JPS6212313B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of assembling an electrolytic cell, and more particularly to a method of assembling an electrolytic cell using an electrolytic membrane.

Electrolytic cells (cells) based on the design principles used to operate "filter press" devices used to filter solids from liquids have already been developed; The assembly is based on the actual work carried out in the assembly of a filter press, i.e. the frame or plate containing the electrodes with the intermediate membrane is supported by placing the frame in a vertical plane, as in the frame structure of the filter press. The work process of assembling the frame into layers is followed. This is a convenient method of assembly since the frame is generally kept in place and transferred back and forth as the cell is assembled or disassembled. In the field of
There are commercially available presses that automatically move the frame according to a program. Such a press
Typically, in an electrolytic cell, the individual membranes and electrodes that make up the layers or cell banks are easily accessible, making repairs easier.
Used in press-type electrolytic cells. This technique, which uses long cell banks and moving presses, has several disadvantages. In particular, we deal with wet, slippery, heavy, weak, and caustic-absorbed membranes;
The membrane is placed between electrodes for fitting between two spaced vertical frames and between any horizontal frames or other devices used to space the frames apart to obtain a satisfactory seal or fit. Attempting to simultaneously hold the electrode frames in spaced apart positions with sufficient spacing is difficult. The membrane, which is extremely expensive compared to conventional diaphragms,
It may tear, bulge, become misshapen, or fail to seal all gasket surfaces. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult and difficult to manipulate large, tall electrode frames in filter press equipment such as those described above, and the height of the electrolyzer is therefore such that the operator must be able to control the perimeter of the frame, e.g. It is limited by practical considerations to be able to monitor and repair small irregularities in the gasket or membrane in many parts of the side. Such height limitations have traditionally been imposed on the design of filter press electrolysers, and, if possible, the amount of output that can be produced using a given amount of floor area in the plant in which the electrolyzer is installed. It would be desirable and advantageous to develop much higher electrolytic cells to increase the

It has also been found that pretreatment or preconditioning of the membrane is necessary if the cell is to operate at optimum efficiency after assembly. Normally the membrane is in a non-ionic state and therefore must be converted to an ionically conductive form. moreover,
Failure to pre-treat or condition the membrane prior to cell assembly will result in excessive membrane expansion or contraction after the membrane is placed in the cell and the cell is started.
Excessive expansion causes wrinkles in the membrane after assembly of the electrolytic cell. This wrinkle typically creates a pleat that contacts the anode, to which the chlorine adheres. Apparently, the folds due to the wrinkles harden and crack along their crests. Conversely, if excessive shrinkage occurs, the membrane will crack or rupture. In either of the above two situations where a physical tear occurs on the surface of the membrane,
The operating efficiency of the electrolytic cell is greatly reduced because the caustic solution in the anode flows into the anolyte. Also, the amount of chlorine gas generated decreases, while the amount of electricity consumed increases significantly. In addition to this, the level of chlorate in the anolyte and catholyte increases.

The answer to these and other problems is to pre-treat or pre-condition the membrane and to form a vertical "stack" of horizontal electrode frames, i.e. "between each pair of opposing frames". Stacking and assembling a plurality of frames with a horizontal thin plate-like membrane interposed therebetween, applying pressure to opposite vertical ends of the stack so as to compress the stack vertically; and By rotating the assembled vertical stack approximately 90 degrees from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, and operating the assembled electrolytic cell by connecting it to an electrolytic circuit, the monopolar filter of the present invention can be manufactured. A method of assembling a press-type electrolytic cell can be provided.

The advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention set forth below, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partially assembled stack 10, with a jig 11 temporarily attached to a horizontal end plate 37 for guiding and holding the stack 10 during assembly. To assemble the stack 10, first, an appropriate number of anode frames 12, cathode frames 14, and spacers 1 configured as described below are assembled.
6 and membrane 18 are prepared, one cathode frame 14 is placed horizontally on the end plate 37, one membrane 18, one spacer 16, and one anode frame 12 are each stacked on top of it, and the last one is placed on top of the cathode frame 14. Cathode frame 1
Make a stack 10 so that 4 is stacked on top of each other. For example, other guide support structures in the assembly position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be used to align and stack the anode frame 12 and cathode frame 14 onto the stack 10 during assembly. Jig 11 is stack 10
is shown temporarily coupled to the end plate 37 on which it rests. Anode frame 12 and cathode frame 14, when assembled into stack 10, compress the portion of stack 10 beneath them by their weight and hold spacer 16 and membrane 18 in place. The jig 11 has four vertical pillars 38,
Two long horizontal members 40 and two short horizontal members 42
It is made up of. The cross members 40, 42 are connected to the column 38 by pairs of bolts 44 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 2 further shows the column 38 and the horizontal member 4.
A stack of the same frames held by 0, 42 and 42 is shown. Identical parts are designated with the same reference numerals in FIGS. 1-4, unless otherwise indicated. Each anode frame 12 or cathode frame 14 has a lifting peg 36 on the outside that is used to lift the frame when it is assembled into the stack 10. These studs 36 are adapted to receive lifting hooks (not shown). Although eight studs 36 are shown coupled to each frame in FIGS. 1 and 2, any number of studs 36 may be provided as desired. Eight studs are recommended because the hooks can be placed at the ends of each side of the frames 12, 14, thus minimizing the amount of unsupported frame during lifting; This is because it makes it possible to prevent interference with the guidance of the monopolar cell frame to the busbar, which is necessary for connecting the connecting rod to the power source for electrolysis to take place.

Each anode frame 12 has a pair of spaced apart flat porous mesh surfaces 20 and 22 with a plurality of substantially horizontal conductive bars 24 arranged between the mesh surfaces 20 and 22. ing. At the same time, each cathode frame 14 has a pair of spaced apart flat porous mesh surfaces 28 and 30 with a plurality of substantially horizontal conductive bars 26 arranged therebetween. As best seen in FIG. 2, each anode frame 12 has a solid outer edge portion 25 and each cathode frame 14 has a frame-shaped outer edge portion 29. The outer edge portions 25, 29 are the mesh surfaces 20, 2
2, 28, and 30 are supported apart from each other. on the other hand,
Conductive rods 24 and 26 conduct electricity from outside the cell to mesh surfaces 20, 22 and 28, 30, respectively.
Each anode frame 12 has an outlet tube 34. On the other hand, each cathode frame 14 is provided with an outlet pipe 32. Frame 12 is the anode, frame 1
When 4 is a cathode, the outlet pipe 32 serves as a hydrogen gas outlet, while the outlet pipe 34 serves as a chlorine gas outlet. Outlet pipes 32 and 34 are connected to deaerators 56 and 54, respectively (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The stack 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as a unipolar stack because each frame is unipolar. If desired, stack 10 can be made in a bipolar configuration, ie, each frame has an anode side and a cathode side electrically coupled together. When each stack 10 is made from a bipolar frame, bipolar electrode frames conventionally have an internal conductor extending from the anode surface to the cathode surface.
The conductive rods 24 and 26 are not arranged.

Stacking operations may be accomplished using overhead cranes and slings. The overhead crane and suspension line are
During assembly or disassembly, the frame can be remotely controlled to be lifted, moved into or out of the jig 11, and placed. The membrane 18 can be stored in a flat plastic lined box filled with hydrolyzate so that the membrane can be easily moved onto the frame during stacking operations. Frames 12, 14 and spacer 16 may be stored within cabinet 118.

The recommended method of assembly is to omit the jig 11 and use an alcohol level (carpenter's level) to vertically align each frame as it is lowered onto the frame below. It is. Illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is an assembly area 100 in which a stack of frames 110 is assembled in preparation for compaction and use in electrolyzers or cells 46, 48, as previously described.
are configured to be used to efficiently stack vertically. In the following, Figures 1 to 4
The membrane 16, spacer 18, and other members shown in the figure will be explained.

The assembly area 100 includes a stack support frame 11
2, an elevated workbench 114, and a membrane storage box 11
6, a frame storage cabinet 118, and a spacer storage cabinet 142, which is coupled to the membrane storage box 116 and thus positioned adjacent the side of the stack support frame 112. Figures 5 and 6
The stack 110 shown in the figure is designed to eliminate the need for lifting the membrane 18, since the membrane 18 could be damaged unless proper care is taken while lifting it above the jig 11. The first, except that 110 is freely upright.
It is similar to the stack 10 shown in FIGS. Due to the free standing of the stack 110, the membrane 18 and spacer 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) can be attached to the stack 11 without lifting.
can be slid laterally directly onto the top of 0.

