Voltage measuring device for measuring the voltage of a plurality of electrochemical cells of an electrochemical reactor
The voltage measuring device is configured for measuring the voltage of a plurality of electrochemical cells ( 10 ) of an electrochemical reactor formed by a stack of separators ( 6 ) and membrane-electrode assemblies ( 8 ), each electrochemical cell ( 10 ) being formed by a membrane-electrode assembly ( 8 ) interposed between two separators ( 6 ), the voltage measuring device comprising a support ( 22 ) having a base ( 24 ) and a plurality of teeth ( 26 ) extending from the base ( 24 ) in a common direction of extension (D), each tooth ( 26 ) having a proximal end ( 26 A) connected to the base ( 24 ) and a free distal end ( 26 B) carrying an electrical contact ( 28 ) adapted to engage a separator, the support comprising teeth ( 26 ) the distal ends of which are offset from each other in the direction of extension (D).
1 . A voltage measuring device configured to measure a voltage of a plurality of electrochemical cells of an electrochemical reactor formed of a stack of separators and membrane-electrode assemblies, each of the electrochemical cells being formed of one of the membrane-electrode assemblies interposed between two of the separators, the voltage measuring device comprising:
a support comprising:
a base having an edge; and
a plurality of teeth arranged in a row, each of the teeth extending from the edge of the base along a common direction of extension, each of the teeth comprising:
a proximal end connected to the edge of the base;
a free distal end; and
only one electrical contact disposed on the free distal end, the electrical contact being configured to make contact with one of the separators,
wherein each of the teeth has one of a first length and a second length measured from the edge of the base to the contact, the first length and the second length being unequal, and
wherein the teeth are arranged on the base so that the teeth having the first length alternate with the teeth having the second length.
2 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth comprises:
a first set of teeth whose said free distal ends are aligned along a first alignment axis; and
a second set of teeth whose said free distal ends are offset relative to the first alignment axis,
and wherein each said tooth of the first set and of the second set has the proximal end thereof arranged at a same distance from the first alignment axis.
3 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 2 , wherein the first alignment axis is perpendicular to the direction of extension.
4 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of teeth comprises:
a progressively decreasing and then increasing width from the proximal end of the tooth to the distal end of the tooth.
5 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic measuring unit, each said electrical contact being connected to the electronic measuring unit.
6 . An electrochemical system, comprising:
electrochemical cells, and
at least one voltage measuring device according to claim 1 configured to measure the voltage of the electrochemical cells.
7 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of teeth extend to be coplanar to one another.
8 . A voltage measuring device configured to measure a voltage of a plurality of electrochemical cells of an electrochemical reactor formed of a stack of separators and membrane-electrode assemblies, each of the electrochemical cells being formed of one of the membrane-electrode assemblies interposed between two of the separators, the voltage measuring device comprising:
a support comprising:
a base having an edge;
a double-contact tooth; and
a plurality of single-contact teeth arranged in a row, each of the single-contact teeth extending from the edge of the base along a common direction of extension, each of the single-contact teeth comprising:
a proximal end connected to the edge of the base;
a free distal end; and
only one electrical contact disposed on the free distal end, the electrical contact being configured to make contact with one of the separators;
wherein the double-contact tooth extends from the edge of the base along the common direction of extension, the double-contact tooth comprising:
said proximal end connected to the edge of the base;
said free distal end;
a first electrical contact disposed on the free distal end; and
an additional electrical contact also disposed on the free distal end,
wherein each of the single-contact teeth has one of a first length and a second length measured from the edge of the base to the contact, the first length and the second length being unequal,
wherein the single-contact teeth are arranged on the base so that the single-contact teeth having the first length alternate with the single-contact teeth having the second length,
wherein the first electrical contact and the additional electrical contact of the double-contact tooth are both arranged at either the first length or the second length from the edge of the base, and
wherein the double-contact tooth is arranged on the edge of the base at one end of the row of the single-contact teeth.
9 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 8 :
wherein the double-contact tooth and the plurality of single-contact teeth are distributed in:
a first set of teeth whose said free distal ends are aligned along a first alignment axis; and
a second set of teeth whose said free distal ends are offset relative to the first alignment axis,
and wherein each said tooth of the first set and of the second set has the proximal end thereof arranged at same distance from the first alignment axis, the single-contact teeth having the first length alternating with the single-contact teeth having the second length.
10 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 9 , wherein the first alignment axis is perpendicular to the direction of extension.
11 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 9 , wherein the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth are arranged to alternate to form a row of teeth.
12 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 9 , wherein the free distal ends of the second set of teeth:
are offset relative to the first alignment axis, and
are aligned along a second alignment axis distinct from the first alignment axis.
13 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 12 , wherein the second alignment axis is perpendicular to the direction of extension and parallel to the first alignment axis.
14 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 8 , further comprising an electronic measuring unit, each said electrical contact being connected to the electronic measuring unit.
15 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 14 , further comprising a connector, configured to connect the voltage measuring device to an electronic apparatus.
16 . An electrochemical system, comprising:
electrochemical cells, and
at least one voltage measuring device according to claim 8 configured to measure the voltage of the electrochemical cells.
17 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 8 , wherein the double-contact tooth and the plurality of single-contact teeth extend to be coplanar to one another.
18 . The voltage measuring device according to claim 8 , wherein the double-contact tooth has a U-shape profile at the double-contact tooth's free distal end, with two branches in the U-shape ending respectively with a first free distal end and a second free distal end of the double-contact tooth.