Patent Application
20240421385
The following invention relates to a device for producing electricity and water production from added hydrogen and oxygen, as the device can reverse the process of producing hydrogen and oxygen from water and electricity supplied to the device.
Current devices for producing electrical production from fuel cells include a bipolar cell stack with multiple cells or a cell pack that also contains the necessary insulation and all medium channels supplied with hydrogen and oxygen, which chemically and catalytically convert the gases into electricity and water vapor. Fuel cells are available for both low temperature (LT) and high temperature (HT) fuel cells. These cell stacks are currently static and operate at near atmospheric pressure, and this has its drawbacks.
When H2 and O2 come into contact with their respective catalytic electrodes in the cells, the reaction with a proton-conducting electrolyte (H+), solid or liquid, produces water vapor on the anodes/electrodes of the oxygen side, or with an anionic conductive electrolyte (OH−) solid or liquid, the water vapor will be produced on the hydrogen side cathodes/electrodes. In both cases, electric current, water vapor, and more or less heat are produced depending on the cell voltage (V). The water vapor requires volume and reduces the contact of the gas with the electrode where the vapor is formed. This results in losses, reduced capacity and higher heat production instead of electric production.
Initially, it would be beneficial to increase the pressure so that the water produced, instead of steam, was formed as liquid water on the electrode, to provide more access for the gas. The problem is that today's static fuel cells operate in only 1 G gravity and thus too much of the produced water remains on the electrode, which in turn blocks the gas supply. According to Gibbs free energy, the fuel cell's theoretical efficiency will increase by 16.2% by forming liquid water instead of water vapor and allowing excess water to be removed continuously from the electrode's surface.
Today's fuel cells are difficult to combine with reversing the process, so the cells can also be used as water electrolysers by splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen with supplied water and electric current (EL). The challenge with this combination is that a static electrolyser will require far more volume for the produced gases to avoid gas blocking losses on the electrodes and through the water. This, in turn, will make the fuel cells too large and uneconomical with a combined device for this.
On the other hand, today only SOC (Solid Oxide Cells) have somewhat better reversible possibilities, but they must operate at a very high temperature at low pressure and in the water vapor phase to work in both fuel cell and electrolyser modes, to which the combined ceramic-like membrane electrodes are adapted. The challenge today is the high temperature and that in the reaction there are point temperature increases that are difficult to dissipate at 1 G as in today's operation and relatively large apparatus. This results in degradation of the catalyst and the electrolytic thin membrane between the electrodes and gas leakage through the membrane which will result in more heat and cell breakdown. If SOC were adapted to higher pressures and G, it would provide higher convections in the cells and better distribute the heat, water vapor, gases and make SOC more compact which in turn improves the temperature balance in the cells and transport heat in/out to/from SOC and provide higher efficiency, greater flexibility and power density.
The purpose of the present invention is to produce a compact device for electrical production with hydrogen and oxygen that has a higher efficiency than known static fuel cells and sets an improved standard for safety.
The device is a bipolar cell pack that is arranged rotatable. The device can be adapted to the pressure and temperature of low-temperature fuel cells, where liquid water can be formed on one of the respective electrodes in the cell pack, which during constant rotation will be continuously hurled outward towards the periphery and provide a significantly higher active area for the gas's contact at respective electrodes with adapted catalyst. The device can also be designed as a high-temperature fuel cell, where the produced water will be in water vapor phase. The rotation of the cell pack provides a high G and better convection in the cells. In both cases, performance, efficiency and power density increase and make the fuel cell stack significantly more compact and will improve the temperature balance in the cells. The rotation and high G mean that it is relatively easy to combine the fuel cells with a device and process to become a water electrolyser by reversing the process of supplying electricity and water that is converted into hydrogen and oxygen.
This is achieved with a device according to the attached description and patent claims.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to attached figures, where additional characteristics and advantages of the invention are stated in the subsequent detailed description.
