JPS6030749B2 - Multi-cell gas generator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electrolysis, and more particularly to electrolysis for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen, the mixture of which is commonly referred to as "Kaijimaqi".

Electrolysis is the process of passing an electric current through a liquid to cause a chemical reaction.

If this liquid is water, electrolysis "splits" the water into two gases: hydrogen and oxygen. When water is electrolyzed, hydrogen is collected at the cathode of the gas generator and oxygen is collected at the anode. Since pure water is not a good conductor of electricity, a salt such as potassium hydroxide is added to water to form a conductive bath liquid. Such solutions are known as electrolytes. This process generates gas as a function of the surface area of the anode and cathode in contact with the electrolyte, and in direct proportion to the amount of current flowing through the gas generator. One of the important uses of the soot produced by such means is as fuel for welding machines.

In this type of application, the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen produced by electrolysis (two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen) corresponds exactly to the ratio required for recombination (combustion) in the welding torch flame. The smoke generating devices used today are typically very bulky and inefficient.

These devices have poor operating characteristics and are not ideal for use in mobile or portable devices. Although numerous electrolysis patents have been published over the years, none have devised the efficient compact multi-cell structure disclosed and claimed in this invention.

US Pat. No. 3,616,436 discloses a structure in which only one pair of an anode and a cathode are disposed in one electrolytic cell for oxygen generation.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,906 describes alkali metal halides, perhalides,
s) or hypohalide (hydro-ha)
A multi-cell device is disclosed for the generation of 2000-1000-1000-1000-1000-1000.

US Pat. No. 3,518,18 describes a bipolar electrolytic cell and an assembly containing a number of such cells for use in generating chlorate and perchlorate.

US Pat. No. 3,692,661 describes an apparatus for removing contaminants and ions from liquids.

No. 3,824,172' describes an electrolytic cell for generating alkali metal chlorates. U.S. Patent No. 3957618, No. 3990962, No. 40
No. 14,777 and No. 420,606 describe another device for generating explosive bird air.

US Pat. No. 3,994,798 describes an electrode assembly for use in a multi-cell electrolyzer.

US Pat. No. 4,124,48 describes a bipolar cell primarily used for the production of sodium hypochlorite. U.S. Patent Nos. 3,451,906, 3,518,180,
No. 3957618, No. 3990962, No. 4014
In No. 777, No. 3994798, and No. 412448, current is passed through the individual cells in series.

This is the desired structure. This structure allows the current to be reduced in areas where the voltage is high, thereby reducing rectifier loss and increasing electrical efficiency. In US Pat. Nos. 3,451,906 and 4,014,777, the disclosed device uses several cells arranged in parallel rather than in series with respect to the electrolyte flow.

Therefore, all cells operate under the same water pressure. This structure promotes rapid electrolyte circulation. Distance circulation of the electrolyte is desirable for cooling and at the same time discharging evolved gases to maintain maximum contact between the electrolyte and the electrode surface. Thus, low operating temperatures and high gas evolution rates can be achieved. It is noted here that the device described in U.S. Pat. The point is that there is.

However, in the structure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,777, the openings defining the electrolyte inlet and outlet holes create a shunt or leakage current circuit between adjacent cells.

Also, due to the structure in which current flows in series, different electric potentials are applied to each cell. These leakage currents cause electrical losses that reduce the overall efficiency of the device.
This same drawback is discussed in U.S. Pat.
No. 57618, No. 3990962, No. 3994798
This can be seen to some extent in other series energizing devices disclosed in Nos. 412,448 and 412,448. To minimize such leakage currents and losses resulting therefrom, the paths through the inlet and outlet holes should be designed and arranged so that the ratio of length to cross-sectional dimension is greater than one. U.S. Patent No. 34519
Although the inlet and outlet tubes arranged in the device described in No. 06 serve to reduce such losses,
The results disclosed herein, namely the portability and low cost required for applications such as welding and ventilators, among others, cannot be achieved. Furthermore, among the modifications disclosed to date, there have been none that separate hydrogen and oxygen gases during their generation. According to the invention:
A high efficiency gas generator is provided using a novel cell structure that provides a combination of electrolyte paths in parallel through several cells and current paths in series with the cells.

