CN219032399U

CN219032399U - Water electrolysis device

Info

Publication number: CN219032399U
Application number: CN202223516382.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 菅井智
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-28
Filing date: 2022-12-28
Publication date: 2023-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2032-12-28

Abstract

The utility model provides a water electrolysis device which has good and uniform heat dissipation effect. The water electrolysis device comprises: a plurality of battery cells stacked on each other, each of the plurality of battery cells including a first separator, a second separator, and an electrolyte membrane, the first separator and the second separator being disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, respectively; a power supply that causes an electric current to flow between the first separator and the second separator to electrolyze water supplied to the first separator; and a water passage to supply water to and discharge water from the first separator, wherein a thickness of one of the plurality of battery cells located at a central position is greater than a thickness of other battery cells of the plurality of battery cells in a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

Description

Water electrolysis device

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to an electrochemical device, and more particularly, to a water electrolysis device.

Background

In recent years, research and development on differential pressure type electrochemical boosting cells contributing to energy efficiency have been underway in order to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy access to more people. However, in the technology related to the differential pressure type electrochemical boosting battery, heat is generated when the electrochemical boosting battery performs a chemical reaction, and the battery cell located at the central portion is liable to accumulate heat and have a large temperature rise, so that the battery cell located at the central portion is liable to overheat due to insufficient heat dissipation. Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in electrochemical boost cells to overcome the problems described.

Disclosure of Invention

The utility model provides a water electrolysis device which has good and uniform heat dissipation effect.

The present utility model provides a water electrolysis apparatus comprising: a plurality of battery cells stacked on each other, each of the plurality of battery cells including a first separator, a second separator, and an electrolyte membrane, the first separator and the second separator being disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, respectively; a power supply that causes an electric current to flow between the first separator and the second separator to electrolyze water supplied to the first separator; and a water passage to supply water to and discharge water from the first separator, wherein a thickness of one of the plurality of battery cells located at a central position is greater than a thickness of other battery cells of the plurality of battery cells in a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

In an embodiment of the present utility model, the water passage includes a plurality of water passages corresponding to the plurality of battery cells, respectively, and the water electrolysis apparatus further includes a supply flow path that communicates with an inlet of each of the plurality of water passages and through which water passes, the supply flow path being located at a central position of the plurality of battery cells in the stacking direction and supplying water from between the inlets of adjacent two of the plurality of water passages.

In an embodiment of the present utility model, the water electrolysis apparatus further includes a discharge flow path which communicates with the outlet of each of the plurality of water passages and through which water is supplied, the discharge flow path being located at both end positions of the plurality of battery cells in the stacking direction.

In one embodiment of the present utility model, the first separator is a cathode separator, the second separator is an anode separator, each of the plurality of battery cells includes a cathode disposed on the cathode separator and an anode disposed on the anode separator, and the water electrolysis device electrolyzes water supplied to the cathode and generates oxygen at the anode by applying an electric current between the anode separator and the cathode separator.

Based on the above, in the water electrolysis device of the present utility model, the battery unit at the central position has a larger thickness and a larger heat dissipation area, and thus has better heat dissipation efficiency. Thus, the water electrolysis device has good and uniform heat dissipation effect, and the battery unit positioned at the central part can be prevented from overheating.

In order to make the above features and advantages of the present utility model more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water electrolysis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partial structure of the battery cell of fig. 1.

Reference numerals illustrate:

100: a water electrolysis device;

110A, 110B: a battery unit;

1121: a cathode;

1122: an anode;

1123: an electrolyte membrane;

1124: a first separator;

1125: a second separator;

120: a power supply;

130: a water passage;

130a: an inlet;

130b: an outlet;

140: a supply channel;

150: a discharge flow path;

c: water;

p1: a central location;

p2: two end positions;

x, Y, Z: axial direction.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a water electrolysis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present utility model, showing the axial direction X, Y, Z. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partial structure of the battery cell of fig. 1. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a water electrolysis device 100 of the present embodiment is, for example, a partial structure of a differential electrochemical boost battery and includes a plurality of battery cells (fig. 1 shows a single battery cell 110A and a plurality of battery cells 110B, fig. 2 shows the battery cells 110B as an example), a power source 120 and a plurality of water channels 130.

As shown in fig. 2, each of the battery cells 110B includes a cathode 1121, an anode 1122, an electrolyte membrane 1123, a first separator 1124 (for example, an anode separator) and a second separator 1125 (for example, a cathode separator), and the cathode 1121 and the anode 1122 are disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 1123, respectively. The anode 1122 is disposed on the first separator 1124, and the cathode 1121 is disposed on the second separator 1125. The power supply 120 causes a current to flow between the first separator 1124 and the second separator 1124 by applying a current between the second separator 1125 and the first separator 1124, that is, causes a current to flow between the cathode 1121 and the anode 1122 to electrolyze water supplied to the second separator 1125 and the cathode 1121, causes hydrogen supplied to the anode 1122 to move to the cathode 1121, generates hydrogen at the cathode 1121 at a pressure higher than that of the water supplied to the anode 1122, and generates oxygen at the anode 1122. The detailed electrochemical principles of differential electrochemical boost cells are known in the art and are not described in detail herein. The configuration and operation of the battery cell 110A are similar to those of the battery cell 110B, and will not be repeated here.

