An electrolyzer consisting of a stack of elemental electrolytic cells held between two end plates connected by tie rods. Each tie rod (9) is associated with a hydraulic jack (20) enabling variable tightening by remote control. A displacement pick-up (16) and a pressure pick-up (17) supply signals (25,26) to a force and position control cabinet (18). The invention is made use of in the production of hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis of water.
A method for assembling a filter press type of electrolytic cell is disclosed wherein tightening apparatus is employed at preferably multiple points about the periphery of the stacked electrodes to substantially simultaneously apply a substantially uniform pressure to compress the cell to permit the compressed stack of electrodes to be retained in this compressed state while the cell is assembled in a fluid-tight manner.
The present invention is directed to a process and apparatus for controlling the pressure load on gaskets of an electrolysis cell by comparing the internal cell pressure to the pressure of the hydraulic fluid to the cell compressor and activating a controller for adjusting the pressure to a set point based on the data obtained by the comparison. The apparatus includes a hydraulic compressor adapted for pressing cell members together, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure inside the electrolysis cell, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure in the compressor, and a controller for controlling the amount of hydraulic fluid to and from the compressor.
An apparatus for uniformly pressing a plurality of flat plate-type structures together comprising a first and second vertical support means, a pair of side rails spaced apart and supported on the support means, the side rails being perpendicular to the support means and adapted to support flat plate-like structures, a plurality of flat plate-like structures with hanger members to slidably and pivotably mount the structures on the side rails, a vertical mobile platen provided with top and bottom hanger members connected to a press means adapted for pressing the mobile platen against and toward the flat plate-type structures to compress them together and retracting the mobile platen from the plate-like structures, the press means comprising at least one coiled spring, a first contactor plate attached to the mobile platen and a second contactor plate attached to a positioning device secured to one of the support means and a first and second guide chamber for directing the positioning device and coiled spring perpendicularly to the face of the mobile platen and the support means useful to form a plate-type pressure apparatus useful as electrolytic cells, filter presses, injection molding apparatus and the like and a novel method of isolating plate-like structures for repair or replacement.
