CN116288515A - Alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolytic cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides an alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer. The electrolytic cell includes: cathode end plate, cathode plate, cathode frame, cathode flow field plate, cathode current collector, membrane electrode, anode current collector, anode flow field plate, anode frame, anode plate and anode end plate; The pole plate and the anode plate clamp the cathode flow field plate, the cathode current collector, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector and the anode flow field plate to form an electrolysis cell; The electrolysis chamber is divided into two parts, and the anode end plate, and the two ends of the pull rod are locked by nuts. The alkaline anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer has the advantages of simple structure, convenient assembly process, and quick response, and can well adapt to the volatility of renewable energy, and can be used in the field of hydrogen production from renewable energy to improve economic efficiency.

Description

A kind of alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of hydrogen production by water electrolysis, in particular to an alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer.

Background technique

Hydrogen energy has the characteristics of high energy density, high calorific value, abundant reserves, wide range of sources, and high conversion efficiency. As the international community pays more and more attention to global climate change and energy revolution, hydrogen energy, as a clean and efficient energy carrier, has become An important support for building a sustainable society. Based on the "3060" dual-carbon goals, hydrogen energy has gradually become a key direction for the development of the green and low-carbon energy industry. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water is a relatively mature and simple method to obtain hydrogen at present. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water using electricity converted from abundant renewable energy is called "green hydrogen" because of its almost zero carbon emissions in the whole process. Green hydrogen It can effectively solve the problems of unstable and long-distance transmission of renewable energy such as wind power, photovoltaics, and hydropower, and is an important starting point for achieving carbon neutrality.

The water electrolysis hydrogen production system is an important part of the large-scale development of the green hydrogen industry. As the core component of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system, the investment cost of the electrolyzer directly affects the scale of green hydrogen. According to the type of electrolyzer, electrolytic water hydrogen production technology is divided into alkaline electrolytic water (Alkaline Water Electrolysis, ALK), proton exchange membrane electrolytic water (Proton Exchange Membrane, PEM), anion exchange membrane electrolytic water (Anion Exchange Membrane, AEM), ALK It is currently the most mature hydrogen production technology by electrolysis of water. It is easy to operate and has achieved large-scale commercial application. However, the alkaline electrolyte is corrosive, and the volume of hydrogen production equipment is large. High ohmic internal resistance will also reduce electrolytic efficiency and electrolytic performance. PEM hydrogen production technology has become the research focus of water electrolysis technology due to its high hydrogen production efficiency, high degree of equipment integration, and environmental friendliness. higher. AEM electrolyzed water generally uses low-concentration lye as the electrolyte, and non-noble metal catalysts as cathode and anode materials. Compared with traditional ALK technology, AEM electrolyzed water technology has the advantages of high current density and low lye concentration, which can be greatly reduced. The volume of the electrolytic tank slows down the corrosion rate of the equipment; compared with the PEM technology, it overcomes the high cost problem caused by the extensive use of precious metals. In general, AEM electrolysis water technology combines the advantages of low cost of traditional alkaline water electrolysis and high current density of PEM, and has great development and application prospects. AEM electrolyzed water technology is still in the research stage. The development of AEM electrolyzer equipment is slow, which affects the performance assessment and life test of anion exchange membranes, cathode and anode catalysts and other related key materials under working conditions, and also leads to the development of industrial application of AEM technology. slow.

Contents of the invention

In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the invention provides an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer with simple processing, low cost and high efficiency.

The embodiment of the present application provides an alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, including: cathode end plate, cathode plate, cathode frame, cathode flow field plate, cathode current collector, membrane electrode, anode current collector, anode flow field plate , anode frame, anode plate and anode end plate; the cathode plate and the anode plate combine the cathode flow field plate, the cathode current collector, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector and the The anode flow field plate is clamped to form an electrolysis chamber;

The electrolytic cell includes the cathode end plate, at least one electrolytic cell connected in series, and the anode end plate connected in series by a tie rod, and the two ends of the tie rod are locked by nuts.

