DEVICE FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE WATER ELECTROLYSIS HAVING IMPROVED OPERATION

• US 20120325652A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Perret, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/267
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/19 with diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/65 Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/70 Assemblies comprising two or more cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

A device for high temperature electrolysis of water, including: at least one elementary electrolysis cell formed from a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte intermediate between the cathode and the anode; a first device forming an electric and fluid interconnector including a metallic part delimited by at least one plane, the metallic part including two internal chambers, superposed one on the other, and a plurality of holes distributed around the surface, approximately perpendicular to the plane and divided into two groups, one of the groups of holes opens up onto the plane and directly into the adjacent chamber and the other group of holes opens up onto the plane and also in a furthest chamber through channels, the plane of the first interconnector being in mechanical contact with the plane of the cathode.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A device for high temperature electrolysis of water, comprising:

at least one elementary electrolysis cell formed from a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte intermediate between the cathode and the anode;

a first device forming an electric and fluid interconnector comprising a metallic part delimited by at least one first plane, the metallic part comprising two internal chambers, superposed one on the other, and a plurality of holes distributed around the surface, approximately perpendicular to the plane and divided into two groups, one of the groups of holes opens up onto the first plane and directly into the adjacent chamber and the other group of holes opens up onto the first plane and also in a furthest chamber through channels, the first plane of the first interconnector being in mechanical contact with the plane of the cathode.

16. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 15, in which the adjacent chamber is the chamber through which steam is delivered and the furthest chamber is the chamber through which hydrogen produced by electrolysis is collected.

17. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 15, in which the adjacent chamber is the chamber through which hydrogen produced by electrolysis is collected and the furthest chamber is the chamber through which steam is delivered.

18. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 15, in which the holes have a circular cross-section with a diameter of between 0.5 and 5 mm, or between 1.25 mm and 2.5 mm.

19. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 15, in which the distance between the center of two adjacent holes is between 7 mm and 28 mm, or between 7 mm et 14 mm.

20. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 15, in which the holes are aligned along parallel lines at equal intervals.

21. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 20, in which one group of aligned holes opening up onto the first plane and directly into the adjacent chamber alternates with another group of aligned holes that opens up onto the first plane and into the furthest chamber.

22. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 21, in which alternation is achieved such that the holes in the group opening up both on the first plane and directly in the adjacent chamber are staggered with the holes opening up both on the first plane and in the furthest chamber, each hole in the group opening up both onto the first plane and directly in the adjacent chamber being in the middle of four holes in the group opening up both onto the first plane and in the furthest chamber, and vice versa.

23. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 22, in which four holes in a group form a square, a hole in the other group being in the middle of the square.

24. A device for electrolysis of water according claim 23, comprising a second device forming an electrical and fluid interconnector composed of a metal part delimited by at least one second plane, the metallic part comprising an internal chamber and a plurality of holes distributed over the entire surface, approximately perpendicular to the plane and opening up onto the second plane and into the chamber, the second plane of the second interconnector being in mechanical contact with the plane of the anode.

25. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 24, in which the second plane is in direct mechanical contact with the plane of the anode.

26. A device for electrolysis of water according to claim 24, in which the second plane is in direct mechanical contact with a gate made of an electrically conducting material, the gate being itself in direct mechanical contact with the plane of the anode.

27. A device for electrolysis of water at high temperature according to claim 24, comprising:

a stack of elementary electrolysis cells each formed from a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte placed between the cathode and the anode;

an interconnecting plate comprising a first and a second interconnector being formed between two adjacent elementary cells such that the first plane of the first interconnector is in mechanical contact with the cathode of one of the two elementary cells and the second plane of the second interconnector is in mechanical contact with the anode of the other of the two elementary cells.

28. A hydrogen production assembly comprising a plurality of electrolysis devices according to claim 27.