JP2015003278A - Electrolysis device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrolysis device that reduces variations of water treatment efficiency.SOLUTION: An electrolysis device includes a planar water-penetrating separator 27 and a pair of planar electrodes 25, 26 each arranged on both sides of the water-penetrating separator 27. The electrolysis device further includes fixing parts arranged between the water-penetrating separator 27 and the electrodes 25, 26 to fix the distance between the water-penetrating separator 27 and the electrodes 25, 26, and thus reduces variations of the distance between the electrode 25 and 26.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrolytic device for improving water quality.

  By immersing an electrolytic device equipped with an electrode capable of forming an electric double layer in the water to be treated, the dissolved components such as ions in the water are aligned and adsorbed in the vicinity of the interface between the water to be treated and the electrode to dissolve in the water to be treated. Water treatment devices that reduce components are known. As an electrolysis device provided in such a water treatment apparatus, Patent Document 1 proposes an electrolysis device in which a planar electrode capable of water flow and a water-permeable separator are laminated and water is passed in the laminating direction. In such an electrolytic device, by forming an electric double layer in the vicinity of the electrode interface, water treatment (removal of dissolved components) can be performed at low cost without using an expensive ion exchange resin or the like.

International Publication No. 2010/150534

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the distance between the electrodes and the potential gradient vary due to the pressure variation between the electrodes due to the water flow, and the efficiency of the water treatment may be uneven.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic device that can reduce variation in the efficiency of water treatment.

  In order to achieve the above object, an aspect of the present invention is a planar water-permeable separator, disposed on both sides of the water-permeable separator, respectively, and a pair of planar electrodes, and between the water-permeable separator and the electrodes. The gist of the present invention is that the electrolytic device includes a fixing portion that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator and the electrode.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electrolytic device which reduces the dispersion | variation in the efficiency of water treatment can be provided.

It is a schematic diagram explaining the basic composition of a water treatment equipment provided with the electrolysis device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a typical perspective view explaining the electrolytic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing explaining the electrolytic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the electrolysis device when the water pressure between electrodes fluctuates. It is a typical perspective view explaining a mode that the electrolysis device concerning an embodiment of the invention was stored in a cell. It is typical sectional drawing explaining the electrolytic device which concerns on the 1st and 2nd modification of embodiment of this invention. It is a typical perspective view explaining the electrolytic device and electrolytic vessel which concern on the 3rd modification of embodiment of this invention.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between the thickness and the planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, and the like are different from the actual ones. Further, the embodiment described below exemplifies an apparatus and a method for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention is the material, shape, structure, The layout is not specified as follows. The technical idea of the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.

(Water treatment equipment)
As shown in FIG. 1, a water treatment apparatus including an electrolysis device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case 1, an electrolytic cell 2, a purification unit 3, a power supply unit 6, a three-way valve 7, and water storage. A tank 8 and a water discharge pump 9 are provided. The electrolytic cell 2, the purification unit 3, the power supply unit 6, the three-way valve 7, the water storage tank 8, the water discharge pump 9, and the like are accommodated inside the case 1.

  In case 1, raw water is introduced from the outside into the inside through a raw water introduction pipe 11. One end of the raw water introduction pipe 11 located outside the case 1 is connected to, for example, a flow path switch 5 attached to the faucet 4 that is a raw water supply unit. The other end of the raw water introduction pipe 11 located inside the case 1 is connected to the purification unit 3. The flow path switch 5 supplies the tap water flowing out from the faucet 4 to the raw water introduction pipe 11 as raw water in accordance with a user operation. The raw water introduction pipe 11 introduces the supplied raw water into the purification unit 3. In addition, the raw water which the water treatment apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention processes is not restricted to a tap water, For example, a well water, a reservoir water, etc. may be sufficient.

  The purification unit 3 includes an activated carbon storage unit 31 positioned on the upstream side of the flow path and a hollow fiber membrane storage unit 32 positioned on the downstream side. The activated carbon storage unit 31 removes residual chlorine, trihalomethane, and the like from the raw water using the activated carbon stored inside. The hollow fiber membrane storage unit 32 filters the water that has passed through the activated carbon storage unit 31 to remove fine solid impurities, activated carbon particles that have leaked from the activated carbon storage unit 31, and the like from the water.

