Electrolytic apparatus and method of producing electrolyzed water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016194770-A1
Application number	US-201615068023-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Sep 22, 2014
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electrolytic apparatus includes an electrolytic cell including an anode chamber, an intermediate chamber, a cathode chamber, separating membranes, an anode in the anode chamber, and a cathode in the cathode chamber, a water supply portion which supplies water to the anode and cathode chambers and intermittently changes a water supply and discharge amount, an electrolyte fluid supply portion which supplies and discharges an electrolyte fluid to the intermediate chamber, and a controller which applies potential to the anode and the cathode and electrolyzes the electrolyte fluid in a state where the water supply and discharge amount is small or in a water static state in at least one of the anode and the cathode chambers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrolytic apparatus comprising:
an electrolytic cell comprising a first separating membrane which separates an anode chamber from an intermediate chamber through which an electrolyte fluid flows, a second separating membrane which separates the intermediate chamber from a cathode chamber, an anode provided in the anode chamber to face the first separating membrane, and a cathode provided in the cathode chamber to face the second separating membrane; a water supply portion which supplies water to the anode chamber and the cathode chamber and intermittently changes a water supply and discharge amount to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; an electrolyte fluid supply portion which supplies and discharges an electrolyte fluid to the intermediate chamber; and a controller which applies potential to the anode and the cathode to electrolyze the electrolyte fluid in a state where the water supply and discharge amount is small or in a water static state in at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.

2 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water supply portion comprises a water supply pipe which leads water from a water supply source to the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; and an electromagnetic valve which is provided in the water supply pipe and opens and closes the water supply pipe, and
the controller intermittently opens and closes the electromagnetic valve for a predetermined time, and controls intermittent water supply and discharge to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.

3 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied has a water pressure of 10 kPa or lower in the state where the water supply and discharge amount is small or in the water static state.

4 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied includes a water pressure lower than the intermediate chamber in the state where the water supply and discharge amount is small or in the water static state.

5 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied includes a water pressure higher than the intermediate chamber in a state where the water supply and discharge amount is large.

6 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied is separated from the intermediate chamber by a porous membrane having water permeability.

7 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the porous membrane has a water permeability of 0.1 to 100 ml/minute/cm 2 /MPa.

8 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the porous membrane has a pore diameter of 2 to 1000 nm.

9 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied has a capacity of 200 cc or greater.

10 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a water discharge pipe connected to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied comprises an auxiliary chamber, and the anode chamber and the cathode chamber have a capacity of 200 cc or greater in combination with a capacity of the auxiliary chamber.

11 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the intermittent water supply amount is larger than a capacity of at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied.

12 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 2 , which comprises a water discharge pipe connected to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge, and a check valve provided in the water discharge pipe.

13 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the check valve is a safety valve which opens at a predetermined water pressure or a higher water pressure, and a predetermined water pressure is applied to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied in the water static state.

14 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined water pressure is lower than or equal to 10 kPa.

15 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an amount of delivering the electrolyte fluid to the intermediate chamber is small or the electrolyte fluid is static in electrolysis.

16 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte fluid supply portion comprises an electrolyte fluid tank which stores an electrolyte fluid; a supply pipe which leads the electrolyte fluid in the electrolyte fluid tank to the intermediate chamber; and a delivery pump provided in the supply pipe, and the controller intermittently supplies the electrolyte fluid to the intermediate chamber by the delivery pump.

17 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the electrolyte fluid supply portion comprises a discharge pipe which discharges the electrolyte fluid which had passed through the intermediate chamber from the intermediate chamber; and a check valve provided in the discharge pipe.

18 . The electrolytic apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the check valve is a safety valve which opens at a water pressure higher than a water pressure applied in the state where the water supply and discharge amount to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber to which the intermittent water supply and discharge is applied is small or in the water static state.

19 . A method of producing an electrolyzed water by an electrolytic apparatus comprising an electrolytic cell comprising an intermediate chamber divided by a first separating membrane and a second separating membrane, anode and cathode chambers provided on both sides of the intermediate chamber, an anode provided in the anode chamber to face the first separating membrane, and a cathode provided in the cathode chamber to face the second separating membrane, the method comprising:
supplying an electrolyte fluid to the intermediate chamber; supplying water to the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; intermittently changing a water supply and discharge amount to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; and applying potential to the anode and the cathode to electrolyze the electrolyte fluid in the intermediate chamber and producing electrolyzed water in at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber in a state where the water supply and discharge amount is small or in a water static state in at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the water supply to at least one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber is intermittently applied and stopped at predetermined time intervals, and the potential is applied to the anode and the cathode in a state where the water supply is stopped.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte fluid supply to the intermediate chamber is intermittently applied and stopped in synchronization with the water supply and stoppage.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Yokota Masahiro
• Oota Hideo
• Chigusa Hisashi
• Matsuda Hidemi

Classifications

• C25B1/46

  in diaphragm cells · CPC title

• C02F1/4618

  for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water · CPC title

• C02F1/46104

  Devices therefor; Their operating or servicing · CPC title

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title