Stacked Cell Hydrogen Purification Compression Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydrogen compression apparatuses are not durable enough to handle high pressures required by hydrogen stations, and existing high-pressure hydrogen production methods are energy-inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen purification/compression apparatus with multiple stacked cell structures and a pressing structure that applies clamping stress, using a polymer electrolyte membrane with anode and cathode catalyst layers, and conductive water-repellent layers to efficiently purify and compress hydrogen from reformed gas without using water, thus reducing material and energy costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cell hydrogen compression apparatus is used, then the apparatus structure is simple, but the apparatus cannot maintain durability at high pressures above 10 atmospheres due to sealing difficulties and gas leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into multiple stacked cell structures (first cell structure, second cell structure, etc.), each handling a portion of the hydrogen compression task. This segmentation allows each individual cell to maintain effective sealing at high pressures while the collective stack achieves the required compression level, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and high-pressure durability.
2Productivity
If the electrode area is increased to produce more hydrogen, then the hydrogen production capacity increases, but the sealed sectional area increases proportionally making air tightness extremely difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the electrode area of a single cell, the invention segments the hydrogen production function across multiple stacked cells. Each cell maintains a manageable electrode area and sealed sectional area, preserving air tightness while the collective output of all cells achieves the desired hydrogen production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-plane electrode arrangement to a multi-layer stacked configuration. By stacking cell structures in the vertical dimension, the system increases hydrogen production capacity without proportionally increasing the sealed sectional area of any individual cell, thus maintaining air tightness.
3Stress or pressure
If a two-stage compressor system is used to compress hydrogen to 700-1000 atmospheres, then the required compression pressure is achieved, but the compression efficiency drops to 60-70% and electrical energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional mechanical two-stage compressor system with an electrochemical cell-based compression method. Hydrogen is compressed through electrochemical reactions in the cells, achieving 700-1000 atmospheres pressure with significantly improved energy efficiency by eliminating the mechanical compression process and its associated energy losses.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional PSA system is used for hydrogen purification, then hydrogen purification is achieved, but the system becomes large and costly with low recovery proportion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the hydrogen purification function with the compression function into a single integrated electrochemical cell system. The cells simultaneously perform purification by selective electrochemical reactions and compression through the same process, eliminating the need for a separate large-scale PSA system and achieving high hydrogen purity with reduced system size and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrochemical cell structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it purifies hydrogen through selective reactions, compresses hydrogen to high pressure, and generates electrical energy. This multi-functionality replaces the specialized single-function PSA system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high purification standards.
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
The apparatus can produce high-purity, high-pressure hydrogen efficiently and cost-effectively, capable of compressing hydrogen to 750 atmospheres or more, reducing the need for corrosion-resistant materials and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer stacked on one side of the polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode catalyst layer stacked on the other side of the polymer electrolyte membrane
Implementation Method 2
a pressing structure configured to apply a clamping stress in a stacking direction of the cell structures
Implementation Method 3
there have been developed small, low-cost hydrogen production processes that simultaneously purify and compress hydrogen. As an example of such a process, Patent Literature 1 discloses a hydrogen compression process that purifies and compresses hydrogen-containing reformed gas. This process produces purified and compressed hydrogen on the cathode side from reformed gas supplied to the anode side by applying external electricity to the cell of a PEFC.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a hydrogen purification/compression apparatus that endures even a high-pressure environment. Provided is a hydrogen purification/compression apparatus 3 that produces, from hydrogen-containing gas, purified hydrogen gas having a higher pressure and a higher purity than the pressure and purity of the hydrogen-containing gas. The hydrogen purification/compression apparatus 3 includes multiple stacked cell structures 8 and a pressing structure (6, 7, 9, 10) that applies a clamping stress in the stacking direction of the cell structure 8. In the hydrogen purification/compression apparatus 3, a passage surface 30b of a cathode-side separator has a size such that the passage surface falls within a passage surface 20b of an anode-side separator in a plane parallel with a polymer electrolyte membrane 40.