Enhanced electrolyzer

• US 6,379,525 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: De Nora Water Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exceltec International Corporation
• Inventors: Clements, Charles W., Childers, Harold, Clements, Charles W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US09/389,527
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 204/232, 204/254, 204/268, 204/267, 204/263, 204/253, 204/255, 204/257, 204/252, 205/347, 205/334
• US Class Current: 205/334
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/26 Chlorine; Compounds thereof by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 11/036 Bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/17 Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof

Abstract

An improved electrolyzer is disclosed herein. The electrolyzer includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet at a common end. Within the housing are disposed electrode elements, and a passageway that connects the inlet to the outlet. In accordance with the improvement disclosed and claimed herein, a divider is disposed in the fluid flow passageway between the inlet and outlet. It serves to cause fluid entering the inlet to flow through one section of the passageway, and then through another section of the passageway before exiting through the outlet.

Claims

1. An electrolyzer, comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

a fluid flow passageway in the housing, the fluid flow passageway connecting to at least the inlet and the outlet;

an impermeable divider disposed in the fluid flow passageway and defining at least two sections in the fluid flow passageway, which are connected by one or more openings, wherein each of said openings are within the periphery of the housing, the divider being positioned such that at least some of the fluid entering the fluid flow passageway through the inlet and exiting through the outlet flows through each of the at least two sections of the fluid flow passageway; and

first and second electrodes positioned such that application of an electrical potential across such electrodes causes field lines to pass through the at least two sections of the fluid flow passageway.

2. The electrolyzer of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes are each formed as single contiguous electrode.

3. The electrolyzer of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes are each a composite of electrically-connected smaller electrode elements.

4. The electrolyzer of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises more than one casing members having inner shallow depressions, with the members, upon closing together, providing a shallow, inner compartment.

5. The electrolyzer of claim 1, wherein the housing contains at least one bipolar electrode.

6. The electrolyzer of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a non-conductive material.

7. An electrolyzer for producing hypochlorite by the electrolysis of brine, comprising:

a generally flat casing member which closes together at its periphery with a pivotally connected second casing member to form an electrolysis compartment between the casing members;

a terminal anode and a terminal cathode on the inside face of the flat casing member;

at least one flat bipolar electrode having an anode section and a cathode section on the inside face of the flat casing member and spaced between the terminal anode and terminal cathode;

a connection connecting the terminal anode section and the terminal cathode section of the flat casing member to an external currently supply;

an inlet and outlet for introducing electrolyte into and removing electrolyte and the product of electrolysis from the electrolysis compartment; and

an impermeable divider disposed between the inlet and outlet and dividing the electrolysis compartment into at least two sections that are connected through an opening, the divider being positioned such that at least some of the fluid entering the inlet and exiting through the outlet flows through each of the at least two sections of the electrolysis compartment.

8. An electrolyzer, comprising:

a first outer casing;

a middle casing, mounted to the first outer casing and forming a first fluid flow passageway between the first outer casing and the middle casing, the first fluid flow passageway connecting at least a first inlet and a first outlet;

an impermeable first divider located in the first fluid flow passageway and defining at least two sections in the first fluid flow passageway, which are connected by one or more openings within the periphery of the middle casing, the first divider being positioned such that at least some of the fluid entering the first fluid flow passageway through the first inlet and exiting through the first outlet flows through each of the at least two sections of the first fluid flow passageway;

a second outer casing mounted to the middle casing and forming a second fluid flow passageway between the middle casing and the second outer casing, the second fluid flow passageway connecting at least a second inlet and a second outlet;

an impermeable second divider located in the second fluid flow passageway and defining at least two sections in the second fluid flow passageway, which are a connected by one or more openings within the periphery of the middle casing, the second divider being positioned such that at least some of the fluid entering the second fluid flow passageway through the second inlet and exiting through the second outlet flows through each of the at least two sections of the second fluid flow passageway;

first and second electrodes positioned such that application of an electrical potential across such electrodes causes field lines to pass through the at least two sections of the second fluid flow passageway; and

third and fourth electrodes positioned such that application of an electrical potential across the third and fourth electrodes causes field lines to pass through the at least two sections of the second fluid passageway.

9. The electrolyzer of claim 8 wherein the first and third electrodes are electrically connected.

10. The electrolyzer of claim 8 wherein the second and fourth electrodes are electrically connected.

11. The electrolyzer of claim 8 wherein the first and third electrodes are electrically connected and the second and fourth electrodes are electrically connected and wherein the electrodes are positioned such that application of an electrical potential between the first/third electrode set and the second/fourth electrode set cause field lines to pass through the first and second sections of the first fluid flow passageway and the first and second sections of the second fluid flow passageway.

12. The electrolyzer of claim 11 wherein the first/third electrode set and the second/fourth electrode set are each formed as single contiguous electrodes.

13. The electrolyzer of claim 11 wherein the first/third electrode set and the second/fourth electrode set are each a composite of electrically-connected smaller electrode elements.

14. A method of producing electrolysis product, wherein liquid electrolyte flows within a housing containing at least one electrode, comprising:

providing an inlet for introducing electrolyte into the housing, an outlet for removing electrolyte from the housing, and a passageway permitting the flow of fluid between the inlet and outlet;

interposing an impermeable divider between the inlet and outlet so as to divide the passageway into at least two sections connected by an opening within the periphery of the housing; and

feeding liquid electrolyte to the housing through the inlet on either side of the divider for flowing into contact with at least one electrode housed in the passageway such that the liquid electrolyte flows through each of the at least two sections.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the housing comprises more than one casing members which close together to provide therebetween a shallow, inner electrolysis compartment.