United Technologies Corporation

Eric M Shane

James F McElroy

Andrei Leonida

Hugh A Carlson

The production of high purity oxygen and hydrogen gases can be accomplished utilizing an electrolysis assembly comprising an anode, a cathode, an ion exchange membrane disposed therebetween, an anode chamber, and a cathode chamber. This ion exchange membrane has been multiply impregnated with catalyst and therefore contains internal catalyst sites where hydrogen gas, which diffuses through the ion exchange membrane from the cathode chamber, and oxygen gas, which diffuses through the ion exchange membrane from the anode chamber, react to form water. Reacting the hydrogen and oxygen gases within the ion exchange membrane prevents these gases from contaminating the oxygen stream in the anode chamber and the hydrogen stream in the cathode chamber, respectively.

High purity hydrogen and oxygen production using an ion exchange

Due to the limited structural integrity of the ion exchange membrane, operation at pressure gradients exceeding about 200 psi can cause electrolyzer failure due to the ion exchange membrane being physically forced into the holes of the screen set forming the chamber on the lower pressure side of the ion exchange membrane. Utilizing a porous sheet between the anode electrode and the screen set provides additional structural integrity to the ion exchange membrane and allows simultaneous dual-directional flow of water to the anode electrode while oxygen flows from the anode electrode, thereby allowing high pressure gradient operation.

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Simsbury, CT, United States of America

Eric M Shane