Electrolysis apparatus

Abstract

A unit cell of an electrolysis apparatus includes a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between an anode separator and a cathode separator. The membrane electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode current collector disposed on one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and held against the anode separator, and a cathode current collector disposed on the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and held against the cathode separator. A protective sheet having a number of through holes defined therein is interposed between the anode current collector and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane.

1 . An electrolysis apparatus comprising:
 an electrolyte membrane;   a pair of current collectors disposed respectively on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane;   a pair of separators stacked respectively on the current collectors; and   a protective sheet interposed between the electrolyte membrane and one of the current collectors, the protective sheet having a plurality of through holes defined therein.   
   
   
       2 . An electrolysis apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the one of the current collector comprises a porous electrically conductive material, and the through holes defined in the protective sheet have a diameter distribution whose width is smaller than a width of a diameter distribution of pores of the porous electrically conductive material. 
   
   
       3 . An electrolysis apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the current collectors comprise an anode current collector for electrolyzing water to generate oxygen and a cathode current collector for generating hydrogen having a pressure higher than the oxygen generated by the anode current collector, and the protective sheet is interposed between the anode current collector and the electrolyte membrane. 
   
   
       4 . An electrolysis apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective sheet comprises a sheet of titanium.