Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Patent
1996-12-05
1999-01-12
Valentine, Donald R.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
204278, C25B 900
Patent
active
058581855
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the provision of electrolytic apparatus and, in particular, although not necessarily solely, electrolytic apparatus suitable for welding.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
Conventional electrolytic apparatus has been made to manufacture hydrogen and oxygen from water. One use of such hydrogen oxygen production is in welding equipment to replace the convention oxyacetylene mixture for gas welding. Many other uses of the hydrogen oxygen will be apparent to those skilled in the art. However, the provision of welding equipment based on the hydrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen can have special problems.
Existing prior art hydrolysis equipment has included conventional horse shoe cells as well as cells utilising plates within a generally rectangular cell and the use of membranes between the plates such that the hydrogen and oxygen are separated within the cell. Such membranes often comprise silk, polyester woven cloth or a variety of other plastic membranes between adjacent electrode plates that allow charge to transfer from one plate to another and yet inhibit the free flow of gas bubbles within the solution.
The use of such cells allows the separation of the hydrogen and oxygen from its point of formation and the hydrogen and oxygen may be maintained in separate conduits throughout the apparatus until its necessary combination at the head of the welder or similar apparatus.
The use of such technology involves complex manufacture in the use of the impermeable membranes, a greater degree of maintenance and also less efficient gas production than other configurations. In particular, the use of concentric cylindrical electrodes within a cell allows more efficient gas production, however, there are manufacturing difficulties in providing impermeable membranes or other separators to avoid the production of a mixed hydrogen and oxygen gas within the cell.
Gas produced from concentric cylindrical electrodes may be used in its mixed form as produced or later separated into hydrogen and oxygen components. In either case, it is difficult to avoid the production of the mixed hydrogen and oxygen gas within the cell itself. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate adequate safety measures against explosion of the volatile hydrogen and oxygen mix within the cell should a fault cause ignition to occur within the cell.
A further problem encountered with such welding apparatus is that the generation of hydrogen and oxygen by the hydrolysis process causes some saturated water vapour to leave the generating cells with the gases. This may typically be a value of say three percent by volume and in the case of combustion such as is required with welding apparatus, the saturated water vapour may have the effect of reducing the flame temperature from 3000.degree. C. to 2,500.degree. C. The saturated water vapour within the generated gas can also provide other problems such as condensation in reticulation systems and corrosion of safety devices.
(iii) OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cell for the containment of an electrolytic cell which overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art and provides advantages unknown so far. It is also an object of the invention to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
Furthermore, it is an object of at least an aspect of the invention to provide a gas drying apparatus which overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art and provides advantages unknown so far. It is also an object of the invention to provide the public with a useful choice.
(iv) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention may broadly be said to consist in a cell for electrolytic apparatus wherein said cell is a pressure cell containing a plurality of concentric cylindrical electrodes spaced apart by insulators and at least one end plate provided at an end of said concentric cylinders and including apertures to permit fluid and gas flow between said cylin
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patent: 4175026 (1979-11-01), Houseman
patent: 4457816 (1984-07-01), Galluzzo et al.
patent: 5082544 (1992-01-01), Willey et al.
patent: 5450822 (1995-09-01), Cunningham
Aquagas New Zealand Limited
Valentine Donald R.
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