System for cooling and recuperating heat for high intensity electric circuits

Abstract

The invention concerns a cooling system for a high intensity electric circuit designed to power an electrolysis vessel with high intensity current. Said system comprises a tube ( 18 ) made of conductive metal in series and/or in parallel in the electric circuit, conveying the high intensity current and liquid circulating circuit ( 34 ) comprising a pump with variable flow rate ( 28 ) maintaining a liquid flow in the tube for recovering the heat released by the passage of high intensity current in said tube and a heat exchanger ( 30 ) for evacuating the heat recovered in the tube and restore it to the electrolysis vessel for maintaining its temperature above a crystallisation threshold of the electrolysis, the variable flow rate of the pump being able to be adapted based on the value of the intensity of the high intensity current.

1 . A cooling system for a high intensity electric circuit featuring a conductive metal tube ( 18 ), in series and/or parallel in said electric circuit, transporting the high intensity current and a liquid circulating system featuring a pump with variable flow rate ( 28 ) which circulates the liquid in said tube designed to recover the heat released by the high intensity current passing through said tube and a heat exchanger to dissipate the heat ( 30 ) recovered in said tube. 
 said system being characterised in that said high intensity electric circuit supplies an electrolysis vessel ( 40 ) featuring at least two electrodes ( 12 ,  14 ,  16 ) of different polarity and said heat exchanger transmits the heat recovered in said tube to said electrolysis vessel so that the temperature of said vessel does not drop below a predetermined temperature.    
     
     
         2 . The cooling system according to  claim 1 , in which said electrolysis vessel ( 40 ) includes an electrode ( 12 ) of an initial polarity which serves as input (or output) to said high intensity current and two other electrodes ( 14 ,  16 ) which are used as an output (or input) to said high intensity current, said tube ( 18 ) being connected to one of said output electrodes and conveying a current whose intensity is equal to half of the intensity of said high intensity current.  
     
     
         3 . A cooling system for a high intensity electric circuit featuring a conductive metal tube ( 18 ), in series and/or parallel in said electric circuit, transporting the high intensity current and a liquid circulating system featuring a pump of variable flow rate ( 28 ) which circulates the liquid in said tube designed to recover the heat released by the high intensity current passing through said tube and a heat exchanger to dissipate the heat ( 30 ) recovered in said tube, 
 said system being characterised in that said high intensity electric circuit supplies a plurality of electrolysis vessels ( 40 ,  40 ′) in series, each of the electrolysis vessels being associated with a length of tube and to a heat exchanger to convey the heat recovered in said length of tube to said electrolysis vessel so that the temperature of said vessel does not drop below a predetermined temperature.    
     
     
         4 . The cooling system according to  claim 3 , in which each of said electrolysis vessels ( 40 ,  40 ′) includes an electrode ( 12 ) with a first polarity which serves as input (or output) to said high intensity current and two other electrodes ( 14 ,  16 ) with a second polarity which are used as an output (or input) to said high intensity current, said tube ( 18 ) being connected to one of said output electrodes and conveying a current whose intensity is equal to half of the intensity of said high intensity current.  
     
     
         5 . The cooling system according to  claim 4 , also featuring communication means ( 11 ,  13 ) between the first and second electrolysis vessels ( 40 ,  40 ′) adapted for disconnecting from said electric circuit said electrode of the first polarity of said second vessel ( 40 ) and for connecting said electrodes of a second polarity of said first vessel ( 40 ′) to the length of tube ( 18 ) associated with said second vessel so as to short-circuit said second vessel and so that said length of tube associated with said second vessel conveys the totality of the high intensity current.  
     
     
         6 . The system according to any one of claims  2 ,  4  or  5 , in which said input (or output) electrode ( 12  or  12 ′) is connected to an aluminium or copper supply bar ( 10 ).  
     
     
         7 . The cooling system according to any one of the previous claims in which the liquid used in said liquid circulation circuit is water with or without additives, oil or glycol.  
     
     
         8 . The cooling system according to any one of the previous claims, in which the conductive metal of which the tube is made is copper or aluminium.