KR101822465B1 - Electrode assembly to generate hydrogen water and portable hydrogen water generating device comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode, a protective film formed under the first electrode, a second electrode formed under the protective film, A third electrode formed under the electrolyte membrane, and a switching device connected to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode to adjust a polarity of a voltage applied to the electrolyte membrane, The first electrode, the protective film, and the second electrode are in a state of being supported on the liquid.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrode assembly for generating hydrogen water and a portable water-

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly for generating hydrogen and an apparatus for manufacturing portable water including the electrode assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrode assembly capable of removing foreign substances adsorbed on electrodes and generating hydrogenated water, And a hydrogen-producing plant.

In general, hydrogen peroxide is known to have the effect of removing active oxygen in the human body with water dissolved in water at 1 ppm of hydrogen gas.

As a method for drinking hydrogenated water, hydrogen is generated by a physical or chemical method to be applied to a water purifier or the like, and the main method is a method of dissolving the generated hydrogen gas in water and drinking it. Therefore, this method has a problem in that it has a lot of limitations to carry.

On the other hand, a method of electrochemically electrolyzing water among methods of effectively generating hydrogen is generally known. The electrolytic apparatus used in this method is an electrolytic cell having an electrode pair composed of an anode (an electrode where an oxidation reaction takes place) and a cathode (an electrode where a reduction reaction takes place), an anode, a cathode, A membrane or an ion exchange membrane.

In principle, a DC low voltage power source is used as a method of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water. Therefore, the apparatus used in this method is excellent in terms of reaction characteristics and safety to be instantly reacted, but is very unlikely to be applied to a small portable hydrogen gas production apparatus.

As an example, there are a number of prior art methods for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water. As mentioned above, these prior arts are intended to be applied to water purifiers and the like. Therefore, the water purifier applied with these prior art techniques is expensive, so it is difficult to purchase such a water purifier and consume a small amount of water.

On the other hand, hydrogen water containing hydrogen in the water of a water purifier has a low concentration in time (very low solubility of oxygen or hydrogen in water) and is inconvenient for storage and storage.

Generally, by applying a voltage having a different polarity to two electrodes in order to generate hydrogen water through electrolysis, water is decomposed to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is dissolved in water to become hydrogen, and oxygen can be used to escape to the outside or used for other purposes.

However, various inorganic or organic components remain in the water, and foreign substances are deposited on the surface of the electrode causing electrolysis, except pure distilled water. The foreign matter deposited on the electrode surface does not easily fall off, and is a main cause of greatly lowering the efficiency of hydrogen generation.

There are various methods for separating the foreign object from the electrode surface. However, foreign substances are removed through a physical method such as sprinkling or strongly rubbing a strong acid solution onto the electrode. If the foreign substance is not removed, it is accumulated on the surface of the electrode continuously, so that the voltage is no longer applied to the electrode, which causes the device to fail.

Also, if strong chemicals are used or physical force is applied, the electrodes may be damaged, which may also cause malfunctions.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0113099 (Jan. 29, 2009) Korean Patent Publication No. 2011-0039647 (April 20, 2011)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode assembly for generating hydrogen water which can solve a foreign matter layer accumulated in an electrode by a relatively simple method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode assembly for generating hydrogen water capable of simultaneously removing a foreign substance layer and sterilizing a liquid.

An electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode, a protective film formed under the first electrode, a second electrode formed under the protective film, A third electrode formed under the electrolyte membrane, and a switching device connected to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode to adjust a polarity of a voltage applied to the electrolyte membrane, The first electrode, the protective film, and the second electrode are in a state of being supported on the liquid.

The electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a first electrode catalyst layer formed between the second electrode and the electrolyte membrane, and a second electrode catalyst layer formed between the third electrode and the electrolyte membrane.

Here, the first electrode catalyst layer and the second electrode catalyst layer may be a platinum (Pt) catalyst layer.

Here, the protective layer may be a non-conductive layer that prevents current flow between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Here, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the protective film may include a plurality of holes formed to allow liquid to move.

Here, by applying different polarities to the first electrode and the second electrode, the foreign substances precipitated in the respective electrodes can be removed.

The electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention can remove foreign substances accumulated on the surface of the electrode using a relatively simple method of changing the polarity of the applied voltage.

The electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention can remove water and foreign substances and remove bacteria and the like contained in the liquid, thereby making water suitable for drinking water.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a bottom view of the first to third electrodes of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a plan view of a protective film according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a structural cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of generating hydrogen water.
Fig. 7 is a photograph showing deposition on the actual electrode.
FIG. 8 is an actual photograph of a second electrode that has undergone a foreign substance removing process of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention.

It is to be understood that the specific structural or functional description of embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concept But may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

The embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can make various changes and can take various forms, so that the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail herein. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be named for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another, for example, without departing from the scope of the right according to the concept of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as a second element, The component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that no other element exists in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there are features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof described herein, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning of the context in the relevant art and, unless explicitly defined herein, are to be interpreted as ideal or overly formal Do not.

Hereinafter, an electrode assembly for generating hydrogen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a bottom view of the first to third electrodes of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention.

1, an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a power source to generate hydrogen water. The electrode assembly includes a first electrode 100, a protection film (not shown) formed under the first electrode 100, A second electrode 300 formed under the protective film 200 and an electrolyte membrane 400 formed under the second electrode 300. The third electrode 300 formed under the protective film 200, And a switching device 800 connected to the electrode 500 and the first electrode 100, the second electrode 300 and the third electrode 500 to adjust a polarity of a voltage applied to the first electrode 100, (100), the protective film (200), and the second electrode (300) are in a liquid state.

The first electrode 100 is provided at the uppermost portion of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. The electrode 100 is a voltage-applied electrode. As shown in FIG. 2, 1, respectively.

Particularly, the first electrode 100 is formed with a plurality of holes 120, so that the liquid can flow into the lower portion of the first electrode 100 in the liquid in which the first electrode 100 is placed. The first electrode 100 may have various shapes, and may be circular, rectangular, or polygonal. In particular, the shape of the electrode may be independent of the internal shape of the portable water producing apparatus to which the electrode assembly is to be attached, and may be variously deformable.

As described above, the first electrode 100 to the third electrode 500 may have the same shape and may have a circular shape as shown in FIG. 3, but the shape is not limited thereto.

3, a plurality of holes are formed in the second electrode 300 to the third electrode 500, and a mesh, mesh or the like having a structure through which liquid or gas can pass And the outer portion may be configured in a plate shape so as to be smoothly fixed to the main body or the like. Titanium, tantalum, or the like is suitable for the first electrode 100 to the third electrode 300, and it is preferable that the platinum is thermally decomposed or electroplated to provide conductivity.

In particular, it is preferable that the terminals connected to the DC power source are formed at different positions in order to apply a voltage to each electrode. And may be formed parallel to the electrode plate as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, the electrode plate may be formed in a vertical shape as shown in FIG. The position and shape of the terminal included in the electrode can be variously implemented.

The protective film 200 formed under the first electrode 100 is an insulator formed to prevent the second electrode 300 from being energized.

4 is a plan view of a protective film according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The protective layer 200 shown in FIG. 4 is located between the electrode and the electrode, so that the first electrode 100 and the second electrode 300 are physically connected to prevent electrical conduction.

When the first electrode 100 and the second electrode 300 are electrically connected to each other, the hydrogen generation may not be performed well, and there is a risk that the temperature may rise due to an increase in resistance.

As shown in FIG. 4, the protective layer 200 may be formed with various patterns of holes 220. The protective layer 200 may be formed of a liquid or ion between the first electrode 100 and the second electrode 200, So that it is not an obstacle to movement.

 The electrolyte membrane 400 may be a solid polymer electrolyte having a thickness of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. If the thickness is too thin, there is a danger that the second electrode 300 and the third electrode 500 are short-circuited. If the thickness is too thick, the resistance increases and the voltage rises.

In the electrolyte membrane 400, the anions can not be moved while the cations, that is, the hydrogen ions, must be able to move, and have heat resistance to temperature and durability in an electrochemical oxidation-reduction atmosphere. Accordingly, the electrolyte membrane 400 is formed of an ion-transporting group such as a sulfonic acid, a carboxylic acid, or a sulfonic acid, so that cations can be selectively transferred to a polymer of a hydrocarbon-based material or a fluorocarbon-based material so as to satisfy such functions and requirements. caroxylic, and phosphoric acid groups. More preferably, it has a film structure having a strongly acidic group of? S30 type in a hydrocarbon-based material and a fluorocarbon-based polymer material excellent in heat resistance and oxidation resistance. A representative ion exchange membrane of this type is DuPont's "NEFION".

