JP2001225075A - Electrical cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized electrolytic cell with improved in electrolytic efficiency. SOLUTION: The electrolytic cell is equipped with a plurality of electrode plates 6, 7, a liquid tank 1 constituted so that a plurality of the electrode plates 6, 7 are arranged in the thickness direction thereof in a spaced-apart state and a liquid 10 to be electrolyzed flows from an inflow port 4 to an outflow port 5 through the gap between the electrode plates 6, 7 and flow barrier plates 21-26 arranged so as to cut off the flow channel 30 of the liquid 10 to be electrolyzed formed between the electrode plates so that the liquid 10 to be electrolyzed is passed through the flow channel 30 in mutually opposite direction in the direction of electrode plate extension in the cross-section of the flow channel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolytic cell of an electrolyzer such as a sodium hypochlorite generator or an electrolyzed water generator, and more particularly to a small-sized electrolyzer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Examples of an electrolysis apparatus using an electrolyzer include a sodium hypochlorite generator, an electrolyzed water generator, and the like.

[0003] The sodium hypochlorite generator is used to generate sodium hypochlorite used for disinfection of waterworks, etc., and generally dilutes a saline solution from a salt dissolving tank with dilution water from a dilution water tank. The diluted saline solution is electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell to produce sodium hypochlorite, and the sodium hypochlorite is stored in a sodium hypochlorite storage tank,
The hydrogen gas generated in the electrolytic cell during the electrolysis is diluted with air from a dilution fan and then released to the atmosphere.

In such a sodium hypochlorite generator, there is a problem of improving the electrolytic efficiency.
An electrolytic cell in which an ascending passage and a descending passage are alternately formed between an inflow port and an outflow port by a partition plate, and an electrode unit including a plurality of electrode plates is arranged in the ascending passage. Is known (see JP-A-7-216572). In this electrolytic cell, a diluted saline solution to be electrolyzed flows downstream while repeating ascending and descending via each ascending passage and descending passage at a flow rate and a flow rate corresponding to the supply amount,
Since electrolysis is performed by the electrode unit with convection in each ascending passage, the electrolysis efficiency of the diluted saline solution is significantly improved.

[0005]

The sodium hypochlorite generator has been used exclusively in large-scale facilities such as water purification plants. It is also being used in large-scale facilities.

[0006] However, the configuration having a plurality of electrolysis units as described above can be adopted for a large electrolytic cell used in a large-scale facility, but is adopted for a small electrolytic cell used in a small-scale facility. Can not do. This is because the adoption of such a configuration including a plurality of electrolytic units results in an increase in the size of the electrolytic cell.

[0007] Therefore, in a small-sized electrolytic cell, improvement of electrolysis efficiency still exists as a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve such technical problems, and has as its object to provide a small-sized electrolytic cell capable of improving the electrolytic efficiency.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electrolytic cell according to the present invention is formed in a container shape having a plurality of electrode plates, an inlet and an outlet, and has the plurality of electrodes therein. The boards are arranged so as to be arranged in the thickness direction with an interval,
A liquid tank configured to allow the electrolyte to flow from the inflow port to the outlet through the space between the plurality of electrode plates; and a flow path for the electrolysis solution formed between the electrode plates. At least one baffle plate is provided on each side alternately in the direction of extension of the electrode plate in the cross section so as to allow the electrolyte to pass therethrough and block the flow path. With such a configuration, the electrolytic solution flows in the flow path between the electrode plates in a zigzag manner in the electrode plate extending direction in the cross section of the flow path, so that the effective contact area of the electrolytic solution with the electrode plate increases. as a result,
Electrolysis efficiency can be improved. In addition, since the baffle plate is provided between the electrode plates, the configuration can be adopted to improve the electrolysis efficiency even in a small electrolytic cell.

In this case, a plurality of pairs of the baffle plates are provided in each of the flow paths of the liquid to be electrolyzed between the electrode plates, and an interval between the baffle plates in the pair and the baffle plate between the pair are provided. May be different from each other. With such a configuration, the space between the baffle plates in the pair and the space between the baffle plates between the pair are equal, that is,
Electrolysis efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where the baffle plates are arranged at equal intervals.

