Electrolysis cell, in particular for use in a plant for producing an electrochemically activated sodium chloride solution, and plant having a number of such electrolysis cells

Abstract

An electrolysis cell, in particular for producing an electrochemically activated sodium chloride solution, includes an anode chamber provided with an anode and a cathode chamber separated therefrom by a membrane and provided with a cathode. The membrane is designed as a hollow ceramic cylinder surrounded by an outer housing and is intended to make it possible to produce a particularly high-quality, electrochemically activated sodium chloride solution. The ends of the hollow ceramic cylinder and the outer housing surrounding the cylinder are each mounted in a closure cap, which has a central hole forming an entry channel to the interior of the hollow ceramic cylinder and an annular chamber that extends around the central hole and, on the media side, is connected to the intermediate chamber between the membrane and the outer housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An electrolysis cell, comprising:
 an anode chamber having an anode;   a cathode chamber having a cathode;   a membrane separating the anode chamber from the cathode chamber, said membrane configured in the form of a hollow ceramic cylinder;   an outer housing in surrounding relationship to the hollow ceramic cylinder; and   a closure cap configured to support an end of the hollow ceramic cylinder and an end of the outer housing, said closure cap having a central hole which forms an entry channel to an interior of the hollow ceramic cylinder, and an annular chamber which is sized to extend around the central hole and connected on a media side to an intermediate chamber between the membrane and the outer housing.   
     
     
         17 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , constructed for producing an electrochemically activated sodium chloride solution. 
     
     
         18 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , wherein the outer housing is constructed as a hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         19 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , wherein the outer housing is made of metal. 
     
     
         20 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , wherein the outer housing is disposed in concentric relationship to the membrane. 
     
     
         21 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , further comprising a metal central electrode constructed in the form of a hollow cylinder and arranged inside the hollow ceramic cylinder, said central electrode having an interior which is connected, on the media side, via a plurality of first transfer openings to an annular chamber which is delimited by an inside of the membrane and surrounds the transfer openings on the outside. 
     
     
         22 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 21 , wherein the central electrode is disposed in concentric relationship to the membrane. 
     
     
         23 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 21 , wherein the transfer openings are only positioned in end regions of the central electrode. 
     
     
         24 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 21 , wherein the central electrode has ends, each end being provided with an inflow/outflow element which comprises a plurality of second transfer openings and projects into the interior of the electrode, said second transfer openings of the inflow/outflow element being arranged in a same position as the first transfer openings of the central electrode, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the membrane. 
     
     
         25 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 24 , wherein the second transfer openings are inclined when viewed in a radial direction. 
     
     
         26 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , wherein the closure cap is made of insulating material. 
     
     
         27 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 26 , wherein the insulating material is a plastics material. 
     
     
         28 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 27 , wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of PP, PE, and PTFE. 
     
     
         29 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 21 , wherein the central electrode forms a cathode and the outer housing forms an anode. 
     
     
         30 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 29 , wherein the outer housing as anode has a surface coating. 
     
     
         31 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 30 , wherein the surface coating comprises platinum, iridium, ruthenium, gold and/or diamond. 
     
     
         32 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 29 , wherein the central electrode as cathode has a surface coating. 
     
     
         33 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 32 , wherein the surface coating comprises gold. 
     
     
         34 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 32 , wherein the surface coating has a layer thickness of approximately 1 μm. 
     
     
         35 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 16 , wherein the hollow cylinder has a support body made of porous ceramic having an average pore size of at least 100 nm and provided on at least one of its surfaces with a porous definition coating having an average pore size of at most 10 nm. 
     
     
         36 . The electrolysis cell of  claim 35 , wherein the definition coating has an average pore size of at least 0.2 nm. 
     
     
         37 . A plant for producing an electrochemically activated, water-based sodium chloride solution, comprising:
 an electrolysis module including a plurality of electrolysis cells, each of the electrolysis cells comprising an anode chamber having an anode, a cathode chamber having a cathode, a membrane separating the anode chamber from the cathode chamber, said membrane configured in the form of a hollow ceramic cylinder, an outer housing in surrounding relationship to the hollow ceramic cylinder, and a closure cap configured to support an end of the hollow ceramic cylinder and an end of the outer housing, said closure cap having a central hole which forms an entry channel to an interior of the hollow ceramic cylinder, and an annular chamber which is sized to extend around the central hole and connected on a media side to an intermediate chamber between the membrane and the outer housing,   wherein the anode chambers of the electrolysis cells are connected in series on the media side, and   wherein the cathode chambers of the electrolysis cells are connected in parallel on the media side.   
     
     
         38 . The plant of  claim 37 , wherein the anodes of the electrolysis cells are each provided with a surface coating of a material and composition which are selected depending on a position of each anode in the series connection of the anode chambers.