Electrolysis stack and electrolyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016281248-A1
Application number	US-201414777993-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrolysis stack for an electyrolyzer is electrically subdivided into a plurality of segments, each segment including a specific number of electrolysis cells. The electrolysis stack further has switches adapted for electrically short circuiting the segments of the electrolysis stack.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An electrolysis stack, comprising:
a plurality of electrolysis cells; current discharge plates inserted into the electrolysis stack so as to electrically subdivide the electrolysis stack into a plurality of segments, each of said segments comprising a specific number of said electrolysis cells; and switches in thermal contact with the current discharge plates, said switches being adapted for electrically short circuiting said segments.

17 . The electrolysis stack of claim 16 , wherein the segments differ with regard to the number of electrolysis cells.

18 . The electrolysis stack of claim 16 , wherein the number of electrolysis cells forms a mathematical sequence, and is specified in particular according to the following formula:
a*(2 x ) wherein a is a natural number and x is the number of segments.

19 . The electrolysis stack of claim 16 , having a segmented region and an un-segmented region, said segmented region being defined by the segments.

20 . The electrolysis stack of claim 19 , wherein the segmented region comprises approximately ¼ to ⅓ of the electrolysis stack, and wherein the non-segmented region comprises approximately ⅔ to ¾ of the electrolysis stack,

21 . The electrolysis stack of claim 19 , wherein the segmented region comprises approximately ¼ or approximately ⅓ of the electrolysis stack, and wherein the non-segmented region comprises approximately ⅔ or approximately ¾ of the electrolysis stack.

22 . The electrolysis stack of claim 19 , wherein the non-segmented region comprises approximately ⅔ to ¾ of the electrolysis stack.

23 . The electrolysis stack of claim 19 , wherein the non-segmented region comprises approximately ⅔ or approximately ¾ of the electrolysis stack.

24 . The electrolysis stack of claim 16 , wherein the switch is constructed as a power semiconductor.

25 . The electrolysis stack of claim 24 , wherein the switch is constructed as a semiconductor switch.

26 . The electrolysis stack of claim 16 , comprising approximately 100 to 400 of said electrolysis cells, wherein the electrolysis cells are each operable at a voltage between 20 V to 50 V.

27 . The electrolysis stack of claim 26 , comprising approximately 200 to 300 of said electrolysis cells.

28 . An electrolyzer, comprising an electrolysis stack, said electrolysis stack comprising a plurality of electrolysis cells; current discharge plates inserted into the electrolysis stack so as to electrically subdivide the electrolysis stack into a plurality of segments, each of said segments comprising a specific number of said electrolysis cells; and switches in thermal contact with the current discharge plates, said switches being adapted for electrically short circuiting said segments.

29 . The electrolyzer of claim 28 , comprising a plurality of said electrolysis stack connected in parallel and/or in series to each other.

30 . The electrolyzer of claim 28 , further comprising:
a recording unit for recording a number of operating hours of at least some of the electrolysis stacks; and a control unit for controlling the switches, wherein the control unit is configured in particular such that the control is effected by the control unit ( 8 ) on the basis of the power-related measurement data and/or as a function of the recorded number of operating hours.

31 . The electrolyzer of claim 28 , further comprising a control unit for controlling the switches, wherein the control unit is configured such that the control is effected by the control unit as a function of power-related measurement data and/or as a function of a recorded number of operating hours.

32 . An energy supply system, comprising:
a renewable energy source; and an electrolyzer connected to the renewable energy source, said electrolysis stack comprising a plurality of electrolysis cells, current discharge plates inserted into the electrolysis stack so as to electrically subdivide the electrolysis stack into a plurality of segments, each of said segments comprising a specific number of said electrolysis cells, and switches in thermal contact with the current discharge plates, said switches being adapted for electrically short circuiting said segments.

33 . The energy supply system of claim 32 , wherein the renewable energy source is constructed as a photovoltaic installation or a wind energy installation.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Hahn Alexander
• Herold Jochen
• Weidauer Jens

Classifications

• C25B9/18

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/04

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• Y02P20/133

  Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

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