Further, in this case, the ratio of the space between the baffle plates in the pair and the space between the baffle plates between the pair is approximately 1: 6.
May be used. With this configuration, the electrolysis efficiency can be maximized.

In the above case, one liquid tank may be partitioned to form a plurality of the liquid tanks, and the electrolytic tank may be formed as a unit electrolytic tank for each of the formed liquid tanks. With this configuration, while maintaining the improved electrolysis efficiency of the unit electrolyzer,
The capacity can be increased to a capacity corresponding to the number of unit electrolytic cells.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of the electrolytic cell according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 1 shows a state where the lid of the liquid tank is removed. In the present embodiment, a sodium hypochlorite generator is illustrated as an electrolysis apparatus using an electrolyzer.

1 and 2, the electrolytic cell 100 includes a liquid tank 1. The liquid tank 1 includes a main body 2 formed of a box-shaped container having an open upper end, and a flat lid 3 fitted to the open upper end of the main body 2. An inflow port 4 is formed in the lower center of the right side wall of the main body 2, and an outflow port 5 is formed in the upper center of the left side wall of the main body 2. Therefore, in the liquid tank 1, the right side is upstream and the left side is downstream. The inflow port 4 is connected to a diluting unit (not shown) that dilutes salt water from the salt dissolving tank with dilution water. The outlet 5 is connected to a sodium hypochlorite storage tank. A hydrogen gas discharge hole 3 b is formed in the lid 3, and the hydrogen gas discharge hole 3 b is connected to a hydrogen gas discharge duct 9 via a connection duct 8. The tip of the hydrogen gas discharge duct 9 is open to the outside atmosphere.

The main body 2 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a rectangular cross section that is long in the left-right direction in plan view. A rectangular first electrode plate 6 is attached to the inner surface of the rear wall of the main body 2. The first electrode plate 6 is arranged such that the corresponding sides are parallel to four sides of the inner surface of the rear wall and are located inside a predetermined distance. A rectangular second electrode plate 7 is attached to the inner surface of the front wall of the main body 2 so as to face the first electrode plate 6. At the left end of the upper end surface of the first electrode plate 6, a rectangular plate-like terminal portion 6a is provided to protrude upward. The terminal portion 6a projects outside the liquid tank 1 through the through hole 3a of the lid portion 3. Similarly, a rectangular plate-like terminal portion 7a projects upward from the right end of the upper end surface of the second electrode plate 7 (see FIG. 1), and a through hole (not shown) of the lid portion 3 is formed. Liquid tank 1
Projecting outside. The terminal portion 6a of the first electrode plate 6 and the terminal portion 7a of the second electrode plate 7 are a positive electrode and a negative electrode (or a negative electrode and a positive electrode) of a DC power supply (not shown).
Connected to each other.