In some embodiments, the cathode end plate, the cathode plate, the cathode frame, the cathode flow field plate, the cathode current collector, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector, the The anode flow field plate, the anode plate and the anode end plate are all circular, and the electrolytic cell is a cylindrical structure.

In some embodiments, the electrolysis cell includes a cathode frame and an anode frame, the cathode frame and the anode frame are ring-shaped, and the cathode flow field plate and the cathode current collector are embedded in the cathode In the pole frame, the anode current collector and the anode flow field plate are embedded in the anode pole frame, and the membrane electrode is placed between the cathode pole frame and the anode pole frame.

In some embodiments, the membrane electrode includes an anode catalyst layer, an anion exchange membrane, and a cathode catalyst layer.

In some embodiments, the anion exchange membrane includes at least one of the following: polyphenylene ether-based anion-exchange membrane, polyarylethersulfone-based anion-exchange membrane, polyolefin-based anion-exchange membrane, polybenzimidazole-based anion-exchange membrane, and Other types of polyether ketone, polyarylether nitrile, polyarene polymers or aromatic polymer anion exchange membranes without ether oxygen bonds.

In some embodiments, the anode catalyst material includes nickel or copper cobalt oxide, and the cathode catalyst material includes nickel or nickel alloy, which are correspondingly coated on both sides of the anion exchange membrane.

In some embodiments, the cathode plate, the cathode frame, the anode plate, and the anode frame are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the membrane electrode for fixing the membrane electrode.

In some embodiments, said cathode plate and said anode plate are metal bipolar plates;

The cathode plate is provided with at least one catholyte inlet and at least one cathode hydrogen and electrolyte outlet;

The anode plate is provided with at least one anolyte inlet and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet.

In some embodiments, the materials of the cathode frame and the anode frame include stainless steel, titanium steel, titanium, nickel or polymer;

The catholyte frame is provided with at least one catholyte inlet and at least one catholyte hydrogen and electrolyte outlet, as well as a catholyte inlet groove connecting the catholyte inlet and the inner cavity of the catholyte frame and a connecting channel The outlet of the cathode hydrogen and electrolyte and the cathode hydrogen outlet groove of the inner cavity of the cathode frame;

The anode frame is provided with at least one anolyte inlet and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet, as well as an anode liquid inlet groove connecting the anolyte inlet and the inner cavity of the anode frame and connecting The anode oxygen and electrolyte outlets are connected to the anode oxygen outlet and liquid groove in the inner cavity of the anode frame.

In some embodiments, the materials of the cathode current collector and the anode current collector include: stainless steel mesh, nickel mesh, nickel foam, titanium mesh, titanium felt, porous titanium plate, carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, or One or more combinations of porous metal materials coated with a layer of functional materials by thermal spraying, high temperature sintering, electrodeposition or vacuum evaporation.

The beneficial effects of the foregoing embodiments of the present application include:

An alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer in the embodiment of the present application has the advantages of simple structure, convenient assembly process, and fast response, and can well adapt to the volatility of renewable energy. It can be used in the field of hydrogen production from renewable energy and can improve economic sex. The device can work under alkaline or pure water conditions without using expensive noble metals as electrode catalysts, greatly reducing the cost of hydrogen production systems.

Description of drawings

The drawings generally illustrate the various embodiments discussed herein, by way of example and not limitation.

Fig. 1 is the schematic diagram of local explosion structure of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the explosive structure of a single anion-exchange membrane electrolysis chamber of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is the cathode plate structural representation of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is the anode plate structural representation of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is the cathode frame structural representation of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the anode frame of the anion exchange membrane electrolyzer of the present invention.

