Water electrolysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019376196-A1
Application number	US-201916431768-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	Jun 7, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis unit; a housing; a ventilation device configured to cause air to flow inside a space of the housing; and a heating device provided on an upstream side of a water electrolysis device in a flow path of the air. A control device controls operation of the ventilation device based on ventilation temperature information detected by a ventilation temperature sensor provided above the water electrolysis device. Furthermore, the control device controls operation of the heating device based on heating temperature information of a heating temperature sensor provided between the heating device and the water electrolysis device in the flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water electrolysis system comprising:
a water electrolysis unit including a water electrolysis device configured to perform water electrolysis; a housing that includes therein a space through which air flows, and houses the water electrolysis unit in the space; a ventilation device configured to cause the air to flow inside the space; a heating device provided on an upstream side of the water electrolysis device in a flow path of the air, and configured to heat the air; a ventilation temperature sensor provided above the water electrolysis device in the space; a heating temperature sensor provided between the heating device and the water electrolysis device in the flow path; and a control device configured to control operation of the ventilation device based on ventilation temperature information detected by the ventilation temperature sensor, and also control operation of the heating device based on heating temperature information detected by the heating temperature sensor.

2 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing includes a ventilation outlet configured to allow the air to flow outside from the space therethrough, the ventilation temperature sensor is provided at a position near the ventilation outlet, and the control device includes a flow rate increase starting threshold value, and increases a flow rate of the air using the ventilation device when the ventilation temperature information changes from being less than or equal to the flow rate increase starting threshold value to exceeding the flow rate increase starting threshold value.

3 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 2 , wherein
the ventilation device includes a regular fan configured to always rotate to cause the air to flow, and an additional fan configured to rotate when the ventilation temperature information exceeds the flow rate increase starting threshold value to thereby increase the flow rate of the air.

4 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 3 , wherein
the additional fan of the ventilation device comprises a plurality of additional fans, when the additional fans start rotating, the control device causes part of the plurality of additional fans to rotate first, and then causes other part of the plurality of additional fans to rotate, and when rotation of the additional fans is being stopped, the control device first stops rotation of part of the plurality of additional fans, and then stops rotation of other part of the plurality of additional fans.

5 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 3 , wherein
the ventilation device includes a cutoff device configured to, with the additional fan in an operationally stopped state, close the additional fan.

6 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 5 , wherein
when the additional fan transitions from a closed state to an open state by the cutoff device, the control device increases a rotational speed of the regular fan.

7 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 3 , wherein
the flow path includes a regular flow path through which the air is caused to flow by the regular fan and an additional flow path through which the air is caused to flow by the additional fan, and the regular flow path passes through the heating device, but the additional flow path does not pass through the heating device.

8 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a flow rate sensor configured to detect the flow rate of the air at a position near the ventilation outlet, wherein the control device changes rotational speeds of the regular fan and the additional fan, based on flow rate information detected by the flow rate sensor.

9 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device includes a heating start threshold value and a heating stop threshold value that is higher than the heating start threshold value, the control device starts heating by the heating device when, with the heating device in a heating stopped state, the heating temperature information becomes less than or equal to the heating start threshold value, and the control device stops heating by the heating device when, with the heating device in a heating state, the heating temperature information has exceeded the heating stop threshold value.

10 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 9 , wherein
the heating temperature sensor includes a first heating temperature sensor provided at a position near a downstream side of the heating device and a second heating temperature sensor provided at a position near an upstream side of the water electrolysis device, and the control device controls heating and stopping of heating by the heating device, based on either one of the first heating temperature information of the first heating temperature sensor and the second heating temperature information of the second heating temperature sensor.

11 . The water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device is provided on an upstream side of the water electrolysis device in the flow path, and to a side of the water electrolysis device.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mohri Masahiro
• Fukushima Yukihiro
• Kurashina Daisuke
• Miyajima Toshiki
• Fukuda Takashi
• Misu Daisuke
• Inoue Satoshi

Classifications

• C25B15/00

  Operating or servicing cells · CPC title

• C25B9/00

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B15/021

  of heating or cooling · CPC title