Water electrolysis apparatus

摘要

A water electrolysis apparatus is formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells. Each unit cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, and an anode separator and a cathode separator which sandwich the membrane electrode assembly therebetween. The anode separator has a plurality of inlet joint channels in fluid communication with a water supply passage, and a plurality of outlet joint channels in fluid communication with a discharge passage. The water supply passage has an inner wall surface at which the inlet joint channels are open, and an outer wall surface which faces the inner wall surface, the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface jointly forming an opening of an oblong cross-sectional shape.

主权项

1. A water electrolysis apparatus formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells, the unit cells each comprising:
an electrolyte membrane; a pair of current collectors disposed respectively on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators stacked respectively on the current collectors; wherein a water flow field for supplying water is defined between one of the current collectors and one of the separators and a hydrogen flow field for producing hydrogen through electrolysis of the water is defined between the other current collector and the other separator; a water supply passage extending along a stacked direction in which the unit cells are stacked, for supplying the water to the water flow field; a discharge passage extending along the stacked direction, for discharging a remaining amount of the water from the water flow field; and a plurality of inlet joint channels interconnecting the water supply passage and the water flow field, wherein the inlet joint channels each have an opening of a circular cross-sectional shape and are arranged in parallel to each other, wherein the unit cells are stacked vertically, and water is supplied vertically upward through the water supply passage, wherein the number of the inlet joint channels of the unit cell that is positioned vertically higher in the apparatus is greater than the number of the inlet joint channels of the unit cell that is positioned vertically lower in the apparatus, and wherein the water supply passage has an inner wall surface at which the inlet joint channels are open, and an outer wall surface which faces the inner wall surface, the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface jointly forming an opening of an oblong cross-sectional shape.