US3175150A - Apparatus for detecting short circuits in electrolytic cells having liquid mercury cathodes - Google Patents

Apparatus for detecting short circuits in electrolytic cells having liquid mercury cathodes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3175150A
US3175150A US295557A US29555763A US3175150A US 3175150 A US3175150 A US 3175150A US 295557 A US295557 A US 295557A US 29555763 A US29555763 A US 29555763A US 3175150 A US3175150 A US 3175150A
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Prior art keywords
cells
voltmeter
coil
cell
anode
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Expired - Lifetime
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US295557A
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English (en)
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Druylants Paul
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Solvay SA
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Solvay SA
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/06—Detection or inhibition of short circuits in the cell
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
    • G01R31/50—Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections
    • G01R31/52—Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults

Definitions

  • the short circuit obviously results from an accidental contact between the anode assembly and the mercury cathode.
  • This contact may be due to the presence of impurities on the surface of the mercury, for example, of coarse mercury or of particles of graphite; or to poor regulation of the distance between the anode and the cathode.
  • the breakage of an anode can also produce such a short circuit.
  • Short circuits occurring in a cell with a liquid cathode are generally from one of three sources;
  • any of the short circuits mentioned above will be indicated by a swinging of the needle.
  • the amplitude of such swinging is, however, weak and very irregulatr so that it cannot be depended on to indicate the seriousness of the short circuit.
  • a small short circuit of no practical importance can cause a pronounced swinging of the needle while a short circuit that causes burning of an anode or piercing of a bottom, may be hardly noticeable.
  • the position to be given to the contacts in order that they may remain as close as possible to the needle is a function of the amperage in the cells and of the temperature of the brine, for a given adjustment of the distance between the anode and the cathode.
  • the safety of the system depends on the man in charge of the installation because it is he who, by more or less frequent manual intervention, according to the operating conditions, must adjust the positions of the contacts.
  • the spreading of the scale is small because oscillations must be detected which are at the most only equal to 0.1 v. on a scale of 5 v.
  • each cell is provided with two coils capable of producing opposite flux and correspondingly oppositely directed torques for the meter needle.
  • One coil, called the measuring coil is connected across the anode and cathode path of the as sociated cell.
  • the other voltmeter coil which can also be called reference coil, is connected across a resistance element. All resistance elements so provided pertain to a resistor which is divided into such resistance elements by adjustable taps. Accordingly, the voltages respectively applied to reference coils pertaining to voltmeters associated with two cells having a common anode-cathode connection are altered in opposite directions. There may be provided switches to shunt the reference coil of a voltmeter, the associated cell of which has been removed from circuit for any reason.
  • circuit network diagram constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention and provided with suitable liquids.
  • FIG. 1 there are shown three electrolytic cells (3,, C and C connected in series and in between the terminals of a suitable direct current voltage source.
  • the anodes and cathodes of these cells are shown diagrammatically only and comprise solid anodes A A A and mercury cathodes K K K Anode A of cell (3;, is connected to the plus pole of the voltage source Whereas cathode K of cell C is connected to the minus pole of the voltage source.
  • anode to cathode connections A, to K A to K
  • the mercury cathode is at the bottom with the upper surface indicated by the line below anode A and thereon is the aqueous solution being treated with its upper surface indicated by the line above anode A
  • the anode is the heavy line beneath the surface of the aqueous solution and above the surface of the body of mercury forming the cathode.
  • V V and V represent voltmeters respectively associated with cells C to C
  • Each such voltmeter has two coils b and b capable of producing opposite flux and correspondingly oppositely directed torques for the voltmeter needle. In case the equal flux is produced by each coil, the voltmeter indicates zero.
  • Coil of voltmeter V is connected across cell C i.e., between cathode K and anode A thereof. in a similar manner, coils b of voltmeters V and V are connected across electrolysis cells C and C respectively.
  • S S and S are switches for short circuiting of reference coils b of the voltmeter. Switches S to S are individually closed whenever the corresponding cell is removed from the circuit.
  • Safety fuses are represented by F and they are appropriately connected in the circuit network.
  • coils b are the actual measuring coils, Whereas coils b serve as reference coils.
  • the iluX produced by coil represents a measuring flux indicative of the voltage drop in the cell to which such coil b is connected.
  • Coils correspondingly produce a reference flux as follows:
  • the reference circuit network primarily comprises a resistor R made up of similar resistance elements or sections R R R which are connected in series. Potentiometers shunted across small portions of adjoining resistance elements provide for suitable adjustable taps to subdivide resistor R into these variable resistance elements primarily comprising these sections R R R it is apparent, that upon adjusting of any tap the voltage drawn from one section is altered in opposite direction to that drawn from the adjoining section.
  • coils b of voltmeters V V V are respectively connected across resistors R R R but using the taps of the potentiometers between R R and R -R for completion of the reference network.
  • Resistor R as a whole is connected between cathode K and anode A i.e., the reference resistor is connected across all of the electrolysis cells and, at the same time across the direct current source.
  • contact voltmeters which are equipped with two coils Whose flux oppose each other in that the coils produce oppositely directed torques effective at the needle as stated above.
  • the coils are arranged in such a manner as to compare the voltage drop in each cell of the series of cells with the voltage drop in a respective section of a reference resistor network connected to the ends of the series of cells.
  • the sum of the voltage drops in the reference resistor is always equal to the sum of the voltage drops in the cells, so that after adjustment of each section of the reference resistor, the needle of each voltmeter occupies the zero position, and any deviation of the voltmeter needle from this position indicates and detects immediately a short circuit in the corresponding cell.
  • each cell C C C as sensed by the measuring coil b of each voltmeter i compared with the voltage drop in that ref erence resistor portion R R R of the resistor R which is connected to the ends of the corresponding reference coil k
  • the reference network including resistor portions R R R, with potentiometers is connected to the ends of the series of cells C C and C in such a manner that the sum of the voltage drops in the portions R R R is at each moment, and regardless of any other operating condition, always equal to the sum of the cell volt ages. For example, if voltmeter V shows zero, and voltmeter V shows +X volts, the voltmeter V must show X volts.
  • Apparatus for detecting a short circuit in electrolysis cells having liquid mercury cathodes for the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of alkali metal halide which cells are connected in series circuit connection, the combination comprising: a plurality of voltmeters, one for each cell, each voltmeter having a first coil connected across the anode and cathode of its associated cell, each said voltmeter having a second coil for producing a flux opposite to that of said first coil; and a resistor connected across said series circuit connection of said cells and having a plurality of adjustable taps to divide said resistor into a plurality of series connected resistors, with each such series connected resistor connected across one second coil of one of said voltmeters by means of at least one adjustable tap.
  • an apparatus for electrolysis of aqueous solutions of alkali metal halides comprising: a plurality of electrolytic cells connected in series circuit network and to a direct current voltage source, there being a plurality of direct anode-cathode connections of respectively succeeding cells, and there being a first cell and a last cell respectively connected to the direct current voltage source terminals; a voltmeter associated with each cell having a first coil connected to the anode and cathode thereof and having a second coil for producing a flux opposite to that of said first coil; a switch for each voltmeter for bridging the second coil thereof; and a resistor connected across said series circuit network of cells and being divided into a plurality of series resistors by means of adjustable taps, each said series resistor being connected to the second coil of one of said voltmeters,
  • each tap adjusting in opposite directions the voltages applied to the said second coils of those voltmeters associated with electrolytic cells having one of said direct anodecathode connections.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Non-Metals, Compounds, Apparatuses Therefor (AREA)
  • Protection Of Static Devices (AREA)
US295557A 1962-07-24 1963-07-16 Apparatus for detecting short circuits in electrolytic cells having liquid mercury cathodes Expired - Lifetime US3175150A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL281336 1962-07-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3175150A true US3175150A (en) 1965-03-23

