JP2006117987A - High pressure hydrogen production apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high pressure hydrogen production apparatus where, even when the thicknesses of a solid high polymer electrolytic membrane and an anode power feeder are reduced by hydrogen pressure, there occurs no gas between the solid high polymer electrolytic membrane and the cathode power feeder. <P>SOLUTION: The high pressure hydrogen production apparatus is equipped with power feeders 3, 4 provided on both the sides of a solid high polymer electrolytic membrane 2, separators 5, 6, and fluid passages 10, 12. The respective power feeders 3, 4 are energized, and water fed to the fluid passage 12 in the separator 6 is electrolyzed, thus high pressure gaseous hydrogen is obtained at the fluid passage 10 in the separator 5. The separator 5 is equipped with a first chamber 7, a second chamber 8 having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the first chamber 7, a shielding member 9 airtightly shielding both the chambers 7, 8, movably provided freely forwards and backwards along the inner wall of both the chambers 7, 8 and provided with the fluid passage 10, and a communication passage 11 bypassing the shielding member 9 and enabling both the chambers 7, 8 to communicate with each other. The shielding member 9 is made forward in the direction of the power feeder 3 by the pressure of hydrogen fed to the second chamber 8 via the communication path 11, and the power feeder 3 is pressed against the solid high polymer electrolytic membrane 2. The power feeders 3, 4 are composed of a porous sintered compact made of titanium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus.

  Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is laminated on a cathode power supply body 22, an anode power supply body 23, and power supply bodies 22 and 23 provided opposite to each other on both sides thereof. There is known a high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 21 that includes the separators 5 and 6 and each of the power feeding bodies 22 and 23 is made of a porous member. As the porous member, for example, a member obtained by sintering conductive particles such as titanium powder is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 21, for example, the fluid passages 7 and 8 in which the power feeding bodies 22 and 23 are exposed are provided in the separators 5 and 6, and the power feeding bodies 22 and 23 are energized through the separators 5 and 6, respectively. It has become so. Therefore, in the high-pressure hydrogen production device 21, water is supplied to the fluid passage 8 of the anode-side separator 6, and when the cathode power supply 22 and the anode power supply 23 are energized via the separators 5, 6, the fluid is supplied to the fluid passage 8. The water is electrolyzed by the anode power supply 23, and hydrogen ions and oxygen gas are generated.

  At this time, since the anode power supply 23 is made of the porous member, the water supplied to the fluid passage 8 is electrolyzed in the anode power supply 23 as described above, and the generated hydrogen ions are contained in the anode power supply 23. And the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is contacted. Further, the hydrogen ions permeate the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 and move to the cathode power supply 22 side, receive electrons from the cathode power supply 22 and become hydrogen gas.

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 21, the cathode power supply 22 is also made of the porous member, so that the hydrogen gas passes through the cathode power supply 22 and reaches the fluid passage 7 of the cathode separator 5. As a result, in the high-pressure hydrogen production device 21, high-pressure hydrogen can be obtained in the fluid passage 7 of the cathode-side separator 5. On the other hand, oxygen generated in the fluid passage 8 of the anode-side separator 6 is discharged from a drain port 19 provided in the fluid passage 8 together with the water.

However, in the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 21, when oxygen is discharged as described above, the pressure balance is lost on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2, and the solid pressure is increased by the pressure of hydrogen generated in the fluid passage 7 of the cathode-side separator 5. There is an inconvenience that the molecular electrolyte membrane 2 and the anode feeder 23 are compressed in the direction of the separator 6 to reduce the thickness. When the thickness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 and the anode power supply 23 is reduced, a gap 24 is generated between the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 and the cathode power supply 22 as shown in FIG. The contact resistance increases, and the performance of the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 21 decreases.
Special table 2003-515237 gazette

  The present invention eliminates such inconvenience, and even when the thickness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the anode feeder is reduced by the pressure of hydrogen generated on the cathode side, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the cathode feeder are An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus that does not cause a gap between the two.

  In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a cathode power supply provided opposite to both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode power supply, and a laminate on each power supply Each of the separators and a fluid passage provided in each separator and exposing each power supply body. Water is supplied to the fluid passage of the anode separator and energized to each power supply body, whereby the fluid passage of the anode separator is provided. In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus that electrolyzes the supplied water and obtains high-pressure hydrogen gas in the fluid passage of the cathode-side separator, the cathode-side separator includes a first chamber that houses the cathode power supply, the cathode power supply, The second chamber communicates with the first chamber on the opposite side and has a cross-sectional area in a direction parallel to the cathode power supply body larger than the first chamber, and the first chamber and the second chamber are hermetically shut off, and both chambers A blocking member provided along the inner wall so as to be capable of moving forward and backward in the direction of the cathode power supply body, and including the fluid passage; and a communication passage that bypasses the blocking member and communicates the first chamber and the second chamber. The blocking member is advanced in the direction of the power supply body by the pressure of hydrogen generated in the fluid passage by decomposition and supplied to the second chamber from the first chamber through the communication passage, and the power supply body is moved to the solid polymer electrolyte. It is characterized by pressing against the membrane.

