JPS6196094A - Electrolytic decomposition apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the scale of whole electrolytic equipment, and to eliminate useless power loss due to lean wire, by providing solar cell in electrolytic cell in said equipment using solar cell as electric source. CONSTITUTION:The electric source 13 contg. solar cell of almost half circle arc state in longitudinal sectional shape is provided on the surface of an electrolyte 12, in the electrolytic cell 11 contg. electrolyte 12. Top end layer of the source 13 is made of light transmissive and insulating substrate 14, and both ends thereof are protruded from surface of the electrolyte 12. Amorphous photodetecting surface of the solar cell 15 is piled to underside of the substrate 14, and the underside is covered with an electrolyte resistant and insulating protective sheet 16. The under surface of the sheet 16 is covered with electrode sheets 17, 17 made of metal such as Pt, Au without corroded by electrolyte, and the sheet are connected to a positive pole 15a and a negative pole 15b of the cell 15 respectively. Since lead wire for connecting electrode and solar cell is unnecessary, power is not consumed at all by lead wire and the source 13 is assembled in the cell 11, the scale of equipment can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrolysis device using solar cells, which can downsize the entire device by providing a power supply device in an electrolytic solution tank.

[Prior art]

Generally, when electrolysis of an electrolytic solution is carried out industrially, an electrolytic tank is filled with the electrolytic solution, an electrolytic electrode is inserted into the tank, and a direct current is passed through the electrode from a power source installed outside the electrolytic tank. It is done by flowing.

However, since the power source that is actually easy to use is an AC power source, it is necessary to provide a rectifier in the power supply device for rectification, and the power supply equipment becomes large-scale.

In view of the above points, and from the viewpoint of energy saving and equipment simplification, methods have been considered for using solar cells as a power source for electrolyzers that utilize solar energy.

Conventionally, such an electrolysis device was manufactured by the Special Publication Publication No.
There was something like the one shown in No. 391. FIG. 3 shows the apparatus, and in the figure, l is an electrolytic solution tank, which is filled with an electrolytic solution 2.

In the electrolytic solution tank 1, an anode plate 3 and a cathode plate 4 are provided in an electrolytic solution 2 and separated from each other. A solar cell 5 is provided outside the electrolyte tank 1, and a positive electrode 5 of the solar cell 5 is provided.
a and the negative electrode 5b are connected to the anode plate 3 and the cathode plate 4, respectively, by lead wires 7.7.

In the electrolyzer as described above, sunlight hits the light-receiving surface of the solar cell 5, where the light energy is converted into DC electromotive force, and the resulting DC current flows through the lead wire 7 and the anode plate 3 to the electrolyte 2. Then, it flows through the cathode plate 4 and lead wire 7 to the negative electrode 6b. In this way, the anode plate 3, the cathode plate 4
The electrolyte will be electrolyzed near the outer surface of the tube.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, even in the conventional electrolyzer that uses solar cells as a power source, as described above, the power source must be installed outside the electrolyte tank, which requires installation space and causes power loss in the lead wires. Become.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides an electrolyzer that can downsize the equipment by providing the power source of the solar cell in the electrolyte tank and eliminates power loss due to lead wires. is intended to provide.

The electrolyzer according to the present invention is an electrolyzer that uses a solar cell as a power source, and is a power supply device in which an electrolyte-resistant insulating protective layer that protects the solar cell from the electrolyte is laminated on at least one side of the solar cell. and electrode plates connected to each of the two electrodes of the solar cell and insulated from each other are provided in an electrolytic solution tank.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below with reference to drawings showing embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of an electrolyzer showing an embodiment in which the present invention is utilized for water electrolysis. In the figure, 11 is an electrolytic solution tank, and the electrolytic solution tank 11 contains water containing ions with a strong ionization tendency, such as IN Na2504.
It is filled with an electrolytic solution 12 made of a molten liquid or the like. Electrolyte 1
A power supply device 13 having a three-layer structure with a substantially semi-circular longitudinal cross-sectional shape is provided on the surface of the power supply device 2 . The top layer of the power supply device 13 is a translucent insulating substrate 14, and both ends of the insulating substrate 14 are made to protrude slightly from the surface of the electrolyte 120 so that the upper surface thereof is exposed outside the electrolyte 12. be.

Further, an amorphous solar cell 15 is stacked on the lower side of the insulating substrate 14 with its light-receiving surface facing the insulating substrate 14 side. Further, an electrolyte-resistant insulating protective layer 16 is formed on the lower side of the solar cell 15 . The front and rear ends of the power supply device 13 (ends in the front and back directions in the drawing) are covered with electrolyte-resistant objects to prevent the electrolyte 12 from entering the upper surface of the insulating substrate 14.