This assembly is characterized by low cost, portability and minimal leakage current. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrolytic gas generator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient gas generator for producing hydrogen and oxygen gases.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved efficient gas generator using a series current path combined with a parallel electrolytic path through several cells of the generator in a compact, novel and efficient multi-cell gas generator. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a gas generator.

Yet another object of the invention is to increase the operating efficiency of the gas generator by physically configuring the parts so that the electrolyte flows linearly in one direction and perpendicular to the flow of current through the cell. be.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide simultaneous action of series current and parallel electrolyte flow coupled with a novel configuration of electrolysis inlet and outlet holes that effectively reduces leakage currents and electrical losses resulting therefrom. There is a particular thing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved gas generator that separates and separately releases generated hydrogen and oxygen gases.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description below.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings. Parallel electrodes 21A to 21 arranged at intervals in FIG. 1, cell chambers, that is, electrolysis chambers 22A to 22G,
Electrolyte inlet manifold 23, gas/electrolyte outlet manifold 24, inlet hole 25, outlet hole 26, electrolyte supply hole 27,
Gas/electrolyte delivery hole 28, anode terminal 29 and cathode terminal 3
1 shows an improved gas generator 20 comprising: 1; generator 20
is surrounded by a sealed and electrically insulated housing 32. The housing 32 has a sealed cavity inside thereof;
That is, a cavity is formed, and chambers 22A to 22G are formed within this cavity. In the most important embodiment of the generator 20 of the present invention, the generator is used to electrolyze water to generate explosive qi.

The electrolyte used is potassium hydroxide (KOH) in distilled water.
It is an aqueous solution containing . Potassium hydroxide is used to provide electrolyte. The electrodes 21A to 21 are flat quadrilateral plates and are held parallel to each other by a spacer formed in a portion of the housing 32. This plate is made of nickel sheet material. Generator 2
The operation of 0 will be explained.

First, electrolyte 33 enters through hole 27 and fills inlet manifold 23 . It then enters chambers 22A-22G from manifold 23 through inlet hole 25 to fill each chamber. It then passes through outlet hole 26 to outlet manifold 24 and is finally discharged through hole 28 . It will be readily appreciated that chambers 22A-22G having inlet holes 25 and outlet holes 26 form parallel flow paths between inlet manifold 23 and outlet manifold 24.
Viewed in cross-section, manifolds 23 and 24 are dimensioned sufficiently large so that the pressure drop along their length is at most 4. Additionally, the inlet hole 27 is located at the bottom of the generator 20, whereas the outlet hole 28 is located at the top of the generator 20, so that the chambers 22A-22
The total length of the path taken by the electrolyte through one of the chambers G will be the same as the total length of the path taken by the electrolyte through any one of the remaining chambers. These measures ensure that the electrolyte is delivered to all chambers at the same pressure and that the flow rate through all chambers is the same. The current flow is as follows.

That is, from the anode terminal 29 to the electrode 21A and the chamber 22
From the electrolyte in A, electrode 21B, from electrode 21B through chamber 22B to electrode 21C, from chamber 22C to electrode 21D, from chamber 22D to electrode 21E, from chamber 22E to electrode 21F, from chamber 22F to electrode 21G, from chamber 22G to electrode It flows through the 21st day, following a path called cathode terminal 31. Electrodes 21A to 21st are 21A, 21B, and 21B because of their high conductivity.
The potential difference between adjacent electrodes such as and 21C is uniform over the surfaces facing each other. Since the electrolytic solution interposed between the electrodes has a high concentration and is constantly circulating, the current density flowing from the electrodes through the electrolytic solution to the electrodes is very uniform. Since lightning voltage drop occurs between the electrodes, a potential difference occurs between adjacent chambers.

As a result of this potential difference, leakage current tends to flow from each chamber to the adjacent chamber. That is,
For example, a leakage current flows from chamber 22A to chamber 228. Such leakage current takes two paths. A first path exits from chamber 22A through inlet hole 25 to manifold 23 and then from the juxtaposed inlet hole 25 to chamber 22B. A second path exits from chamber 22A through outlet hole 26 to manifold 24 and then from the juxtaposed outlet hole 26 to chamber 22B. It goes without saying that in both cases the leakage current is carried by the electrolyte. Leakage current flows from chamber 228 to chamber 22C, from chamber 22C to chamber 22D, and so on. These leakage currents are unproductive in terms of gas generation. If a leakage current flows, it is undesirable because it consumes power, lowers operating efficiency, and heats the electrolyte. In order to minimize such leakage current, the cross-sectional areas of the inlet hole 25 and the outlet hole 26 are made small. Preferably, the length of each hole is several times larger than the cross-sectional diameter. Within each of chambers 22A-22G, current flows from an electrode near the anode to an electrode near the cathode.

