Multi-cell dual voltage electrolysis apparatus and method of using same

Abstract

A method and apparatus for achieving high output efficiency from an electrolysis system ( 100 ) using a plurality of electrolysis cells all located within a single electrolysis tank ( 101 ) is provided. Each individual electrolysis cell includes a membrane ( 105 - 107 ), a plurality of low voltage electrodes comprised of at least a first and second anode ( 117/118; 125/126 ) and at least a first and second cathode ( 121/122; 129/130 ), and a plurality of high voltage electrodes comprised of at least an anode ( 119; 127 ) and a cathode ( 123; 131 ). Within each cell, the high voltage anode is interposed between the first and second low voltage anodes and the high voltage cathode is interposed between the first and second low voltage cathodes. The low voltage applied to the low voltage electrodes and the high voltage applied to the high voltage electrodes is pulsed with the pulses occurring simultaneously.

1 . An electrolysis system comprising:
 an electrolysis tank;   a plurality of electrolysis cells within said electrolysis tank, each of said plurality of electrolysis cells comprising:
 a membrane dividing said electrolysis cell into a first region and a second region, wherein said membrane permits ion and electron exchange between said first and second regions; 
 a plurality of low voltage electrodes, said plurality of low voltage electrodes comprised of at least a first low voltage anode and at least a second low voltage anode contained within said first region, and said plurality of low voltage electrodes comprised of at least a first low voltage cathode and at least a second low voltage cathode contained within said second region; and 
 a plurality of high voltage electrodes, said plurality of high voltage electrodes comprised of at least a first high voltage anode contained within said first region and interposed between said first low voltage anode and said second low voltage anode, and said plurality of high voltage electrodes comprised of at least a first high voltage cathode contained within said second region and interposed between said first low voltage cathode and said second low voltage cathode; 
   a low voltage source with a first output voltage electrically connected to said plurality of low voltage electrodes of each electrolysis cell;   a high voltage source with a second output voltage electrically connected to said plurality of high voltage electrodes of each electrolysis cell, wherein said second output voltage is higher than said first output voltage; and   means for simultaneously pulsing said low voltage source and said high voltage source at a specific frequency and a specific pulse duration.   
   
   
       2 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a system controller coupled to said electrolysis system, wherein said system controller is coupled to at least one of said low voltage source, said high voltage source, said simultaneous pulsing means, a temperature monitor contained within said electrolysis tank, a pH monitor contained within said electrolysis tank, a resistivity monitor contained within said electrolysis tank, a liquid level monitor contained within said electrolysis tank, and a flow valve within an inlet line coupled to said electrolysis tank. 
   
   
       3 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising means for cooling said electrolysis system. 
   
   
       4 . The electrolysis system of  claim 3 , wherein said cooling means is comprised of a conduit containing a heat transfer medium, wherein a portion of said conduit is in thermal communication with at least a portion of said electrolysis tank. 
   
   
       5 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid within said electrolysis tank, wherein said liquid includes at least one of water, deuterated water, tritiated water, semiheavy water, heavy oxygen water, water containing an isotope of hydrogen, or water containing an isotope of oxygen. 
   
   
       6 . The electrolysis system of  claim 5 , further comprising an electrolyte within said liquid, said electrolyte having a concentration of between 0.05 and 10.0 percent by weight. 
   
   
       7 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , wherein said first low voltage anode is comprised of a first material, wherein said second low voltage anode is comprised of a second material, wherein said first low voltage cathode is comprised of a third material, wherein said second low voltage cathode is comprised of a fourth material, wherein said first high voltage anode is comprised of a fifth material, wherein said first high voltage cathode is comprised of a sixth material, and wherein said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth materials are selected from the group consisting of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite, metal hydrides and alloys of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite and metal hydrides. 
   
   
       8 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of low voltage electrodes are comprised of a first material, wherein said plurality of high voltage electrodes are comprised of a second material, and wherein said first and second materials are selected from the group consisting of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite, metal hydrides and alloys of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite and metal hydrides. 
   
   
       9 . The electrolysis system of  claim 1 , wherein said specific pulse duration is between 0.01 and 75 percent of a time period defined by said specific frequency. 
   
