Electrolyzer Oxygen Gas Recycling for Water Tank Hydrogen Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electrolysis systems face the challenge of forming flammable hydrogen and oxygen mixtures in water tanks due to dissolved gases, which existing diluents like nitrogen and air are costly and require additional components.

Innovation Solution

A hydrogen management system that controls crossover hydrogen gas in oxygen product gas to form a diluent, using a controller to adjust operation and introduce oxygen product gas into water tanks to maintain hydrogen concentration below flammability limits, employing catalysts and gas membrane separators to purify the gas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional diluents like nitrogen or air are used in water tanks, then hydrogen concentration can be reduced below flammability limits, but additional components and higher costs are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflammable mixture preventionVSAvoidadditional components

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the oxygen product gas itself as the diluent, allowing the system to serve its own safety needs without external assistance. The oxygen gas produced during electrolysis is recycled and introduced into the water tank to dilute hydrogen concentration, eliminating the need for separate nitrogen or air supply systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The oxygen product gas serves multiple functions: it is both the desired oxygen product and the diluent for hydrogen concentration control. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate diluent systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional diluents like nitrogen or air are used in water tanks, then hydrogen concentration can be reduced below flammability limits, but costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflammable mixture preventionVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the oxygen product gas, the system recycles it back into the water tank as a diluent. This recovery approach utilizes an existing product to solve a safety problem, eliminating the need to purchase and install expensive external diluent systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of operation

If crossover hydrogen gas is not controlled in oxygen product gas, then system operation is simple, but flammable mixtures form in water tanks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation simplicityVSAvoidflammable mixture formation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system continuously monitors hydrogen concentration in the oxygen product gas and adjusts the recycling ratio accordingly. When hydrogen concentration exceeds thresholds, the system increases oxygen gas recycling to the water tank to dilute hydrogen levels, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that maintains safety automatically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the amount of oxygen product gas recycled to the water tank based on real-time hydrogen concentration measurements. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt to varying operating conditions and maintain hydrogen levels below flammability limits without fixed, complex infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Quantity of substance

If oxygen product gas is introduced into water tank as diluent, then hydrogen concentration decreases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrogen concentrationVSAvoidhydrogen management system

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Effectively manages hydrogen concentration in electrolysis systems without the need for costly additional equipment, preventing flammable mixtures and ensuring safe operation.

Implementation Method 1

a catalyst arranged between the electrolyzer cell stack and the water tank. In some embodiments, the catalyst may be configured to remove at least a portion of the crossover hydrogen gas from the at least a portion of the oxygen product gas to decrease the concentration of the crossover hydrogen gas and form a purified oxygen product gas

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Implementation Method 2

a gas membrane separator having a membrane. In some embodiments, the gas membrane separator may be arranged between the electrolyzer cell stack and the water tank and may be configured to receive the at least a portion of the oxygen product gas therein. In some embodiments, the membrane may be configured to diffuse the crossover hydrogen gas therethrough to decrease the concentration of the crossover hydrogen gas in the at least a portion of the oxygen product gas

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 3

an electrolyzer cell stack configured to use water and electricity to produce a hydrogen product gas and an oxygen product gas

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrolysis: Electrolysis

Implementation Method 4

In the water tank, the dissolved or entrained hydrogen gas and the dissolved or entrained oxygen gas exsolve from the first and second portions of water to form a gas mixture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExsolution: Desorption

Data Source

PatentUS20260035819A1Systems and methods to manage hydrogen concentration within oxygen product gas in an electrolysis system

Publication Date: 2026.02.05 NEW HYDROGEN IP LLC

AI summary

An electrolysis system includes an electrolyzer cell stack, a water tank, and a hydrogen management system. The electrolyzer cell stack uses water and electricity to produce a hydrogen product gas and an oxygen product gas including crossover hydrogen gas. The water tank is configured to receive a hydrogen tank stream including water and dissolved hydrogen gas and an oxygen tank stream including water and dissolved oxygen gas. In the water tank, the dissolved hydrogen gas and the dissolved oxygen gas exsolve from the water to form a gas mixture. The hydrogen management system is configured to control a concentration of the crossover hydrogen gas in at least a portion of the oxygen product gas to form a diluent for introduction into the water tank to decrease a hydrogen gas concentration in the gas mixture of the water tank.