METHOD FOR ENSURING AND MONITORING ELECTROLYZER SAFETY AND PERFORMANCES

• US 20110240483A1
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recherche 2000 Inc.
• Original Assignee: Recherche 2000 Inc.
• Inventors: Veillette, Michel, Lademann, Helmut, TREMBLAY, GILLES, Simard, Georges, Berriah, Said
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/337
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/02 Process control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

There is described a method for ensuring and monitoring electrolyzer safety and performances in a manufacturing process which uses at least one electrolyzing cell containing at least one cathode and at least one anode separated by a membrane, comprising the step of: determining a safe single voltage operation range depending of the current and corresponding to the normally working electrolyzing cell; determining a reference voltage deviation depending on the time derivation of the current; measuring the voltage over time at the terminals of the electrolyzing cell; determining the measured voltage deviation by calculating the time derivative of the measured voltage; comparing the measured voltage to the safe single voltage operation range and the measured voltage deviation to the reference voltage deviation over time; stopping the manufacturing process when the measured voltage is outside the safe single voltage operation range or the difference between the measured voltage deviation and the reference voltage deviation is outside a predetermined range or a single voltage behavior is different than the average of a group of reference cells.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring and monitoring electrolyzer safety and performances in a manufacturing process which uses at least one electrolyzing cell containing at least one cathode and at least one anode, comprising the step of:

determining a safe single voltage operation range depending on the current and corresponding to a normally working electrolyzing cell;

determining a reference single voltage deviation depending on the time derivation of the current;

measuring the single voltage over time at the terminals of the electrolyzing cell;

determining the measured single voltage deviation by calculating the time derivative of the measured single voltage;

comparing the measured single voltage of a cell with the safe single voltage operation range and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the reference voltage deviation and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the average voltage deviation of a group of reference cells over time; and

stopping the manufacturing process when the measured single voltage is outside the safe single voltage operation range or the difference between the measured single voltage deviation and the reference voltage deviation is outside a predetermined range or a single voltage behavior is different than the average of a group of reference cells.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is based on learning, also assisted by artificial neural networks or solver engines, the historical relationship between single voltage, current and other operating parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the limits of safe single voltage operation range are the maximum voltage U_max(t) and the minimum voltage U_min(t) depending on the current I and the time t determined respectively by the following formulae:

U_min(t)=U_0,min+k_min/A×

I(t)

U_max(t)=U_0,max+k_max/A×

I(t),

wherein;

I(t) is the current passing through the cell;

U_0,min and U_0,max are comprised respectively between 2.20 V and 2.40 V and between 2.60 V and 2.80 V;

k_min and k_max are comprised respectively between 0.05 V.kA.m<sup>−

2</sup> and 0.15 V.kA.m<sup>−

2</sup> and between 0.15 V.kA.m<sup>−

2</sup> and 0.25 V.kA.m<sup>−

2</sup>; and

A is comprised between 1.5 m² and 5.4 m².

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference voltage deviation is equal to

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying to a plurality of electrolyzing cells mounted in series.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an aqueous solution comprising a salt of chloride is electrolyzed.

7. A system for ensuring and monitoring electrolyzer safety and performances in a manufacturing process performed in a manufacturing unit which uses at least one electrolyzing cell, the system comprising:

a plurality of acquisition and transmission units, each of the acquisition and transmission units are configured to measure the single voltage at the terminals of each electrolyzing cell over time and to transmit the measured voltage;

a treatment device for collecting the single measured voltage transmitted by each of the acquisition and transmission units, configured to

determine a safe single voltage operation range depending on the current and corresponding to a normally working electrolyzing cell;

determine a reference single voltage deviation depending on the time derivation of the current;

determine the measured single voltage deviation by calculating the time derivative of the measured single voltage;

compare the measured single voltage of a cell with the safe single voltage operation range and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the reference voltage deviation and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the average voltage deviation of a group of reference cells over time; and

transmit the data to relay means; and

a relay unit configured for implementing stopping the manufacturing process when the measured single voltage is outside the safe single voltage operation range or the difference between the measured single voltage deviation and the reference voltage deviation is outside a predetermined range or a single voltage behavior is different than the average of a group of reference cells, with the data issued from the treatment device and for transmitting an order for stopping the manufacturing process.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the treatment device is connected to a server for receiving and analyzing the data issued from the treatment device.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the treatment device is connected to an intermediate device configured to relay and/or format the determined data to the server.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition and transmission units are connected to the treatment device by at least one optical fiber.

11. A computer readable medium comprising one or more stored sequences of instruction that is accessible to a processor for ensuring and monitoring electrolyzer safety and performances in a manufacturing process which uses at least one electrolyzing cell containing a cathode and an anode, and which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to carry out the steps of:

determining a safe single voltage operation range depending on the current and corresponding to a normally working electrolyzing cell;

determining a reference single voltage deviation depending on the time derivation of the current;

measuring the single voltage over time at the terminals of the electrolyzing cell;

determining the measured single voltage deviation by calculating the time derivative of the measured single voltage;

comparing the measured single voltage of a cell with the safe single voltage operation range and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the reference voltage deviation and the measured single voltage deviation of a cell with the average voltage deviation of a group of reference cells over time; and

stopping the manufacturing process when the measured single voltage is outside the safe single voltage operation range or the difference between the measured single voltage deviation and the reference voltage deviation is outside a predetermined range or a single voltage behavior is different than the average of a group of reference cells.