On the other hand, the plurality of water passages 130 correspond to and pass through the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B, respectively, to supply water (refrigerant) C to the first separator 1124 and/or the second separator 1125 of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B, respectively, and discharge the water C from the first separator 1124 and/or the second separator 1125, respectively, thereby radiating heat from each battery cell 110A/110B. Fig. 2 shows the water channel 130 only in partial cross section, and the present utility model is not limited to the arrangement and location of the water channel 130, which may be provided by the first separator 1124 and/or the second separator 1125 in various suitable arrangements.

The primary difference between cell 110A and cell 110B is thickness. Specifically, referring to fig. 1, in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B (i.e., the direction parallel to the axial direction Z), the thickness of one battery cell 110A located at the central position P1 of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B is greater than the thickness of the other battery cells 110B of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B. The battery cell 110A located at the central position P1, which is prone to accumulate heat, has a large thickness and a large heat dissipation area as described above, and thus has a good heat dissipation efficiency. Thus, the water electrolysis apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has a good and uniform heat dissipation effect, and the overheating of the battery cell 110A located at the central position P1 can be avoided. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the first separator 1124 and/or the second separator 1125 of the battery unit 110A is made larger, so that the battery unit 110A has a larger thickness as described above, but the utility model is not limited thereto.

Further, the water electrolysis apparatus 100 of the present embodiment further includes a supply flow path 140, and the supply flow path 140 is connected to the inlet 130a of each water channel 130 and supplies water. In the lamination direction (i.e., the direction parallel to the axial direction Z) of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B, the supply flow path 140 is located at the center position P1 of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B and supplies water from between the inlets 130A of two adjacent water channels 130 of the plurality of water channels 130. In addition, the water electrolysis apparatus 100 of the present embodiment further includes two discharge flow paths 150, and the two discharge flow paths 150 are communicated with the outlet 130b of each water passage 130 and supply water therethrough. In the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B (i.e., the direction parallel to the axial direction Z), the two discharge flow paths 150 are located at both end positions P2 of the plurality of battery cells 110A/110B. By the above-described arrangement positions of the supply channel 140 and the discharge channel 150, the flow rate of water can be made uniform and stable, and water clogging/residue can be suppressed, and water for heat dissipation can be directly supplied to the battery cell 110A in the center position P1, which is prone to accumulating heat, through the supply channel 140.

In summary, in the water electrolysis device of the present utility model, the battery unit at the central position has a larger thickness and a larger heat dissipation area, and thus has better heat dissipation efficiency. Thus, the water electrolysis device has good and uniform heat dissipation effect, and the battery unit positioned at the central part can be prevented from overheating.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solution of the present utility model, and are not limiting; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical scheme described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some or all of the technical features thereof can be replaced with equivalents; such modifications and substitutions do not depart from the spirit of the utility model.

Claims

1. A water electrolysis apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery cells stacked on each other, each of the plurality of battery cells including a first separator, a second separator, and an electrolyte membrane, the first separator and the second separator being disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, respectively;

a power supply that causes an electric current to flow between the first separator and the second separator to electrolyze water supplied to the first separator; and

a water passage for supplying water to and discharging water from the first partition,

wherein a thickness of one of the plurality of battery cells located at a central position is greater than a thickness of other battery cells of the plurality of battery cells in a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

2. The water electrolysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the water passage includes a plurality of water passages corresponding to the plurality of battery cells, respectively,

the water electrolysis apparatus further comprises a supply flow path which is communicated with the inlets of each of the plurality of water channels and through which water is supplied,

in the stacking direction, the supply flow path is located at a central position of the plurality of battery cells and supplies water from between the inlets of adjacent two of the plurality of water channels.

3. The water electrolysis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

the water electrolysis apparatus further includes a discharge flow path which communicates with the outlets of each of the plurality of water passages and through which water is supplied,

in the stacking direction, the discharge flow paths are located at both end positions of the plurality of battery cells.

4. The water electrolysis apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the first separator is a cathode separator, the second separator is an anode separator, each of the plurality of battery cells includes a cathode and an anode, the cathode is disposed on the cathode separator, the anode is disposed on the anode separator, and the water electrolysis device electrolyzes water supplied to the cathode and generates oxygen at the anode by applying a current between the anode separator and the cathode separator.