The stack support frame 112 has a U-shaped guide rack 119, a rack holder 120, and four or more air cylinders 122. The U-shaped guide rack 119 has a bottom portion and two recessed vertical members 124, 126. Each vertical member has a recess 128 adapted to align and restrain the outer ends of the conductive bars 24,26. An air cylinder 122 is connected to the floor 130 where the assembly area is created and to the bottom section 123 for raising and lowering the guide rack 119 to position the top of the stack 110 at the best level for each membrane spacer and frame addition. used for. Air cylinder 122 is preferably assembled by assemblers 132, 134 into stack 110.
are remotely controlled by these assemblers as they are assembled. Conventional remote control systems are used for this purpose.

Membrane storage box 116 is supported from a building (not shown) adjacent to assembly area 100, but may be supported in any other desired manner that does not interfere with assembly operations. The membrane storage box 116 is an adjustment tank 136
and a pair of "rubber wipes" or wipers 138. Box 116 serves many purposes. If a hydrolysis fluid is used, box 116 hydrolyzes the membranes (ie, converts the salts from ion exchange groups to the activated acid form) so that the membranes are in their ionically conductive form. The box 116 is filled with a fluid that equilibrates the membrane with the solution in the box (in a state where the membrane does not stretch or contract with the solution), either separately or simultaneously with the hydrolysis fluid, so that when the membrane is assembled in the electrolytic cell, the membrane is may help bring the solution pressure of water molecules to the desired level. This is accomplished by leaving the membrane in the conditioning solution long enough so that the water vapor pressure of the conditioning solution is the same as that of the membrane. The ultimate result of this process is that when the membrane is placed in the electrolytic cell, it either does not absorb water in the electrolytic cell and does not swell, or the water is released so much that the membrane contracts. It must not contain water.
If the membrane absorbs water in the cell during operation, it will swell and wrinkle as described above. On the other hand, if the membrane contains too much water, water will be released during operation in the electrolytic cell and the membrane will shrink, creating problems of membrane cracking or rupture. Box 116 also serves to store the membranes in a hydrolyzed and/or conditioned state until they are used during a stacking operation.

Preferably, the membrane is pre-positioned in the box 116 prior to the actual assembly operation so that it can most quickly be transferred from the box 116 onto the top 140 of the stack 110 during the assembly operation. During actual assembly, it is preferred to pre-form a ring at one end of the membrane through which a rigid rod can be passed, so that the membrane can be more easily handled from the box 116 to the stack 110. During sliding, a rod can be passed through the ring and used as a handle. The membrane can be removed directly from the shipping box if it has been pre-cut into sheets of the correct size.
16.

Next, the procedure for transferring the membrane from box 116 onto stack 110 will be described. First, stack 110
The top 140 of
Adjustments are made using air cylinder 122 to position the level of the particular membrane to be slid up. The operator then pulls the membrane laterally directly from the box 116 onto the top 140 of the stack 110 by grasping the rod inserted through the ring provided at one end of the membrane as described above. In this way, stress on the membrane during assembly is minimized. Box 116 is stack 110
The box 116 is raised so that there is little movement and the box 116 is located at a convenient level for the workers 132,134. A rubber cloth or wiper 138 is used when the membrane is removed from the box 116.
Provided for removing hydrolyzate or conditioning liquid from the membrane.

Cabinet 118 is also raised to a convenient level for personnel 132,134. Cabinet 118 is provided with shelves for each frame of electrolyzers to be assembled. The frame is stored in cabinet 118 until needed for assembly operations. At some point prior to assembly, the cabinet 118 is inspected for proper position for frame stacking. It will be appreciated that the frames are inserted and stored within the cabinet 118 so that the conductive rods are properly oriented and there is no need to rotate or tap the frames during stacking operations. For illustrative purposes, in FIG.
18 and is shown in position sliding the frame onto the top 140 of the stack 110. Dotted line 144
is removed from cabinet 118 and placed in stack 1.
10 shows the position of one frame immediately before being placed.

Platform 114 is a conventional raised platform made of any suitable material so that stack 110 can be lowered below the level of workers 132, 134 and air cylinders 122 are mounted on guide racks 119. It is raised so that it can be placed under the guide rack 119 without having to lift it to an unwieldy height.

