Water electrolysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016068976-A1
Application number	US-201514846827-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 7, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Mar 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus, an electric component, and a casing. The electric component is to operate the water electrolysis apparatus. The casing includes a housing chamber, an electric component chamber, and a buffering chamber. The housing chamber has a first ventilation air inlet to introduce external air into the housing chamber and houses the water electrolysis apparatus. The electric component chamber has a second ventilation air inlet to introduce the external air into the electric component chamber and houses the electric component. The first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet are separate from each other. The buffering chamber is in communication with the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet. An air pressure in the buffering chamber is to be maintained at atmospheric pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water electrolysis system comprising:
a water electrolysis apparatus including an electrolyte membrane and current collectors disposed on respective opposite anode and cathode sides of the electrolyte membrane, the water electrolysis apparatus that electrolyzes water generates oxygen on the anode side and hydrogen on the cathode side; an electric component for operating the water electrolysis apparatus; and a casing having a housing chamber that houses the water electrolysis apparatus and an electric component chamber that houses the electric component, wherein the housing chamber has a first ventilation air inlet for introducing external air and the electric component chamber has a second ventilation air inlet for introducing external air, the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet being separate from each other, and the casing further has a buffering chamber maintained at atmospheric pressure and in communication with the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet.

2 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first ventilator configured to draw the external air out of the housing chamber to maintain the housing chamber at a negative pressure; and a second ventilator configured to send the external air into the electric component chamber to maintain the electric component chamber at a positive pressure.

3 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas detector for detecting flammable gas, wherein
the buffering chamber includes a ventilation air inlet, and the gas detector is disposed adjacent to the air ventilation inlet.

4 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the casing has a storage chamber that houses a reservoir for storing the hydrogen generated by the water electrolysis apparatus, and
the storage chamber has a third ventilation air inlet for introducing external air and the third ventilation air inlet is in communication with the buffering chamber.

5 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the electric component chamber is disposed in the buffering chamber, and
the electric component chamber has a ventilation air outlet for expelling air into the buffering chamber.

6 . A water electrolysis system comprising:
a water electrolysis apparatus comprising:
an electrolyte membrane having an anode side and a cathode side opposite to the anode side;
a first current collector disposed on the anode side;
a second current collector disposed on the cathode side; and
the water electrolysis apparatus being to electrolyze water to generate oxygen on the anode side and hydrogen on the cathode side;
an electric component to operate the water electrolysis apparatus; and a casing comprising:
a housing chamber that has a first ventilation air inlet to introduce external air into the housing chamber and that houses the water electrolysis apparatus;
an electric component chamber that has a second ventilation air inlet to introduce the external air into the electric component chamber and that houses the electric component, the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet being separate from each other; and
a buffering chamber being in communication with the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet, an air pressure in the buffering chamber being to be maintained at atmospheric pressure.

7 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a first ventilator to draw the external air out of the housing chamber to maintain an air pressure in the housing chamber at a negative pressure; and a second ventilator to send the external air into the electric component chamber to maintain an air pressure in the electric component chamber at a positive pressure.

8 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a gas detector to detect flammable gas, wherein the buffering chamber has a ventilation air inlet, and wherein the gas detector is disposed adjacent to the air ventilation inlet.

9 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the casing comprises a storage chamber that houses a reservoir to store the hydrogen generated by the water electrolysis apparatus, wherein the storage chamber has a third ventilation air inlet to introduce the external air into the storage chamber, and wherein the third ventilation air inlet is in communication with the buffering chamber.

10 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the electric component chamber is disposed in the buffering chamber, and wherein the electric component chamber has a ventilation air outlet to expel air into the buffering chamber.

11 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the housing chamber has a largest capacity, and wherein the buffering chamber has a smallest capacity.

12 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a third ventilator to draw the external air out of the storage chamber to maintain an air pressure in the storage chamber at a negative pressure.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Tetsuya
• Nakazawa Koji
• Nagaoka Hisashi
• Takeuchi Jun
• Kurashina Daisuke

Classifications

• C25B9/08 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/19 Primary

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title