JP-2026075930-A - Electrochemical apparatus

Abstract

[Problem] To suppress the decrease in production efficiency of gases generated by electrochemical cell stacks. [Solution] The electrochemical apparatus comprises an electrochemical cell stack having a plurality of electrochemical cells that generate a second gas from a first gas; a structure that covers the electrochemical cell stack and forms a space between itself and the electrochemical cell stack from which the first gas is supplied; a gas supply port for supplying the first gas from the space to the electrochemical cell stack; and a gas outlet for discharging the second gas from the electrochemical cell stack. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

• 吉野 正人
• 小野 貴裕

Assignees

• 株式会社東芝
• 東芝エネルギーシステムズ株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20241023

Claims (11)

1. An electrochemical cell stack having multiple electrochemical cells that generate a second gas from a first gas, A structure that covers the electrochemical cell stack and forms a space between itself and the electrochemical cell stack through which the first gas is supplied, A gas supply port for supplying the first gas from the space to the electrochemical cell stack, A gas outlet for discharging the second gas from the electrochemical cell stack, An electrochemical apparatus equipped with the following:
2. The aforementioned electrochemical cell stack is Upper clamping plate and Lower clamping plate and A separator is provided so as to surround one of the aforementioned multiple electrochemical cells, and is conductive and impermeable to gases, A conductive member provided between one of the aforementioned electrochemical cells and another, A sealing member provided on the separator, It further possesses, The gas supply port is provided on the lower clamping plate or the upper clamping plate. The gas outlet is provided on the lower clamping plate or the upper clamping plate. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
3. The structure, the lower clamping plate, or the upper clamping plate has a second gas supply port for introducing the first gas into the space. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 2.
4. The first gas contains water vapor, The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
5. The first gas includes carbon dioxide gas and water vapor. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
6. The first gas includes oxygen gas. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
7. The second gas includes water vapor and hydrogen gas. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
8. Having multiple gas supply ports, The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
9. Multiple electrochemical cells have a hydrogen electrode and an oxygen electrode. The electrochemical cell stack does not have a gas supply port for supplying gas to the oxygen electrode. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
10. The pressure in the aforementioned space is higher than the pressure inside the electrochemical cell stack. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.
11. The second gas from the gas outlet is sucked out and discharged by a suction device. The electrochemical apparatus according to claim 1.

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrochemical apparatus. Hydrogen is cited as one of the new energy sources. One application of hydrogen is in fuel cells, which convert chemical energy into electrical energy by electrochemically reacting hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells have high energy efficiency and are being developed for use as large-scale distributed power sources, household power sources, and mobile power sources. Fuel cells are classified into types such as polymer electrolyte fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells, depending on the temperature range and the type of materials and fuels used. Among these, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which obtain electrical energy through electrochemical reactions using electrolytes made of solid oxides, are highly efficient. Furthermore, while the electrolysis reaction of water is a well-known method for hydrogen production, one method is the high-temperature steam electrolysis method, which uses solid oxide electrolytic cells (SOECs) that electrolyze water in a steam state at high temperatures. SOECs are characterized by higher efficiency compared to conventional water electrolysis methods. The operating principle of SOECs is the reverse reaction of SOFCs, and SOECs, like SOFCs, use electrolytes made of solid oxides. Solid oxide electrochemical cells used in electrochemical apparatuses such as SOFCs and SOECs come in various shapes, including flat, cylindrical, cylindrical-flat, and honeycomb types. These cells are stacked and integrated to form a unit structure. For example, flat cells are stacked using conductive separators. The separators isolate the anode/cathode atmospheres and electrically connect the two electrodes. The separators may also play a role in homogenizing the flow of reaction/exhaust gases. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-31784International Publication No. 2017/154137International Publication No. 2017/154138 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of an electrochemical apparatus according to the first embodiment.This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of an electrochemical cell stack.This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electrochemical cell structure.This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of an electrochemical cell stack.This is a schematic diagram showing the first modified example.This is a schematic diagram showing a second modified example.This is a schematic diagram showing a third modified example.This is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the electrochemical apparatus.This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of an electrochemical cell stack. The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments shown below, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be partially omitted. The drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the ratio of thickness of each part, etc., may differ from those in reality. In this specification, "connect" may include not only direct connections but also indirect connections, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, in this specification, "connect" may include not only physical connections but also electrical connections, unless otherwise specified. (First embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of an electrochemical apparatus according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 schematically shows an example of the structure of electrochemical apparatus 1. The electrochemical apparatus 1 comprises an electrochemical cell stack 10, a structure 20, gas supply ports IN (IN1, IN2, etc.), and gas outlets OUT (OUT1, OUT2, etc.). Note that the number of gas supply ports IN and gas outlets OUT is not limited to those shown in Figure 1. The electrochemical cell stack 10 performs an electrochemical reaction using the gas supplied to it (supply gas) and can discharge the gas produced by the electrochemical reaction (product gas). The electrochemical cell stack 10 may be installed at a distance from the structure 20. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of an electrochemical cell stack. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the individual components of the electrochemical cell stack 10. The electrochemical cell stack 10 is a solid oxide type electrochemical stack having electrochemical cells 111, such as solid oxide type flat-plate electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cell stack 10 has a plurality of electrochemical cells 111. The plurality of electrochemical cells 111 are stacked sequentially. The stacking of the plurality of electrochemical cells 111 is provided between an upper clamping plate 101 and a lower clamping plate 102. The upper clamping plate 101 and the lower clamping p