5 and 6 show workers 132, 134 manually manipulating the frame, the frame may be too large or too heavy to make manual movement of the frame inappropriate. If so, the frame can be used with a bridge crane, sling, hoist, forklift or other handling equipment such as a sliding bar that can be extended from the cabinet 118. In this regard, it is emphasized that this vertical stacking assembly is adapted for use in membrane cells, which are considerably more expensive than conventional "filter press" cells. Special electrolytic cells are being developed that will allow the fabrication of frames of dimensions so large as to make manual labor inappropriate.

During stacking and lateral alignment of the frames in the stack 110, to prevent the membranes or spacers from wrinkling or sticking, gently shake the membranes and lamellas enough to flatten them after such alignment operations. A vibrating device may be used as such. Also, a carpenter's spirit level (not shown)
Align the frame vertically during stacking,
and ensure that the tops 140 of the stacks 110 are horizontal to ensure that the frames are properly engaged with their gaskets so that they are properly sealed when the electrolyzer is later compressed. It can be used to inspect the apex 140 for tightness.

The stack 110 is preferably "preconditioned" following the stacking operation by passing warm, moist air between the frames to bring them to operating temperature. This "preconditioning" is desirable to minimize dimensional changes from the time the stack is compressed to the time the cell reaches its operating temperature during normal operation. If the electrolyzer is not preconditioned, greater forces are required to compress the electrolyzer, heavier frame construction is required, and greater forces tend to damage the gasket. There is a risk. Preconditioning softens the gasket. Preferably, the tie bolts that compress the stack 110 after vertical assembly are limited to provide the stack with pre-calculated and predetermined dimensions so as to produce proper engagement but not compress the gasket so much as to cause it to fail. tightened by applying a specified torque.

The membranes recommended for use in stack 110 are ion exchange membranes having sulfonic acids or carboxylic acids or those containing them as part of the active ion exchange group. Such membranes may be obtained commercially from EI DuPont under the Nafion trade name, or alternatively from Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. under the Flemion trade name. The anode frame 12 is preferably made of titanium with the mesh surfaces 20, 22 coated with a catalytic anode coating, such as a mixed crystal of ruthenium oxide or titanium oxide. Other anode materials may also be used. The cathode frame 14 is preferably made of nickel with a catalytic coating, such as a Raney nickel layer or other catalytic coating. frame 12
and 14 can be formed of non-metallic materials so long as the mesh surfaces 20, 22, 28, 30 are made of a conductive material suitable for use as electrode surfaces. Workbench 114 may be made of wood, iron or other desired material. Air cylinder 122 is of a conventional type and may be equipped with a conventional remote control to allow operators 132, 134 to remotely operate air cylinder 122 during stacking operations. box 116
Although the and cabinet 118 may be constructed from steel, plastic, or other suitable materials, it is anticipated that these structures will be exposed to the environment of a chlor-alkali plant, which necessarily produces highly corrosive products. Therefore, chlorine-resistant materials are recommended.

In view of the above procedural description and the above apparatus description, there are a number of benefits that merit further explanation. Cells that are vertically stacked, rotated approximately 90 degrees, and then combined can be significantly larger than conventional electrolyzers, and all sides of the frame simply allow the operator to move the vertical stack 110. The integrity of the gasket and electrolyzer can be easily inspected since it is easily visible during assembly by having the gasket placed along the periphery and inspected on top 140 of the stack 110. Because the box 116 and the cabinet 118 can be positioned at appropriate heights to allow each layer of the stack 110 to slide rapidly over each other, the procedure of the present invention is accomplished very quickly.

The economics of the assembly operation of the present invention is such that in a plant with a specific number of "X" cells, it takes $X in the cell assembly area to achieve a resulting cost savings of just $1 in each electrolyzer or cell assembly. It has important meaning because it is economical to spend. Also, if each of It is economical to spend XY dollars. Conversely, the small costs of transferring cell assembly technology are often
A greater reduction in the operating costs of a practical electrolyser plant can result. Furthermore, since electrolyser production operations are often stopped during replacement or reconditioning procedures (i.e. while vertical stacking is taking place), large expenditures for assembly equipment are
It may be justified to obtain a small reduction in tank "outage" between each replacement or reconditioning operation. In large plants, these economies may be considered sufficient to justify replacing workers 132, 134 with expensive automated assembly equipment to speed up the procedure and eliminate worker error. .