On the lower surface of the insulating protective layer 16, an electrode plate 17.17 made of a metal resistant to Na2504 solution, such as Pt, Au, etc., is adhered along the lower surface. Electrode plate 1
The width dimension of 7.17 is approximately 1/3 of the width dimension of the insulating substrate, and is insulated at an appropriate distance. The electrode plates 17.17 are the positive and negative electrodes 15a and 15b of the solar cell 15.
are connected to each of the

Next, the operation of the electrolyzer formed in this manner will be explained. As shown by the white arrow in FIG.
An electromotive force is generated. A current generated by the electromotive force flows from the positive electrode 15a of the solar cell 15 to the electrode plate 17, the electrolytic solution 12,
It flows to the negative electrode 15b via the electrode plate 17. Then, an electrolytic reaction occurs in the electrolytic solution 12 near the lower surface of the electrode plate 17, 17, hydrogen is generated on the positive electrode VF8 slope, and oxygen is generated on the negative electrode plate.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention. The electrolysis device in this example has the insulating substrate, amorphous solar cell, and insulating protective layer in the above example all in the form of a flat plate, completely immersed in the electrolytic solution, and therefore the upper insulating protective layer is completely immersed in the electrolytic solution. The layer 26 is also made resistant to electrolyte. That is, in FIG. 2, a three-layer power supply device 23 is provided at the bottom of the electrolyte tank 21, and the power supply device 23 is connected from the bottom to an electrolyte-resistant insulating substrate 24. Amorphous solar cell 25. It is formed by laminating light-transmitting insulating protection ff126 in this order.

Both ends of the power supply device 23 having a three-layer structure are formed in the shape of a step rising toward the inside of the plate, and the electrode plate 27.
27 is deposited on the edge of the solar cell 25 and the above positive,
It covers the negative electrodes 25a and 25b and is connected to each of the positive and negative electrodes 25a and 25b of the solar cell 25.

In the device of this embodiment configured as described above, the projected light from above passes through the transparent insulating protective layer 26 and enters the light-receiving surface of the solar cell 25, in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. An electrolytic reaction occurs in the electrolytic solution 22 near the upper surfaces of the electrode plates 27 , 27 .

Note that the amorphous solar cell in the above embodiments may be one in which a plurality of plate-shaped solar cells are connected in series or in parallel. Thereby, a desired voltage or current capacity can be obtained depending on the number of solar cells.

In addition, in the above power supply device, solar cells are stacked so that their light-receiving surfaces face in opposite directions, and a light-transmitting insulating protective layer is formed on the light-receiving surface, so that sunlight can be directed toward the light-receiving surface in both directions. It may also be projected from.

Furthermore, the solar cell may be a crystalline solar cell.

〔effect〕

Three amorphous solar cells with an operating voltage of 0.6■ and an operating current of 15 m^/c112 are connected in series, and the operating voltage is 1.8 V.

When the operating current is 5a+^/port 2, the amount of hydrogen generated is as shown below (Equation 11).

([Current density)X (Area of 1 m2 (aj))X(l
hr time (seconds)) x (volume of 1 mm) / + (number of electrons required to generate one hydrogen molecule) x [electron charge] x [
Avodadoro number) ) = (5xlO-3x10' x
3600x22.4) / (2xl, 6xlO'9
x6.02X 1023=20.94! /hr
-rtr -illHere, the conversion efficiency from light energy to hydrogen combustion heat energy is calculated as follows (2
) is as follows.

([Amount of hydrogen generated in formula (1)] x [molecular weight of hydrogen] x [heat of combustion of hydrogen (cal 7g)) x [conversion factor]
)/volume of gas in mol) x (time in lhr (seconds))
× [Solar energy) ) = (20,9X 2
X33888X4.19) / (22,4x3600
X103) = 0.0736 (2) Therefore, the above conversion efficiency is 7.36%, and since the conversion efficiency of the solar cell from light energy to electrical energy is 9%, the electricity of the solar cell in the case of the present invention is The efficiency of converting energy into hydrogen combustion technology will be as high as 80%.

As described above, the present invention has a configuration in which a device using a solar cell as a power source is installed inside the electrolyte tank, so there is no need to provide power supply equipment outside the electrolyte tank (it is possible to downsize the electrolyzer). This also eliminates the need for lead wires to connect the external power source and the electrode plate, which eliminates power loss due to lead wires and improves efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing an embodiment of the electrolyzer of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic side sectional view showing a further embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic side sectional view showing an embodiment of the electrolyzer of the present invention. FIG. 11.21... Electrolyte tank 13.23... Power supply device 14.24... Insulating substrate 15.25... Solar type/11116.26... Insulating protective layer 17.27
...Electrode plate time Applicant Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Noboru Kono 4 l Kunisode 3 Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A power supply device in an electrolyzer using a solar cell as a power source, in which an electrolyte-resistant insulating protective layer that protects the solar cell from an electrolyte is laminated on at least one side of the solar cell. and an electrode plate connected to each of the two electrodes of the solar cell and insulated from each other in an electrolytic solution tank. 2. The electrolyzer according to claim 1, wherein the electrode plate is laminated on an insulating protective layer. 3. The electrolyzer according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell is an amorphous solar cell. 4. In an electrolysis device using a solar cell as a power source, an electrolyte-resistant insulating protective layer that protects the solar cell from the electrolyte is placed on one side of the solar cell, and a translucent insulating substrate is placed on one side of the solar cell. A power supply device laminated on the other side and an electrode plate connected to each of the two electrodes of the solar cell and insulated from each other are placed in an electrolytic solution tank with the insulating substrate positioned on the light receiving side. An electrolysis device characterized by: 5. The electrolyzer according to claim 4, wherein the electrode plate is laminated on an insulating protective layer or an insulating substrate. 6. The electrolyzer according to claim 4, wherein the solar cell is an amorphous solar cell.