US 11,939,687 B2
Water electrolysis apparatus, and sterilization/cleaning method and method for decomposing/removing harmful substance, each using water electrolysis apparatus
Fumio Okada, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Kogakuin University, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/432,863
Filed by Kogakuin University, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Feb. 25, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/007520
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 20, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/171238, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-031029 (JP), filed on Feb. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0098745 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. C25B 15/08 (2006.01); C02F 1/461 (2023.01); C25B 1/04 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/60 (2021.01); C25B 11/031 (2021.01); C25B 11/036 (2021.01); C25B 11/044 (2021.01); C25B 13/08 (2006.01)
CPC C25B 15/08 (2013.01) [C02F 1/46104 (2013.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/60 (2021.01); C25B 11/031 (2021.01); C25B 11/036 (2021.01); C25B 11/044 (2021.01); C25B 13/08 (2013.01); C02F 2201/46115 (2013.01); C02F 2201/46145 (2013.01); C25B 1/04 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A water electrolysis apparatus, comprising:
an inlet (310) through which raw water flows in from an exterior, wherein the inlet is formed on one side of a housing (300) in an axial direction;
an outlet (320) through which electrolytic water flows out to the exterior, wherein the outlet is formed at the other end of the housing (300) in the axial direction; and
a water electrolysis portion interposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the water electrolysis portion is arranged inside the housing (300), and wherein the water electrolysis portion includes:
an anode (110) that is a plate, electrically connected to a positive terminal of a power source, and arranged such that the axial direction of the housing (300) is a thickness direction of the plate;
a cathode (150) that is a plate, electrically connected to a negative terminal of the power source, and arranged such that the axial direction of the housing (300) is the thickness direction of the plate,
wherein either one of the anode (110) and the cathode (150) constitutes an inlet side electrode (150) disposed at a position facing the inlet (310), and wherein the inlet side electrode (150) has an inner side opening (152) formed at its center position or approximately at its center position, and which penetrates in the thickness direction;
a polymer electrolyte membrane (120) that is disposed between the anode (110) and the cathode (150), and is disposed such that the axial direction of the housing (300) is the thickness direction of the membrane,
wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) has an inner side opening (121) formed at its center or approximately at its center, and which penetrates in the thickness direction of the membrane, and
wherein the inner side opening (121) of the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) communicates with the inner side opening (152) of the inlet side electrode (150);
an anode side mesh electrode (140) that is located between the anode (110) and the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) at a position in contact with the anode (110), and is electrically connected to the anode (110), whereby a region between the anode (110) and the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) constitutes an anode side electrolytic domain (130), wherein an outer periphery of the anode side mesh electrode (140) constitutes an outer periphery opening (131) of the anode side electrolytic domain (130) that communicates with the outlet (320),
wherein the anode side mesh electrode (140) has an inner side opening (141) being a through hole formed in the center or approximately the center of the anode side mesh electrode (140), penetrating in a thickness direction of the anode side mesh electrode (140), and having a size perpendicular to the thickness direction of the anode side mesh electrode (140) larger than the pore diameter of the mesh wherein the inner side opening (141) is connected to the inner side opening (121) of the polymer electrolyte membrane (120),
whereby the outer peripheral opening (131) of the anode side electrolytic domain (130) and the inner side opening (141) of the anode side mesh electrode (140) are communicated with each other, and a radial flow from the inner side opening (141) of the anode side mesh electrode (140) to the outer peripheral opening (131) of the anode side electrolytic domain (130) is formed; and
a cathode side mesh electrode that is located between the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) and the cathode (150) at a position in contact with the cathode (150), and is electrically connected to the cathode (150), whereby the region between the cathode (150) and the polymer electrolyte membrane (120) constitutes a cathode side electrolytic domain (160),
wherein an outer periphery of the cathode side mesh electrode (170) constitutes an outer periphery opening (161) of the cathode side electrolytic domain (160) that communicates with the outlet (320),
wherein the cathode side mesh electrode (170) has an inner side opening (171) being a through hole formed in the center or approximately the center of the cathode side mesh electrode (170), penetrating in a thickness direction of the cathode side mesh electrode (170), and having a size perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cathode side mesh electrode (170) larger than the pore diameter of the mesh, wherein the inner side opening (171) is connected to the inner side opening (121) of the polymer electrolyte membrane (120), and
whereby the outer periphery opening (161) of the cathode side electrolytic domain (160) and the inner side opening (171) of the cathode side mesh electrode (170) are communicated with each other, and a radial flow from the inner side opening (171) of the cathode side mesh electrode (170) to the outer periphery opening (161) of the cathode side electrolytic domain (160) is formed.