Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Osaka Titanium Technologies Co., Ltd.

Koji Nakazawa

Masanori Okabe

Kenji Taruya

Jun Takeuchi

Eiji Haryu

Hisashi Nagaoka

Daisuke Kurashina

Hiroyuki Ishikawa

Yuji Yamakawa

Tetsuya Yoshida

Koichi Takahashi

Tadashi Ogasawara

Masato Kita

Nobuyoshi Yoshida

Aoi Miyake

Kazuomi Azuma

Takashi Onishi

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus, an electric component, and a casing. The electric component is to operate the water electrolysis apparatus. The casing includes a housing chamber, an electric component chamber, and a buffering chamber. The housing chamber has a first ventilation air inlet to introduce external air into the housing chamber and houses the water electrolysis apparatus. The electric component chamber has a second ventilation air inlet to introduce the external air into the electric component chamber and houses the electric component. The first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet are separate from each other. The buffering chamber is in communication with the first ventilation air inlet and the second ventilation air inlet. An air pressure in the buffering chamber is to be maintained at atmospheric pressure.

Water electrolysis system

A high-pressure water electrolysis apparatus includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side separator, a cathode side separator, an anode side element member, a cathode side element member, a high-pressure hydrogen communication hole, a first seal member, and a second seal member. The first seal member is provided between the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and an outer circumference edge portion of the anode side separator. The second seal member has a thickness same as a thickness of the anode side element member at a time of operation of the high-pressure water electrolysis apparatus. The second seal member is disposed in an anode chamber to shield between the anode chamber and the high-pressure hydrogen communication hole.

High-pressure water electolysis apparatus

A water electrolysis system includes a high-pressure hydrogen production unit for electrolyzing water to generate oxygen and high-pressure hydrogen (the pressure of the high-pressure hydrogen being higher than that of the oxygen), and a gas-liquid separation unit for removing water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen. The gas-liquid separation unit is placed on a hydrogen pipe for discharging the high-pressure hydrogen from the high-pressure hydrogen production unit. In addition, the water electrolysis system includes a high-pressure hydrogen supply pipe for transferring dewatered high-pressure hydrogen from the gas-liquid separation unit, a cooling unit, which is placed on the high-pressure hydrogen supply pipe and is capable of variably controlling the temperature of the high-pressure hydrogen to adjust the humidity of the high-pressure hydrogen, and a control unit.

Method for operating the water electrolysis system

A differential pressure water electrolysis apparatus includes a cell unit, a first end plate, a second end plate, and a pressing mechanism. The pressing mechanism is provided between the first end plate and a first end of the cell unit to press the cell unit in a stacking direction and includes a first corrosion-resistant member, a second corrosion-resistant member, a third corrosion-resistant member, and a pressure-resistant member. The first corrosion-resistant member is connected to the first end plate. The second corrosion-resistant member is engaged with the first end of the cell unit and is movable in the stacking direction. The third corrosion-resistant member is connected to the first corrosion-resistant member or the second corrosion-resistant member and covers an outer peripheral part of the first corrosion-resistant member and an outer peripheral part of the second corrosion-resistant member to provide a fluid introduction chamber communicating with a cathode side.

Differential pressure water electrolysis apparatus

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.

Electrochemical device

A hydrogen filling system to fill a hydrogen fuel tank with hydrogen includes a high-pressure water electrolysis device capable of electrolyzing water to produce oxygen and the hydrogen. A hydrogen pipe connects the high-pressure water electrolysis device and a filling mechanism to fill the hydrogen fuel tank with the hydrogen. At least one hydrogen storage tank is provided to the hydrogen pipe to store the hydrogen produced by the high-pressure water electrolysis device at substantially a same pressure as a maximum filling pressure of the hydrogen fuel tank. A first valve mechanism is arranged downstream of the at least one hydrogen storage tank. A bypass pipe is provided to the hydrogen pipe and connects the high-pressure water electrolysis device and the filling mechanism to bypass the at least one hydrogen storage tank and the first valve mechanism. A second valve mechanism is arranged on the bypass pipe.

Hydrogen filling system and method of operating the same

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus, a low-pressure gas-liquid separator, a high-pressure gas-liquid separator, water pipe, and a decompression water supply device. The high-pressure gas-liquid separator separates the hydrogen received from a cathode of the water electrolysis apparatus and permeation water that has permeated from the anode. The water pipe connects the high-pressure gas-liquid separator and the low-pressure gas-liquid separator and is used for returning the water from the high-pressure gas-liquid separator to the low-pressure gas-liquid separator. The decompression water supply device is arranged at the water pipe and is to decompress the water discharged from the high-pressure gas-liquid separator.

Water electrolysis system and method for operating the same

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.

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.

High-pressure water electrolysis apparatus

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus for electrically decomposing water to generate oxygen and high-pressure hydrogen having a pressure higher than the oxygen, a gas-liquid separator connected to a hydrogen pipe which discharges the high-pressure hydrogen from the water electrolysis apparatus, for separating water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen, a high-pressure hydrogen outlet pipe for delivering the high-pressure hydrogen separated from water from the gas-liquid separator, a water drainage line for discharging the water from the gas-liquid separator, and a gas depressurizing line connected to the gas-liquid separator, for degassing the gas-liquid separator before the water is discharged from the water drainage line into the water drainage line.

Water electrolysis system and method of operating same

A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus including an electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane is provided between an anode and a cathode. The water electrolysis apparatus is configured to generate oxygen on a side of the anode and hydrogen on a side of the cathode at a pressure higher than a pressure of the oxygen through electrolysis of water. A gas-liquid separation apparatus separates unreacted water and produced gas discharged from a water outlet of the water electrolysis apparatus. A water circulation apparatus circulates the water between the water electrolysis apparatus and the gas-liquid separation apparatus. The water circulation apparatus includes a return pipe having an on-off valve and connecting the water outlet and the gas-liquid separation apparatus. A hydrogen exhaust pipe is connected to the return pipe between the water outlet and the on-off value and extends upward from the water electrolysis apparatus.

Water electrolysis system and method for shutting down the same

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.

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.

A high-pressure hydrogen producing apparatus includes a cell device and a piston member. The piston member is to apply a pressing force to the cell device from an end of the piston member in a stacking direction in which unit cells are stacked. The piston member is provided with a first hydrogen passage, at least one second hydrogen passage, and a hydrogen lead-out passage. The first hydrogen passage and the second hydrogen passage are spaced at substantially equal angular intervals on a virtual circle centered on a center of an end face of the piston member.

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Utsunomiya, Japan

Koji Nakazawa