Electrolysis unit for obtaining gaseous products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025092551-A1
Application number	US-202218711272-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Nov 18, 2021
Publication date	Mar 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrolysis unit A fluid manifold system is feeding electrolytic solution into the electrolytic cells and discharging the electrolytic solution out of the electrolytic cells. The cavity of an expandable closing device is pressurized so that its shell expands and the volume of the cavity increases. The expandable closing device is arranged within the fluid manifold system, so that the fluid manifold system is open for the passage of electrolytic solution if the expandable closing device is in a depressurized state and the fluid manifold system is closed for the passage of electrolytic solution if the expandable closing device is in a pressurized state.

First claim

1 . An electrolysis unit ( 20 ), comprising:
a plurality of electrolytic cells ( 30 ) each having an anode ( 1 ), a cathode ( 2 ) and an ion-exchange diaphragm ( 3 ) dividing the electrolytic cell ( 30 ) into an anodic and a cathodic compartment; a fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) having fluid conduits ( 7 ) for feeding the electrolytic solution into the electrolytic cells ( 30 ) and for discharging the electrolytic solution out of the electrolytic cells ( 30 ); an expandable closing means ( 8 ) having a fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) enclosing a cavity ( 10 ), said fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) having a pressure port ( 11 ); and a pressure unit ( 12 ) connected with the pressure port ( 11 ) for pressurizing the cavity ( 10 ) so that the fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) expands and the volume of the cavity ( 10 ) increases; wherein said expandable closing means ( 8 ) is arranged within the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ), so that the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) is open for the passage of electrolytic solution if the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is in a depressurized state and the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) is closed for the passage of electrolytic solution if the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is in a pressurized state and wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) comprises ballast components ( 13 ) holding the expandable closing means ( 8 ) in the depressurized state at the bottom of the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ).

2 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one fluid conduit ( 7 ) provides a fluid connection from one electrolytic cell ( 30 ) to another electrolytic cell ( 30 ).

3 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is arranged in at least one of the fluid conduits ( 7 ) directly in front of an inlet ( 15 ) of one of the electrolytic cells ( 30 ).

4 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) comprises a main conduit ( 6 ) wherein at least one fluid conduit ( 7 ) branches off from the main conduit ( 6 ) and wherein said expandable closing means ( 8 ) is arranged in the main conduit ( 6 ).

5 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) of the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is an electric isolator.

6 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure unit ( 12 ) is designed to depressurize the expandable closing means ( 8 ) by pumping gas out of the cavity ( 10 ) via a retraction valve of the pressure port ( 11 ).

7 . The electrolysis unit ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolysis unit is an atmospheric electrolyzer and/or electrolyzer with pressurized stack design with internal manifolds wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is placed into the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) of the atmospheric electrolyzer and/or the electrolyzer with pressurized stack design.

8 . A process for the operation of an electrolysis unit ( 20 ) comprising the following simultaneous or sequential steps:
feeding an electrolytic solution via a fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) with fluid conduits ( 7 ) into an electrolytic cell ( 30 ) and discharging the electrolytic solution out of the electrolytic cells ( 30 ); and pressurizing an expandable closing means ( 8 ) being placed into the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ), wherein said expandable closing means ( 8 ) has a fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) enclosing a cavity ( 10 ) and having a pressure port ( 11 ), via the pressure port ( 11 ) using a pressure unit ( 12 ) that is connected to the pressure port ( 11 ) so that the fluid-tight shell ( 9 ) expands and the volume of the cavity ( 10 ) increases until the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is in a pressurized state in which the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) is closed for the passage of electrolytic solution, wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is deflated during activity of the electrolysis unit ( 20 ) thereby bringing it in a depressurized state in which the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ) is open for the passage of electrolytic solution and wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) comprises ballast components ( 13 ) holding the expandable closing means ( 8 ) in the depressurized state at the bottom of the fluid manifold system ( 6 , 7 ).

9 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is brought in the pressurized state during shutdown of the electrolysis unit ( 20 ).

10 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein the cavity ( 10 ) of the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is pressurized with compressed nitrogen or compressed air.

11 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein the expandable closing means ( 8 ) remains in the fluid conduit ( 7 ) during activity of the electrolysis unit ( 20 ).

12 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein
the temperature of the electrolytic solution is measured, for a shutdown of the electrolysis unit ( 20 ) the pressure unit ( 12 ) is activated unit after the electrolyte solution has cooled down below a defined temperature; the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is inflated until a certain threshold pressure value is reached; for an operation of the electrolysis unit ( 20 ) the expandable closing means ( 8 ) is deflated; and the electrolysis process is started.

13 . The process according to claim 8 , wherein
the electrolysis unit ( 20 ) is operated with an electrolytic solution of alkaline water.

Assignees

• Industrie De Nora Spa

Inventors

• Carrettin Leonello

Classifications

• C25B15/08

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

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• C25B9/77

  having diaphragms · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

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

• C25B15/027 Primary

  Temperature · CPC title