Between the first electrode plate 6 and the second electrode plate 7,
More precisely, between the first electrode plate 6 and the inner surface of the rear wall of the main body 2, and between the second electrode plate 7 and the inner surface of the front wall of the main body 2, a plurality of sheets (six sheets in this embodiment) are provided. ) Are provided. The six baffle plates 21 to 26 are formed over the entire width of the gap between the first electrode plate 6 and the inner surface of the rear wall of the main body 2 and the second electrode plate 7 and the inner surface of the front wall of the main body 2. It is arranged to extend perpendicular to the direction. This first electrode plate 6
The gap between the electrode and the second electrode plate 7 is set to about several millimeters,
In the present embodiment, for example, it is set to 3 mm. Therefore, the electrolytic cell 100 according to the present embodiment is small. Of the six baffle plates 21 to 26, three baffle plates (hereinafter referred to as lower baffle plates) 21, 23, and 25 arranged alternately are provided.
Is erected on the bottom surface of the main body 2 so that its upper end is located at the same height as the upper ends of the first and second electrode plates 6 and 7. In other words, the three lower baffles 21, 23, 25 have a predetermined distance D1 between their upper ends and the lid 3. Also, 3
The lower baffle plates 21, 23, 25 have lower end portions, that is, portions located below the lower ends of the first and second electrode plates 6, 7 in the vertical direction, and have a rear wall of the main body 2. Obstructs the entire width between the inner surface and the inner surface of the front wall, and the other portion, ie, the first
The portion sandwiched between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate 7 is the first electrode plate.
And the second electrode plate 7 is disposed so as to block the entire width of the gap. The remaining three baffles (hereinafter referred to as upper baffles) 22, 24, among the six baffles 21 to 26,
26 is a predetermined distance D2 between the lower end and the bottom of the main body 2.
And the upper end thereof is arranged to have a predetermined distance D3 between itself and the lid 3. The predetermined interval D3 is set smaller than the predetermined interval D1. That is,
The upper ends of the upper baffles 22, 24, 26 are set to be higher than the upper ends of the lower baffles 21, 23, 25. In addition, the upper end portions of the three upper baffle plates 22, 24, and 26, that is, the portions located above the upper ends of the first and second electrode plates 6, 7 in the up-down direction, are connected to the main body portion 2. Block the entire width between the inner surface of the rear wall and the inner surface of the front wall, and the other portion, that is, the portion sandwiched between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate 7, It is arranged so as to block the entire width of the gap with the second electrode plate 7. As described above, the predetermined interval D3 is provided between the upper ends of the three upper baffles 22, 24, and 26 and the lid 3, because the electrolysis is performed by the electrolysis of the diluted salt water as the liquid to be electrolyzed. This is because the filled hydrogen gas fills the upper part of the liquid tank 1, and the filled hydrogen gas is freely moved in the horizontal direction so that the hydrogen gas is discharged from the hydrogen gas discharge hole 3b to the hydrogen gas discharge duct. .

The lower baffles 21, 23, 25 are respectively paired with the upper baffles 22, 24, 26, and therefore, three pairs of the lower baffle and the upper baffle are formed. Have been. The ratio of the distance D4 between the baffles in the pair to the distance D5 between the baffles in the pair is 1
It is set to be pair 6. The distance D6 between the lowermost baffle plate 21 of the most upstream pair and the inner surface of the right wall of the main body 2 and the distance D7 between the upper baffle plate 26 of the most downstream pair and the inner surface of the left wall of the main body 2 are , And is set to be the same as the interval D5 between the baffle plates between the pair.

Next, the electrolytic cell 100 configured as described above
Will be described.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a predetermined DC voltage is applied between the first electrode plate 6 and the second electrode plate 7, and the diluted salt water 10 flows through the inlet 4. Then, the diluted salt water 10 flowing from the inflow port 4 rises in the region between the inner surface of the right side wall of the main body 2 and the lower baffle plate 21 as shown in FIG. Pass over 21. Next, the lower baffle 21
It descends in the area between the upper baffle 22 and passes between the lower end of the upper baffle 22 and the bottom surface of the main body 2. Below, diluted saline 10
In the same manner as described above, the baffle plates 22 to 26 separate the inner wall surface of the main body 2 and the first electrode plate 6 from the inner surface of the front wall of the main body 2 and the second electrode plate 7. Each of the divided areas flows up and down in a zigzag manner to reach the outlet 5, where the outlet 5
Spill out of.

At this time, the diluted salt water 10 is electrolyzed by the first and second electrodes 6 and 7, to generate hydrogen gas 11 and sodium hypochlorite. The generated hydrogen gas 11 rises in the diluted salt water 10, fills the upper portion of the liquid tank 1, flows horizontally, and flows in the hydrogen gas discharge hole 3 in the lid 3.
From b, it passes through the connection duct 8 to the hydrogen gas discharge duct 9, where it is diluted with air from a dilution fan (not shown) and discharged into the atmosphere from the tip of the hydrogen gas discharge duct 9. The upper portion of the liquid tank 1 is filled with the hydrogen gas 11 as described above, while the diluted salt water 10 flows at a flow rate and a flow rate corresponding to the supply amount. So, three upper baffles
The upper ends of 22, 24 and 26 are set to such a height that the diluted salt water 10 does not flow over the upper ends. Further, the liquid level of the diluted salt water 10 becomes slightly lower from upstream to downstream due to the loss due to the fluid resistance. Here, in the present specification, “the flow path of the electrolyte to be formed formed between the electrode plates” refers to the inner surface of the rear wall of the main body 2 and the first electrode 6 and the inner surface of the front wall of the main body 2 and the first electrode 6. As shown in FIG. 2, of the gap between the second electrode plate 7 and the second electrode plate 7, the portion 30 where the electrolytic solution (diluted saline 10) actually flows,
That is, it refers to a portion existing between the bottom surface of the main body 2 and the height position of the liquid surface of the electrolyte 10.

