Electrolyzer cell stack system

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a balance-of-plant system and apparatus suited for regulating the operation of an electrolyzer cell stack. Specifically, in some embodiments, a balance-of-plant system and apparatus is operable to regulate the respective pressures of at least two reaction products relative to one another. Various examples are provided to demonstrate how the respective pressures of two reaction products can be regulated in relation to one another in a pressure following configuration, thereby regulating the pressure differential across an electrolyte layer according to aspects of different embodiments of the invention. Some of the examples provided also include design simplifications and alternatives that may reduce production costs of electrochemical cells configured according to aspects of different embodiments of the invention.

1 . A balance-of-plant system, suited for regulating the operation of an electrolyzer cell stack having at least one electrolyzer cell, comprising: 
 a first pressure regulator for regulating a first pressure of a first reaction product;    a pressure following device having:    a pressure sensor for measuring the first pressure and providing a signal including information about a value of the first pressure; and    a second pressure regulator for regulating a second pressure of a second reaction product relative to the first pressure using the signal from the pressure sensor.    
   
   
       2 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second pressures correspond to pressures on respective anode and cathode sides of the electrolyzer cell.  
   
   
       3 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the balance-of-plant system further comprises: 
 a hydrogen collection device; and    an oxygen collection device;    wherein the first and second pressures correspond to pressures of hydrogen and oxygen produced by the electrolyzer cell stack.    
   
   
       4 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensor is operable to measure/sense the oxygen pressure and the second pressure regulator is operable to set the hydrogen pressure.  
   
   
       5 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 4 , the second pressure regulator is one of a negative bias pressure regulator and a positive bias pressure regulator.  
   
   
       6 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 5 , wherein the pressure sensor is connectable to measure the oxygen pressure between the electrolyzer cell stack and the oxygen collection device.  
   
   
       7 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 5 , wherein the pressure sensor is connectable to measure the oxygen pressure inside the oxygen collection device.  
   
   
       8 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensor is operable to measure/sense the hydrogen pressure and the second pressure regulator is operable to set the oxygen pressure.  
   
   
       9 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 8 , the second pressure regulator is one of a negative bias pressure regulator and a positive bias pressure regulator.  
   
   
       10 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 9 , wherein the pressure sensor is connectable to measure the hydrogen pressure between the electrolyzer cell stack and the hydrogen collection device.  
   
   
       11 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 9 , wherein the pressure sensor is connectable to measure the hydrogen pressure inside the hydrogen collection device.  
   
   
       12 . A balance-of-plant system, suited for regulating the operation of an electrolyzer cell stack having at least one electrolyzer cell, comprising: 
 a controller having a computer readable program code means for causing a first pressure of a first reaction product to be followed by a second pressure of a second reaction product, the computer readable code means including:    instructions for regulating the first pressure;    instructions for polling a pressure sensor operable to sense the first pressure; and    instructions for regulating the second pressure relative to the first pressure.    
   
   
       13 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 12 , wherein the controller is comprised of at least one of a centralized control system and a distributed control system.  
   
   
       14 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 12 , wherein the second pressure is set relative to the first pressure such that the second pressure is one of greater than, less than and approximately equal to the first pressure.  
   
   
       15 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 12  further comprising: 
 a first pressure regulator for regulating the first pressure;    a pressure sensor for measuring the first pressure; and    a second pressure regulator for regulating the second pressure.    
   
   
       16 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 15 , wherein the first pressure regulator comprises a combination of valves, mechanical actuators and electronic actuators arranged to regulate the first pressure.  
   
   
       17 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 15 , wherein the second pressure regulator also comprises a combination of valves, mechanical actuators and electronic actuators arranged to regulate the second pressure.  
   
   
       18 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 12 , wherein the first and second pressures correspond to pressures of hydrogen and oxygen produced by the electrolyzer cell stack.  
   
   
       19 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 18 , wherein the hydrogen pressure is set relative to the oxygen pressure.  
   
   
       20 . A balance-of-plant system according to  claim 18 , wherein the oxygen pressure is set relative to the hydrogen pressure.  
   
   
       21 . An electrochemical cell stack module comprising: 
 at least one electrochemical cell in which at least two pressures, of at least two respective gases, are controllable; and    a pressure following device that is operable to control one of the two pressures relative to the other.    
   
   
       22 . An electrochemical cell stack according to  claim 21 , wherein the pressure following device comprises: 
 a pressure sensor for measuring/sensing one of the two pressures and providing measured/sensed information; and    a pressure regulator connectable to accept measured/sensed information from the pressure sensor and to control the other of the two pressures relative to the measured/sensed information.    
   
   
       23 . An electrochemical cell stack according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell is an electrolyzer cell and the at least two pressures correspond to hydrogen and oxygen pressures.  
   
   
       24 . An electrochemical cell stack according to  claim 23 , wherein the hydrogen pressure is set relative to the oxygen pressure.  
   
   
       25 . An electrochemical cell stack according to  claim 23 , wherein the oxygen pressure is set relative to the hydrogen pressure.  
   
   
       26 . An electrolyzer cell module comprising: 
 a controller having a computer readable program code means for causing a first pressure of a first reaction product to be regulated relative to a second pressure of a second reaction product, the computer readable code means including:    instructions for regulating the second pressure;    instructions for measuring/sensing the second pressure; and    instructions for regulating the first pressure relative to the second pressure.    
   
   
       27 . An electrolyzer cell module according to  claim 26 , wherein the controller is comprised of at least one of a centralized control system and a distributed control system.  
   
   
       28 . An electrolyzer cell module according to  claim 26 , wherein the first pressure is set relative to the second pressure such that the second pressure is one of greater than, less than and approximately equal to the first pressure.  
   
   
       29 . An electrolyzer cell module according to  claim 26  wherein the first and second pressures correspond to hydrogen and oxygen pressures.  
   
   
       30 . An electrolyzer cell module according to  claim 26  wherein the controller is comprised of at least one of a central control system and a distributed control system.