Once the stack 10 is fully positioned, it is tightened by using long bolts as shown in FIG. 4 that are threaded through guide holes formed in the frame 52. Other guiding devices and other bolting devices, such as flanges on each of the frames 12, 14, cooperating to connect each frame individually to an adjacent frame via suitable insulating means may also be used. obtain. When the assembled stacks are bolted together, it is compressed to some desired pressure by further tightening the bolts and then the stack 10
is operated and rotated from a vertical stack to a horizontal device by a lifting device such as an overhead crane, fork lift or other similar device.
In this new "pack" position, the electrodes are vertical and the stack is a horizontal "pack" as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Prior to the actual operation of the stack 10 as an electrolytic cell, the conductive rods 24,
It is necessary to connect 26 to a terminal or busbar or intercell connector so that current can flow from cell to cell in the electrical circuit of such an electrolyzer. Prior to operation of the electrolytic cell, it is necessary to connect the stack 10 to material supply and product removal conduits so that raw materials are fed into the cell and product is removed from the cell. In particular, this means that each frame 1 for raw material source and product removal tube
Requires 2.14 connections.

FIG. 3 shows a pair of electrolytic cells 46 and 48, each electrolytic cell stacked vertically and then rotated 90 degrees into a horizontally oriented stack to serve as an electrolytic cell. It has a stack 10 of electrode frames (see FIGS. 1 and 2) electrically and fluidically connected thereto. Each electrolytic tank 46, 4
8 has an anode terminal on the right side and a cathode terminal on the left side. The electrolytic cell connector 80 connects the electrolytic cells 46 and 4.
8 electrically form a series group.
serves to electrically connect the cathode terminal to the anode terminal of electrolytic cell 46. Although any number of electrolytic cells, such as electrolytic cells 46 and 48, may be included in the electrical series group, only two electrolytic cells are shown in the drawing for simplicity. Each electrolytic cell 46, 48 is provided with an anolyte deaerator 54 and a catholyte deaerator 56. If the frames 12 and 14 are thick enough for degassing to occur with them, the deaerator can be omitted. Deaerators 54 and 58 serve to separate or "degas" hydrogen and chlorine gases from the caustic catholyte brine and the caustic anolyte brine, respectively. The separated hydrogen rises from deaerator 56 through outlet pipe 68 to hydrogen removal pipe 72 . Meanwhile, the separated chlorine rises through the outlet pipe 66 and reaches the chlorine removal pipe 70. Deaerator 54
receives fresh anolyte through tube 62 and depleted anolyte is removed from deaerator 54 through tube 64. Referring to FIGS. 1-4, gas-containing anolyte is produced in frame 12 and flows from frame 12 through tube 34 to degassing tube 54, while degassed anolyte is If desired, it is recirculated downwardly through downcomer pipe 76 to the bottom of frame 12, thereby increasing the upward flow rate of the anolyte through frame 12.
Similarly, gas-containing catholyte is produced in frame 14 during electrolysis and sent upwardly through tube 32 to deaerator 56, while degassed catholyte, if desired, is If so, it is recirculated downwardly through downcomer pipe 74 to the bottom of frame 14, thereby increasing the upward flow rate of catholyte through frame 14 during electrolysis.

During assembly of stack 10, frame 52 may be placed below stack 10 prior to vertical stacking. If frame 52 is stack 1 during assembly
0, the end plate 37 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the end frame 52 of FIGS. 3 and 4
are the same members. End plate 37 may alternatively be made into a dished end plate electrode frame that is added to frame 52 and may serve as extra support for the electrolytic cell.

If desired, a vibration device may be utilized to aid in vertical assembly of the stack by causing vibration of the frame to better seat the membrane and spacers. Also, such vibrations tend to smooth out and flatten any wrinkles that occur in the membrane between stacks.

The method of the invention is particularly useful for electrolysers with large frames. A “large” frame is approximately 122 cm (4 feet) in the plane of the electrode.
means a frame with dimensions larger than
Furthermore, the method of the present invention is particularly useful for electrolytic cells in which the thickness of the horizontally oriented stack does not exceed about twice the height of the electrolytic cell. The large frame and limited thickness-to-height ratio minimize the amount of conductive material required and maximize the amount of useful part per unit area of production space for all electrolyser plants using the present invention. It is particularly desirable economically to The number of frames that can be stacked is from 2 to approx.
In the range of up to 50, preferably in the range of about 5 to about 40, and most preferably in the range of about 10 to about 30. The method of the invention can be used for both bipolar and monopolar electrolysers.
The frame method that may be used is determined less by the inherent limitations of the method of the invention than by the demands of other limitations of the cell design. By employing the method of the present invention, a bipolar electrolyzer can in practice be approximately 2 feet to 30 feet horizontally across the current flow and approximately 30 feet vertically across the current flow. It can be designed for dimensions from about 61 cm (2 feet) to about 457 cm (15 feet) in the direction of . However, smaller dimensions are advantageous rather than disadvantageous. The reason is that the length of the electrolyzer allows it to be removed from the circuit without interrupting the current through the remaining electrolyzers by the use of an economically sized Japan switch. The use of the present invention eliminates the need to use filter presses to manipulate the individual frames, as they are sufficiently small to allow for this.