Thus, the side of the plate electrode through which the current flows acts as an anode for that chamber, while the side of the other juxtaposed plate electrode through which the current flows becomes the cathode. It is noted here that the back surface of the electrode that serves as the cathode for chamber 22A serves as the anode for chamber 22B. Electrode 21B and electrodes 21C-21G are thus known as bipolar electrodes. That is, one surface of each electrode is used as an anode, and the other surface is used as a cathode. Oxygen and hydrogen are generated as electrical current flows from the anode to the cathode within each chamber. That is, oxygen 34 gathers at the anode, and hydrogen 35 gathers at the cathode. Both oxygen and hydrogen are driven out of the chamber by an electrolyte flowing through the chamber. The mixture of gas and electrolyte exits through the outlet holes 26 of each chamber into the outlet manifold 24;
Exit hole 28 then leads to a collection chamber (not shown in FIG. 1). The gas generator 40 of FIGS. 2 and 3 constitutes another embodiment of the present invention and includes multiple gas generators stacked between end covers or plates 37 and secured as a unitary unit by bolts 41 and nuts 42. flat or planar elements.

The end cover 37 consists of a quadrilateral plate molded from a moisture-impermeable and electrically insulating material such as nylon.

Holes 44 provided on the periphery of the quadrilateral plate are for receiving bolts 41. At each end there are two inlet and outlet tubes for the electrolyte (or gas and electrolyte) 4
5 and 46 are arranged. These inlet pipes and outlet pipes 4
5, 46 have a cylindrical or cylindrical outer shape, and a passage 47 therein provides a flow path extending through the cover 37. A screw terminal 48 is centrally located on the cover 37 and provides a conductive path to a contact button (not shown) on the underside of the cover and provides a means for connection to the positive or negative terminal of a power source. giving. Two such covers 37 are used for four generators. That is, one is disposed at each end of the stacked planar elements. FIG. 5 shows a baser element 49 in the form of a quadrilateral nylon frame.

The long sides 51 and 52 of the element 49 are uniform in width, but the ends 53 and 54 are wider on one side than the other, and the narrower portion of the end portion 53 is the narrower portion of the end portion 54. are diagonally opposed. A wedge-shaped recess or notch 55 is disposed near the cap of each of the ends 53 and 54. This recess serves as a passage, ie, a channel, through which the electrolyte and gas flow, as will be described later.
Two holes 58 are arranged at each end of element 49, which serve as gas and electrolyte passages.

Further holes 59 arranged at intervals around the periphery of the element 49 are for passing the screws 41 of the gas generator 40. The dashed line 61 outlines the equivalent element 49 inverted so that its recess 55 is placed at the opposite ends 53 and 54 from the position of the element 49 shown in solid lines. 6th
The figure shows an electrode assembly IJ-62 including a quadrilateral nylon electrode frame 63 and a quadrilateral plate electrode 64.

Electrode 64 is made of nickel when used in an air generator. Frame 63 includes four sides of equal width with a central quadrilateral closure suitably dimensioned to receive electrode 64 in a snug fit. The outer dimensions of the frame 63 correspond to the outer dimensions of the element 49, and counter holes 58 are arranged at equal positions and spaced apart as passages for gas and electrolyte. Furthermore, screw holes 59 are arranged at equal positions in the same manner as in the case of the element 49. A narrow slot 65 extends inwardly from each of the four holes 58 into the frame 63.
It extends parallel to the end members 66 and stops in front of the screw hole 59 located at the center of each end member 66. Slot 65 serves as a gas and electrolyte passageway in assembled generator 40 as described below. A cellophane separator element 67, which is also used as an element of gas generator 40, is shown in FIG.

The external dimensions of this element are element 49 and frame 63.
Opposing holes 5 that match the external dimensions of and are arranged at equal positions.
8 and 59 are arranged. In the four gas generators, the above-mentioned elements are stacked one on top of the other as shown in FIG.