The first electrode catalyst layer 600 is formed between the second electrode 300 and the electrolyte membrane 400. In the first electrode catalyst layer 600, when a negative power is applied to the second electrode 300, a reduction reaction occurs as shown in the following reaction formula (1).

[Reaction Scheme 1]

2H ⁺ + 2e -> H ₂

The second electrode catalyst layer 700 is formed between the third electrode 500 and the electrolyte membrane 400. In the second electrode catalyst layer 700, when the (+) power is applied to the third electrode 500, an oxidation reaction occurs as shown in the following reaction formula (2).

[Reaction Scheme 2]

2H ₂ O? O ₂ + 2H ⁺ + 2e

That is, hydrogen gas is generated in the first electrode catalyst layer 600 where the reduction reaction occurs, and oxygen, hydrogen ions, and electrons are generated in the second electrode catalyst layer 700.

Catalysts for hydrogen generation include metals of the platinum group (platinum, lutetium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium), gold, silver, chromium, iron, titanium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum, And alloys containing any one or more of metals selected from the group consisting of tin.

As the catalyst for oxygen generation, a metal catalyst is preferable. As the metal catalyst, any one or more metals selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals (platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium) Is preferred.

Among the catalysts that can be commonly used in the oxidation catalyst group and the reduction catalyst group are platinum group metals (platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium), among which platinum- Iridium is most preferred.

The switching device 800 is connected to the first electrode 100, the second electrode 300, and the third electrode 500 to control the polarity of the applied voltage. The electrode assembly for generating a small number of water, which will be described below, can perform a function of removing a foreign substance layer formed on the electrode surface by applying different electrodes. To this end, the switching device 800 functions to switch the polarity of the DC power source 900 connected to each electrode at predetermined time intervals.

5 is a structural cross-sectional view of an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The structure using these components may be variously implemented, and the terminal may be placed downward as shown in FIG. 5, and each terminal may be connected to the DC power source 900 through a switching device.

The switching device 800 may further include a control device (not shown) for controlling the switching device 800. However, when starting to supply power for driving the electrode assembly, the switching device 800 may be controlled Thereby supplying power to the electrode. (+) Electrode is applied to the second electrode 300 and a negative (-) electrode is applied to the first electrode 100 for a predetermined period of time in order to remove foreign substances in the second electrode 300, The positive electrode is applied to the first electrode 100 and the negative electrode is applied to the second electrode 300 for a predetermined time after the first electrode catalyst layer 600 and the second electrode catalyst layer 700 are formed, (-) electrode may be applied to the second electrode 300 and a (+) electrode may be applied to the third electrode 500 in order to generate the used water.

In particular, it is natural to consider the function of automatically shutting off the power supply when it is judged that the generation of water is completed.

The configuration of the electrode assembly for generating hydrogen water according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Hereinafter, a process of generating hydrogen through the electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a mechanism for removing a foreign material layer formed on the electrode will be described.

6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of generating hydrogen water.

When the negative electrode is applied to the second electrode 300 of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention and the positive electrode is applied to the third electrode 500, The water in the upper part moves in the direction of the third electrode 500 due to the diffusion phenomenon of the electrolyte membrane 400. As described above, oxygen, hydrogen ions, and electrons are generated by the oxidation reaction in the second electrode catalyst layer 700 formed on the third electrode 500, and hydrogen ions are generated by the electric field in the electrolyte membrane 400 , The hydrogen gas moves to the first electrode catalyst layer 600 and a reduction reaction occurs to generate hydrogen gas.

The hydrogen gas generated by the electrolysis of water is dissolved in the water in the upper part of the second electrode catalyst layer 700 to form hydrogen water and the oxygen gas O ₂ produced in the second electrode catalyst layer 700 or ozone (O ₃ ) passes through the hole of the third electrode 500.

This series of processes is an electrolysis process of water. Through this process, foreign substances are deposited on the electrode, particularly the second electrode 300. These foreign substances are minerals in the water, various inorganic and organic substances, and as the electrolysis is repeated, these foreign substances are deposited on the electrodes.

Fig. 7 is a photograph showing deposition on the actual electrode.

When such a foreign matter depositing phenomenon is continued without removing it from the surface of the electrode, the efficiency of generating water decreases, and eventually the hole formed in the electrode is closed to essentially block the movement of water or ions, It is a major factor to lose.

The electrode assembly for generating hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention removes foreign matter deposited on the electrode.

