Electrochemical Electrolytic Cell and Method for Operating the Same

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This patent describes an improved design and method for operating an electrochemical electrolytic cell, especially for water electrolysis. The invention introduces one or more additional electrodes (beyond the standard anode and cathode), positioned between them, and connected to a secondary DC voltage source. By applying a smaller DC voltage between these extra electrodes and the main electrodes, the system can electrochemically oxidize/reduce unwanted permeating gases (like hydrogen crossing from cathode to anode), thereby reducing losses and increasing cell efficiency. This technique significantly lowers detrimental gas crossover, enhances safety, and improves product purity in electrolysis processes.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Hydrogen generation plants utilizing water electrolysis for clean energy production.
• Chlor-alkali electrolysis for industrial chemical manufacturing (chlorine and sodium hydroxide production).
• Any electrochemical process where product gas crossover reduces efficiency, safety, or purity, such as PEM or alkaline electrolyzers.
• Next-generation electrolyzer cell stacks aiming to operate at higher pressures and efficiency for energy storage and fuel cell applications.
• On-site hydrogen production and storage systems, particularly those requiring very pure hydrogen under pressure.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly reduces hydrogen (or other product gas) crossover/permeation through the electrolyte or membrane, minimizing losses and risks.
• Improves overall energy efficiency of electrolytic systems, as less product gas is lost and recombination is reduced.
• Enhances safety by mitigating the formation of explosive gas mixtures (e.g., hydrogen/oxygen) inside the cell.
• Provides higher purity of generated gases (such as hydrogen), reducing the need for downstream purification.
• Enables effective high-pressure operation (such as in pressurized hydrogen production), where gas crossover would otherwise be a major problem.
• Potential to retrofit existing electrolyzers or be integrated into new designs with minimal adaptation.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an electrolytic cell, in which according to the invention an additional DC voltage is applied between at least one additional third electrode and the anode or between at least one additional third electrode and the cathode, which voltage is lower than the first DC voltage necessary for the electrolysis which is applied between the anode and the cathode. The electrolytic cell according to the invention comprises, in addition to one anode and one cathode, at least one further additional electrode, which is arranged between the anode and the cathode, which is either connected together with the anode as a further cathode or together with the cathode as a further anode using a further DC voltage source. By applying a DC voltage between the cathode and the additional electrode, the hydrogen found in the electrolytes and disadvantageously permeating the anode is electrochemically oxidized at the additional electrode (opposite reaction at the cathode) and can be reduced again at the cathode. In this way, the detrimental hydrogen permeation at the counter electrode is significantly reduced, by which means the total efficiency of the system is increased.