Electrolytic cell having a laminated core of laminations which are stacked one on top of the other with recesses, and method for manufacturing and operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273406-B2
Application number	US-201214112811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2012
Priority date	Apr 20, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An electrolytic cell, a method for manufacturing the cell, and a method of operating same. The electrolytic cell has at least two bipolar plates, at least one fluid inflow and outflow, as well as at least one laminated core arranged between the at least two bipolar plates. The laminated core is constructed from laminations which are stacked one on top of the other. At least two laminations have recesses which are designed to extend through the entire thickness of the respective lamination. The at least two laminations are arranged one on top of the other in such a way that recesses in adjacent laminations overlap partially, but not completely, as a result of which ducts, which are continuous in the direction of the plane of the lamination, are formed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrolytic cell, comprising:
at least two bipolar plates, at least one fluid inflow, and at least on fluid outflow;
at least one laminated core disposed between said at least two bipolar plates, said laminated core being formed of a plurality of laminations stacked atop of one another and in mutual contact with one another;
each said laminated core having at least two laminations formed with a multiplicity of Y-shaped recesses each extending through an entire thickness of the respective said lamination;
said at least two laminations being arranged on top of one another with said Y-shaped recesses of mutually adjacent laminations partially, but not completely, overlapping one another in a regular mutual arrangement and forming continuous channels in a direction of a plane of said laminations in fluidic communication with said fluid inflow and said fluid outflow.

2. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:
said channels are fluidically connected to said fluid inflow and said fluid outflow;
each of said fluid inflow and said fluid outflow has connections for an inward or outward flow of fluid;
the electrolytic cell has electrical terminals;
the electrolytic cell is formed with at least one membrane electrode assembly.

3. The electrolytic cell according to claim 2 , wherein said electrical terminals are formed at said at least two bipolar plates and/or at said laminations.

4. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least two first laminations are arranged on top of one another, with said recesses of said at least two first laminations overlapping partially, but not completely, to thereby form continuous first channels in the direction of the plane of said laminations; and
at least two second laminations are arranged on top of one another, with said recesses in said at least two second laminations overlapping partially, but not completely, to thereby form continuous second channels in the direction of the plane of said laminations; and
a membrane electrode assembly disposed between said at least two first laminations and said at least two second laminations, said MEA forming a fluidic contact between said first and second channels.

5. The electrolytic cell according to claim 4 , wherein said first channels are fluidically connected to a first fluid inflow and outflow, and said second channels are fluidically connected to a second fluid inflow and outflow.

6. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein the Y-shapes of said Y-shaped recesses are identical shapes rotated, in each case, through 120 degrees.

7. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein the recesses are disposed to form a regular pattern.

8. The electrolytic cell according to claim 7 , wherein said recesses are formed in a shape of a letter Y and are formed in adjacent mutually contacting laminations so as to overlap only in regions defined by ends of the Y-shape.

9. The electrolytic cell according to claim 8 , wherein each end of a Y-shaped recess in one lamination is arranged in overlapping relationship with one end of a Y-shaped recess of a respectively adjacent lamination.

10. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein said laminations have a thickness in a range from 0.5 mm to 5 mm and said channels have a width in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm.

11. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein said laminations consist of a metal selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive steel, iron, copper, and titanium.

12. The electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , wherein said laminations comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive steel, iron, copper, and titanium.

13. The electrolytic cell according to claim 12 , wherein said laminations are in electrical contact with one another via regions of direct physical contact and/or said laminations are in electrical contact with electrical terminals of the electrolytic cell.

14. A method of operating an electrolytic cell, the method comprising the following steps:
providing an electrolytic cell according to claim 1 ;
feeding a fluid (e.g., water) via the fluid inflow into the channels of the at least two laminations, and conducting the fluid away from the channels of the at least two laminations and out of the electrolytic cell via the fluid outflow.

15. The method according to claim 14 , which comprises feeding water into the electrolytic cell.

16. The method according to claim 14 , which comprises:
feeding the fluid via a first fluid inflow and causing the fluid to flow into the channels of at least two first laminations and conducting the fluid away from the channels of the at least two first laminations out of the electrolytic cell; and
feeding the fluid via a second fluid inflow and causing the fluid to flow into the channels of at least two second laminations and conducting the fluid away from the channels of the at least two second laminations out of the electrolytic cell;
wherein the at least two first laminations and the at least two second laminations are separated from one another by an MEA.

17. The method according to claim 16 , which comprises conducting the fluid away from the at least two first laminations via a first fluid outflow and conducting the fluid away from the at least two second laminations via a second fluid outflow.

18. The method according to claim 16 , which comprises:
applying a voltage to the bipolar plates and/or laminations between the at least two first laminations and the at least two second laminations to cause an electrolytic conversion of water to take place;
generating hydrogen in the channels of the at least two first laminations and conducting the hydrogen via the first fluid outflow out of the electrolytic cell; and
generating oxygen in the channels of the at least two second laminations and conducting the oxygen out of the electrolytic cell via the second fluid outflow.

19. The method according to claim 16 , which comprises:
applying a voltage to the bipolar plates and/or laminations between the at least two first laminations and the at least two second laminations to cause an electrolytic conversion of water to take place;
generating hydrogen in the channels of the at least two second laminations and conducted the hydrogen away out of the electrolytic cell via the second fluid outflow; and
generating oxygen in the channels of the at least two first laminations and conducting the oxygen away out of the electrolytic cell via the first fluid outflow.

20. A method of manufacturing an electrolytic cell according to claim 1 , which comprises providing lamination sheets and forming recesses in the lamination sheets by a process selected from the group consisting of stamping, drilling, milling, etching or forming the recesses with a laser.

Assignees

• Cordes Ralf
• Dennerlein Klaus
• Hahn Alexander
• Hertsch Hagen
• Huber Norbert
• Kuehn Carola
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Cordes Ralf
• Dennerlein Klaus
• Hahn Alexander
• Hertsch Hagen
• Huber Norbert
• Kuehn Carola

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

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

• C25B13/02 Primary

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• Y10T29/53204

  Electrode · CPC title

• C25B9/066

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic