Method for on-demand closed-loop control of an electrochemical plant

US12348039B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA · DE

Inventors

• Christos Tsiklios · Essen, DE
• Corneila Buerkin · Dortmund, DE
• Gregor Polcyn · Dortmund, DE
• Lukas LUEKE · Dortmund, DE
• Peter TOROS · Essen, DE
• Fulvio Federico · Piacenza, IT

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 2, 2021
• Grant date: Jul 1, 2025
• Expiry date: Aug 28, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/133
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Demand-based closed-loop control is used in an electrochemical plant that has modules and a control unit, with each module being individually controlled by the control unit and supplied with a module-specific electric operating current. For each module to generate a separate product flow, product flows of the individual modules, connected in parallel, are merged to form a total product flow. When a start condition occurs, the control unit records a current total product flow demand, records a current efficiency of the modules based on a ratio of respective operating current and product flow, determines operationally ready modules, determines module-specific target operating currents for the operationally ready modules to cover the demand from a range of permissible module-specific target operating currents based on the efficiency of the modules and the demand, and sets the operating currents of the operationally ready modules to the determined module-specific target operating currents.