Structural assembly of a cell of an electrolyzer, electrolyzer, and method of manufacturing such structural assembly

Abstract

A structural assembly of a cell of an electrolyzer of the staple-type having a plurality of cells stacked in an axial direction, the structural assembly including a main frame having a mounting surface and a seating surface, a pressure frame arrangement and a membrane arrangement abutting against the seating surface and being sandwiched between main frame and pressure frame arrangement in the axial direction. The common axial extension of the membrane arrangement and the pressure frame arrangement in the assembled state is set by the axial distance between the seating surface and the mounting surface and is reached by an axial pressure force applied in the assembly process, whereby the reduction of the common axial extension is predominantly provided by an axial extension reduction of the pressure frame arrangement.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A structural assembly of a cell of an electrolyzer of a staple-type having a plurality of cells stacked in an axial direction, the structural assembly comprising:
 a main frame having a mounting surface and a seating surface; a pressure frame arrangement; and a membrane arrangement abutting against the seating surface and being sandwiched between the main frame and the pressure frame arrangement in an axial direction, wherein a common axial extension of the membrane arrangement and the pressure frame arrangement in an assembled state is set by an axial distance between the seating surface and the mounting surface and is reached by an axial pressure force applied during assembly, wherein a reduction of the common axial extension is predominantly provided by an axial extension reduction of the pressure frame arrangement.   
     
     
         16 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said predominant axial extension reduction being predominantly caused by a geometrical shape of the pressure frame arrangement. 
     
     
         17 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the pressure frame assembly has a cross-section with a surface area that varies over an axial extension and is lower in an axial intermediate zone. 
     
     
         18 . The structural assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the geometrical shape has a geometry feature comprising a U- or V-formed axial section. 
     
     
         19 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said pressure frame arrangement includes a plurality of segments in a circumferential direction. 
     
     
         20 . The structural assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of segments have a topology of a torus and/or are closed in circumferential direction. 
     
     
         21 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein an axial stress onto the membrane arrangement in the assembled state is at least locally provided by an elastic restoration force of the pressure frame arrangement. 
     
     
         22 . The structural assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein the axial stress onto the membrane arrangement is at least partly provided by the elastic restoration force of the pressure frame arrangement. 
     
     
         23 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the pressure frame arrangement has release cavities arranged to reduce elongation in a circumferential direction during axial extension reduction. 
     
     
         24 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein strain of the membrane arrangement in the axial direction is lower than 80% of that of the pressure frame assembly, at least locally. 
     
     
         25 . The structural assembly according to  claim 24 , wherein the strain of the membrane arrangement in the axial direction is lower than 60% of that of the pressure frame assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The structural assembly according to  claim 25 , wherein the strain of the membrane arrangement in the axial direction is lower than 40% of that of the pressure frame assembly. 
     
     
         27 . The structural assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the membrane arrangement has positioning holes that match positioning pins on the seating surface. 
     
     
         28 . An electrolyzer of a staple-type, comprising a plurality of cells stacked in an axial direction, at least one of the cells having a structural assembly according to  claim 15 . 
     
     
         29 . A pressure frame arrangement of a structural assembly according to  claim 15 . 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a pressure frame arrangement, comprising the steps of: providing an outer shape for a pressure frame part; and providing a geometrical shape providing for elasticity by geometry within the forming step and/or an additional material removal step. 
     
     
         31 . A method of manufacturing a structural assembly, comprising the steps of: manufacturing a main frame; and manufacturing a pressure frame arrangement in dependency of an axial distance between a mounting surface and a seating surface of the main frame and an axial extension of the membrane arrangement so that a reduction of a common axial extension is predominantly provided by an axial extension reduction of the pressure frame arrangement. 
     
     
         32 . A method of assembling an electrolyzer of a staple-type, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of electrolyzer cells; and assembling the cells between two end plates of the electrolyzer by applying an axial pressure force, thereby reducing a common axial extension of a pressure frame arrangement and a membrane in an axial direction, wherein the reduction of the common axial extension is predominantly provided by an axial extension reduction of the pressure frame arrangement.