Viewed from the top of Figure 8,... The stacking order is as follows. That is, the electrolytic assembly 62, the baser element 49, the cellophane separator element 67
, baser element 49, electrode assembly 62,
base element 49, separator element 6
7. Suba element... The order is as follows. As the elements 49 are stacked, every other element is turned over so that the positions of the recesses 55 are alternated between one side and the other side. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of generator 40 as shown, showing elements 49, 62 and 6.
7 are stacked at the same m number as described above. hole 5
8. The interrelationship in which the slots 65 and the recesses 55 cooperate to form inlet holes, outlet holes and manifolds for the electrolyte and generated gas is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, two superimposed baser elements 49 are shown. Base element 4
9 are stacked one on each side of the electrode assembly 62. One smoother element 49 is connected to the other smoother element 49.
It is turned inside out with respect to the surface element 49, so that one recess 49 is located to the left of the center line of the gas generator and the other recess 49 is located to the right. As also shown in FIG. 9, the holes 58 in the two spacer elements 49 and the holes 58 in the electrode assembly 62 are aligned with each other, thereby providing a common passageway running perpendicular to the superimposed elements. is forming.

The four holes 58 in each element together with the four holes 58 in the other elements form four passageways through the stacked assembly. The following is also recognized from Figure 9. That is, the end of the slot 65 extending from the left-hand hole 58 of the electrode assembly 62 passes through the recess 55 of the surface element 49 on the right side of the electrode assembly, whereas the end of the slot 65 extending from the right-hand hole 58 of the electrode assembly The end of the other extending slot 65 is located in the recess 55 of the base element 49 on the left side of the electrode assembly 62.
It is said that it is carried out as follows. Therefore, it is further observed that the flowing electrolyte and the gas generated from the opposite surface of the electrode 64 also travel through the surface of the electrode 64 and freely flow upwards, entering the recess 55 of the right element 49 and entering the slot. 65 to a passageway formed by alignment hole 58 in the top left hand corner of the stacking element shown in FIG. Similarly, the electrolyte and gas generated from this side surface of electrode 64 travels along this side surface of electrode 64 to recess 55 in base element 49 on the left side of the assembly shown in FIG. and then from the other slot 65 to the other passageway formed by the alignment hole 58 in the upper right-hand corner of the stacking element shown in FIG. Electrolyte (200 KOH) enters through two passages formed at the bottom by matching holes 58.

The electrolyte then travels through the slot 65 of the electrode frame 63 and reaches the recess 55 of the base element 49. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the recess 5 of the element 49 on this side
The electrolytic solution that has reached the element 49 flows upward through the recess 55 and the surface on this side of the electrode 64, whereas the electrolytic solution that has come out from the recess 55 of the element 49 on the opposite side flows down the opposite side of the electrode 64. It is transmitted and rises. Current 1 is applied from this side to electrode 64
Flowing perpendicularly to this side, the surface on this side of electrode 64 becomes the cathode, while the surface on the opposite side of electrode 64 becomes the anode. The gas generated from the surface on this side of the electrode is hydrogen, and the gas generated from the surface on the opposite side is oxygen. Both of these gases move upward with the electrolyte flow. That is, the hydrogen 68 generated on this side surface escapes from the recess 55 of this side spacer element 49 through the slot 65 into the passage formed by the alignment hole 58 in the upper right corner of the gas generator. on the other hand,
Oxygen 69 generated on the opposite side escapes from the recess 55 of the opposite element 49 through the slot 65 into the passage formed by the alignment hole 58 in the upper left hand corner of the gas generator. Slots 65 thus form inlet and outlet holes corresponding to holes 25 and 26 in gas generator 20.

Making slot 65 long and narrow achieves the high electrical impedance necessary to ensure minimal leakage current from the inlet and outlet holes. Although the cellophane separator element 67 is not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, it is placed in front of the element 49 on this side and behind the element 49 on the opposite side.