Also, monopolar electrolyzers of very large size, approximately 305 cm (10 feet) in one direction, due to economical limitations on the length of current conductors such as conductive rods 24, 26.
may actually be made within the same range as above with the addition of another limit that it must be limited to . The frame dimensions listed in the example below, approximately 152 cm x 213 cm (5' x 7'), are convenient and relatively large when compared to current technology. However, as mentioned above, the present invention does make relatively large dimensions possible.

Prior to applying pressure to the vertically oriented stack, the frame and membrane are advantageously heated for a predetermined period of time to allow the frame to stabilize at the operating temperature.
It can be preconditioned by passing a warm moist fluid, such as air, through the frame. When the flame is stabilized at operating temperature, pressure is applied to compress the stack to the desired degree. Also, once the membrane has been hydrolyzed, the vertical assembly method requires that it be kept tightly enough to prevent drying out, but at limited humidity to prevent irreversible damage.

Furthermore, it should be noted that other different solutions can be employed to hydrolyze and condition the membrane. For example, 16 to 24 hours before assembling the membrane in the electrolytic cell.
It is desirable to use a dilute caustic solution of 1-2% concentration for a permanent selective membrane at a given temperature for a period of time. For other membranes, it is more appropriate to use a higher concentration of caustic solution, for example 25%, and to leave the membrane in solution at a given temperature for up to 16 hours. For other membranes, it is desirable to condition and hydrolyze in a 1% brine solution or deionized water solution. It is understood that whichever hydrolysis and/or conditioning solution is utilized to condition the membrane, the most appropriate solution to be used must be determined based on the membrane type and the operating characteristics of the electrolytic cell. Should. Regardless of the type of solution to be used, if used within the assembly method of the present invention, appropriate expansion or contraction of the particular membrane occurs during the conditioning step and prior to insertion into the bath; Therefore, no such expansion or contraction occurs during operation. Therefore, the operation of the electrolyzer is not adversely affected.

The method of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following examples given for the above purpose.

Example An electrolytic cell with an electrode surface of 70 m ² with a rated capacity of 150 KA was assembled using the vertical assembly method. The electrode frames with gaskets secured in place were placed horizontally and stacked vertically in the reverse order of assembly. Each frame is approximately
It had dimensions of 203 cm x 152 cm x 5 cm (80″ x 60″ x 2″). It was arranged with 12 anode frames, 11 cathode frames, and 2 end cathode frames, with each end cathode The frame has a cathode mesh surface on one side thereof;
It had a fluid-tight surface on the other side. Adjacent to the rectangular space defining the work area was a flat, plastic-lined box containing an ion exchange membrane that had been hydrolysed and was moistened with hydrolysis liquid. . The 24 membranes housed in the box are approximately
It had dimensions of 203cm x 152cm (80″ x 60″). Structural end frame (approx. 203cm x 152cm (80″ x 60″)) formed from approx. 15cm (6″) steel channels with 10 protruding ledges for fixing tie rods
was placed horizontally on the workbench in the center of the work area. The stack consists of an end cathode, membrane, anode, membrane,
The cathode, the membrane...the final end cathode, and the second structural end frame were assembled in this order. As each electrode frame is placed, it is inspected and approx.
Guided into position by using a 152 cm (5′) spirit level. This kept the stack vertical and the frame edges in alignment. As each membrane was in place, it was smoothed and adjusted to evenly spread over the gasket. A tie rod threaded at both ends was inserted between the end frames and a nut was tightened onto the tie rod by hand. Four guiding frames, consisting simply of approximately 5 cm (2") chevron bars, two on each side of the stack, are used to guide the "collars" on the conductive bars.
installed. These guide frames allowed the stack to be compressed while preventing any substantial movement of any individual frame in the horizontal plane. The nuts were then tightened in the proper repeat order until the stack was tightened to the proper size. The correct height of the stack including the end frames is approximately 168 cm (66"). By the use of two hoists, the stack is raised to its working position, i.e. the stack is approximately 203 cm (80"). Height and approx.
It was rotated into a position having a width of 152 cm (60") and a length (including frame) of approximately 168 cm (66"). Conductive rods are installed and the electrolyzer is moved to the electrolyzer room for startup. Operation and subsequent inspection demonstrated that all gaskets were sealed and all membranes were satisfactorily positioned. The time required to assemble the stack was approximately 2 hours.

