CN220317976U - A kind of electrolysis water hydrogen production system - Google Patents

Abstract

This application relates to an electrolysis water hydrogen production system, which includes: an electrolytic cell unit, a hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit, an oxygen gas-liquid separation unit, a transformer rectifier, and a control unit, wherein the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell unit passes hydrogen gas-liquid The pipeline is connected to the inlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit; the anode chamber of the electrolytic cell unit is connected to the inlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit through the oxygen gas-liquid pipeline; the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit and the oxygen gas The liquid separation unit is connected to the electrolytic cell unit through an electrolyte circulation pipe in sequence through a cooler, an electrolyte circulation pump and a first heater; the transformer rectifier is electrically connected to the electrolytic cell unit and is used to supply power to the electrolytic cell unit. The electrolyzer unit applies a voltage; the control unit is configured to regulate the output current of the transformer rectifier. The cold start time of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system of the present application is short, the working time of the electrolyzer unit at high voltage and low current density is short, and the overall working efficiency is high.

Description

An electrolytic water hydrogen production system

Technical field

The present application relates to the field of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, and in particular, to a system for hydrogen production by electrolysis of water.

Background technique

Using hydrogen, a renewable and clean energy source, is an important way to solve the carbon emission problem and achieve carbon neutrality and peak carbon emissions. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water is currently an important method of hydrogen production. However, the main problem of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water is the instability of the power supply. In particular, when there is no power supply for a long time, the water in the electrolyzer is at room temperature, which is far lower than the operating temperature (60-100°C). At room temperature, the energy conversion efficiency of the electrolyzer is low and the cold start time is long, which will reduce the efficiency of the electrolyzer.

Utility model content

This application provides an electrolysis water hydrogen production system, which includes:

electrolyser unit,

Hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit,

Oxygen gas-liquid separation unit,

transformer rectifier, and

control unit,

Wherein, the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell unit is connected with the inlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit through a hydrogen gas-liquid pipeline;

The anode chamber of the electrolytic cell unit is connected with the inlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit through an oxygen gas-liquid pipeline;

The electrolyte outlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit and the electrolyte outlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit pass through the electrolyte circulation pipeline through the cooler, the electrolyte circulation pump and the first heater and the electrolysis of the electrolytic cell unit. The liquid inlets are connected;

The transformer rectifier is electrically connected to the electrolytic cell unit and is used to apply voltage to the electrolytic cell unit;

The control unit is configured to regulate the output current of the transformer rectifier.

In one embodiment, a temperature sensor is provided at the outlet of the first heater for measuring the temperature of the circulating electrolyte discharged from the first heater.

In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to regulate the output current of the transformer rectifier based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, the electrolyte circulation pump is a variable frequency pump, and the control unit is configured to adjust the rotation speed of the electrolyte circulation pump according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to adjust the operating states of the cooler and the first heater based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, a second heater is provided in the hydrogen gas-liquid pipeline.

In one embodiment, a third heater is provided in the oxygen gas-liquid pipeline.

In one embodiment, the cooler is a cooling and heating dual-function temperature controller.

The cold start time of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system of the present application is short, the working time of the electrolyzer unit at high voltage and low current density is short, and the overall working efficiency is high.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system of the present application.

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the cooling and heating dual-function temperature controller 200 in the water electrolysis hydrogen production system of the present application.

Detailed ways

The present application will be further described in detail below through the drawings and examples. Through these descriptions, the features and advantages of the present application will become clearer.

The word "exemplary" as used herein means "serving as an example, example, or illustrative." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as superior or superior to other embodiments. Although various aspects of the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated.

In addition, the technical features involved in different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

As shown in Figure 1, this application relates to a water electrolysis hydrogen production system 100, which includes:

electrolyzer unit 30,

Hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40,

Oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50,

transformer rectifier 20, and

Control unit 10.

Each unit of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system 100 of the present application is described below.