  The water filtered through the hollow fiber membrane storage part 32 flows out to the first water distribution pipe 12 having one end connected to the downstream side of the hollow fiber membrane storage part 32. The other end of the first water distribution pipe 12 is connected to the electrolytic cell 2, and introduces water flowing from the purification unit 3 into the electrolytic cell 2.

  The electrolytic cell 2 is connected to the inflow port 21 connected to the first water distribution pipe 12, the electrolysis device 20 that is accommodated in the inside and electrolyzes water flowing into the inside from the inflow port 21, and the second water distribution pipe 13. And an outlet 22. The water electrolyzed by the electrolysis device 20 flows out from the second water distribution pipe 13 to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electrolysis device 20 includes a sheet-shaped water-permeable separator 27 having water permeability, and an anode that is a sheet and is at least a pair of electrodes that are opposed to both surfaces of the water-permeable separator 27. A plate 25 and a cathode plate 26 are provided. The electrolytic device 20 is formed in a thin plate shape having a height of 14 cm, a width of 10 cm, and a thickness of 0.1 mm, for example. A voltage is applied to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 by the power supply unit 6 via the wirings 61 and 62, respectively.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the example in which the electrolysis device 20 includes one water-permeable separator 27 and a pair of anode plate 25 and cathode plate 26 has been described. The anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 may be alternately arranged between the two.

  The water-permeable separator 27 is a thin film formed of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, or the like and made of a cross mesh in which fibers are knitted three-dimensionally. In addition, the water-permeable separator 27 may be a nonwoven fabric, paper, or the like. The water-permeable separator 27 is sandwiched between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, thereby forming a flow path for water flowing into the electrolytic cell 2. The anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 are thin films formed from a material containing activated carbon, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the electrolysis device 20 includes an adhesive 50 that bonds the water-permeable separator 27, the anode plate 25, and the cathode plate 26. The adhesive 50 is a fixing portion that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27, the anode plate 25, and the cathode plate 26 between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26.

  The adhesive 50 is formed on substantially the entire surface so as to leave at least a part on both surfaces of the water-permeable separator 27 so as to ensure electrical conduction between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. For example, in FIG. 3, the adhesive 50 is formed at the bent portions on both sides of the fibers constituting the water-permeable separator 27. In addition, the adhesive 50 may be formed in a plurality of lines or a lattice.

  In addition, the fixing part which fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 is formed on the surface of each of the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, and hook portions that are caught by the fibers of the water-permeable separator 27. It may be. The hook portions of the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 include, for example, holes and protrusions formed on the surfaces of the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. In this case, the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 are formed to have a three-dimensional shape on the surface, for example, by mixing a resin binder or by applying activated carbon to the surface of the resin base material.

  In the electrolysis device 20, when water flowing from the inlet 21 enters the water-permeable separator 27 and a voltage is applied to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 by the power supply unit 6, the vicinity of the interface between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. An electric double layer is formed. As a result, the electrolysis device 20 electrolyzes the water flowing into the electrolytic cell 2 and removes dissolved components such as ions from the water by attaching them to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26.

  Examples of the dissolved component adhering to the anode plate 25 include anionic components such as chloride ions, sulfate ions, nitrate ions and nitrite ions, and anionic surfactants having a carboxylic acid or sulfonic acid structure as a hydrophilic group. and so on. Examples of the dissolved component adhering to the cathode plate 26 side include cationic components such as sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, magnesium ions, metal ions, and anionic compounds having amine salts and quaternary ammonium salt structures as hydrophilic groups. There are surfactants.

  In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, a gap is formed between the electrolytic cell 2 and the electrolysis device 20, but in reality, no gap is provided, and the water introduced into the inlet 21 is After passing through the electrolysis device 20, it flows out from the outflow port 22.

