Patent · US Expired

Membraneless water electrolyzer

US5534120A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
5References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 3, 1995
Grant dateJul 9, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 3, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC02F2301/022
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A water electrolyzer for electrolyzing water to produce and recover acidic and/or alkaline water. The electrolyzer is of the membraneless laminar-flow type which is designed to electrolyze water without placing a membrane between the electrodes. To this end, the anode and cathode are arranged closely with one another with a very small spacing (generally less than 1 mm) to establish a laminar flow in a narrow flow path. The anode is provided with a slit-shaped aperture for separating a thin layer of acidic water flowing along the anode surface. This aperture is situated sufficiently upstream of the downstream end of the flow path to ensure that the layer of acidic water is separated away from the remainder of the laminar flow while the laminar flow is sustained in the flow path. Accordingly, formation of turbulence at a point of acidic water separation is minimized so that highly acidic water can be recovered.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.