The water electrolysis hydrogen production system 100 of the present application includes an electrolyzer unit 30 . The electrolytic cell unit 30 can use various electrolytic cells commonly used in this field, especially electrolytic cells used for alkaline electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen. The electrolytic cell unit 30 may include a cathode, an anode and a separator. These cathodes, anodes and separators may be made of conventional materials in the art and will not be described again here. The electrolytic cell unit 30 may include a plurality of cathode chambers 31 and anode chambers 32 spaced apart from each other. Each cathode chamber 31 and anode chamber 32 may contain an alkaline electrolyte such as potassium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, etc. The alkaline electrolyte in each cathode chamber 31 and anode chamber 32 undergoes an electrolysis reaction under the action of voltage, and generates hydrogen and oxygen respectively.

The hydrogen gas-liquid pipeline 41 is connected to each cathode chamber 31 of the electrolytic cell unit and communicates with the inlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 so that the first gas-liquid fluid mixed with hydrogen enters the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 gas-liquid separation. Similarly, each anode chamber 32 of the electrolytic cell unit is connected to the inlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 through the oxygen gas-liquid pipeline 51, so that the second gas-liquid fluid mixed with oxygen enters the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 Carry out gas-liquid separation.

The hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 and the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 can use various equipment commonly used in this field. In the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40, hydrogen and electrolyte are separated. The separated hydrogen can be discharged from the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 and enter the subsequent processing unit. For example, it can be further purified such as dehydration. The separated electrolyte needs to be recycled. . In the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50, oxygen and electrolyte are separated. The separated oxygen can be discharged from the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 and enter the subsequent processing unit. For example, it can be further purified such as dehydration. The separated electrolyte needs to be recycled. .

In this application, the electrolyte outlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 and the electrolyte outlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 pass through the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 through the cooler 33, the electrolyte circulation pump 34 and the first heater in sequence. 35 is connected with the electrolyte inlet of the electrolytic cell unit 30 . As a result, the electrolyte separated in the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 and the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 can be circulated back to the electrolytic cell unit 30 through the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 , thereby realizing the circulation of the electrolyte in the entire electrolytic water hydrogen production system 100 Recycling.

Since when the electrolytic cell unit is operating at rated power, 15-30% of the power will generate heat. Therefore, a cooler 33 will be provided in the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 so that it passes through the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 and the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 The separated high-temperature electrolyte enters the cooler 33, and the temperature can be reduced from 80-95°C to 60-70°C, and then enters the electrolytic cell unit 30 driven by the electrolyte circulation pump 34.

In this application, a first heater 35 is also provided in the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 so that the electrolyte is heated by the first heater 35 before entering the electrolytic cell unit 30, thereby shortening the cold start time. The first heater 35 can be an electric heating device or a high-pressure steam heating device, and its heating power can be selected according to process requirements.

It should be noted that in this application, the first heater 35 and the cooler 33 will not work at the same time. When the water electrolysis hydrogen production system 100 of the present application is started, since the temperature of the electrolyte in the entire system is relatively low, the conductivity of the electrolyte at this time is low, the overpotential is high, and the energy conversion efficiency is low. At the same time, due to the high viscosity coefficient of the electrolyte, the gas-liquid separation speed is slow, the efficiency is low, and the separation of hydrogen and oxygen is incomplete. When the separated electrolytes are combined and circulated, there may be a risk of explosion and the yields of hydrogen and oxygen are reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the electrolytic cell to improve the efficiency of the electrolytic cell. However, the current density applied to the electrolyzer unit during the startup process is low and the heat generated is relatively small, so the heating speed is relatively slow, generally taking 100 to 150 minutes, or even longer, such as 240 minutes, seriously affecting the efficiency of hydrogen production. When the electrolytic water hydrogen production system 100 of the present application is started, the cooler 33 does not work, and the first heater 35 is in the working state, so that the circulating electrolyte can be quickly heated to the required working temperature, thereby shortening the cold start time. . The usual cold start time can be reduced from about 2 hours to about 30 minutes, greatly improving the overall efficiency of the electrolyzer unit.