The element 67 easily passes the ion current 1, but blocks the lateral flow of the generated gas. Since every other spacer element 49 is turned over and the positions of the recesses 55 are alternated, oxygen consistently flows to the left side of the gas generator, and hydrogen flows to the right side, as described above. By the action of this cellophane separator element 67, the generated oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are separated and sent out separately from the gas generator 40. The means for separating oxygen and hydrogen in the gas generator will be further explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in most detail in FIG. 4, the current 1 is applied to the first electrode 64,
Electrolyte 71, separator element 67, electrolyte 72
and flows from left to right through the second electrode 64'. The thin film-like electrolytes 71 and 72 flow within the window-like entrance of the spacer element 49 disposed between the electrodes 64 and 64' and the separator element 67. The right-hand surface 73 of the electrode 64 is an anode, and the gas 7 generated on this surface
4 is oxygen, while the left-hand surface 75 of electrode 64' is the cathode and the gas 76 generated at this surface is hydrogen. This cellophane separator element 67 readily conducts current 1 while effectively preventing oxygen generated at surface 73 from mixing with hydrogen generated at surface 75. The thin film electrolyte or liquid layers 71 and 72 are very narrow and their thickness is equal to the thickness of the substrate element 49, which can easily be made as thin as desired. can.

In this way, the electrode-to-electrode spacing can be reduced in this assembly without suffering from problems related to exact mechanical tolerances. Since adjacent electrodes 64 and 64' are placed in close proximity, the length of the ion travel path is shortened, increasing electrical conductivity. Moreover, this narrow interelectrode spacing ensures that the degree of contact between the circulating electrolyte and the gas-generating electrode surface is maximized. Thus, highly efficient and highly effective gas production is achieved in an assembly featuring separation of oxygen and hydrogen gases. In the fully assembled generator 40, the elements are stacked on each side of the electrode assembly 62 in the order shown in FIG.

End covers 37 are located at both ends of the stacking element. Note that the hole 44 of the cover 37 is connected to the elements 49 and 6.
2 and 67 holes 59. Front cover holes 45 and 46 are preferably located at the bottom of the assembly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In contrast, rear cover holes 45 and 46 are preferably located at the top of the assembly. The reverse is also possible. This is to equalize the length of the parallel electrolyte paths through the individual cells. With the elements 49, 62, and 67, the front cover 37, and the IJ arc cover 37 stacked and aligned as described above, the screws 41 are passed through the holes 44 and 59, and the nuts 4
2 to secure it in place. Tighten the nuts accordingly to complete the sealed assembly. That is, the frame of the element is compressed all together and the electrolyte can be effectively confined. It goes without saying that the effect of trapping the electrolyte increases by coating the mating surfaces of the elements with a sealant or sealing material in advance. FIG. 11 shows the generator 40, power supply 71, electrolyte and gas separation tank 7 shown in FIG.
2 and a pump 73 are shown.

Pump 73 is connected in series with a tube 74 that runs from the bottom of tank 72 to inlet holes 45 and 461 of gas generator 40. A vertical wall 75 projecting downwardly from the top cover of tank 72 extends below the surface of the contained electrolyte 76 to form two chambers 77 and 78 for gas collection above the electrolyte. . Tube 81' conveys chamber 78 to outlet hole 45 of gas generator 40, and tube 82 conveys chamber 77 to outlet hole 46. Gas delivery lines 83 and 84 are each connected to chamber 77.
Arrangements are being made to extract gas from and 78. The positive terminal of the power source 71 is also connected to the inlet side terminal 48 of the gas generator 40, and the negative electrode terminal is connected to the outlet side terminal 481.

Since both terminals are in contact with adjacent terminal electrodes 64, current is supplied from the power source and flows in series through the stacked elements of gas generator 40, as described above. Electrolyte 76 is drawn from the bottom of tank 72 by pump 73 and delivered to inlet holes 45 and 46 of gas generator 40 .

Upon entering the gas generator 40, the electrolyte passes through a path parallel to the cells formed between the stacked electrodes. The generated oxygen is in hole 4
5, while hydrogen is released from holes 46.
Oxygen is transported to the chamber 78 along with the unreacted electrolyte by the tube 81, and hydrogen is also transported to the chamber 77 by the chamber 82 along with the unreacted electrolyte. This unreacted electrolyte is collected in tank 72, while hydrogen and oxygen are extracted through tubes 83 and 84, respectively. Although the gas generators described above are designed to deliver oxygen and hydrogen separately, it may not be necessary to deliver such separate gases if, for example, the desired end product is a welding gas. Therefore, the elements 49 and 62 may have a simpler structure.