  The water from which the dissolved components have been removed by electrolysis flows out from the outlet 22 of the electrolytic cell 2 to the second water distribution pipe 13, passes through the three-way valve 7 and the third water distribution pipe 14, and is stored in the water storage tank 8. It has become. The water stored in the water storage tank 8 is discharged to the fourth water distribution pipe 16 by the water discharge pump 9, passes through the fifth water distribution pipe 17, and is discharged to the outside from the water discharge pipe 10 drawn to the outside of the case 1. .

  The three-way valve 7 disposed on the upstream side of the water storage tank 8 is connected to a drain pipe 15 in addition to the second water pipe 13 and the third water pipe 14. The drain pipe 15 is used during maintenance of the electrolytic cell 2. The anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 of the electrolytic cell 2 gradually reach saturation when the dissolved components continue to adhere, and the dissolved components are not removed. In such a case, for example, the voltage applied between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 is stopped and water is passed through the electrolytic cell 2. As a result, the dissolved component adhering to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 flows out to the second water distribution pipe 13, and the three-way valve 7 is switched to the drain pipe 15 side, thereby allowing the drain pipe 15 to pass through and the drain port 18. To the outside of the case 1.

  In general, as shown in FIG. 4, when water passes through a water-permeable separator 27 sandwiched between a thin-film anode plate 25 and a cathode plate 26, the anode plate 25 is caused by water pressure fluctuation between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. In addition, the distance between the cathode plate 26 may fluctuate. When the distance between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 changes, the potential gradient between the electrodes changes, and the efficiency of the electrolytic treatment changes depending on the position between the electrodes.

  The electrolytic device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the adhesive 50 that is a fixing portion that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, thereby varying the water pressure between the electrodes. Therefore, variation in distance between electrodes and variation in efficiency of electrolytic treatment can be reduced.

  Moreover, you may make it the electrolysis device 20 accommodate in the cell 51 inside the electrolytic cell 2, as shown in FIG. The cell 51 is generally a rectangular flat plate, and is made of, for example, a resin. The cell 51 sandwiches the electrolytic device 20 between two flat plates so that the electrolytic device 20 is accommodated therein, and is fastened and fixed by a plurality of screws 52 in the vicinity of the four sides. In this case, the distance between the electrodes is less likely to increase due to fluctuations in water pressure at the peripheral edge of the electrolysis device 20, but the cell 51 faces the electrolysis device 20 on the surface because the center portion between the electrodes is farther than the screw 52. The power to suppress is insufficient.

  Similarly, in this case, the electrolysis device 20 includes an adhesive 50 that is a fixing portion that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, thereby causing fluctuations in water pressure between the electrodes. It is possible to reduce the variation in the distance between the electrodes and the change in the efficiency of the electrolytic treatment.

-First modification-
In the above-described embodiment, the fixing portion that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 has been described as the adhesive 50. However, the fixing portion is a sheet shape having water permeability and conductivity. These members may be included.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the electrolysis device 20 a according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention has an adhesive that fixes the distance between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. 50 and the conductive sheet 53 is different from the above-described embodiment.

  The conductive sheet 53 is formed in a pair on the surfaces of the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 facing each other on the water-permeable separator 27 side. The conductive sheet 53 and the water-permeable separator 27 are bonded to each other by the adhesive 50. The adhesive 50 is formed on substantially the entire surface so as to leave at least a part on both surfaces of the water-permeable separator 27 so as to ensure electrical conduction between the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26.

The conductive sheet 53 can be, for example, a non-woven fabric having water permeability. In this case, by adjusting the hole diameter and material of the conductive sheet 53, the amount of water flowing through the water-permeable separator 27 can be adjusted, and the water pressure can be reduced. In addition, when the water pressure is not sufficiently reduced, the water-permeable separator 27 and the conductive sheet 53 are bonded to further reduce the swelling of the electrodes and stabilize the water treatment efficiency by increasing the distance between the electrodes. can do.