Additional relationship Original patent (Patent No. 1292661, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1983-14112)
All of the elements essential to the structure of the invention of Item No.) are as follows: ``A vertical stack of horizontal electrode frames is assembled with a horizontal thin plate-like membrane disposed between each pair of opposing frames; Applying pressure to opposite vertical ends of the stack to compress the stack vertically, rotating the compressed vertical stack from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, and applying an electric current to the rotated horizontal stack. including the stages connecting the circuit and the raw material supply pipes and the product removal pipes.”
This is an essential part of its configuration, and is intended to "prevent membrane rupture or deformation, and to increase production by using a certain amount of floor space in the plant where the electrolyzer is installed." The present invention achieves the same purpose as the original patent application in that it provides an electrolytic cell with a significantly higher capacity than conventional ones in order to obtain a significantly higher capacity than the conventional one. The method for constructing an electrolytic cell may include pre-treating said membrane plates with a hydrolysis fluid, or converting said membranes to their ionically conductive form in which they are pre-treated with a conditioning fluid. This improvement improves the performance of the membrane by adding a step of pre-adjusting the membrane to prevent it from expanding and contracting, thereby achieving the above object more reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a stack of electrode frames partially assembled during implementation of the method of the invention; FIG.
The figure is a partially cut-away bottom view of the stack taken along line 2--2 in Figure 1, illustrating the layer composition of the stack in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows the stack being rotated to a horizontal position for series electrolysis. The front view of the stack in Figures 1 and 2 after it has been connected to the tank circuit, and Figure 4 is the front view of the stack in Figure 3.
3 is a side view of the cell circuit of FIG. 3 taken along line 4; FIG. 5 is a top view of the cell assembly area adapted for vertical assembly according to the invention; 6 is an elevational view of the assembly area of FIG. 5 taken along line 6-6 of the figure; FIG. 10 is a stack, 12 is an anode frame, 14 is a cathode frame, 16 is a spacer, 11 is a jig, 1
8 is a membrane, 20, 22, 28, 30 are mesh surfaces, 3
2, 34 are outlet pipes, 24, 26 are conductive rods, 54,
56 is a separator, and 52 is an end frame.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolytic cell having a predetermined number of electrode frames and a predetermined number of membranes, including: (a) before the membranes are assembled into the electrolytic cell, the membranes are soaked in a conditioning solution; (b) positioning the first end frame on a substantially horizontal support structure; and (c) oriented substantially horizontally. placing a first cathode frame on the first end frame; (d) placing a first substantially horizontally oriented membrane on the first substantially horizontally oriented cathode frame; (e) disposing a substantially horizontally oriented first anode frame on the first membrane; and (f) disposing another substantially horizontally oriented membrane on the first anode frame. (g) placing another generally horizontally oriented cathode frame on the other membrane; and (h) placing a desired number of anode and cathode frames and membranes on the generally horizontal support structure. repeating steps (d) through (g) a predetermined number of times until the frames are stacked in a substantially vertical stack; and (i) positioning a second end frame at the top of the substantially vertical stack of frames. (l) vertically compressing the generally vertical stack of said frames to a compressed state; and (l) vertically compressing said generally vertical stack of said frames to said compressed state; (c) rotating said generally vertically compressed stack of substantially horizontal frames and membranes to a working position in which said frames and membranes are oriented generally vertically; A method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolyzer, comprising the steps of: coupling the vertically assembled and rotated horizontal stack to an electrical circuit, a feed line and a product outlet line. 2. In the method described in claim 1,
A monopolar filter press type electrolytic cell characterized in that the conditioning solution for conditioning the membrane is made of a caustic solution with a concentration of about 1 to 2%, and the membrane is conditioned by being immersed in the conditioning solution for a maximum of 24 hours. How to assemble. 3. In the method described in claim 1,
placing the membrane in the conditioning liquid in a raised membrane container adjacent a first side of the support structure; and placing the membrane in the conditioning liquid during assembly until the membrane is removed from the container. A method of assembling a monopolar filter press electrolyzer in which the membrane is treated with said conditioning liquid. 4. In the method described in claim 3,
a monopolar filter further comprising disposing the electrode frame generally horizontally within a raised frame enclosure adjacent a second side of the support structure;
How to assemble a press type electrolyzer. 5. In the method described in claim 4,
