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US 2026/0185255 A1Published application
Energy efficient lithium chloride electrolytic process and electrolyzer plant
AssigneeNoram Electrolysis Systems Inc.
InventorsCLIVE BRERETON, WARREN WOLFS, IAN BAILEY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for converting lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide by electrolysis in an energy efficient manner. A dilute lithium chloride solution produced in the anolyte compartment of the electrolyzer cell is concentrated by means of flash evaporation using heat generated by the operation of the electrolyzer cell. The concentrated lithium chloride solution is recycled to the electrolyzer cell. The use in the flash evaporation of heat energy that would otherwise be released to the environment and wasted results in reduced energy consumption for the conversion process.
Claims44
An apparatus for electrolytic conversion of lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide, comprising:
- (a) an electrolyzer cell comprising an anolyte compartment, a catholyte compartment, and at least one ion exchange membrane between the compartments;
- (b) an anolyte tank for supplying an anolyte comprising lithium chloride and water to the anolyte compartment;
- (c) means for feeding a catholyte to the catholyte compartment;
- (d) a vacuum flash evaporator for evaporating water from the anolyte product received from the anolyte compartment using only heat generated by operation of the electrolyzer cell to produce a concentrated anolyte product;
- (e) a stream fluidly connecting the anolyte compartment to the vacuum flash evaporator for supplying the anolyte product to the vacuum flash evaporator;
- (f) means for circulating the concentrated anolyte product from the vacuum flash evaporator to the anolyte tank;
- and
- (g) means for circulating the concentrated anolyte product from the anolyte tank to the electrolyzer cell.
5 more elements
An apparatus for electrolytic conversion of lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide, comprising:
- (a) an electrolyzer cell comprising:
- (i) an anolyte compartment having an anode arranged for contact with an anolyte comprising lithium chloride and water in said anolyte compartment;
- (ii) a catholyte compartment having a cathode arranged for contact with a catholyte in said catholyte compartment;
- and
- (iii) an ion exchange membrane separating the anolyte compartment and the catholyte compartment;
- (b) means for connecting the electrolyzer cell to a source of electrical power for maintaining an electric potential difference across the electrolyzer cell;
- (c) an anolyte tank;
- (d) means for feeding the anolyte from the anolyte tank to the anolyte compartment;
- (e) means for feeding the catholyte to the catholyte compartment;
- (f) a catholyte fluid outlet at the catholyte compartment for flowing a catholyte product out of the catholyte compartment;
- (g) an anolyte fluid outlet at the anolyte compartment for flowing an anolyte product comprising a solution of lithium chloride and water out of the anolyte compartment;
- (h) an anolyte evaporation system arranged to receive the anolyte product from the anolyte fluid outlet, comprising vacuum flash evaporator configured to evaporate water from the anolyte product using only heat generated by operation of the electrolyzer cell, for producing a concentrated anolyte product having an increased concentration of lithium chloride;
- (i) a stream fluidly connecting the anolyte compartment to the vacuum flash evaporator for supplying the anolyte product to the vacuum flash evaporator;
- and
- (j) means for feeding the concentrated anolyte product from the vacuum flash evaporator to the anolyte tank.
12 more elements
A method for electrolytic conversion of lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide, comprising:
- (a) feeding an anolyte comprising lithium chloride and water to an anolyte compartment of an electrolyzer cell;
- (b) feeding a catholyte to a catholyte compartment of the electrolyzer cell;
- (c) electrolyzing the anolyte and catholyte in the electrolyzer cell to produce an anolyte product comprising lithium chloride and water and a catholyte product comprising lithium hydroxide;
- (e) supplying the anolyte product to a vacuum evaporator by a stream fluidly connecting the anolyte compartment to the vacuum flash evaporator;
- (f) increasing the concentration of the anolyte product by vacuum evaporation in the vacuum flash evaporator using only heat generated in step (c) to produce a first concentrated anolyte product;
- and
- (g) recirculating the first concentrated anolyte product to the electrolyzer cell).
4 more elements
A method for electrolytic conversion of lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide, comprising:
- (a) providing an electrolyzer cell comprising:
- (i) an anolyte compartment having an anode arranged for contact with an anolyte (42) comprising lithium chloride and water in said anolyte compartment;
- (ii) a catholyte compartment having a cathode arranged for contact with a catholyte in said catholyte compartment;
- and
- (iii) an ion exchange membrane separating the anolyte compartment and the catholyte compartment;
- (b) maintaining an electric potential difference across the electrolyzer cell;
- (c) feeding the anolyte from an anolyte tank to the anolyte compartment;
- (d) feeding the catholyte to the catholyte compartment;
- (e) operating the electrolyzer cell to convert the lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide and produce hydrogen gas and chlorine gas;
- (f) flowing an anolyte product comprising an aqueous solution of lithium chloride out of the anolyte compartment and through a flash valve to reduce its pressure;
- (g) flowing the anolyte product after step (f) to a vacuum flash evaporator, and evaporating water out of said anolyte product in the vacuum flash evaporator using only heat generated by operation of the electrolyzer cell, thereby producing a concentrated anolyte product having an increased concentration of lithium chloride;
- and
- (h) flowing the concentrated anolyte product from the vacuum flash evaporator to the anolyte tank for recirculation to the electrolyzer cell.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.