Electrolysis element for alkaline water electrolysis, and alkaline water electrolysis vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023029237-A1
Application number	US-202117801884-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 26, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrolysis element for alkaline water electrolysis includes: an electroconductive separating wall including a first face and a second face; an anode for generating oxygen; a cathode for generating hydrogen; a first connecting means fixing the anode to the separating wall such that the anode faces the first face of the separating wall at a first distance, and electrically connecting the anode to the separating wall; an electroconductive elastic body supporting the cathode; and a cathode current collector supporting the elastic body, the cathode current collector being fixed to the separating wall, to face the second face of the separating wall at a second distance, and being electrically connected to the separating wall, the first connecting means including: an electroconductive bolt including at least a shaft, wherein the anode is removably fixed to the separating wall by means of the electroconductive bolt.

First claim

1 . An electrolysis element for alkaline water electrolysis, the electrolysis element comprising:
an electroconductive separating wall comprising a first face and a second face; an anode for generating oxygen; a cathode for generating hydrogen; a first connecting means fixing the anode to the separating wall such that the anode faces the first face of the separating wall at a first distance, and electrically connecting the anode to the separating wall; an electroconductive elastic body supporting the cathode; and a cathode current collector supporting the elastic body, the cathode current collector being fixed to the separating wall, to face the second face of the separating wall at a second distance, and being electrically connected to the separating wall, the first connecting means comprising:
an electroconductive first bolt comprising at least a shaft,
wherein the anode is removably fixed to the separating wall by means of the first bolt.

2 . The electrolysis element according to claim 1 ,
the first connecting means further comprising:
a first through-hole provided in the separating wall, wherein the shaft of the first bolt can be put through the first through-hole; and
a first nut which can engage with the first bolt.

3 . The electrolysis element according to claim 2 ,
the first connecting means further comprising:
an electroconductive first structural element,
the first structural element comprising:
a first spacer portion extending from the anode toward the first face of the separating wall in a direction crossing the first face of the separating wall; and
a first plate-shaped portion being continuous from the first spacer portion and extending in a direction parallel to the first face of the separating wall,
the first spacer portion comprising:
an end fixed to the anode,
the first plate-shaped portion comprising:
a second through-hole, wherein the shaft of the first bolt can be put through the second through hole,
wherein the shaft of the first bolt is put through the first through-hole and the second through-hole and engages with the first nut, to fix the first structural element to the separating wall.

4 . The electrolysis element according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second through-hole is continuous from the first plate-shaped portion to at least part of the first spacer portion.

5 . The electrolysis element according to claim 3 ,
the first bolt further comprising:
a head arranged at an end of the shaft,
the shaft of the first bolt being put through the first through-hole and the second through-hole, in a direction such that the head of the first bolt pushes the first plate-shaped portion of the first structural element toward the separating wall, the first structural element further comprising:
a rotation-limiting portion, wherein when the shaft of the first bolt is put through the second through-hole and the head of the first bolt contacts with the first plate-shaped portion, the rotation-limiting portion contacts with a side surface of the head of the first bolt, to limit rotation of the first bolt.

6 . The electrolysis element according to any one of claim 3 ,
the first connecting means further comprising:
a second nut which can engage with the first bolt,
wherein the second nut engages with the shaft of the first bolt put through the second through-hole, such that the head of the first bolt and the second nut sandwich the first plate-shaped portion of the first structural element, to fix the first bolt to the first plate-shaped portion of the first structural element; and the shaft of the first bolt fixed to the first plate-shaped portion of the first structural element is put through the first through-hole of the separating wall and engages with the first nut, to fix the first bolt to the separating wall.

7 . The electrolysis element according to claim 3 ,
the cathode current collector comprising:
a third through-hole provided in a position facing the first through-hole of the separating wall, the third through-hole having a shape and dimensions such that the first nut can pass through the third through-hole.

8 . The electrolysis element according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an electroconductive and removable first lid member covering at least part of the third through-hole of the cathode current collector, wherein when the first lid member is put to cover at least part of the third through-hole of the cathode current collector, the first lid member is electrically connected to the cathode current collector.

9 . The electrolysis element according to claim 1 ,
the first connecting means further comprising:
a first threaded hole opening in the first face of the separating wall, wherein the first threaded hole can engage with the first bolt.

10 . The electrolysis element according to claim 9 ,
the first connecting means further comprising:
an electroconductive first structural element,
the first structural element comprising:
a first spacer portion extending from the anode toward the first face of the separating wall in a direction crossing the first face of the separating wall; and
a first plate-shaped portion being continuous from the first spacer portion and extending in a direction parallel to the first face of the separating wall,
the first spacer portion comprising:
an end fixed to the anode,
the first plate-shaped portion comprising:
a second through-hole, wherein the shaft of the first bolt can be put through the second through-hole,
wherein the shaft of the first bolt is put through the second through-hole and engages with the first threaded hole of the separating wall, to fix the first structural element to the separating wall.

11 . The electrolysis element according to claim 10 ,
the anode comprising:
a fourth through-hole provided in a position facing the second through-hole, the fourth through-hole having a shape and dimensions such that the first bolt can pass through the fourth through-hole.

12 . The electrolysis element according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a second lid member comprising a same material as the anode and covering at least part of the fourth through-hole of the anode; and an electroconductive second bolt fixed to the second lid member, the first bolt further comprising a head, the head of the first bolt comprising:
a second threaded hole which can engage with the second bolt,
wherein the second bolt engages with the second threaded hole, such that the second lid member is removably fixed to the first bolt and is electrically connected to the first bolt and such that the second lid member covers at least part of the fourth through-hole of the anode.

13 . The electrolysis element according to claim 9 ,
the first bolt being a stud bolt, the stud bolt comprising:
a first end; and
a second end,
the first connecting means further comprising:
an electroconductive first structural element; and
a first nut which can engage with the stud bolt,
the first structural element comprising:
a first spacer portion extending from the anode toward the first face of the separating wall in a direction crossing the first face of the separating wall; and
a first plate-shaped portion being continuous from the first spacer portion and extending in a direction parallel to the first face of the separating wall,
the first spacer portion comprising:
an end fixed to the anode,
the first plate-shaped portion comprising:
a second thorough-hole, wherein the first bolt can be put through the second through-hole,
wherein the stud bolt engages with the first threaded hole of the separatin

Assignees

• Tokuyama Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Yasuyuki
• Matsui Hitoshi

Classifications

• C25B9/65

  Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B13/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• C25B15/04

  Regulation of the inter-electrode distance · CPC title

• C25B9/21

  two or more diaphragms · CPC title