Method for operating the water electrolysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487874-B2
Application number	US-201414563505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A water electrolysis system includes a high-pressure hydrogen production unit for electrolyzing water to generate oxygen and high-pressure hydrogen (the pressure of the high-pressure hydrogen being higher than that of the oxygen), and a gas-liquid separation unit for removing water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen. The gas-liquid separation unit is placed on a hydrogen pipe for discharging the high-pressure hydrogen from the high-pressure hydrogen production unit. In addition, the water electrolysis system includes a high-pressure hydrogen supply pipe for transferring dewatered high-pressure hydrogen from the gas-liquid separation unit, a cooling unit, which is placed on the high-pressure hydrogen supply pipe and is capable of variably controlling the temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen to adjust the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, and a control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a water electrolysis system, wherein a water electrolysis system comprising:
a high-pressure hydrogen production unit for electrolyzing water, thereby generating oxygen at an anode side and generating high-pressure hydrogen at a cathode side, the pressure of the high-pressure hydrogen being higher than that of the oxygen;
a gas-liquid separation unit for removing water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen, and which is placed on a hydrogen pipe for discharging the high-pressure hydrogen from the high-pressure hydrogen production unit;
a hydrogen supply pipe for transferring dewatered high-pressure hydrogen from the gas-liquid separation unit;
a Peltier element for variably controlling temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen, thereby adjusting the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, the Peltier element being placed on the hydrogen supply pipe; and
a control unit, the method comprising:
detecting a cathode-side pressure inside the high-pressure hydrogen production unit; and
variably controlling the current applied to the Peltier element by the control unit based on the detected pressure.

2. A method for operating a water electrolysis system, wherein a water electrolysis system comprising:
a high-pressure hydrogen production unit for electrolyzing water, thereby generating oxygen at an anode side and generating high-pressure hydrogen at a cathode side, the pressure of the high-pressure hydrogen being higher than that of the oxygen;
a gas-liquid separation unit for removing water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen, and which is placed on a hydrogen pipe for discharging the high-pressure hydrogen from the high-pressure hydrogen production unit;
a hydrogen supply pipe for transferring dewatered high-pressure hydrogen from the gas-liquid separation unit;
a Peltier element for variably controlling temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen, thereby adjusting the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, the Peltier element being placed on the hydrogen supply pipe; and
a control unit, the method comprising:
detecting an electrolytic current value of the high-pressure hydrogen production unit; and
variably controlling the current applied to the Peltier element by the control unit based on the detected electrolytic current value.

3. The method for operating a water electrolysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the water electrolysis system further comprises a heat exchanger for variably controlling temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen, thereby adjusting the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, the heat exchanger being placed on the hydrogen supply pipe, the method further comprising:
variably controlling an amount of coolant supplied to the heat exchanger based on the detected electrolytic current value.

4. The method for operating a water electrolysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the water electrolysis system further comprises a heat exchanger for variably controlling temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen, thereby adjusting the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, the heat exchanger being placed on the hydrogen supply pipe, the method further comprising:
variably controlling an amount of coolant supplied to the heat exchanger based on the detected pressure.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kurashina Daisuke
• Nakazawa Koji
• Nagaoka Hisashi
• Ishikawa Hiroyuki
• Yamakawa Yuji
• Takeuchi Jun

Classifications

• Y02E60/366

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C25B15/08

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

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B1/12

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B15/083

  Separating products · CPC title