A composite for a porous transport layer may include a particulate substrate including at least one selected from a group consisting of an oxide of a first metal and a second metal, and nanoparticles of a third metal formed on a surface of the particulate substrate, a sintered body thereof, and a method for preparing the same.

A separating membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly including: an ion-permeable separating membrane; a gasket holding a periphery of the membrane; and a frame-shaped protecting member holding the gasket; the protecting member including: a frame-shaped base body; and a frame-shaped lid member; the base body including: a receiving part being arranged in an inner periphery of the base body and receiving the gasket and the lid member; and a supporting part extending toward an inner periphery side of the base body and supporting the gasket received in the receiving part in a direction crossing a main face of the membrane; and the lid member having dimensions such that the lid member can be received in the receiving part, wherein the gasket and the lid member are received in the receiving part such that the gasket is sandwiched between the supporting part and the lid member.

The invention relates to an electrolysis arrangement for alkaline electrolysis and a method for producing hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis of an alkaline electrolysis medium. According to the invention, an anolyte deaerating means is arranged downstream of an anolyte gas-liquid separator and is arranged upstream of the electrolysis cell stack of the electrolysis arrangement, and/or a catholyte deaerating means is arranged downstream of a catholyte gas-liquid separator and arranged upstream of the electrolysis cell stack of the electrolysis arrangement. By this arrangement, the fact is exploited that many undesirable gas components have a much lower solubility in the alkaline electrolysis medium than in pure deionised water, which is supplied as fresh water to the electrolysis arrangement for compensation of the water consumed by the electrochemical reaction.

The invention relates to an electrolysis arrangement for alkaline electrolysis and a method for producing hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis of an alkaline electrolysis medium. According to the invention, an anolyte deaerating means is arranged downstream of an anolyte gas-liquid separator and is arranged upstream of the electrolysis cell stack of the electrolysis arrangement, and/or a catholyte deaerating means is arranged downstream of a catholyte gas-liquid separator and arranged upstream of the electrolysis cell stack of the electrolysis arrangement. By this arrangement, the fact is exploited that many undesirable gas components have a much lower solubility in the alkaline electrolysis medium than in pure deionised water, which is supplied as fresh water to the electrolysis arrangement for compensation of the water consumed by the electrochemical reaction.

A design of and the process for forming a rigidly bonded metal supported electro-chemical device stack is provided. The electro-chemical device stack can be a solid oxide fuel cell or solid oxide electrolysis stack. The stack comprises multiple planar cells connected in serial by planar metal interconnects. The cells have metal support layers on both anode and cathode sides. The interconnect has gas channels embedded. Thin ceramic electro-chemical active electrodes and electrolyte are sandwiched between the metal support layers. The cells and interconnects are rigidly bonded to form a rigid body stack. The process comprises the steps of a). forming metal supported electro-chemical device cells with metal supports on both anode and cathode sides, b). sealing the peripherals of porous cell layers with an electrically insulating sealing material such as glass. c). bonding the cells and interconnects through commonly used metal-to-metal bonding methods, such as brazing or laser welding.

An electrolysis cell includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion-exchange membrane. The electrolysis cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a cathode current distributor. The anode, the ion-exchange membrane, the cathode, and the cathode current distributor are in direct touching contact in the mentioned order. Flexibly resilient holding elements are arranged on the other side of the anode and/or on the other side of the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements exert a contact pressure on the anode and/or on the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements have annular elements, the axis of which is oriented in the height direction of the electrolysis cell. By means of the flexibly resilient and in part also plastically deforming annular elements, effective mechanical contact pressure of the ion-exchange membrane against the oxygen-depolarized cathode is achieved.

An electrolysis cell includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion-exchange membrane. The electrolysis cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a cathode current distributor. The anode, the ion-exchange membrane, the cathode, and the cathode current distributor are in direct touching contact in the mentioned order. Flexibly resilient holding elements are arranged on the other side of the anode and/or on the other side of the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements exert a contact pressure on the anode and/or on the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements have annular elements, the axis of which is oriented in the height direction of the electrolysis cell. By means of the flexibly resilient and in part also plastically deforming annular elements, effective mechanical contact pressure of the ion-exchange membrane against the oxygen-depolarized cathode is achieved.

Disclosed is an integrally combined electrical current carrier, circulation chamber and frame (CCF) formed as a single or double part (CCF) for use in unipolar electrochemical devices, such as a filter press electrolyser apparatus. The CCF is structured to define an internal circulation chamber for circulation of electrolyte, products, and reactants as well as apertures which form flow passageways when the filter press device is assembled. Affixed on opposed surfaces of the CCFs are electrically conductive planar electroactive structures which are in electrical contact with the CCF. The circulation chamber is formed by the depth of the CCF itself between opposing electroactive structures. Multiple CCFs are assembled and compressed together to form the filter press electrolyser apparatus. The flow passageway apertures within the assembled filter press electrolyser are aligned to form flow pathways, located above and below the circulation chambers. Reactants and electrolyte are input along the bottom flow pathways. When power is applied to the CCFs and electroactive structures, the reactants, once they flow into the circulation chamber with the electrolyte, undergo redox reactions to produce the products which are then collected and exit the electrolyser in the upper flow pathways.

A hydrogen system includes: a compressor including at least one cell that includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer provided on one principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer provided on another principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode gas diffusion layer provided on the anode catalyst layer and including a porous sheet containing a metal, and a cathode gas diffusion layer provided on the cathode catalyst layer, and a voltage applicator that apples a voltage between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer, wherein the compressor that generates compressed hydrogen by causing the voltage applicator to apply the voltage to move hydrogen in hydrogen-containing gas supplied to an anode to the cathode via the electrolyte membrane; and a controller that causes the voltage applicator to apply the voltage after shutdown or at startup.

A system for alkaline water electrolysis includes electrolysis cells, a hydrogen separator tank, a first piping from the electrolysis cells to the hydrogen separator tank, an oxygen separator tank, a second piping from the electrolysis cells to the oxygen separator tank, and a third piping for conducting liquid electrolyte from the hydrogen separator tank and from the oxygen separator tank back to the electrolysis cells. The system includes an ultrasound source for applying ultrasound on the liquid electrolyte contained by the first piping. The ultrasound enhances the separation of dissolved hydrogen gas from the liquid electrolyte contained by the first piping, and thus energy efficiency of the alkaline water electrolysis is improved. Furthermore, a safe control range of the alkaline water electrolysis is broadened because crossover of hydrogen gas to an oxygen side of the system is reduced.