US 4,048,046 AGranted

Electrolytic cell design

AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company

InventorRobert Burns MacMullin

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Abstract

An electrolytic cell comprises two vertically extending, adjacent electrodes. The space between the electrodes is an electrolysis zone. The electrolysis zone has upper, middle and lower portions. The cell further comprises upper and lower plenum chambers above and below the upper and lower portions of the electrolysis zone, respectively. The cell has a channel which at least partially defines a passageway. The channel may be in an electrode, a cell wall, or in both. The passageway extends between the upper and lower plenum chambers but is inaccessible from the middle portion of the electrolysis zone. The cell may have a plurality of passageways. The improved design is particularly applicable to electrolytic processes in which gases are evolved at either or both of the electrodes, and in which the electrolytes and gaseous products are separated by a diaphragm or ion exchange membrane.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In an electrolytic cell comprising:

a. a cell wall portion at least partially defining boundary of said cell;
b. a first vertically extending electrode having a top portion and a bottom portion on a vertically extending surface;
c. a second vertically extending electrode, adjacent said first electrode and having a vertically extending surface opposing said vertically extending surface of said first electrode;
and
d. an electrolysis zone between said first and second electrodes, said electrolysis zone having an upper portion, a lower portion and a middle portion intermediate said upper and lower portions and defined by the opposing surfaces of said electrodes;
e. an upper electrolyte plenum chamber adjacent said top portion of said first electrode;
and
f. a lower electrolyte plenum chamber adjacent said bottom portion of said first electrode;
the improvement wherein at least one of said first and second electrodes includes at least one vertically extending channel-like portion which at least partially defines a recirculation passageway extending between said upper and lower electrolyte plenums of said cell, said channel-like portion of said electrode spaced from said vertically extending surface such that no fluid communication between said channel-like portion and said surface is possible.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.