When starting up to LT fuel cell mode, the cells can initially be filled with water that start-moistens the membrane 4, which during constant rotation and when hydrogen from its channels 2 and oxygen from its channels 3 are pressed with equal and adapted pressure via each gland-box (shown in
By adapted rotation and pressure of gases 2,3 into the cells, water collection channels 8 at LT will also act as a water trap with a constant surface radius as water is produced from the cells. This excess water is discharged at the outlet/inlet water 9 from the rotating device at the axis of rotation 1 via an adapted gland-box 68 (shown in
Simultaneously with the gas supply, the cell stack will produce DC current, where +/− is led to separate slip ring at each end at the axis of rotation (shown in
In LT and with reversing the process so that the same cell stack becomes a water electrolyser, the procedure is as follows: During rotation, the pressure of gases 2.3 at outlet is reduced, so that water from inlet 9 via the water collection channels 8 fills the cells via radial channels on each side of membrane disc 4 from the water collection channels 8. Then the DC is applied via their respective +/− brushes, +/− bipolar end discs 5 with custom voltage (V) that simultaneously provide a current (A). At the same time, where hydrogen and oxygen were previously supplied in the fuel cell from their channels 2.3 in the cells, at the correct direction of flow (A) the same gas will be produced in the same place in the cells by splitting the water 9 that is continuously supplied. The high G will provide great buoyancy force on the hydrogen and oxygen gas bubbles that form on membrane disc 4 and its electrodes 5, 6 where the gas bubbles detach rapidly and propel them rapidly through the water inward toward the center and out into their gas channels 2, 3. With a custom/regulated pressure out, a hollow cylindrical water table within the inner radius of the electrodes forms and only gas outputs into their channels 2, 3. The pressure out is equal to the centrifugal force of the radius of the water column from inlet 9 to the radius of the water table. The higher the rpm, the higher the gas pressure can be regulated out, while the device can suck the water 9 in, or increase the gas pressure out, by increasing the water pressure in 9. At the same time, the cell pack will act as a gas separator, which in today's water electrolysis plants are large tanks outside the electrolyser, which with the device can be omitted. Thus, the device sets an improved standard to safety. As the device is ultra-compact with very high power density, there is very little volume of the explosive gases until continuous detection of them just outside the rotor. If there is more than 4% of one gas in the other, it entails immediate shutdown and dumping of the production gases.
Highlighting A in
The cell packets include bipolar end discs 5 and center bipolar discs 6, and in
The membrane disc 4 has so far been explained by the fact that it can have catalytic coating with porous electrode discs 16 attached to either side that form the electrodes (anode, cathode). But the membrane can also be completely clean without catalyst and without porous electrode discs 16 (not shown). Instead, the bipolar discs 5, 6 can also act as electrode disc 16 and can be designated as bipolar discs 5, 6 with electrode discs 16, with a porous surface towards the cell that may be similar to that shown for sides 6A, 6B, but so that the shovels 17 are axially further inward towards the cell in contact with the membrane disc 4 and can advantageously also be axially backward bent in the direction of rotation (not shown), both to make room for insulation discs 10, 11, but also for the shovels 17 to replace some of the space the previously porous electrode discs 16 had. The current combined bipolar discs 5, 6 with electrode discs 16 must be gas-tight and electrically conductive towards the cell-ends and between each cell in the cell packet. Bipolar electrodes 5, 6 can be of gas-tight carbon, nickel, acid-resistant steel, titanium or composite, ceramic or other resistant electrically conductive material that may simultaneously have catalytic properties or coated/doped with beneficial catalyst in active area on the side facing the cell, adapted for LT or HT. When assembling, a good contact surface is formed between bipolar electrodes 5, 6, with electrode disc 16 and membrane disc 4 on each side of each cell. At the same time, the solution provides good support for the membrane discs 4 in high G during rotation, as well as providing space for far more cells of the same length compared to static solution. This will increase capacity, or provide better efficiency at equal capacity compared to statice devices, as the device's reduced volume provides reduced ohmic resistance, even with inferior catalyst than platinum commonly used today at LT or combined with Ni(O) YTZ or other membrane catalyst methods by HT.
