small gap between an electrode and an electrode current collecting plate that a conventional elastic cushion member cannot be arranged therein. An elastic cushion member (10) has a pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates (11) arranged at a distance in parallel fashion and a fixing member (12) which fixes the pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates (11) and comprises a metal elastic body (13) wound between the pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates (11). The fixing member (12) is attached to the pair of corrosion-resistant metal thin plates (11) in a manner that enables detachment of the fixing member therefrom. The metal elastic body (13) is preferred to be a metal coil body. It is also preferable that each of the corrosion-resistant metal thin plates (11) is provided with a slippage prevention means.