Symbol Description:

1- cathode end plate; 2- cathode plate; 3- cathode frame; 4- cathode flow field plate; 5- cathode current collector; 6- membrane electrode; 7- anode current collector; 8- anode flow field plate; 9 - anode frame; 10 - anode plate; 11 - anode end plate; 12 - catholyte inlet; 13 - cathode hydrogen and electrolyte outlet; 14 - anode electrolyte inlet; 15 - anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet; 16 -cathode liquid inlet groove; 17-cathode hydrogen outlet liquid outlet groove; 18-anode liquid inlet groove; 19-anode oxygen outlet liquid outlet groove; 20-electrolyte liquid inlet pipe; 21-gas and electrolyte outlet Liquid pipe; 22-tie rod.

Detailed ways

In order to understand the characteristics and technical contents of the embodiments of the present application in more detail, the implementation of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings are only for reference and description, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise stated and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be an electrical connection, it can also be the internal communication of two components, and it can be a direct connection , can also be indirectly connected through an intermediary, and those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms according to specific situations.

This embodiment provides an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, as shown in Figure 1, comprising: cathode end plate 1, cathode plate 2, cathode frame 3, cathode flow field plate 4, cathode current collector 5, membrane electrode 6 , anode current collector 7, anode flow field plate 8, anode frame 9, anode plate 10 and anode end plate 11.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 10 clamp the cathode flow field plate 4 , the cathode current collector 5 , the membrane electrode 6 , the anode current collector 7 and the anode flow field plate 8 to form an electrolysis cell.

The electrolytic cell includes a cathode end plate 1 connected in series by a tie rod 22 , at least one electrolytic cell connected in series, and an anode end plate 11 , and the two ends of the tie rod 22 are locked by nuts.

In some embodiments, cathode end plate 1, cathode plate 2, cathode flow field plate 4, cathode current collector 5, membrane electrode 6, anode current collector 7, anode flow field plate 8, anode plate 10, and anode end plate 11 are all circular and coaxially arranged, and the electrolyzer is a cylindrical structure.

In some embodiments, the cathode frame 3 and the anode frame 9 are annular, the cathode flow field plate 4 and the cathode current collector 5 are embedded in the cathode frame 3, and the anode current collector 7 and the anode flow field plate 8 are embedded in the anode electrode In the frame 9 , the membrane electrode 6 is placed between the cathode frame 3 and the anode frame 9 .

In some embodiments, the anion exchange membrane includes at least one of the following: polyphenylene ether-based anion-exchange membranes, polyarylethersulfone-based anion-exchange membranes, polyolefin-based anion-exchange membranes, polybenzimidazole-based anion-exchange membranes, and other types Polyether ketone, polyarylether nitrile, polyarene polymer or aromatic polymer anion exchange membrane without ether oxygen bond.

In some embodiments, the anode catalyst material includes nickel or copper cobalt oxide, and the cathode catalyst material includes nickel or nickel alloy, which are correspondingly coated on both sides of the anion exchange membrane.

Here, the cathode catalyst is a hydrogen evolution catalyst, and the anode catalyst is an oxygen evolution catalyst.

In some embodiments, the cathode plate 2 , the cathode frame 3 , the anode plate 10 , and the anode frame 9 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the membrane electrode 6 for fixing the membrane electrode 6 .

The cathode plate 2 , the cathode frame 3 , the anode frame 9 , and the anode plate 10 are all circular structures, coaxially arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode 6 for clamping the membrane electrode 6 .

In some embodiments, the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 10 are metal bipolar plates.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the cathode plate 2 is provided with at least one catholyte inlet 12 and at least one cathode hydrogen and electrolyte outlet 13 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the anode plate 10 is provided with at least one anolyte inlet 14 and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet 15 .

In some embodiments, the materials of the cathode frame 3 and the anode frame 9 include stainless steel, titanium steel, titanium, nickel or polymer.

As shown in Figure 5, the cathode frame 3 is provided with at least one catholyte inlet 12 and at least one cathode hydrogen and electrolyte outlet 13, and the catholyte inlet 12 connecting the catholyte inlet 12 with the cathode frame 3 internal cavity. The groove 16 and the cathode hydrogen outlet groove 17 connecting the cathode hydrogen gas and electrolyte outlet 13 with the inner cavity of the cathode frame 3 .