-Second modification-
In addition, the conductive sheet 53 in the first modification may be an ion exchange membrane. In this case, the conductive sheet 53 is applied with a voltage efficiently to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 under the condition that the conductive sheet 53 does not become a resistance in order to adhere the dissolved components to the surfaces of the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. The At this time, a cation exchange membrane is used on the side used as the cathode plate 26 side to collect cations on the electrode surface, and an anion exchange membrane is used on the side used as the anode plate 25 side to collect anions on the electrode surface. Is used.

  When an ion exchange membrane having a rigidity higher than that of the water-permeable separator 27 is used as the conductive sheet 53 between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, the variation in distance between the electrodes is further reduced. Can do. In addition, the conductive sheet 53 has low water permeability and can reduce the amount of water leaking to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. Therefore, fluctuations in water pressure can be reduced, and the efficiency of water treatment can be stabilized.

-Third modification-
As shown in FIG. 7, an electrolysis device 20 b according to a first modification of the embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of water-permeable separators 27, an anode plate 25, and a cathode plate 26, each having a rectangular parallelepiped housing 54. It differs from the above-mentioned embodiment by the point hold | maintained integrally.

  The water-permeable separators 27 and the anode plates 25 and the cathode plates 26 are alternately arranged so that the anode plates 25 and the cathode plates 26 are alternately arranged. An adhesive 50 may be formed between the water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, or the adhesive 50 and the conductive sheet 53 may be formed.

  The housing 54 includes the water-permeable separator 27 so that the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 are disposed on both outermost surfaces of the laminated water-permeable separator 27 and the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26, respectively. And the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 are held. The housing 54 exposes the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 arranged on both sides. The exposed anode plate 25 and cathode plate 26 are each formed with a power feeding plate made of expanded graphite, metal plate, or the like having conductivity.

  The housing 54 has guide grooves 55 for being loaded into the electrolytic cell 2 on two opposing surfaces that do not expose the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26. The electrolytic cell 2 has a guide 56 corresponding to the guide groove 55 on the inner wall, and a housing 54 is loaded therein. The electrolytic cell 2 includes a pair of power feeding portions corresponding to the anode plate 25 and the cathode plate 26 exposed by the housing 54 on the inner wall. The pair of power feeding units are made of, for example, conductive expanded graphite, a metal plate, or the like, and are electrically connected to the wirings 61 and 62, respectively.

  The water-permeable separator 27, the anode plate 25, and the cathode plate 26 are arranged in parallel to each other, and constitute an electrolytic device 20 b having a series structure having a multistage potential gradient between the electrodes inside the electrolytic cell 2.

  Since the housing 54 can integrally hold the plurality of water-permeable separators 27, the anode plate 25, and the cathode plate 26, the number of stacked layers can be easily increased or decreased. Therefore, the electrolytic device 20b can easily adjust the electrolytic treatment capacity according to the water to be treated.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described as described above, it should not be understood that the descriptions and drawings constituting a part of this disclosure limit the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
For example, in the embodiment already described, the adhesive 50 may be formed not on the substantially entire surface of the water-permeable separator 27 but only on a part thereof.

  As described above, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments not described herein. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the invention specifying matters according to the scope of claims reasonable from the above description.

20, 20a, 20b Electrolytic device 25 Anode plate (electrode)
26 Cathode plate (electrode)
27 Water-permeable separator 50 Adhesive (fixed part)
53 Conductive sheet (fixed part)
54 Housing

Claims (4)

A planar water-permeable separator;
A pair of electrodes each disposed on both sides of the water-permeable separator,
An electrolysis device comprising: a fixing portion that fixes a distance between the water-permeable separator and the electrode between the water-permeable separator and the electrode.   The electrolytic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of the water permeable separators and the electrodes that are alternately arranged, and a housing that integrally holds the water permeable separator and the electrodes.   The electrolytic device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part is an adhesive that bonds the water-permeable separator and the pair of electrodes.   The fixing portion includes a pair of ion exchange membranes formed on a surface of the pair of electrodes on the water-permeable separator side, and an adhesive that adheres the water-permeable separator and the pair of ion exchange membranes, respectively. The electrolysis device according to claim 1, wherein the electrolysis device is provided.

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