US1581944A - Production of compressed gases by electrolysis - Google Patents

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April 20 1926.

I P. HAU SMEISTER PRODUCTION OF COIPRESSED GASES BY ELBGTROLYSIS Filed Nov. 17, 1923 REGUL/ITOF? M Ey CL MW Q @7211 van for Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

PATENT: OFFICE.

PAUL HAUSMEISTER, OI" GOPIPINGEN, GERMANY.

P1810DUCTIOIN OF COMPRESSED GASES BY ELECTBOELYSIS.

Application filed November 17, 1923. Serial No. 675,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL HAUSMEISTEB, a

citizen of Germany, residing at Goppingen,

Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Production of Compressed Gases by Electrolysis (for which ,I have filed application in Germany March 24, 1922), of which the following is a specification. I

My invention refers to the production of compressed gases by electrolysis and its parar object is to provide means for obtaining the ases in a state of higher purity than was hitlierto possible.

Close investigations of the gases obtained by electrolytical processes have shown that the gases are not always obtained in a state of such purity as could have been expected from the manner in which they were produced, not even in the case where suitable diaphragms were inserted between the electrodes in order to separate the gases developed at the anode from those developed at the cathode. It has been found that the higher the pressure in the developing vessel, the more the gases will intermlx. This deterioration of the gases. obtained by electrolysis was apt to counterbalance the great advantages ofiered by working under pressure in a closed chamber, the main advantage being that any further compression, when filling the ases into the steel conticu ' tainers, was avoi ed; It has further been ascertained that the intermixing of the gases is caused by the difi'erence of absorption of the two kindsof gases in the electrolyte.

Up till now, the electrolytical process had been conducted in such manner that gas was developed at first in a closed vessel, until a certain pressure had arisen. After this pressure had been reached, part of the gas had been tapped oil at higher or lower pressure and during the tap in'g considerable diminutions of. pressure ad been caused. With increasing ressure in the closed developing' vessel, t e electrolyte would'then reabsorb or retain increasing quantities of gas during the first period of generation, the quantities of gas reabsorbed or retained varying according to the nature of the gases in each individual case. Obviously, this unoff gas, a substantial expansion has taken place, the electrolyte will give off again the absorbed gases, but this will take place not only at that electrode by which the gas had been generated but also at the other.

According to the present invention, all the variations of pressure -Which impair the purity of the gases are'avoided or reduced to a practically negligible degree by suitably regulating the generation cf gas, the quantity of gas tapped off and the filling up of the electrolyte.

This regulation can be effected in ditt'erent ways and, if desired, automatically. It is for instance possible to insert in the tap pipes for the gases automatic regulating valves which always allow only so much gas to escape that the pressure in the'developer remains constant. It is further possible to cause the intensity of current in the developer to be regulated in dependency upon a contact manometer, so that, whenever the pressure shows a tendency to diminish, an increased generation of gas will ensue, while, with increasing pressure, the generation of gas will be diminished or interrupted altogether.

It is also possible to provide for a corresponding balance of pressure by introducing the electrolyte under pressure, this means also serving to avoid the far reaching expansion which hitherto occurred when the electrolyte was filled up. Obviously, several such means can also be combined for the purposes of this invention.

The novel process can be adapted with equal advantage in connection with other methods of gas roduction under pressure, the regulation of the gas production being efl'ected by other means than by the regulation of the current. In every case, the novel rule of keeping the gas pressure in the developer constant applies only to the process after it has once been started, while in starting the developing of gases, the gas pressure can be increased without any danger until a desired pressure is reached which shall be kept constant. The main consideration is to avoid an alternating lowering and rising of the gas pressure which would have a decided influence upon the absorption of gases or the setting free of absorbed gases, but even an expansion which would act in that way should be avoided.

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof, a device chambers 1 and. 2'through pipe 3 from a suitable source of supply. Electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged in the chambers 1 and 2 and connected to the circuit of a generator 7 The pressure in the chambers 1 and 2 10 which are in communication at the bottom of their common tank is indicated by a pressure gauge 13 the hand of which cooperates with a concentric resistance 20, in

the circult of an automatic regulator diagrammatically indicated at 9.

" The gases from the producer chambers 1 and 2, for instance, oxygen and hydrogen, are stored in gas'bottles 14 and 15 which are connected with the chambers 1 and 2 by pipes 16 and 17, respectively. Automatic re- . ducing valves 18 and 19 are inserted in the modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim The process of maintaining the purity of gases generated from an electrolyte in a closed container, which consists in maintaining a constant pressure in said container to thereby prevent the release of a mixture of gases due to variations in pressure encountered during the roduction of said ase In testimony w ereof I afiix my slgnature.

PAUL HAUSMEISTER.

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