As shown in Figure 6, the anode frame 9 is provided with at least one anolyte inlet 14 and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet 15, and the anode liquid inlet connecting the anolyte inlet 14 and the inner cavity of the anode frame 9 The groove 18 and the anode oxygen outlet groove 19 connecting the anode oxygen gas and electrolyte outlet 15 with the inner cavity of the anode frame 9 .

In some embodiments, the materials of the cathode current collector 5 and the anode current collector 7 include: stainless steel mesh, nickel mesh, nickel foam, titanium mesh, titanium felt, porous titanium plate, carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, or by heat One or more combinations of porous metal materials coated with a layer of functional materials by spraying, high-temperature sintering, electrodeposition or vacuum evaporation.

Both the cathode current collector 5 and the anode current collector 7 are used to collect current, and both the cathode flow field plate 4 and the anode flow field plate 8 are used for gas-liquid flow field distribution inside the electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell is composed of a plurality of electrolytic chambers, the two ends of which are the cathode end plate 1 and the anode end plate 11 respectively, and there are sealing insulating gaskets between the end plates and the pole plates at both ends, and through the pull rods passing through the two end pressure plates 22 and tighten the fastening nut. Here, the pull rod 22 may be a rod made of metal, and threads are provided at both ends for fastening connection with the nut.

The membrane electrode 6 separates the chamber between the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 10 into a cathode electrolysis chamber and an anode electrolysis chamber; wherein, the cathode electrolysis chamber is the chamber between the cathode plate 2 and the membrane electrode 6, and the anode The electrolysis chamber is the chamber between the anode plate 10 and the membrane electrode 6;

The catholyte inlet 12 and cathode hydrogen gas and electrolyte outlet 13 are set on the cathode plate 2, which are respectively used for the input of lye and the output of hydrogen-containing lye in the catholyte chamber; the anode plate 10 is provided with an anolyte inlet 14 and an anode oxygen and the electrolyte outlet 15 are respectively used for inputting lye and outputting oxygenated lye in the anode electrolysis chamber.

The cathode end plate 1 and the anode end plate 11 are respectively connected with the electrolyte inlet pipe 20 and the gas and electrolyte outlet pipe 21, and the electrolyte inlet pipe 20 connected with the cathode end plate 1 and the anode end plate 11 and the gas and electrolyte The outlet pipe 21 communicates with the cathode electrolysis chamber and the anode electrolysis chamber respectively. Wherein, the specific structure of connecting the electrolyte inlet pipe 20 and the gas and electrolyte outlet pipe 21 on the cathode end plate 1 side is not shown in the figure, which corresponds to the anode end plate 11 side, and can refer to the anode end plate 11 side. Specifically, the electrolyte inlet pipe 20 connected to the anode end plate 11 side communicates with the anolyte inlet 14, and the gas and electrolyte outlet pipe 21 communicates with the anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet 15; the electrolytic solution connected to the cathode end plate 1 side The liquid inlet pipe 20 communicates with the cathode electrolyte inlet 12 , and the gas and electrolyte outlet pipe 21 communicates with the cathode hydrogen gas and electrolyte outlet 13 .

Before the electrolytic cell works, the lye is input to the cathodic electrolysis chamber and the anode electrolysis chamber respectively through the electrolyte inlet pipe 20, and when the lye can flow out from the gas and electrolyte outlet pipe 21, the voltage is applied to the electrolysis chamber through the conductor. The cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 10 make the electrolyzer energized and run, hydrogen and oxygen are generated on both sides of the membrane electrode 6 respectively, and the hydrogen-containing lye and the oxygen-containing lye are respectively output through the gas and electrolyte outlet pipes 21 .

An alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application has the advantages of simple structure, convenient assembly process, and fast response, and can well adapt to the volatility of renewable energy. economy. The device can work under alkaline or pure water conditions without using expensive noble metals as electrode catalysts, greatly reducing the cost of hydrogen production systems.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and an illustration of the applied technical principle. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure involved in this application is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combination of the above technical features, but also covers the technical solutions made by the above technical features or Other technical solutions formed by any combination of equivalent features. For example, the above features are formed by replacing each other with technical features disclosed in this application (but not limited to) having similar functions.

Claims (10)

1. An alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer is characterized in that, comprises: cathode end plate, cathode pole plate, cathode pole frame, cathode flow field plate, cathode current collector, membrane electrode, anode current collector, anode flow field plate , anode frame, anode plate and anode end plate; the cathode plate and the anode plate combine the cathode flow field plate, the cathode current collector, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector and the The anode flow field plate is clamped to form an electrolysis chamber; The electrolytic cell includes the cathode end plate, at least one electrolytic cell connected in series, and the anode end plate connected in series by a tie rod, and the two ends of the tie rod are locked by nuts. 2. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, described cathode end plate, described cathode pole plate, described cathode flow field plate, described cathode current collector, described membrane electrode , the anode current collector, the anode flow field plate, the anode pole plate and the anode end plate are all circular, and the electrolytic cell is a cylindrical structure. 3. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, described cathode pole frame and described anode pole frame are ring-shaped, and described cathode flow field plate, described cathode current collector are embedded in the In the cathode frame, the anode current collector and the anode flow field plate are embedded in the anode frame, and the membrane electrode is placed between the cathode frame and the anode frame. 4. The basic anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, wherein the membrane electrode comprises an anode catalyst layer, an anion exchange membrane and a cathode catalyst layer. 5. The alkaline anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 4, wherein the anion-exchange membrane comprises at least one of the following: polyphenylene ether anion-exchange membrane, polyarylethersulfone anion-exchange membrane, polyarylethersulfone anion-exchange membrane, Olefin-based anion-exchange membranes, polybenzimidazole-based anion-exchange membranes, and other types of polyetherketone, polyarylethernitrile, polyarene-based polymers, or aromatic polymer anion-exchange membranes without ether oxygen bonds. 6. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 4, is characterized in that, described anode catalyst material comprises nickel or copper cobalt oxygen, and described cathode catalyst material comprises nickel or nickel alloy, is coated on the corresponding Surfaces on both sides of the anion exchange membrane. 7. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, described cathode pole plate, described cathode pole frame, described anode pole plate, described anode pole frame are symmetrically arranged on the membrane Both sides of the electrode are used to fix the membrane electrode. 8. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, described cathode pole plate and described anode pole plate are metal bipolar plates; The cathode plate is provided with at least one catholyte inlet and at least one cathode hydrogen and electrolyte outlet; The anode plate is provided with at least one anolyte inlet and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet. 9. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, the material of described cathode pole frame and described anode pole frame comprises stainless steel, titanium steel, titanium, nickel or polymer; The catholyte frame is provided with at least one catholyte inlet and at least one catholyte hydrogen and electrolyte outlet, as well as a catholyte inlet groove connecting the catholyte inlet and the inner cavity of the catholyte frame and a connecting channel The outlet of the cathode hydrogen and electrolyte and the cathode hydrogen outlet groove of the inner cavity of the cathode frame; The anode frame is provided with at least one anolyte inlet and at least one anode oxygen and electrolyte outlet, as well as an anode liquid inlet groove connecting the anolyte inlet and the inner cavity of the anode frame and connecting The anode oxygen and electrolyte outlets are connected to the anode oxygen outlet and liquid groove in the inner cavity of the anode frame. 10. alkaline anion exchange membrane electrolyzer according to claim 1, is characterized in that, the material of described cathode current collector and described anode current collector comprises: stainless steel mesh, nickel mesh, nickel foam, titanium mesh, titanium felt , porous titanium plate, carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, or one or more combinations of porous metal materials coated with a layer of functional materials by thermal spraying, high temperature sintering, electrodeposition or vacuum evaporation.

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