Figure 2 shows a cooling and heating dual function temperature controller 200, which can be used for the cooler 33. Using the cooling and heating dual-function temperature controller 200, when cooling is required, the cooling medium (such as cooling water) can be introduced from the first inlet 201, and the cooling medium can be discharged from the first outlet 204 and circulated back to the third outlet after treatment. One import 201. When the system needs to be heated, heating medium (such as high-temperature water vapor) can be introduced through the first inlet 201. The heating medium can come out of the first outlet 204 and be recycled back to the first inlet 201 after being processed. The electrolyte from the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 enters from the second inlet 202 , is discharged from the second outlet 203 , and re-enters the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 . When heating is required, the cooling and heating dual-function temperature controller 200 can be in working state at the same time as the first heater 35, thereby further shortening the cold start time.

When the electrolytic water hydrogen production system 100 of the present application is in a stable operating state, the temperature of the electrolyte is too high due to the heating effect of the electrolytic cell unit. At this time, the cooler 33 is in the operating state for heat dissipation of the electrolyte, and the first heater 35 does not work.

It should be noted that in an embodiment in which the first heater 35 and the cooler 33 are directly arranged in the electrolyte circulation pipe 36, the first heater 35 and the cooler 33 will not work at the same time. When a device such as the first heater 35 When not working, the circulating electrolyte also needs to flow through the first heater 35, but the first heater 35 does not play a heating role and only serves as a path for the circulation of the circulating electrolyte.

Alternatively, in order to reduce the pressure drop caused by circulating electrolyte flowing through these devices, the first heater 35 and the cooler 33 can be provided with parallel bypasses in the electrolyte. On the circulation pipe 36. For example, when the first heater 35 is required to be in operation, the circulating electrolyte can flow through the parallel bypass of the cooler 33 instead of directly flowing through the cooler 33 , and at the same time, the circulating electrolyte can directly flow through the first heater 35 without flowing through the parallel bypass of the first heater 35 . For example, when the cooler 33 is required to be in operation, the circulating electrolyte can directly flow through the cooler 33 , and at the same time, the circulating electrolyte can flow through the parallel bypass of the first heater 35 instead of directly flowing through the first heater 35 . This can reduce the pressure drop of the circulating electrolyte flowing in the electrolyte circulation pipe 36 . Such a method is also within the protection scope of this application.

The electrolytic water hydrogen production system 100 of the present application also includes a transformer rectifier 20 , which is electrically connected to the electrolytic cell unit 30 and used to apply voltage to the electrolytic cell unit 30 . The electrolysis water hydrogen production system 100 of the present application also includes a control unit 10 configured to regulate the output current of the transformer rectifier 20 .

In one embodiment, a temperature sensor 36 is provided at the outlet of the first heater 35 for measuring the temperature of the circulating electrolyte discharged from the first heater 35 .

In this application, the current applied by the transformer rectifier 20 to the electrolytic cell unit 30 may vary with the temperature of the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell unit 30 . When the temperature of the electrolyte is low, the current applied by the transformer rectifier 20 to the electrolytic cell unit 30 is small; when the temperature of the electrolyte is high, the current applied by the transformer rectifier 20 to the electrolytic cell unit 30 is large until the rated current is reached. current. In one embodiment, the control unit 10 may be configured to adjust the output voltage of the transformer rectifier 20 according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 36, thereby achieving automatic control of the voltage of the electrolytic cell unit 30. At the same time, due to the provision of the first heater 35, the temperature of the electrolyte in the electrolytic cell unit 30 can be increased to a required temperature quickly, so that the voltage applied by the transformer rectifier 20 to the electrolytic cell unit 30 can also be increased quickly. The voltage is increased to the rated voltage, thereby shortening the working time of the electrolytic cell unit at low voltage and low current density, and also improving the working efficiency of the electrolytic cell unit 30 as a whole.