The electrodes and membrane can also be coated with catalyst that can be in any form or in combination of: platinum, iridium, nickel, cobalt, iron, yttrium, zirconium, strontium, lanthanum, manganese or oxidized materials where similar properties with catalysts and catalyst alloys are known. On the oxygen side of bipolar discs 56 with electrodes 16, both they and membrane disc 4 have great need to be coated with catalyst. Similarly on the hydrogen side, but in smaller quantities as the reaction is relatively light compared to the oxygen side. The water that is formed will also settle as a thin film on the electrode, soak into the membrane and can act as electrolyte with the short distance in the cell. The porous surface of the bipolar electrodes can be coated with a catalyst towards the active cell surface, which is further be coated with a thin solid electrolytic membrane film on the surface of them, where they may be in contact with a main membrane disc 4 between anode and cathode side, or without such a main membrane and membrane from each electrode being in direct contact with each other or that the other bipolar electrode is contact with membrane applied to one of the cell's bipolar disc-electrode, or attached together during assembly with a custom porous and EL conductive porous paste. This makes it easier for the anion or proton to be conducted from the porous surface and further through membrane from a relatively larger active area. Hydrogen/oxygen will also be more easily converted to EL and water with greater access to protons or anions respectively and electrons via the outer circuit.
So far, the cell pack is explained by the fact that it is supported by bipolar discs 5, 6 which have an outer and inner diameter equal to the cell pack. But the bipolar discs may have smaller inner and outer diameters, and instead are supported there by electrically insulating and sealing discs that replace the space where the bipolar discs were previously (not shown). From just outside the periphery of the outermost gas hydrogen channel 2 at the inner periphery, in addition to sealing and inner insulation disc 10 between the bipolar discs. At periphery it is the same, where outer insulation disc 11 is in the radius from just inside the water collection channel 8 and all the way out to the outer periphery, similar as shown for bipolar discs 5, 6 in the same area with the same sealing/insulation between them as before. The radial cell gas channels 12, 13 and cell water channels 20, 21 can also be arranged in the new insulator discs as shown for 6A and 6B. Otherwise, the cell pack may be similar to shown and described in Highlight A,
In bipolar solution with porous electrode discs 16 and catalyst on diaphragm 4, the inner and outer insulating discs 10, 11 are as thick as the bipolar disc and electrode disc 16 combined on the bipolar end discs 5 outside the outer and inner periphery of them and reduced by half the axial thickness of the center bipolar disc 6 outside the outer and inner periphery of those between the bipolar end discs 5. Thus, both the cells and the insulation gaskets come into contact with each other when the cell pack is assembled, and the insulation discs will both seal and provide electrical insulation radially inside and outside the cell pack so that EL current (A) can only pass through the cell pack via its bipolar end discs 5 +/−. In the last solution, electrode discs 16 have a slightly smaller diameter than the bipolar disc and membrane. The membrane can now have the same diameter as the bipolar discs 5, 6. Thus, the inner and outer insulator discs 10, 11 can be inset into the periphery of the electrode disc 16, where only membrane disc 4 has the same diameter as the bipolar disc and is clamped together and clogged by mounting equally combined sealing discs and inner and outer insulation discs 10, 11 on the other side of membrane disc 4 that is very thin and is sealed between the two insulating discs 10, 11.
The inner insulation discs 10 can also be constructed with several holes radially within and/or between or outside (not shown) the displayed gas channels 2, 3, where these holes are assembled form axial cooling channels connected via dedicated channels to one inlet gland-box and another for outlet (not shown) by the shaft. In water electrolysis mode, this provides good cooling to the gases that dry easily at high pressure. The condensed water from gases 2, 3 is quickly returned to the cells from the gas channels (not shown) in high G. Cooled oxygen will become dryer the higher the pressure, it also reduces oxidation against the materials out of the oxygen channel 3 and the pressure out can be increased without noble materials having to be coated inside its channels out of the rotor and beyond. In water electrolysis mode with said water cooling channels in the center, some of the water can be discharged and the rest directed to respective water collection channels 8 at periphery via water trap at periphery (not shown) similar to that of displayed cell water channels 20, 21 to periphery of water collection channel 8.
There may also be a hollow cylinder of EL insulating and sealing material along the entire outer and inner periphery of the cell pack when the bipolar discs are not insulated towards the outer side of the inner and outer periphery of the cell pack with the insulating discs 10, 11.
The rotation device is shown with a plus (+) +bipolar disc 33 in the middle which in the cell pack area may be designed similar to bipolar disc sides 6A and 6B, but with a whole disk at the axis of rotation 1 and with a cell pack 54 on each side, where a cell pack 54 is shown and described in
End cap fluid side 64 with fluid channels to/from cell packets 54, can also be arranged with circular grooves (not shown) for insertion of sealing discs in the same radius as cell packets' 54 outer and inner insulation discs 10, 11 in
Bipolar end disc 5 and/or outer and inner insulation 10, 11 in contact with the second end cap 48 do not have holes for fluid collection channels 31, 32, 56, 57.
