Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-11-06
Bell, Bruce F. (Department: 1741)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
C204S264000, C204S268000, C204S283000, C204S284000, C204S288100, C204S288300, C204S289000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrolyzer, and in particular, to an electrolyzer with electrodes, in which electrolyzing voltage can be reduced by decreasing distance between electrodes.
An electrolyzer comprising an anode and a cathode arranged at opposite positions is widely used in applications such as filter press type electrolyzer.
Filter press type bipolar electrolyzer is used for producing salt, and this is a typical electrolyzing method using the filter press type electrolyzer. In unit electrolyzer used in this filter press type bipolar electrolyzer, thin plates made of materials selected from thin-film forming metal such as titanium, zirconium, tantalum, etc. are molded in pan-like shape and are used as a partition wall on anode side. Partition wall on cathode side is produced from thin plates made of nickel, stainless steel, etc. These partition walls are mounted on an electrolyzer frame. On the partition walls, recesses and projections engaging each other are formed, or two partition walls are connected using a clad material and are integrated.
On anode side and on cathode side of the partition wall, an anode with anode activating coating on it and a cathode with a cathode activating coating containing metal of nickel or platinum family are connected by means such as welding.
Extremely high electric current, i.e. several tens of kA to several hundreds of kA, is normally supplied to the electrolyzer. In this respect, even slight decrease of electrolytic voltage provides surprisingly high effect to reduce the power consumption. Therefore, it is very important to decrease the voltage required for electrolysis.
Among the factors, which exert influence on electrolytic voltage, the decrease of inter-electrode distance is an important factor which contributes to the decrease of electrolytic voltage, and various proposals have been made to decrease inter-electrode distance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an electrolyzer, which comprises electrodes arranged at opposed positions, a plurality of openings are provided on surface of at least one of the electrodes, spacers are mounted on said openings, said spacers each comprising a space-maintaining portion and a mounting portion, and each of said spacers is designed in such shape and size that loci of the space-maintaining portion of any of the spacers do not cross each other when the space-maintaining portion is rotated around the mounting portion inserted in the opening.
The present invention provides an electrolyzer as described above, wherein the maximum diameter of a graphic figure formed at an intersection between the mounting portion and a plane in parallel to the electrode surface is shorter than the longer diameter of the opening and longer than the shorter diameter of the opening, and the mounting portion is fixed on the opening by rotating it after it is inserted into the opening.
The present invention provides an electrolyzer as described above, wherein the spacer is designed in button-like shape, and the spacer is mounted on a movable type cathode.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5174878 (1992-12-01), Wullenweber et al.
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Bell Bruce F.
Chlorine Engineers Corp. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Electrolyzer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrolyzer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrolyzer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2585874