Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100206722 | ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - A unit cell of an electrolysis apparatus includes a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between an anode separator and a cathode separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode current collector disposed on one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and held against the anode separator, and a cathode current collector disposed on the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and held against the cathode separator. A protective sheet having a number of through holes defined therein is interposed between the anode current collector and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. | 08-19-2010 |
20100213051 | ELECTROCHEMICAL APPARATUS - A hydrogen electrolysis apparatus includes a stack of unit cells each having a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between an anode separator and a cathode separator. The anode separator has a first flow field which is supplied with water, and the cathode separator has a second flow field which produces high-pressure hydrogen through an electrolysis of the water. The cathode separator also has a first seal groove defined therein which extends around the second flow field and a first seal member inserted in the first seal groove. The first seal groove and the second flow field are held in fluid communication with each other through passageways. The passageways keep the first seal groove and the second flow field in direct fluid communication with each other in bypassing relation to the boundary between the cathode separator and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. | 08-26-2010 |
20100230278 | WATER ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEM - A water electrolysis system has a water electrolysis apparatus for electrolyzing pure water, thereby producing hydrogen, a water storage apparatus for separating between oxygen and residual water discharged from the water electrolysis apparatus, thereby storing the water, a water circulation apparatus for circulating the water stored in the water storage apparatus through the water electrolysis apparatus, and a water supply apparatus for supplying the pure water prepared from city water to the water storage apparatus. An inlet is formed at one end of a return pipe to introduce the oxygen and the residual water discharged from the water electrolysis apparatus into a tank, and the position of the inlet is determined such that the inlet is constantly opened in the water stored in the tank. | 09-16-2010 |
20110132748 | WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - A water electrolysis apparatus includes an anode separator having a water flow field held in fluid communication with a water supply passage and a discharge passage. The water flow field includes a plurality of water channels, an arcuate inlet buffer, and an arcuate outlet buffer. The water channels have respective ends connected to the arcuate inlet buffer through respective inlet joint channels. The inlet joint channels are oriented at an angle of 90 degrees or greater with respect to respective tangential lines at the ends of the inlet joint channels which are connected to the arcuate inlet buffer. | 06-09-2011 |
20110147202 | WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - A water electrolysis apparatus is formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells. Each unit cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, and an anode separator and a cathode separator which sandwich the membrane electrode assembly therebetween. The anode separator has a plurality of inlet joint channels in fluid communication with a water supply passage, and a plurality of outlet joint channels in fluid communication with a discharge passage. The water supply passage has an inner wall surface at which the inlet joint channels are open, and an outer wall surface which faces the inner wall surface, the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface jointly forming an opening of an oblong cross-sectional shape. | 06-23-2011 |
20110180398 | WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - Each unit cell of a water electrolysis apparatus includes a pair of an anode separator and a cathode separator and a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the pair of separators. The anode separator has a first seal groove extending annularly around an anode current collector, a first seal member being disposed in the first seal groove. The cathode separator has a second seal groove extending annularly around a cathode current collector, a second seal member being disposed in the second seal groove. The first seal groove and the second seal groove are located across the solid polymer electrolyte membrane from each other respectively at different positions with respect to a stacking direction of the separators. | 07-28-2011 |
20110198217 | WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - Each unit cell of a water electrolysis apparatus includes a pair of an anode separator and a cathode separator and a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the pair of separators. The anode separator has a first flow field to which water is supplied, and the cathode separator has a second flow field for producing high-pressure hydrogen through electrolysis of the water. A second seal groove for receiving a second seal member is disposed annularly around the second flow field. A pressure-releasing chamber is disposed outwardly of the second seal groove, is capable of communicating with the second seal groove and communicates with the outside through a depressurizing channel. | 08-18-2011 |
20120073962 | HIGH-PRESSURE WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS - A high-pressure water electrolysis apparatus includes a plurality of unit cells each having an anode separator, a cathode separator, and a membrane electrode assembly which is sandwiched between the anode separator and the cathode separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and an anode current collector and a cathode current collector which are disposed respectively on opposite sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. An electrically-conductive member is interposed between the cathode separator and disc springs and between a plate member and the cathode current collector so as to integrally extend from a region between the cathode separator and the disc springs to a region between the plate member and the cathode current collector. The electrically-conductive member includes an electrically-conductive path which electrically connects the cathode separator with the cathode current collector. | 03-29-2012 |
20130015059 | ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICEAANM Haryu; EijiAACI Utsunomiya-shiAACO JPAAGP Haryu; Eiji Utsunomiya-shi JPAANM Okabe; MasanoriAACI Nerima-kuAACO JPAAGP Okabe; Masanori Nerima-ku JPAANM Nakazawa; KojiAACI Utsunomiya-shiAACO JPAAGP Nakazawa; Koji Utsunomiya-shi JPAANM Taruya; KenjiAACI Utsunomiya-shiAACO JPAAGP Taruya; Kenji Utsunomiya-shi JP - In a unit cell that forms a water electrolysis device, which is an electrochemical device, an electrolyte membrane/electrode structure is sandwiched between an anode-side separator and a cathode-side separator. A load-applying mechanism is disposed between a cathode-side feeder and the cathode-side separator, while an anode-side feeder is set with a smaller contact area range than the aforementioned cathode-side feeder. The anode-side feeder and the cathode-side feeder are set with a larger contact area range than an anode electrode catalyst layer and a cathode electrode catalyst layer, and a contact surface that touches a solid polymer electrolyte membrane on the aforementioned anode-side feeder is disposed projecting farther to the side of the aforementioned solid polymer electrolyte membrane than a contact surface on the anode-side separator and a contact surface on a frame member. | 01-17-2013 |