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ID=19754002

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US295557A Expired - Lifetime US3175150A (en) 1962-07-24 1963-07-16 Apparatus for detecting short circuits in electrolytic cells having liquid mercury cathodes

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3175150A (en, 2012)
BE (1) BE635200A (en, 2012)
CH (1) CH398511A (en, 2012)
ES (1) ES288160A1 (en, 2012)
GB (1) GB1066445A (en, 2012)
NL (2) NL107564C (en, 2012)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3347759A (en) * 1963-10-09 1967-10-17 Siemens Ag Electrochemical method and apparatus for producing a protective gas mixture consisting of nitrogen and hydrogen
US3944995A (en) * 1975-05-20 1976-03-16 Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. Device for detecting short-circuit between electrodes in electrolytic cell
CN113388861A (zh) * 2021-06-10 2021-09-14 阳光电源股份有限公司 电解槽系统、制氢系统和制氢电源及其输出对地短路检测电路

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3347759A (en) * 1963-10-09 1967-10-17 Siemens Ag Electrochemical method and apparatus for producing a protective gas mixture consisting of nitrogen and hydrogen
US3944995A (en) * 1975-05-20 1976-03-16 Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. Device for detecting short-circuit between electrodes in electrolytic cell
CN113388861A (zh) * 2021-06-10 2021-09-14 阳光电源股份有限公司 电解槽系统、制氢系统和制氢电源及其输出对地短路检测电路
CN113388861B (zh) * 2021-06-10 2022-04-08 阳光电源股份有限公司 电解槽系统、制氢系统和制氢电源及其输出对地短路检测电路

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1066445A (en) 1967-04-26
CH398511A (fr) 1966-03-15
ES288160A1 (es) 1963-10-16
NL107564C (en, 2012)
NL281336A (en, 2012)
BE635200A (en, 2012)

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