In one embodiment, the electrolyte circulation pump 34 is a variable frequency pump, and the control unit is configured to adjust the rotation speed of the electrolyte circulation pump according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 36 . When the temperature of the electrolyte is low, the electrolyte circulation pump 34 is at a low speed, and the first heater 35 is in the working state at this time, so that the electrolyte can be fully heated; when the temperature of the electrolyte is high, the electrolyte circulation pump 34 is at a high rotation speed, and at this time the cooler 33 is in working condition, so that the electrolyte can fully dissipate heat.

In one embodiment, the control unit 10 is configured to adjust the operating states of the cooler 33 and the first heater 35 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 36 . As mentioned above, during the operation of the water electrolysis hydrogen production system 100 of the present application, the cooler 33 and the first heater 35 are in different working states. For example, it can be set in the control unit 10: when the temperature t measured by the temperature sensor 36 is higher than or equal to the set value (such as 50°C or 70°C), the cooler 33 is turned on and the first heater 35 is turned off; When the temperature t measured by the temperature sensor 36 is lower than the set value (for example, 50°C or 60°C), the cooler 33 is turned off and the first heater 35 is started.

In one embodiment, a second heater 42 is provided in the hydrogen gas-liquid pipeline 41 . In one embodiment, a third heater 52 is provided in the oxygen gas-liquid pipeline 51 . By providing the second heater 42, the first gas-liquid fluid mixed with hydrogen entering the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit 40 can be heated as needed to increase its temperature and reduce its viscosity coefficient, thereby increasing the gas-liquid separation speed and efficiency, and improving The degree of hydrogen separation. Similarly, by providing the third heater 52, the second gas-liquid fluid mixed with oxygen entering the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit 50 can be heated as needed to increase its temperature and reduce its viscosity coefficient, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation speed and efficiency. , and improve the degree of oxygen separation. In this way, the risk of explosion can be reduced and the yield of hydrogen and oxygen can be increased.

The heaters 42, 52, and 35 used in this application can be electric heating devices, high-pressure steam heating devices, or a cooling and heating dual-function temperature controller 200 that circulates high-temperature liquid or gas.

In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly stated and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood broadly. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood on a case-by-case basis.

The present application has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, but these embodiments are only exemplary and serve an illustrative purpose. On this basis, various substitutions and improvements can be made to the present application, which all fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims (8)

1. A water electrolysis hydrogen production system, comprising:

an electrolytic cell unit, wherein the electrolytic cell unit comprises a plurality of electrolytic cells,

a hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit,

an oxygen gas-liquid separation unit,

transformer rectifier, and

the control unit is used for controlling the control unit,

the cathode small chamber of the electrolytic tank unit is communicated with the inlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit through a hydrogen gas-liquid pipeline;

the anode small chamber of the electrolytic cell unit is communicated with the inlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit through an oxygen gas-liquid pipeline;

the electrolyte outlet of the hydrogen gas-liquid separation unit and the electrolyte outlet of the oxygen gas-liquid separation unit are communicated with the electrolyte inlet of the electrolytic tank unit through an electrolyte circulating pipeline sequentially through a cooler, an electrolyte circulating pump and a first heater;

the transformation rectifier is electrically connected with the electrolytic cell unit and is used for applying voltage to the electrolytic cell unit;

the control unit is configured to regulate an output current of the transformer rectifier.

2. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system of claim 1 wherein a temperature sensor is provided at the outlet of said first heater for measuring the temperature of the circulating electrolyte exiting said first heater.

3. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system of claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the output current of the variable-voltage rectifier based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

4. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system of claim 2, wherein the electrolyte circulation pump is a variable frequency pump, and the control unit is configured to adjust a rotational speed of the electrolyte circulation pump based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

5. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system of claim 2, wherein said control unit is configured to adjust the operating conditions of the cooler and the first heater based on the temperature measured by said temperature sensor.

6. The electrolyzed water hydrogen system according to claim 1, wherein a second heater is disposed in the hydrogen gas liquid conduit.

7. The electrolyzed water hydrogen production system of claim 1 wherein a third heater is disposed in the oxygen gas liquid conduit.

8. The water electrolysis hydrogen production system of claim 1 wherein said cooler is a cooling and heating dual function temperature controller.