US3928150A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of operating an electrolytic cell having hydrogen gas disengaging means
Assignee: PPG Industries Inc
•
Filing: 1974-04-02
•
Granted: 1975-12-23
•
Expires: 1994-04-02
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a bipolar electrolyzer having a horizontal hydrogen channel separate from the catholyte chamber. There are apertures between the horizontal hydrogen channel and the catholyte chamber to enable catholyte gas, i.e., hydrogen, with entrained cell liquor, to enter the channel. At one end of the channel is a gas disengaging chamber. The gas disengaging chamber includes a catholyte gas deflector interposed between the outlet of the horizontal channel and the interior of the disengaging chamber, hydrogen recovery means, and catholyte liquor recovery means. In the operation of an electrolytic cell as disclosed herein, catholyte gas, i.e., hydrogen gas with entrapped catholyte liquor, is removed from the catholyte chamber to the horizontal channel. The catholyte gas is then transported through the horizontal channel to the outlet of the horizontal channel and into the disengaging chamber. As the catholyte gas enters the disengaging chamber, its direction of flow is deflected while its linear velocity is reduced. The direction of flow of the gas is then reversed and the linear velocity reduced further, disengaging the catholyte liquor from the hydrogen. Finally, the hydrogen gas, substantially free of catholyte liquor, is recovered from the disengaging chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 Henry W Rahn
- 👤 Hugh Cunningham
- 👤 Colonel R Dilmore
- 👤 Thomas C Jeffery
- 👤 Carl W Raetzsch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:35
CPC Classifications
C; C25; C25B; C25B9/00; C25B9/70; C25B15/00; C25B15/08; C25B15/083; C25B15/085; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/10; Y02P20/129
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
In a method of operating an electrolytic cell having a plurality of hollow, finger-like cathodes interleaved between a plurality of anodes and separated therefrom by a permeable barrier, where a sodium chloride brine is fed to the cell and an electrical current is imposed across the cell whereby to evolve hydrogen on the cathodes and chlorine on the anodes and the hydrogen is present within a catholyte chamber of the cell as a hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein, the improvement which comprises: removing the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein from the catholyte chamber of the cell to a horizontal channel associated only with the said cell; transporting the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein through the horizontal channel at a velocity in excess of six feet per second; transporting the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein from the horizontal channel against a deflecting baffle thereby deflecting the gas downwardly, directly into a disengaging chamber of increased cross-sectional area associated only with the said cell, thereby deflecting the direction of flow and reducing the velocity thereof; reversing the direction of flow of the hydrogen gas and transporting the gas into a chamber of further increased cross-sectional area thereby further reducing the velocity thereof, and disengaging the catholyte liquor from the hydrogen gas; recovering hydrogen gas substantially free of catholyte liquor and; returning the catholyte liquor to the cell.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
In a method of operating an electrolytic cell having a plurality of hollow, finger-like cathodes interleaved between a plurality of anodes and separated therefrom by a permeable barrier, where a sodium chloride brine is fed to the cell and an electrical current is imposed across the cell whereby to evolve hydrogen on the cathodes and chlorine on the anodes and the hydrogen is present within a catholyte chamber of the cell as a hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein, the improvement which comprises: removing the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein from the catholyte chamber of the cell to a horizontal channel associated only with the said cell; transporting the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein through the horizontal channel at a velocity in excess of six feet per second; transporting the hydrogen gas having catholyte liquor contained therein from the horizontal channel against a deflecting baffle thereby deflecting the gas downwardly, directly into a disengaging chamber of increased cross-sectional area associated only with the said cell, thereby deflecting the direction of flow and reducing the velocity thereof; reversing the direction of flow of the hydrogen gas and transporting the gas into a chamber of further increased cross-sectional area thereby further reducing the velocity thereof, and disengaging the catholyte liquor from the hydrogen gas; recovering hydrogen gas substantially free of catholyte liquor and; returning the catholyte liquor to the cell.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the velocity of the catholyte liquor containing hydrogen gas is reduced upon deflection by a factor of from 0.25 to 0.50, relative to its velocity in the horizontal channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the velocity of the catholyte liquor containing hydrogen gas is further reduced upon reversal of the direction of flow by a factor of from 0.1 to 0.2, relative to its velocity in the horizontal channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
198 words
IN A METHOD OF OPERATING AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW, FINGER-LIKE CATHODES INTERLEAVED BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF ANODES AND SEPARATED THEREFROM BY A PERMEABLE BARRIER, WHERE A SODIUM CHLORIDE BRINE IS FED TO THE CELL AND AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT IS IMPOSED ACROSS THE CELL WHEREBY TO EVOLVE HYDROGEN ON THE CATHODES AND CHLORINE ON THE ANODES AND THE HYDROGEN IS PRESENT WITHIN A CATHOLYTE CHAMBER OF THE CELL AS HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: REMOVINNNG THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE CATHOLYTE CHAMBER OF THE CELL DIRECTLY TO A HORIZONTAL CHANNEL ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH THE SAID CELL; TRANSPORTING THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN THROUGH THE HORIZONTAL CHANNEL AT A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF SIX FEET PER SECOND; TRANSPORTING THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE HORIZONTAL CHANNELS AGAINST A DEFLECTING BAFFLE, THEREBY DEFLECTING THE GAS DOWNWARDLY DIRECTLY INTO A DISENGAGING CHAMBER OF INCREASED CROSSSECTIONAL AREA ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH SAID CELL, THEREBY DEFLECTING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF AND REDUCING THE VELOCITY THEREOF BY A FACTOR OF FROM 0.25 TO 0.50 RELATIVE TO THE GAS VELOCITY IN THE HORIZONTAL CHANNELS;
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
198 words
IN A METHOD OF OPERATING AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW, FINGER-LIKE CATHODES INTERLEAVED BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF ANODES AND SEPARATED THEREFROM BY A PERMEABLE BARRIER, WHERE A SODIUM CHLORIDE BRINE IS FED TO THE CELL AND AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT IS IMPOSED ACROSS THE CELL WHEREBY TO EVOLVE HYDROGEN ON THE CATHODES AND CHLORINE ON THE ANODES AND THE HYDROGEN IS PRESENT WITHIN A CATHOLYTE CHAMBER OF THE CELL AS HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: REMOVINNNG THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE CATHOLYTE CHAMBER OF THE CELL DIRECTLY TO A HORIZONTAL CHANNEL ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH THE SAID CELL; TRANSPORTING THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN THROUGH THE HORIZONTAL CHANNEL AT A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF SIX FEET PER SECOND; TRANSPORTING THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING CATHOLYTE LIQUOR CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE HORIZONTAL CHANNELS AGAINST A DEFLECTING BAFFLE, THEREBY DEFLECTING THE GAS DOWNWARDLY DIRECTLY INTO A DISENGAGING CHAMBER OF INCREASED CROSSSECTIONAL AREA ASSOCIATED ONLY WITH SAID CELL, THEREBY DEFLECTING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF AND REDUCING THE VELOCITY THEREOF BY A FACTOR OF FROM 0.25 TO 0.50 RELATIVE TO THE GAS VELOCITY IN THE HORIZONTAL CHANNELS;
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3755108A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-22 | 1979-06-23 | 1979-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-22 | 1983-06-23 | 1983-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-22 | 1987-06-23 | 1987-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |