Gas production apparatus and gas production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11505872-B2
Application number	US-201917261838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A gas production apparatus including: an electrolysis vessel; first and second electrolyte circulation systems; and an electrolyte exchanger, the first/second electrolyte circulation system including: a first/second circulation tank receiving and storing a first/second electrolyte flowing out from an anode chamber/a cathode chamber; and a first/second circulation pump supplying the first/second electrolyte to the anode chamber/the cathode chamber, the electrolyte exchanger transferring part of the first electrolyte existing in the first electrolyte circulation system into the second electrolyte circulation system on one hand, and transferring part of the second electrolyte existing in the second electrolyte circulation system into the first electrolyte circulation system on the other hand.

First claim

We claim:

1. A gas production apparatus comprising:
an electrolysis vessel comprising an anode chamber, a cathode chamber, and an ion-permeable separator membrane separating the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, the anode chamber housing an anode and generating oxygen gas, the cathode chamber housing a cathode and generating hydrogen gas;
a first electrolyte circulation system;
a second electrolyte circulation system; and
an electrolyte exchanger,
the first electrolyte circulation system comprising:
a first circulation tank receiving and storing a first electrolyte flowing out from the anode chamber; and
a first circulation pump supplying the first electrolyte stored in the first circulation tank to the anode chamber,

the second electrolyte circulation system comprising:
a second circulation tank receiving and storing a second electrolyte flowing out from the cathode chamber; and
a second circulation pump supplying the second electrolyte stored in the second circulation tank to the cathode chamber,

the electrolyte exchanger transferring part of the first electrolyte existing in the first electrolyte circulation system into the second electrolyte circulation system on one hand, and transferring part of the second electrolyte existing in the second electrolyte circulation system into the first electrolyte circulation system on the other hand,
the gas production apparatus further comprising:
a first pipe connecting an outlet of the first circulation pump and an inlet of the anode chamber; and
a second pipe connecting an outlet of the second circulation pump and an inlet of the cathode chamber, the second electrolyte flowing in the second pipe,
the electrolyte exchanger comprising either (a) or (b):
(a) a first electrolyte transferor transferring part of the first electrolyte stored in the first circulation tank into the second circulation tank; and
a second electrolyte transferor transferring part of the second electrolyte from the second pipe into the first pipe; or

(b) a first electrolyte transferor transferring part of the second electrolyte stored in the second circulation tank into the first circulation tank; and
a second electrolyte transferor transferring part of the first electrolyte from the first pipe into the second pipe.

2. The gas production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first pressure regulator valve regulating a pressure of a first gas stream flowing out from the anode chamber; and
a second pressure regulator valve regulating a pressure of a second gas stream flowing out from the cathode chamber.

3. The gas production apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first cooler receiving and cooling the first gas stream;
a second cooler receiving and cooling the second gas stream;
a first filter being connected with the first cooler, receiving the first gas stream cooled by the first cooler, and removing a liquefied moisture in the first gas stream; and
a second filter being connected with the second cooler, receiving the second gas stream cooled by the second cooler, and removing a liquefied moisture in the second gas stream,
wherein the first cooler and the first filter are arranged on an upstream side of the first pressure regulator valve; and
the second cooler and the second filter are arranged on an upstream side of the second pressure regulator valve.

4. The gas production apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a differential pressure regulator regulating a pressure difference between the pressure of the first gas stream on the upstream side of the first pressure regulator valve and the pressure of the second gas stream on the upstream side of the second pressure regulator valve to a predetermined value.

5. The gas production apparatus according to claim 4 ,
the differential pressure regulator comprising:
a differential pressure detector measuring the pressure difference between the pressure of the first gas stream on the upstream side of the first pressure regulator valve and the pressure of the second gas stream on the upstream side of the second pressure regulator valve; and
a valve controller controlling the first pressure regulator valve and/or the second pressure regulator valve based on a result of the measurement by the differential pressure detector.

6. A gas production method for producing oxygen gas and hydrogen gas, the method comprising electrolyzing an electrolyte which is an alkaline water by means of an electrolysis vessel, the electrolysis vessel comprising an anode chamber, a cathode chamber, and an ion-permeable separator membrane separating the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, the anode chamber housing an anode and generating oxygen gas, the cathode chamber housing a cathode and generating hydrogen gas,
the method comprising:
(a) applying an electric current between the anode and the cathode while supplying a first electrolyte to the anode chamber and a second electrolyte to the cathode chamber respectively, to generate oxygen gas from the anode and hydrogen gas from the cathode respectively;
(b) recovering a first gas stream and the first electrolyte from the anode chamber, the first gas stream comprising oxygen gas;
(c) recovering a second gas stream and the second electrolyte from the cathode chamber, the second gas stream comprising hydrogen gas;
(d) storing the first electrolyte recovered from the anode chamber in a first circulation tank;
(e) storing the second electrolyte recovered from the cathode chamber in a second circulation tank;
(f) pumping the first electrolyte stored in the first circulation tank to the anode chamber by means of a first circulation pump;
(g) pumping the second electrolyte stored in the second circulation tank to the cathode chamber by means of a second circulation pump;
(h) introducing part of the first electrolyte into the second electrolyte; and
(i) introducing part of the second electrolyte into the first electrolyte,
wherein either (a) or (b):
(a) the (h) comprises transferring part of the first electrolyte stored in the first circulation tank into the second circulation tank; and
the (i) comprises making part of the second electrolyte pumped out from the second circulation pump join the first electrolyte pumped out from the first circulation pump; or

(b) the (h) comprises making part of the first electrolyte pumped out from the first circulation pump join the second electrolyte pumped out from the second circulation pump; and
the (i) comprises transferring part of the second electrolyte stored in the second circulation tank into the first circulation tank.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
(j) regulating a pressure of the first gas stream recovered from the anode chamber, by means of a first pressure regulator valve arranged in a flow path of the first gas stream; and
(k) regulating a pressure of the second gas stream recovered from the cathode chamber, by means of a second pressure regulator valve arranged in a flow path of the second gas stream.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
(l) cooling the first gas stream;
(m) cooling the second gas stream;
(n) removing a moisture condensed in the (l) from the first gas stream after the (l); and
(o) removing a moisture condensed in the (m) from the second gas stream after the (m),
the (j) comprising:
regulating the pressure of the first gas stream after the (l) and the (n) by means of the first pressure regulator valve,

the (k) comprising:
regulating the pressure of the second gas steam after the (m) and the (o) by means of the second pressure regulator valve.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
(p) regula

Assignees

• Tokuyama Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Yasuyuki
• Kodama Yoshikazu
• Matsunaga Daisuke

Classifications

• C25B15/023

  Measuring, analysing or testing during electrolytic production · CPC title

• C25B9/15

  Flow-through cells · CPC title

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B9/05

  Pressure cells · CPC title