End caps 48, 64 are in the center attached to each centered hollow shaft at fluid and EL side 29, 36 which protrudes axially in adapted length where bearings EL side 38 and bearing fluid side 67 are placed outside dynamic sealing at EL and fluid side 37, 66 which is the innermost axially of each shaft at EL and fluid side 29, 36. Bearing can be ball bearings that are further supported in separate stator discs 47, 65 on each end. The stator discs 47, 65 have a slightly larger diameter than the support cylinder 59 of the rotor and the stator discs 47, 65 fastened at the periphery perpendicular to their shaft at fluid and EL side 29, 36 with an insulating protective stator tube 52 that encloses the stator discs and protects the entire device with gland-box 68, +/− brushes 40 and EL motor 43. The protective stator tube 52 has on each end its stator end cap fluid and EL side 25, 45, which seals and insulates. Stator end cap EL side 45 has bushings for electrical wiring (not shown) to the device EL motor 43 for rotation and a wire for each its +/− brushes 40. On the other end of the stator end cap 25 for fluid side, bushings of fluid pipes for connection to the device's fluid channels 2, 3, 23, 24 are connected via the gland-box 68's throughput channels for fluid out/in from/to the device's shaft pipe channels 27. The outer side of the fluid pipes seals the passage in the stator end cap 25. The protective stator tube 52 can be transparent and of acrylic tubes by LT or insulating temperature resistant material at HT.
On the end of the electric shaft at EL side 36 outside bearing EL side 38, an electrically conductive sleeve is pressed and centered, which is a slip-ring ground 39 and which is in contact with shaft at EL side 36 and radially outside in contact with +/− brushes 40 on the ground potential (minus) of a brush housing attached to the outer side of its stator disc 47. + brushes 40 are attached via their brush housing to an EL insulating brush washer 46 where + brushes are in contact with +slipring 41 attached to electrically conductive +bolt 35 which is attached to +bipolar disc 33 in center. Plus side is electrically insulated 34 inside rotor radially within cell packets 54, through end cap 48, shafts at EL side 36, EL insulating brush washer 46 and between El motor insulator 42 and EL motor 43. EL motor 43 and EL insulating brush washer 46 are attached to stator disc 47 with multiple bolts and distance sleeves 44 on bolts (not shown) for proper spacing and centering of EL insulating brush washer 46 and EL motor 43. The +/− brushes 40 connect to their respective +/− wire (not shown) for the EL DC to/from the cell pack depending on the operating mode as mentioned. When the cell packets 54 are pressed together, it simultaneously locks +bolt 35, allowing it to be attached to EL motor 43 for rotation of the rotation device suspended between bearing fluid side 67 and bearing EL side 38. Insulation 34 around +bolt 35, is adapted with means to simultaneously seal around it, between insulation and end cap 48 and inside shaft at EL side 36. EL wire to EL motor 43 to provide rotation to the rotary device is not shown. Pure air is supplied to air inlet EL side 50 and air inlet fluid side 61 with a fan through the protective stator tube 52 to the room within air inlet EL side 50 and for air inlet fluid side 61 and through respective air outlets EL side 51 and air outlets fluid side 62 in pipes to outside of the building. The air from each side is continuously measured to detect any hydrogen content above given values, in which case the device is automatically shut down (not shown).
On the fluid side, the shaft pipe duct 29 is hollow, with several inserted fluid pipes 28 of smaller diameter within each other, which on one ends outer side seals and fasteners 30 at different axial length inside the end cap fluid side 64, so that the thinnest inner pipe is furthest inside the end cap fluid side 64 and the thickest pipe is attached with seals and fasteners 30 axially furthest closest to shaft pipe duct 29 inside end cap fluid side 64 as shown. The other fluid pipes 28 are attached axially between the smallest and largest fluid pipe 28 as shown in
The static gland-box 68 for fluid in/out in its channels 2, 3, 23, 24, is attached with means attached and centered to the stator disc fluid side 65, where dynamic seals 26 are attached inside the gland-box 68, which seal at the ends of the rotating fluid pipes 28 and thus form tight fluid channels to/from static gland-box 68's inlet/outlet channels that are externally mounted and sealed with static pipes for transporting each fluid to/from each of its rotating shaft pipe channels 27.
The positive +bipolar disc 33 is electrically isolated against ground potentials inside the rotor outside cell packets 54 also inside the holes for fluid collection channels 31, 32, 56, 57 for fluid to/from both cell packets 54. +bipolar disc 33 is therefore only in electrical contact with its end to the bipolar cell packets 54 on either side of +bipolar disc 33. The ground potential (−) brush 40 is in direct contact with slip-ring ground 39 on shaft at EL side 36 which is in contact with end cap 48, electrically conductive support cylinder 59 and end cap fluid side 64 on the other end. This provides an insulated joined circuit between plus and minus brushes via cell packets 54. The whole device is externally on ground potential and in addition EL insulated externally with protective stator tube 52 and protection stator end cap fluid and EL side 25, 45. This will reduce the potential of creep-current from the device during operation to a minimum and therefore sets a new standard for safety.
At the water electrolysis mode and cell voltage below 1.48V and towards the reversible point of 1.23V, more heat must be supplied the more the cell voltage approaches the reversible point. Above 1.48V, more heat is produced that must be dissipated by cooling over the periphery. In fuel cell mode, it is beneficial to have a high temperature to get as close to 1.23V as possible, where the cell is in heat balance and in chemical/electrical 100% efficiency, but with low current (A) increasing at lower voltage (V). At fuel cell mode, heat production will increase at lower cell voltage and correspondingly reduce electricity production compared to the chemical energy in hydrogen. These variables normally present challenges in that the last cells in a long cell pack require a large flow to avoid a large change in temperature to the last cells in the channel. This is avoided by heating in/out over periphery with the nozzles for temperature control 53, 55 which gives approximately equal temperature throughout the water/steam collection channels 56, 57 even at very low flow rate, as well as also balancing the temperature radially inwards to all cells in both cell packets 54 throughout their length.
It is advantageous if the device is fixed vertically against a wall and/or floor, with a fluid-/gland-box 68 side down, and supplied cooling or heating fluid via several nozzles for temperature control 53, 55 through the protective stator tube 52 and which is led in contact with the entire periphery by the support cylinder 59 to the rotor. The fluid is then discharged through the protective stator tube 52 down at stator disc fluid side 65, where one or more drainage 60 pipes are placed for further transport and possibly collection and further utilization of the fluid. In the periphery, stator discs 47, 65 have seals that seal against the inner side of the protective stator tube 52, which on the outer side has a tightening band (not shown) outside each stator disc that locks the stator discs into position. On each tightening band, brackets with at least two rubber suspensions resembling engine mounts can be attached, which are further fixed against the wall (not shown).
As the displayed device may contain several hundred bipolar cells where there may be several cells per millimeter, it can provide very high EL voltage (V) which can be reduced to the half and double current (A) with one cell stack on each side of the +bipolar disk as shown. The rotor can then be relatively long with a small diameter, which gives the highest G at equal periphery speed, which is beneficial. When cooling or heating is used over the periphery, this channel length is of less importance for temperature change to the last cell in the channel. Distance is relatively short from the periphery of support cylinder 59 to the cells in rotor and smaller diameter rotor allows for shorter distance and improves temperature balance faster in cells. At HT and high pressure in fuel cell mode and lower voltage producing heat, cooling over the periphery can allow condensation of water vapor in water collection channels 56, 57 when refrigerant is supplied against periphery with nozzles for temperature control 53, 55 in adapted quantity that simultaneously stabilizes temperature inside the cell packets 54.
The gland-box 68 can be composed of several gland-boxes attached together and to the stator disc fluid side 65. They can be Zimmer-rings or cartridge seal type, adapted for high pressure and temperature, be oxygen resistant and can be silicon carbide type. The gland box can also be adapted with means for cooling, lubrication and pressure balance.
Bearing fluid side 67 and bearing EL side 38 can be ball bearings with means for lubrication, when there is sealing between gland-box 68 and stator disc fluid side 65 and there can be an additional Zimmer-ring dynamic sealing fluid side 66 or adapting the cartridge sealing is on either side of the bearing.