A method of assembling a monopolar filter press electrolyzer, wherein the raised frame vessel is a cabinet with shelves, and the frames are arranged within the cabinet, one frame for each shelf. 6. In the method described in claim 5,
A method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolyzer comprising the step of placing a spacer device between each anode frame and the membrane on each side of the anode frame during the assembly step. 7 In the method described in claim 6,
a monopolar structure, wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the third side of the support structure prior to the assembly method, and the spacer device is slid onto the vertical stack during the assembly method; How to assemble a filter press type electrolytic cell. 8. In the method described in claim 7,
a monopolar structure, wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the second side of the support structure prior to the assembly method, and the spacer device is slid onto the vertical stack during the assembly method; How to assemble a filter press type electrolytic cell. 9. In the method recited in claim 5,
The height of the bottom of the vertical stack may be raised or lowered during the stack forming operation to position the top of the stack at a better height for receiving frames and membranes from the frame container and the membrane container. How to assemble a single-pole filter press type electrolytic cell. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bottom height is remotely adjusted from a location adjacent the raised support structure. 11 In a method for assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolytic cell having a predetermined number of electrode frames and a predetermined number of membranes, (a) before the membrane is assembled into the electrolytic cell, the membrane has a shape having ionic conductivity; (b) adjusting the membrane in an assembly position so that the membrane is not expanded or contracted by the conditioning liquid; (c) disposing a substantially horizontally oriented first cathode frame on the first end frame; and (d) disposing a substantially horizontally oriented first cathode frame on a support structure. (e) disposing a substantially horizontally oriented first anode frame on the first membrane; (f) substantially horizontally oriented; (g) placing another cathode frame oriented substantially horizontally on the other membrane; (h) a desired number of cathode frames; (i) repeating steps (d) through (g) a predetermined number of times until the anode frame and cathode frame and membrane are stacked in a generally vertical stack on the generally horizontal support structure; (l) vertically compressing the substantially vertical stack of frames into a compressed state; (c) coupling a retaining device to the generally vertical stack of the frame to maintain the stack in the compressed state; (c) coupling the vertically assembled and rotated horizontal stack to an electrical circuit, a material supply pipe, and a product removal pipe. How to assemble a pole filter press type electrolyzer. 12. In the method according to claim 11, the conditioning liquid for conditioning the membrane has a concentration of about 1 to 2%.
of a caustic solution, and the membrane is exposed to the conditioning solution for up to 24 hours.
A method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolytic cell characterized by being immersed and conditioned for a period of time. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the membrane is placed in the conditioning liquid in a raised membrane container adjacent a first side of the support structure, and the membrane is removed during assembly. a monopolar filter, which is retained in the conditioning liquid until removed from the container and whose membrane is treated by the conditioning liquid;
How to assemble a press type electrolyzer. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of generally horizontally positioning the electrode frame within a raised frame enclosure adjacent a second side of the support structure.・How to assemble a press-type electrolytic cell. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the raised frame container is a cabinet with racks, and the frame has one rack on each rack.
A method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolytic cell, which is arranged in the cabinet with a single frame. 16. The method of claim 15, including the step of placing a spacer device between each anode frame and the membrane on each side of the anode frame during the assembly step. How to assemble an electrolytic cell. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the third side of the support structure prior to the assembly method, and wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the third side of the support structure during the assembly method. Method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolyzer, which is slid onto the vertical stack. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the second side of the support structure prior to the assembly method, and wherein the spacer device is pre-positioned adjacent the second side of the support structure during the assembly method. Method of assembling a monopolar filter press type electrolyzer, which is slid onto the vertical stack. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the height of the bottom of the vertical stack is such that the top of the stack is at a better height for receiving frames and membranes from the frame container and the membrane container. A method of assembling a monopolar filter press electrolyzer, which is raised or lowered during the stack forming operation to allow the stack to be positioned. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the bottom height is remotely adjusted from a location adjacent the raised support structure.