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention, when the cathode power feeder and the anode power feeder are fed and the water supplied to the fluid passage of the anode separator is electrolyzed, the high-pressure hydrogen gas is supplied to the fluid passage of the cathode separator. Produces. On the other hand, oxygen is generated in the fluid passage of the anode-side separator. When the oxygen is discharged, the pressure balance is lost on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the anode power feeder are connected to the anode side. Compressed in the separator direction.

  At this time, the cathode separator includes a first chamber that accommodates the cathode power feeder, and a second chamber that communicates with the first chamber on the opposite side of the cathode power feeder, and the first chamber and the second chamber; Is shut off hermetically by the shut-off member, and is communicated by a communication path that bypasses the shut-off member. Therefore, the high-pressure hydrogen gas generated in the fluid passage of the cathode side separator is supplied to the second chamber via the communication passage.

  In this case, the internal hydrogen pressure is the same in the first chamber and the second chamber. However, the second chamber has a larger cross-sectional area in a direction parallel to the cathode power supply body than the first chamber. For this reason, the blocking member that is provided so as to be able to advance and retract in the cathode power supply direction along the inner wall of the first chamber and the second chamber is advanced in the cathode power supply direction by the hydrogen pressure in the second chamber, It is press-contacted to this cathode electric power feeder.

  Therefore, according to the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention, even when the cathode feeder and the anode feeder are compressed in the anode separator direction, the cathode feeder is pressed against the solid polymer electrolyte membrane by the blocking member. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the cathode power supply body and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane.

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus of the present invention, each of the power supply bodies can be formed of a porous sintered body made of titanium, for example.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing the operation of the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2, a cathode power supply 3, an anode power supply 4 provided opposite to each other, and each power supply. Separator 5 and 6 laminated on 3 and 4 are provided.

  The cathode-side separator 5 includes a first chamber 7 that houses the cathode power feeder 3 and a second chamber 8 that communicates with the first chamber 7 on the opposite side of the cathode power feeder 3. The second chamber 8 is a cathode power feeder. The cross-sectional area in the direction parallel to 3 is larger than that of the first chamber 7. The first chamber 7 and the second chamber 8 are hermetically shut off by a shut-off member 9, and the shut-off member 9 is provided along the inner walls of both the chambers 7, 8 so as to be movable forward and backward in the direction of the cathode power supply 3. A fluid passage 10 through which the power feeding body 3 is exposed is provided. The cathode-side separator 5 includes a communication passage 11 that bypasses the blocking member 9 and communicates the first chamber 7 and the second chamber 8.

  On the other hand, the anode-side separator 6 includes a fluid passage 12 through which each anode power supply 4 is exposed.

  The solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2, the power feeders 3, 4, and the separators 5, 6 are sandwiched between end plates 14, 14 via insulating members 13, 13 stacked on the separators 5, 6. 14 and 14 are pressed against each other by the bolt 15 and the nut 16 attached to each other, and are brought into close contact with each other. The cathode separator 5 includes a hydrogen outlet 17 that branches from the communication path 11, and the hydrogen outlet 17 includes an opening / closing valve (not shown). The anode separator 6 includes a water supply port 18 and a drain port 19 that communicate with the fluid passage 12. The power feeders 3 and 4 are energized through the separators 5 and 6, respectively.

In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is a cation permeable membrane, and for example, Nafion (registered trademark, manufactured by DuPont), Aciplex (trade name, manufactured by Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd.) or the like can be used. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 includes a catalyst layer (not shown) including, for example, a RuIrFeO _X catalyst on the anode side, and a catalyst layer (not illustrated) including, for example, a platinum catalyst, on the cathode side.

  The cathode power supply 3 and the anode power supply 4 can be formed of, for example, a titanium porous sintered body. The titanium porous sintered body is filled with a spherical gas atomized titanium powder produced by, for example, a gas atomizing method for solidifying molten droplets of titanium during scattering into a predetermined shaped sintering vessel and vacuum sintered. can get.