The bearings can also be plain bearings adapted to different fluids, temperatures and rotational speeds. When the device is mounted vertically and the gland-box 68 is down, bearing fluid side 67 must provide both radial and axial support in both directions between the weight of the rotor and the pressure/area in gland-box 68 to avoid the rotor being lifted up. Radial and axial support must also be provided if the device is placed horizontally.
In the space within cell packets 54 on either side of +bipolar disk 33, each room can be arranged as a separator to remove the gas from the water by LT water electrolysis (not shown). For example, in the space towards the end cap fluid side 64, oxygen and water come to this space from its side in all the cells via the collection channels 32. There are several openings radially inward from these channels into the separator compartment just after the + bipolar disc on this side. The oxygen is discharged dry to its shaft pipe channel 3, 27 with several holes in the circle into the oxygen shaft pipe channel 3, 27. The radius of the water level becomes radially outside the hole/channels to the oxygen shaft pipe channel 3, 27 and forms a hollow water cylinder with the gas in the center. The radius of the water level is regulated by the pressure out towards the rpm and the pressure of the water in. In the center room towards the EL end cap 48, the same can be arranged for hydrogen and water from the cells, which are separated from the water there. The hydrogen is directed through isolated channels at the center in the +bipolar disc 33 and over to an insulated and tight collection cup attached to the insulator on the other side of the +bipolar disc, where the oxygen separator is the compartment outside. At the center of the hydrogen collection cup, a pipe is fastened and sealed through a hole in the center of the end cap fluid side 64, where there is sealing and fastening to the hydrogen tube, which can be an extended fluid pipe 28 from gland-box 68's hydrogen channel 2 into the hydrogen collection cup. The gas separators will be proportionally more compact against static 1 G separators compared to G inside the hollow water cylinder in the separator. E.g. 100 G provides 1/100 smaller separator in rotor with the same capacity as with 1 G. Thus, the amount of hot water or electrolyte can be reduced accordingly and set a new and improved standard of safety in addition to reduced space and cost.
Also, the rotation device can contain only one cell pack 54. Where then +bipolar disc 33 is moved all the way towards end cap 48 with an El isolating and sealing disk between them. In this case, holes through the +bipolar disk are not required for fluid collection channels 31, 32, 56, 57, and only side towards the nearest cell from the +electrode can resemble the side 6A and the other side towards the insulating disk is level.
EL insulation 34 materials for inner and outer insulation discs 10, 11, +bipolar disc 33 with +bolt 35, +brush EL insulating brush washer 46, shaft for EL motor insulator 42, EL insulating and sealing hollow cylinder 58 and other electric insulations as mentioned can be Teflon, PEEK, ceramic, glass, mica, composite or equivalent or EL insulated metal for better support. They must also be oxidation-resistant and adapted for LT or HT respectively.
For said cooling or heating over the periphery via nozzles for temperature control 53, 55, it can be with cold or hot water/steam against the periphery of the rotating support cylinder 59 on ground potential, respectively. In the case of cold water via nozzles for temperature control 53, 55 towards the periphery, heat is extracted from the cell packets 54. The water is continuously drained out through said drainage 60 via pipes for possible reuse or distillation of the heated water at a negative pressure or that the water evaporates on the support cylinder 59. The distilled water and produced water from the fuel cell can be used in the device by electrolyser mode. At least one of the nozzles for temperature control 53, 55 can also be directed more tangentially with the direction of rotation to provide custom rotation to the rotary device that has custom vanes for this on the outer side of the support cylinder. Thus, the EL motor can be omitted.
The device can function as a battery (not shown), in that pipes from/to the gland-box 68 lead to/from storage tanks for oxygen, hydrogen and two water tanks where one is from/to anode and the other from/to cathode sides in the rotation device, where the water is directed to its respective tanks during water production in fuel cell mode and regulated back to its respective anodes, cathodes side in water-electrolyser mode. In water electrolysis, hydrogen from the cells is led through the gland-box to a combined deoxidizer and dryer, which removes oxygen residues below 4% and dries and cools the gas before it is led or can be pressurized via a compressor and further cooled/dried before the hydrogen is directed to the storage tank. For the oxygen circuit, it can be the same from the cells to the storage tank, but the deoxidizer can be omitted and can only use cooler and dryer. On the oxygen line, there may also be a membrane adapted for the extraction of any hydrogen residues, which must be below 4% before the membrane and as low a hydrogen content as possible before the oxygen is stored in its tank. Compressors for the gases can be omitted if the entire system including the rotation device is adapted for an operating pressure equal to the storage pressure of the gases towards the end of the electrolysis. The system is ultra-compact and a reinforcement for higher pressure is therefore relatively simple and affordable, as is the use of nobler materials to reduce oxidation in the oxygen circuit from and including cells to the storage tank.
