Differential pressure water electrolysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053783-B2
Application number	US-201514836958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A differential pressure water electrolysis system includes high pressure water electrolysis cells stacked and fastened in a stacking direction. Each of the high pressure water electrolysis cells includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode feed conductor, a cathode feed conductor, an anode separator, a cathode separator, an elastic member, a hydrogen manifold, a conductive member, a sealing member, a conductive sheet, and an insulation member. The conductive member is disposed between the cathode separator and the electrolyte membrane to provide the hydrogen manifold. The conductive sheet is disposed so as to extend from a first portion between the conductive member and the electrolyte membrane to a second portion between the cathode feed conductor and the elastic member. The insulation member is disposed in a center portion of the cathode feed conductor and between the conductive sheet and the electrolyte membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A differential pressure water electrolysis system, comprising:
a high pressure water electrolysis cell including
an electrolyte membrane,
an anode feed conductor provided on one side and a cathode feed conductor provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane,
an anode separator disposed so as to oppose the anode feed conductor, the anode separator being provided with an anode chamber in which the anode feed conductor is accommodated and generating oxygen by electrolyzing water that has been supplied thereto,
a cathode separator disposed so as to oppose the cathode feed conductor, the cathode separator being provided with a cathode chamber in which the cathode feed conductor is accommodated and, by electrolysis of the water, generating hydrogen that has a pressure that is higher than that of the oxygen,
an elastic member that is disposed between the cathode feed conductor and the cathode separator and that applies a load in a stacking direction, and
a hydrogen manifold through which the hydrogen flows being formed in the high pressure water electrolysis cell by penetrating center portions of the anode feed conductor and the cathode feed conductor, wherein a plurality of the high pressure water electrolysis cells are stacked and fastened in a stacking direction;

a conductive member that forms the hydrogen manifold and that is disposed between the cathode separator and the electrolyte membrane;
a sealing member that is disposed so as to encircle and seal the cathode chamber;
a conductive sheet that is disposed so as to extend from a portion between the conductive member and the electrolyte membrane to a portion between the cathode feed conductor and the elastic member in an integrated manner; and
an insulation member that is disposed in the center portion of the cathode feed conductor and between the conductive sheet and the electrolyte membrane.

2. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the conductive sheet integrally includes a shim function portion against which the elastic member abuts.

3. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic member is a metallic spring.

4. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic member is a rubber member, and
a through hole is formed in the conductive sheet in an area corresponding to an area sealed by the elastic member.

5. A differential pressure water electrolysis system, comprising:
high pressure water electrolysis cells stacked and fastened in a stacking direction, each of the high pressure water electrolysis cells comprising:
an electrolyte membrane having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side in the stacking direction;
an anode feed conductor provided on the first side of the electrolyte membrane;
a cathode feed conductor provided on the second side of the electrolyte membrane;
an anode separator disposed so as to face the anode feed conductor and having an anode chamber in which the anode feed conductor is accommodated and oxygen is generated via electrolysis of water that has been supplied into the anode chamber;
a cathode separator disposed so as to face the cathode feed conductor and having a cathode chamber in which the cathode feed conductor is accommodated and hydrogen that has a pressure higher than a pressure of the oxygen is generated via the electrolysis of the water;
an elastic member disposed between the cathode feed conductor and the cathode separator to apply a load in the stacking direction;
a hydrogen manifold through which the hydrogen flows and which extends through center portions of the anode feed conductor and the cathode feed conductor;
a conductive member disposed between the cathode separator and the electrolyte membrane to provide the hydrogen manifold;
a sealing member disposed so as to encircle and seal the cathode chamber;
a conductive sheet disposed so as to extend from a first portion between the conductive member and the electrolyte membrane to a second portion between the cathode feed conductor and the elastic member; and
an insulation member disposed in the center portion of the cathode feed conductor and between the conductive sheet and the electrolyte membrane.

6. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the conductive sheet integrally includes a shim function portion against which the elastic member abuts.

7. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the elastic member includes a metallic spring.

8. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 , wherein the elastic member includes a rubber member, and
wherein a through hole is provided in the conductive sheet in an area corresponding to an area sealed by the elastic member.

9. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein each of the high pressure water electrolysis cells comprises a protection sheet member interposed between the anode feed conductor and the electrolyte membrane.

10. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 , wherein the conductive sheet is porous and includes micro-pores so that the hydrogen and the water permeate through the micro-pores.

11. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the conductive sheet includes a portion against which the elastic member abuts.

12. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conductive sheet is porous.

13. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the insulation member is disposed inward of the cathode feed conductor relative to a center of the high pressure water electrolysis cell, the insulation member being disposed between the conductive sheet and the electrolyte membrane in the stacking direction.

14. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the conductive sheet includes a portion against which the elastic member abuts.

15. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the conductive sheet is porous.

16. The differential pressure water electrolysis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the insulation member is disposed inward of the cathode feed conductor relative to a center of the high pressure water electrolysis cell, the insulation member being disposed between the conductive sheet and the electrolyte membrane in the stacking direction.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Haryu Eiji
• Kawasaki Nobuyuki
• Ishikawa Hiroyuki

Classifications

• C25B9/20

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/10

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B13/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title