An example of a gas generator of the type described above is a structure in which elements 49 and 62 are stacked in the order shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

That is, starting from the right or left of the illustrated assembly, the electrode assembly 62, the spacer element 49, the electrode assembly 62, the spacer element 4.
9...and so on. As shown, every other base element 49 is turned over, so that the spaces in the regions of the recesses 55 on both sides of the electrode 64 do not coincide. This is because, if not arranged in this way, leakage current would be drawn from this point. In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 13, elements 49 and 62 are stacked in the order just described with electrode assemblies 62 at each end.

Current 1 flows from left to right through the stacked element, and electrolyte 85 flows in parallel paths between adjacent electrodes 64 from the bottom of the assembly to the top. The electrolyte flows in a thin film orthogonal to the current flow. The generated explosive air 86 is discharged from the top of the assembly through an outlet hole formed through a recess 55 and a slot 65 formed in the base element 49 and the electrode frame 63, respectively. This perpendicular or orthogonal relationship between the current path and the electrolyte path allows the length of the current path to be minimized, thereby increasing operating efficiency. Flowing the electrolyte in parallel under pressure ensures that the area in contact with the highly concentrated electrolyte is maximized. The contact area reduced by the generated gas is minimized, resulting in a high gas generation rate. This effect is further enhanced by increasing the flow rate of the electrolyte. The previously described embodiments of multi-cell gas generators are based on the concept of pressurizing and circulating an electrolyte through a narrow chamber within a cavity of the gas generator housing. This concept was achieved by using two types of plastic frames and quadrilateral electrode plates stacked together as a cell assembly. The stacking structure and flow pattern for this type of multi-cell assembly was discussed in the discussion of FIGS. 1-13. Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 14 to 21.

In this embodiment, a gasket seal is used between the electrode and the multi-cell frame to prevent electrolyte leakage between the frames.
Furthermore, the embodiment of FIGS. 14-21 has a reduced thickness compared to the electrodes shown in FIGS. 1-13, which saves material costs, and provides multiple inlet holes and holes in each cell chamber. Incorporating exit holes allows for a more uniform flow pattern through each chamber. As shown in FIG. 17, gas generator assembly 90 includes a plurality of nickel foil electrodes 91, gasket seals 92, and a multi-cell frame 93 in a particular arrangement.

14 to 16 illustrate the multi-cell frame 93, gasket 92, and nickel foil electrode 91 in more detail than shown in FIG. 17.

The multi-cell frame 93 is the most important part of the gas emitting assembly 90, and has a cell chamber formed in its hollow interior, a cross-feed channel 95, an orientation slot 96, and a plurality of spaced notches at one end thereof. 97 and a plurality of gasket threaded holes 98 and feed through holes 99 for flow of electrolyte and generated gas. The feed through hole 99, the cross feed channel 95, the notch 97, and the orientation slot 95 are used to rotate the two adjacent multi-cell frames 93 by 180 degrees as shown in the figure, so that the desired electrolyte solution can be obtained. and arranged to provide a gas flow pattern. The nickel foil electrode 91 has a thickness of about 76. It is made of very thin electrodes with a thickness of .

Making the electrode thinner in this way not only saves on material compared to the structures shown in Figures 1 to 13, but also makes the electrode more flexible, so it can handle even slight irregularities or irregularities in the assembly. can. The need for gaskets to provide a good seal between the multi-cell frame 93 and electrodes 91 and adjacent frames 93 within the gas generator 90 is due to the flatness of the parts used when assembling the multi-cell gas generator. Depends on quality and uniformity. Although it is possible to make precision parts and eliminate the need for gaskets, sealing the electrodes with gaskets provides more consistent quality in production. Since each row of feedthrough holes 99 in the various plates of the stacked multi-cell assembly form a manifold, leakage current can flow between any two electrode plates 91 with electrolyte paths. It is important to recognize that.

To suppress leakage current in the manifold, the feedthrough holes 99 in each electrode 91 are insulated as shown in FIG. The insulation of these holes is achieved by compressing gaskets made of elastic plastic material by the pressure of bolts 41 and nuts 42. This elastic material is pressed against the edges of these holes 99 to seal them so that the electrolyte flowing through the holes does not leak out from the edges. Figures 14 to 2
The basic operation of the multi-cell generator shown in FIG. 1 is similar to that of the gas generator shown and described in FIGS. 12 and 13.

