Hydraulic Tightening Apparatus for Electrolyser Cell Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tightening systems for electrolysis cells, such as tie-rod and hydraulic systems, face challenges including high labor requirements, increased costs due to larger equipment, and the need for continuous hydraulic compression and pressure maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A tightening apparatus that uses a movable member, actuators, a pressure plate, and spacers to achieve multi-step movements, allowing for the compression of adjacent electrolysis cells without significantly increasing the size of the electrolyser, and reducing labor requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tie-rod tightening system is used, then the cells can be tightened, but significant labor is required for manual tightening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical tie-rod tightening system with a hydraulic actuating system. The hydraulic cylinder generates force through fluid pressure, eliminating the need for manual turning of tightening nuts and significantly reducing labor requirements while maintaining the tightening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic actuating system with a hydraulic cylinder to provide the tightening force. The hydraulic system uses fluid pressure to generate the necessary compressive force on the cells, replacing the mechanical advantage system of tie-rods and nuts with a more efficient hydraulic force multiplication mechanism.
2Force
If a hydraulic tightening system is used, then tightening force can be applied, but a large cylinder with sufficient extension length is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tightening process into multiple stages using a multi-stage hydraulic cylinder. Instead of requiring a single large cylinder with excessive extension length, the system uses multiple smaller stages that collectively achieve the required total compression distance, reducing the overall cylinder volume and installation space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional linear extension approach to a multi-stage dimensional approach. The multi-stage cylinder achieves extended compression distance through sequential staging rather than a single long stroke, effectively utilizing the spatial arrangement of stages to achieve the required force and displacement without a proportionally large cylinder volume.
3Reliability
If a hydraulic tightening system is used, then continuous compression can be maintained, but higher costs and installation space are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pre-compression stage where the hydraulic system applies initial compression force before the cells are fully assembled. This preliminary action ensures that the gaskets are pre-loaded and sealed surfaces are properly positioned, maintaining reliable sealing without requiring continuous high-pressure compression throughout the entire assembly process, thus reducing the needed installation space and equipment size.
4Productivity
If the number of cells is reduced, then production targets can be met, but the pressure plate needs to be pushed out farther requiring more installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a multi-stage hydraulic cylinder where each stage can be independently controlled. When the number of cells is reduced, only the necessary number of stages are activated, allowing the system to adapt to different cell counts without requiring the full extension capacity of a single large cylinder. This segmentation enables space-efficient operation while maintaining productivity by activating only the required compression distance.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tightening apparatus for selectively opening and closing respective adjacent electrolysis cells in an electrolyser. The tightening apparatus comprises: a movable member moveable in a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being a direction in which the cells are to be closed each other and the second direction being an opposite direction to the first direction; at least one actuator configured to move the movable member selectively in the first and second directions; a pressure plate arranged on the first direction side with respect to the movable member; and a spacer arranged between the pressure plate and the movable member.