Method of electrolyte feeding and recirculation in an electrolysis cell

Claim 1

The method of providing electrolyte recirculation in a diaphragm-type electrolysis cell unit having an anode compartment with a vertical hollow wave anode and anolyte therein, a cathode compartment with a vertical wave cathode therein, a diaphragm between said anode and cathode and means to pass an electrolysis current between said anode and cathode, by which a gas is evolved from the anolyte at the anode, which comprises operating the cell unit with said anolyte compartment communicating with an overhead gas receiver and brine feed container, containing feed liquor for said cell unit, by at least one vertical conduit leading from the top of the anolyte compartment to the said brine container, causing the anolyte to rise through said vertical conduit and flow into said gas receiver and brine feed container by the gas lift effect of the gas bubbles evolved at the anode and rising in both the interior of the anode waves and in the space between the anode and the cathode, and recirculating the liquid anolyte through another conduit from the said gas receiver and brine container to the anolyte compartment.

Claim 2

The method of providing electrolyte recirculation in a diaphragm-type electrolysis cell unit having an anode compartment with a vertical hollow wave anode and anolyte therein, a cathode compartment with a vertical wave cathode therein, a diaphragm between said anode and cathode and means to pass an electrolysis current between said anode and cathode, by which a gas is evolved from the anolyte at the anode, which comprises operating the cell unit with said anolyte compartment communicating with an overhead gas receiver and brine feed container, containing feed liquor for said cell unit, by at least one vertical conduit leading from the top of the anolyte compartment to the said brine container, causing the anolyte to rise through said vertical conduit and flow into said gas receiver and brine feed container by the gas lift effect of the gas bubbles evolved at the anode and rising in both the interior of the anode waves and in the space between the anode and the cathode, and recirculating the liquid anolyte through another conduit from the said gas receiver and brine container to the anolyte compartment.

Claim 5

The method of operating a bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell containing a plurality of cell units in bipolar connection, each of said units having an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, with anodes and cathodes therein, a diaphragm separating said compartments, an electrolyte between said anodes and cathodes, means to pass an electrolysis current between said anodes and cathodes to decompose said electrolyte and an overhead gas receiver and electrolyte feed container connected to each of said cell units by at least two conduits, which comprises using the gas lifting effect of the gas bubbles evolved at said anodes to cause electrolyte to flow through at least one vertical conduit into said gas receiver and electrolyte feed container and feeding electrolyte from said feed container back into said cell units through another conduit, to promote electrolyte circulation through each of said cell units.

Claim 6

The method of operating a bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell containing a plurality of cell units in bipolar connection, each of said units having an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, with anodes and cathodes therein, a diaphragm separating said compartments, an electrolyte between said anodes and cathodes, means to pass an electrolysis current between said anodes and cathodes to decompose said electrolyte and an overhead gas receiver and electrolyte feed container connected to each of said cell units by at least two conduits, which comprises using the gas lifting effect of the gas bubbles evolved at said anodes to cause electrolyte to flow through at least one vertical conduit into said gas receiver and electrolyte feed container and feeding electrolyte from said feed container back into said cell units through another conduit, to promote electrolyte circulation through each of said cell units.

Claim 9

The method of operating an electrolysis cell having a rectangular box-like enclosure, vertical hollow anodes and cathodes in said box-like enclosure, a diaphragm between said anodes and cathodes, a brine electrolyte in said cell and means to pass an electrolysis current between said anodes and cathodes to decompose said electrolyte, a brine feed container above said cell, at least one vertical conduit leading from said cell to said brine feed container for conducting electrolyte and electrolysis gases from said cell into said brine feed container and at least one brine feed connection from said brine feed container to said cell to feed brine into said cell, which comprises circulating the electrolyte from said cell through said vertical conduit into said brine feed container by the gas lift effect of the gas bubbles in the gap between said anodes and cathodes and in the hollow interior of said anodes, passing the gas out of the top of said brine feed container, and recirculating electrolyte from said brine feed container to said cell through said brine feed connection.

Claim 10

The method of operating an electrolysis cell having a rectangular box-like enclosure, vertical hollow anodes and cathodes in said box-like enclosure, a diaphragm between said anodes and cathodes, a brine electrolyte in said cell and means to pass an electrolysis current between said anodes and cathodes to decompose said electrolyte, a brine feed container above said cell, at least one vertical conduit leading from said cell to said brine feed container for conducting electrolyte and electrolysis gases from said cell into said brine feed container and at least one brine feed connection from said brine feed container to said cell to feed brine into said cell, which comprises circulating the electrolyte from said cell through said vertical conduit into said brine feed container by the gas lift effect of the gas bubbles in the gap between said anodes and cathodes and in the hollow interior of said anodes, passing the gas out of the top of said brine feed container, and recirculating electrolyte from said brine feed container to said cell through said brine feed connection.

Claim 12

The method of releasing anodic gases from the anodes of a diaphragm electrolysis cell, which comprises passing a portion of the anodic gases formed in the electrolysis cell upwardly in the electrode gap between the anode faces and the cathodes, passing another portion of the gases through an open mesh anodic structure into the space behind the anode faces, which is at least twice the area of the electrodic gap, passing the gases in the space behind the anodes upwardly and out of the cell, utilizing the gas lift effect of said gases to propel electrolyte upwardly out of said cell into a brine container and feed tank above said cell, discharging the gases from said container and flowing a portion of the electrolyte from said brine container and feed tank back into said cell.

Claim 13

The method of releasing anodic gases from the anodes of a diaphragm electrolysis cell, which comprises passing a portion of the anodic gases formed in the electrolysis cell upwardly in the electrode gap between the anode faces and the cathodes, passing another portion of the gases through an open mesh anodic structure into the space behind the anode faces, which is at least twice the area of the electrodic gap, passing the gases in the space behind the anodes upwardly and out of the cell, utilizing the gas lift effect of said gases to propel electrolyte upwardly out of said cell into a brine container and feed tank above said cell, discharging the gases from said container and flowing a portion of the electrolyte from said brine container and feed tank back into said cell.