The electrolyte is pressurized and introduced through the inlet hole 99 into the multi-cell frame 93 disposed on each side of the intermediate electrode 91 shown in FIG.
All of the cell chambers 94 formed by the above are filled. The power source is connected to a terminal 48 attached to the end plate or electrode 91. As soon as current flows through the gas generator, gas generation begins and gas bubbles are carried upwards to both outlet manifolds 99 as shown in FIG.
enter at the same time. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 11, a gas generator that separately generates hydrogen gas and oxygen gas has been disclosed.

The assembly shown in Figure 17 can be easily modified into an individual gas generator by replacing every other electrode 91 with a cellophane of comparable size. For example, the 17th
If the electrode 91 in the center of the assembly shown in the figure is replaced with a cellophane sheet, hydrogen gas and oxygen gas can be separated as they are generated. Since the cellophane separator is disposed between the electrodes in this way, the gas generated on the anode surface does not mix with the gas generated on the cathode surface. What you can also see here is notch 9.
7 promotes homogeneity of the flow pattern of electrolyte and gas discharged from the gas generator through each chamber by the structure leading to a cross-feed channel 95 of multiple inlet and outlet holes formed by It is.

As a result of a test using a model of the gas generator according to the present invention,
Very high gas evolution rates were achieved and the discharged gas and electrolyte mixture had a very high gas content.

The gas to unreacted electrolyte ratio was high, and this was maintained even when the electrolyte flow rate was increased. Thus, by using the principles taught in this invention, a highly efficient and effective gas generator is constructed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an improved gas generator according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the improved gas generator according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view of the improved gas generator according to the present invention. 4 is an enlarged view of the circled area in FIG. 3;
The figure is a plan view of a separator frame used as an element of the assembly shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a plan view of a combined electrode and frame used as an element of the assembly shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the separator frame used as an element of the assembly shown in Fig. 2. FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing a number of individual elements stacked to form the assembly of FIG. 2; FIG. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the three main elements of the assembly; Figure 10 is a top view of the three elements of Figure 9 stacked as shown in the assembly of Figure 2; Figure 11 is a view of the electrolyte tank and power supply. A simple functional diagram showing the connected gas generator of FIG. 2, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the order in which the separator frame, electrode frame and electrode are stacked in the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the order in which the elements are stacked. 12
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing another modified example of the separator frame used in the assembly shown in FIG. 17; FIG. FIG. 16 is a plan view of one half of the gasket and seal shown in the assembly of FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a plan view of one half of the electrode shown in the assembly of FIG. 17. FIG. 18 is a partial plan view showing a pair of separator frames on one side of the electrode, and FIG. 19 is a partial plan view showing a pair of separator frames on the other side of the electrode. The plan view, Figure 20, is the same as Figures 18 and 19.
The other end of the separator frame shown in the figure is shown and the 17th
FIG. 21 is a partial plan view showing the flow of electrolyte into the assembly shown, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of two gaskets arranged one after the other. 20,40,90...Multi-cell gas generator, 32
...Housing, 22A to 22G...Chamber, 25...Inlet hole, 26...Outlet hole, 29,3
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Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 At least three electrode plates; The electrode plates are held parallel to each other, and a cell chamber serving as a gas generation cell is defined between adjacent electrode plates. forming a spacer;
a direct current power supply connected to each of the outermost electrode plates of the electrode plates, thereby causing ionic current to flow perpendicularly to the parallel flow of electrolyte in each of the cell chambers; an inlet hole and an outlet hole formed in the spacer so as to communicate with each cell chamber, the length of which in the longitudinal direction is extremely large compared to its cross-sectional area; A multi-cell gas generator consisting of. 2. The multi-cell gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the inlet hole and the outlet hole communicate with the outside via a common inlet manifold and a common outlet manifold, respectively. 3. In the multi-cell gas generator according to claim 1, the inlet hole communicates with the outside via an inlet manifold in order to uniformly supply the electrolyte into each of the cell chambers; Each cell chamber includes a diaphragm on the opposing surfaces of the pair of adjacent electrode plates to separate the gases generated respectively; the outlet hole separately discharges the gas generated in each cell chamber. A multi-cell gas generator, wherein at least two cell chambers are provided for each of the cell chambers, and each of the cell chambers is separately connected to the outside via a pair of independent outlet manifolds.