First, a negative (-) electrode is applied to the first electrode 100 and a (+) electrode is applied to the second electrode 300 in order to remove foreign substances formed on the second electrode 300. By applying the polarity different from the polarity applied to the second electrode 300 in order to generate the existing number of water, the vibration path and the movement path of the water during the application are switched from the second electrode 300 to the first electrode 100 , Foreign substances formed on the second electrode 300 due to an external force generated are easily removed.

Also, in this process, the negative electrode formed on the second electrode 300 can be removed by applying the negative (-) electrode or not applying the voltage to the third electrode 500.

FIG. 8 is an actual photograph of a second electrode that has undergone a foreign substance removing process of the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The second electrode 300 shown in FIG. 8 is an electrode using 8 months in actual use, and is an electrode that has undergone a foreign substance removal process using the first electrode 100 and the second electrode 300. Foreign substances on the surface as shown in FIG. 7 can not be found.

In order to remove foreign substances formed on the second electrode 300, positive (+) is applied to the second electrode 300 and negative (-) is applied to the first electrode 100, And the electrolysis of water is a non-diaphragm type electrolysis in which the electrolyte membrane 400 and the first and second electrode catalyst layers 600 and 700 are not involved. In this method, Hydrogen, oxygen and ozone are generated.

Oxygen and ozone generated in this process are generated in the second electrode 300, and the minute amounts of oxygen and ozone generated in the second electrode 300 are dissolved in water and sterilized.

Also, the minute amount of hydrogen generated in the first electrode 100 is dissolved in water to continuously generate hydrogen water. As a result, foreign substances formed on the second electrode 300 can be removed by applying (-) to the first electrode 100 and applying (+) to the second electrode 300, The sterilizing action of water can be performed simultaneously by the oxygen and ozone generated in the two electrodes 300. [

In this process, a foreign substance may be deposited on the first electrode 100 again. In order to remove a foreign substance from the first electrode 100, (+) is applied to the first electrode 100, The oxygen and ozone are generated in the first electrode 100 and the sterilizing action is generated in the first electrode 100 and the hydrogen is generated in the second electrode 300. In this case,

If the polarities of the second electrode 300 and the third electrode 500 for generating hydrogen are reversed in order to remove the foreign substance, A large amount of oxygen and ozone are generated by the first electrode catalyst layer 600 and the second electrode catalyst layer 700 formed between the first electrode catalyst layer 600 and the second electrode catalyst layer 700. This causes recombination with hydrogen dissolved in water, do.

As a result, according to the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to fundamentally solve the problem of deposition of foreign substances in the electrode, which may occur during the process of generating hydrogen water, and thus the service life of the portable water- At the same time, it acts to sterilize water by a small amount of oxygen and ozone.

100 Protective layer of first electrode 200
300 Second electrode 400 Electrolyte membrane
500 Third electrode 600 First electrode catalyst layer
700 Second electrode catalyst layer 800 Switching device
900 DC power source

Claims (7)

An electrode assembly connected to a power source to generate hydrogen water,
A first electrode;
A protective layer formed under the first electrode;
A second electrode formed under the passivation layer;
An electrolyte membrane formed under the second electrode;
A third electrode formed under the electrolyte membrane; And
And a switching device connected to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode to adjust a polarity of a voltage applied thereto,
Wherein the first electrode, the protective film, and the second electrode are in a state of being supported on a liquid,
Wherein the protective film is a nonconductor which prevents current flow between the first electrode and the second electrode,
Wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the protective film include a plurality of holes formed to allow liquid to move,
The switching device applies a negative (-) electrode to the second electrode to generate hydrogen water, applies a (+) electrode to the third electrode, removes foreign matter formed on the surface of the first electrode or the second electrode (-) or (+) electrode is applied to the first electrode, the opposite electrode is applied to the second electrode, and the voltage is not applied to the third electrode,
The switching device applies a negative (-) electrode to the first electrode, applies a positive (+) electrode to the second electrode when removing foreign substances formed on the second electrode, (+) Electrode is applied to the first electrode and the negative (-) electrode is applied to the second electrode when the formed foreign substance is removed. The method according to claim 1,
A first electrode catalyst layer formed between the second electrode and the electrolyte membrane; And
And a second electrode catalyst layer formed between the third electrode and the electrolyte membrane. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first electrode catalyst layer and the second electrode catalyst layer are platinum (Pt) catalyst layers. delete delete delete An apparatus for manufacturing portable water, comprising the electrode assembly of claim 1.

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