The water tanks at the top can be connected to their respective gases that can push the water back during water electrolysis. Each water tank can also be a combined gas and water tank with gas and water from the same side of membrane 4, in that they can contain a flexible dense membrane that separates gas and water. Thus, separate water tanks can be omitted. In this case, there must be a water pump on each water circuit, as the pressure is variable if there is little water and a lot of gas in the tank and vice versa. When the gases are led to the cells in fuel cell mode, they are connected/bypassed via valves in pipes around the compressor, deoxidizer and dryer respectively via their own gas pressure regulator, which controls the pressure in relation to the pressure of the water into the rotor and the rotational speed so that the water table is pushed outwards to outside the periphery of the cells as mentioned. You can also have a corresponding regulator or water pump on the water circuit that adjusts the water pressure from/to the rotor depending on whether the water pressure is too high or low in the tank in relation to the aforementioned water surface in the cell packets 54.
So far, the device is described with membrane, but the device can also use other known and new cell solutions adapted for cell packets in the rotation device, where it is beneficial to quickly remove the water from the cells during LT fuel cell mode and remove the production gases quickly by water electrolysis mode with the rotation device, as well as an improvement of temperature balance and equalization of temperature in the cells of high convection speed in the high G. This will improve contact between the electrodes, gases and water/steam.
At high pressure in the device, the supplied water can be saturated with its respective gasses, hydrogen and oxygen to each side of the cells during fuel cell mode. For example, the gas-saturated water can then enter the cells via their respective water collection channels 56, 57 and into the periphery of the cells, where the saturated gases react and produce electricity and water. The production water is mixed with the rest of the water and any released gases are directed into the cells of previous gas collection channels 31, 32 and further out into channels 2, 3. The same can be done in electrolyser mode and under high pressure and adapted heat, where the gases produced will be saturated in the water, which is degassed under lower pressure in the center of the rotor as mentioned or outside after the gland-box, or the water is cooled and stored with saturated gas. Higher water flow can be allowed to combine with cooling in both cell modes. When saturation of gas to/from cells, the cells should contain as diffusion-tight a membrane disc 4 as possible, which can be combined with the fact that the water is also an electrolyte and can be similar to the electrolyte in the membrane, for example alkaline water with up to 35% KOH (Potassium Hydroxide). Supplied production water in the electrolyte at the fuel cell mode is condensed/distilled out in the center or outside the device and the consumption of water during gas production is added in the right amount in the water circuit where it is consumed.
So far, said membrane disc 4 is explained as a solid electrolyte, but it can be replaced with a porous diaphragm of similar shape, which can be of the Zirfon type at LT, with or without reinforcement and a liquid electrolyte in contact with anode and cathode via the porous junction filling with the liquid electrolyte. Bipolar discs 5, 6 may be similar to those shown and described for
The rotary device can have different rpm, pressure and temperature in fuel cell mode and water electrolysis mode.
As described in
So far, the procedure is explained by the fact that pure oxygen is supplied in its channels 3, 13, 32, to the cells in fuel cell mode, but this can also be an oxygen-rich gas that can be air. The air is supplied in the same channels as oxygen channel 3 with an adapted pressure that causes the air to bubble from cell water channel 21 (
The rotary device is so far described in several parts that are assembled with fasteners, sealants and insulators. But entire rotors or parts of it can also be 3D printed and where the different parts with potentially different materials are built up layerwise axially to form a complete balanced tight rotor with channels, which are simultaneously interconnected and it can be heated and can be applied a voltage (V) to achieve the desired property of the different materials in their place in the rotor as mentioned.
Said catalyst can be in any form or in combination of: platinum, nickel, iridium, cobalt, iron, yttrium, zirconium, strontium, lanthanum, manganese or materials with similar properties.
All figures and descriptions of them are principled and do not show the real design of the device.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20211319 | Nov 2021 | NO | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NO2022/050248 | 11/1/2022 | WO |