  Moreover, the cathode side separator 5, the anode side separator 6, and the blocking member 9 disposed in the cathode side separator 5 can be formed, for example, by processing a non-porous titanium material or the like into a predetermined shape. .

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, water is supplied from the water supply port 18 to the anode-side fluid passage 12, and the cathode power supply 3 and the anode power supply 4 are connected via the cathode-side separator 5 and the anode-side separator 6. The water is electrolyzed by energizing each of them. According to the electrolysis, hydrogen ions, electrons, and oxygen gas are generated in the fluid passage 12, and the hydrogen ions are accompanied by some water molecules due to the potential difference between the cathode power supply 3 and the anode power supply 4. It passes through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 which is a cation permeable membrane and moves to the cathode power supply 3 side. The hydrogen ions receive electrons from the cathode power supply 3 and are molecularized, whereby high-pressure hydrogen gas is obtained in the cathode-side fluid passage 10.

  On the other hand, the oxygen gas generated in the fluid passage 12 is discharged from the drain port 19 together with most of the water. However, when this is done, the pressure balance between the cathode side and the anode side is lost. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 and the anode feeder 4 are pressed toward the anode separator 6 by the high-pressure hydrogen gas obtained in the fluid passage 10 of the cathode separator 5. It will be.

  At this time, in the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1, by closing an unillustrated on-off valve provided at the hydrogen outlet 17, the hydrogen gas generated in the fluid passage 10 passes through the communication passage 11 and flows behind the blocking member 9. 2 chamber 8 is supplied. In this way, the hydrogen pressure in the fluid passage 10 which is a part of the first chamber 7 and the hydrogen pressure in the second chamber 8 are the same, but the second chamber 8 is in the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2. Since the cross-sectional area in the direction parallel to the first chamber 7 is larger than that of the first chamber 7, the blocking member 9 is advanced in the direction of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 by the hydrogen pressure in the second chamber 8, The cathode power supply 3 is in pressure contact.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the cathode power supply 3 is pressed in the direction of the solid polymer 2 following the deformation of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2 and is kept in close contact with the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2. Therefore, according to the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the cathode power supply 3 and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 2.

  In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1, after the electrolysis for a predetermined time is completed, the hydrogen generated in the fluid passage 10 is supplied to the second chamber 8 by opening an opening / closing valve (not shown) provided in the hydrogen outlet 17. Hydrogen can be taken out.

  In the present embodiment, the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus 1 having a single cell configuration including a pair of solid polymer electrolyte membranes 2, power feeders 3 and 4, and separators 5 and 6 is described. The device 1 may be a stack of a plurality of cells. In this case, it is preferable that each cell is connected in series by laminating the separator 6 of the adjacent cell on the separator 5 of one cell.

Explanatory sectional drawing which shows the structure of the high pressure hydrogen production apparatus of this invention. Explanatory sectional drawing which shows the action | operation of the high pressure hydrogen production apparatus shown in FIG. Explanatory sectional drawing which shows the structure of the conventional high pressure hydrogen production apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... High-pressure hydrogen production apparatus, 2 ... Solid polymer electrolyte membrane, 3 ... Cathode feeder, 4 ... Anode feeder, 5 ... Cathode side separator, 6 ... Anode side separator, 7 ... First chamber, 8 ... Second chamber , 9: blocking member, 10, 12 ... fluid passage, 11 ... communication passage.

Claims (2)

Solid polymer electrolyte membrane, cathode power supply provided opposite to both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, anode power supply, separator laminated on each power supply, and each power supply provided on each separator A fluid passage exposing the body, and supplying water to the fluid passage of the anode side separator and energizing each power feeding body to electrolyze the water supplied to the fluid passage of the anode side separator, In the high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus for obtaining high-pressure hydrogen gas in the fluid passage of
The cathode-side separator communicates with the first chamber accommodating the cathode power feeder and the first chamber on the opposite side of the cathode power feeder, and has a cross-sectional area in a direction parallel to the cathode power feeder larger than that of the first chamber. The chamber, the first chamber, and the second chamber are hermetically shut off, and are provided along the inner walls of the two chambers so as to be capable of moving forward and backward in the direction of the cathode power supply body. And a communication passage communicating the first chamber and the second chamber,
The blocking member is advanced in the direction of the power supply body by the pressure of hydrogen generated in the fluid passage by the electrolysis and supplied from the first chamber to the second chamber through the communication passage, and the power supply body is A high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus that presses against a molecular electrolyte membrane.   The high-pressure hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the power feeding bodies is made of a porous sintered body made of titanium.

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