   
       10 . A method of operating a multi-cell electrolysis system comprising the steps of:
 applying a low voltage to at least a first low voltage anode, a second low voltage anode, a first low voltage cathode and a second low voltage cathode contained within each of a plurality of electrolysis cells contained within an electrolysis tank of said electrolysis system, said low voltage applying step further comprising the step of pulsing said low voltage at a first frequency and with a first pulse duration; and   applying a high voltage to at least a first high voltage anode and a first high voltage cathode contained within each of said plurality of electrolysis cells, said high voltage applying step further comprising the step of pulsing said high voltage at said first frequency and with said first pulse duration, wherein said high voltage pulsing step is performed simultaneously with said low voltage pulsing step, and wherein said first high voltage anode is interposed between said first low voltage anode and said second low voltage anode within a first region of each of said plurality of electrolysis cells, and wherein said first high voltage cathode is interposed between said first low voltage cathode and said second low voltage cathode within a second region of each of said plurality of electrolysis cells.   
   
   
       11 . A method of operating an electrolysis system comprising the steps of:
 positioning a plurality of electrolysis cells within an electrolysis tank, wherein each of said electrolysis cells is comprised of a membrane dividing each of said electrolysis cells into a first region and a second region;   filling said electrolysis tank with a liquid;   positioning a plurality of low voltage electrodes within each of said plurality of electrolysis cells, wherein said plurality of low voltage electrodes is comprised of at least a first low voltage anode, a second low voltage anode, a first low voltage cathode and a second low voltage cathode, wherein said positioning step further comprises the steps of positioning said first and second low voltage anodes within said first region of each of said electrolysis cells and positioning said first and second low voltage cathodes within said second region of each of said electrolysis cells;   positioning a plurality of high voltage electrodes within each of said plurality of electrolysis cells, wherein said plurality of high voltage electrodes is comprised of at least a first high voltage anode and a first high voltage cathode, wherein said positioning step further comprises the steps of positioning said first high voltage anode between said first and second low voltage anodes within said first region of each of said electrolysis cells and positioning said first high voltage cathode between said first and second low voltage cathodes within said second region of each of said electrolysis cells;   applying a low voltage to said plurality of low voltage electrodes, said low voltage applying step further comprising the step of pulsing said low voltage at a first frequency and with a first pulse duration; and   applying a high voltage to said plurality of high voltage electrodes, said high voltage applying step further comprising the step of pulsing said high voltage at said first frequency and with said first pulse duration, and wherein said high voltage pulsing step is performed simultaneously with said low voltage pulsing step.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of selecting said liquid from the group consisting of water, deuterated water, tritiated water, semiheavy water, heavy oxygen water, water containing an isotope of hydrogen, or water containing an isotope of oxygen. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 monitoring a liquid level within said electrolysis tank; and   adding more of said liquid to said electrolysis tank when said monitored liquid level falls below a preset value.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of adding an electrolyte to said liquid. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 monitoring pH of said liquid within said electrolysis tank; and   adding electrolyte to said liquid when said monitored pH fails outside of a preset range.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 monitoring resistivity of said liquid within said electrolysis tank; and   adding electrolyte to said liquid when said monitored resistivity falls outside of a preset range.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 fabricating said plurality of low voltage electrodes from a first material;   fabricating said plurality of high voltage electrodes from a second material; and   selecting said first material and said second material from the group consisting of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite, metal hydrides and alloys of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite and metal hydrides.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 fabricating said first low voltage anode from a first material;   fabricating said second low voltage anode from a second material;   fabricating said first low voltage cathode from a third material;   fabricating said second low voltage cathode from a fourth material;   fabricating said first high voltage anode from a fifth material;   fabricating said first high voltage cathode from a sixth material; and   selecting said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth materials from the group consisting of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite, metal hydrides and alloys of steel, nickel, copper, iron, stainless steel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, titanium, platinum, palladium, aluminum, lithium, magnesium, boron, carbon, graphite, carbon-graphite and metal hydrides.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of selecting said first pulse duration to be between 0.01 and 75 percent of a time period defined by said first frequency. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 monitoring a rate corresponding to said heat generation of said electrolysis system;   selecting an operating parameter from at least one of said low voltage, said high voltage, said first frequency, and said first pulse duration; and   optimizing said operating parameter of said electrolysis system in response to said monitored heat generation rate.