On the other hand, the generated sodium hypochlorite is dissolved and contained in the diluted salt water 10 and flows out from the outlet 5 together with the diluted salt water 10 while its concentration increases as it moves from upstream to downstream. .

At this time, as described above, since the diluted salt water 10 flows in the flow path 30 in a vertical zigzag manner, the diluted salt water 10
Since the upper right end portion 30a and the lower left end portion 30b of the flow channel 30 do not stagnate as compared with the case where the flow 10 flows straight through the flow channel 30, the first and second electrode plates 6, 7 The effective contact area to the surface increases. As a result, the electrolysis efficiency of the diluted salt water 10 is improved. When this is shown by specific numerical values, for example, the electrolysis efficiency was about 62 to 63% when the baffle plates 21 to 26 were not provided, whereas the six baffle plates 21 as described above were used. ~
When 26 was provided, it was about 70%, an improvement of about 11 to 13% (about 7 to 8 points). The electrolysis efficiency is represented by (actual production amount) / (theoretical production amount).

Further, since the baffle plates 21 to 26 are arranged between the first and second electrode plates 6 and 7, even in a small electrolytic cell 100 as in the present embodiment, the structure is Can be used to improve the electrolysis efficiency.

The effect of the electrolytic cell 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a graph showing a change in electrolysis efficiency with respect to a ratio between a pair of inflow plates and a pair of discharge plates.

In the electrolytic cell 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ratio of the distance D4 between the baffles in the pair and the distance D5 between the baffles in the pair is determined for the three pairs of baffles 21 to 26. 1 to 1, 1 to 3, 1
The conditions were changed to four conditions of pair 6 and 1 to 10. Then, the electrolysis efficiency changes as shown in FIG. 3. When the ratio of the space D4 between the baffle plates in the pair and the space D5 between the baffle plates in the pair is not 1: 1, the ratio is 1: 1. And when the ratio was 1: 6, it reached the maximum (77.2%). Although the reason has not been elucidated yet, from this result, the ratio of the space D4 between the baffle plates in the pair and the space D5 between the baffle plates in the pair is 1 to 6 as in the present embodiment. It turns out that setting to is optimal. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to maximize the electrolysis efficiency.

Next, another configuration example of the electrolytic cell will be described.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the electrolytic cell according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the lid of the liquid tank is removed similarly to FIG. In FIG. 4, portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 indicate the same or corresponding portions. The liquid tank 201 of the electrolytic cell 200 has the same structure as the liquid tank 1 of FIG. 1, and has an inlet 103 on the right side wall and an outlet 104 on the left side wall. Partition plates 42, 4 are provided at the left and right ends of the liquid tank 1, respectively.
3 are respectively arranged over the entire width of the internal space. A partition plate 41 is provided so as to divide the space defined by the two partition plates 42 and 43 into two in the longitudinal direction. Thus, two unit electrolytic cells 101 and 102 are formed inside the liquid tank 201. The configuration of each of these two unit electrolytic cells 101 is exactly the same as the configuration of the electrolytic cell 100 of FIG.

In the electrolytic cell 200 configured as described above, the dilution water 10 flowing from the inlet 103 is divided into two parts, and the diluting water 10 is supplied from the inlets 4 and 4 of the two unit electrolytic cells 101 and 102 to the respective unit electrolytic cells. It flows into 101 and 102 where it is respectively electrolyzed and flows out of each outlet 5 and 5, where it merges into one and flows out of outlet 104. Therefore, the electrolytic cell 100 of FIG.
It is possible to produce twice as much sodium hypochlorite as the electrolytic cell 100 of FIG. Therefore, the capacity of the sodium hypochlorite generator can be doubled.

In this embodiment, the liquid tanks 1, 101, 102
Although the case where two electrode plates 6 and 7 are arranged in the inside has been described,
Three or more electrode plates may be provided in the liquid tanks 1, 101, 102. In this case, a baffle plate may be provided in each flow path of the electrolyte to be formed formed between the electrode plates as in the case described above.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the electrolytic cell of the electrolytic device including the sodium hypochlorite generating device has been described, but other electrolytic devices, for example, the electrolytic cell of the electrolytic water generating device. The present invention can be applied to the same manner.

[0032]

The present invention is embodied in the form described above, and has the following effects. (1) Since the electrolyte flows in a flow path between the electrode plates in a zigzag manner in the electrode plate extending direction in the cross section of the flow path, the effective contact area of the electrolyte to the electrode plate increases, and as a result In addition, the electrolysis efficiency of a small electrolytic cell can be improved. (2) If the spacing between the baffle plates in the pair is different from the spacing between the baffle plates between the pair, the electrolysis efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where the baffle plates are arranged at equal intervals. (3) When the ratio of the space between the baffle plates in the pair and the space between the baffle plates between the pair is approximately 1: 6, the electrolysis efficiency can be maximized. (4) When one liquid tank is partitioned to form a plurality of the liquid tanks and the electrolytic tank is formed as a unit electrolytic tank for each of the formed liquid tanks, while maintaining the improved electrolytic efficiency of the unit electrolytic tank, The capacity can be increased to a capacity corresponding to the number of unit electrolytic cells.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of an electrolytic cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a change in electrolysis efficiency with respect to a ratio between an inner space and a lower space of a baffle plate.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the electrolytic cell according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,201 Liquid tank 2 Main body part 3 Cover part 3a Through hole 3b Hydrogen gas discharge hole 4 Inlet 5 Outlet 6 First electrode plate 6a Terminal part 7 Second electrode plate 7a Terminal part 8 Connection duct 9 Hydrogen gas discharge Duct 10 Diluted salt water 11 Hydrogen gas 21,23,25 Lower baffle plate 22,24,26 Upper baffle plate 30 Flow passage 30a Upper right end of flow passage 30b Lower left end of flow passage 41,42,43 Partition plate 100,200 Electrolyzer 101,102 Unit electrolyzer 103 Inlet 104 Outlet D1, D2, D3 Predetermined distance D4 Distance between baffle plates in pair D5 Distance between baffle plates in pair D6 Lower baffle in the most upstream pair D7 Distance between the inner wall of the main unit and the inner wall of the main unit.

Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 4D061 DA04 DB07 DB10 EA03 EB11 EB16 EB17 EB20 EB33 4K021 AB07 AB25 BA02 BA03 CA01 CA08 CA09 CA10 DA03 DA09 DA15 DC07

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A container having a plurality of electrode plates and an inflow port and an outflow port, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other and arranged in a thickness direction. A liquid tank configured to flow from the inflow port to the outflow port between the plurality of electrode plates, and an electrode in the cross section of the flow channel in each flow path of the electrolyte to be formed formed between the electrode plates. An electrolyzer comprising at least one baffle plate disposed to alternately pass the liquid to be electrolyzed to the opposite side in the plate extending direction so as to block the flow path. 2. A plurality of pairs of the baffle plates are provided in each of the flow paths of the liquid to be electrolyzed between the electrode plates, and a distance between the baffle plates in the pair and a size of the baffle plate between the pair are set. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1, wherein the interval is different. 3. The ratio of the distance between the baffle plates in the pair to the distance between the baffle plates between the pair is approximately 1: 6.
The electrolytic cell as described. 4. The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the liquid tanks are formed by dividing one liquid tank, and the electrolytic cell is formed as a unit electrolytic cell for each of the formed liquid tanks. The electrolytic cell according to 1.