Dome-Shaped Plates for Efficient Hydrogen Production in Electrolyzers
This patent describes an electrolyzer that uses uniquely dome-shaped plates to improve how water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, enhancing efficiency and product separation.
Original patent title: “Electrolyzer”
This patent describes an electrolyzer that uses uniquely dome-shaped plates to improve how water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, enhancing efficiency and product separation. Owned by Individual with 24 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes an electrolyzer built from a stack of dome-shaped bipolar plates (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 17). Each plate includes a rim with specific anode and cathode reaction outlets, which are aligned through the entire stack (Claim 18). Reactant liquids enter through inlets located in the center of each plate (Claim 19). The plates also feature overlapping anode and cathode channels on their respective sides to guide the flow (Claim 25). This design helps separate the products of hydrolysis, such as hydrogen from the cathodic side, allowing them to float up the stack through the outlets (Claim 32, 33). For example, water would be fed into the stack, split into hydrogen and oxygen, and these gases would then exit through the aligned outlets, with the dome shape potentially aiding in their separation and removal.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Electrolyzers using flat or non-dome-shaped bipolar plates.
- Bipolar plates where the anode and cathode reaction outlets are not aligned through the stack.
- Electrolyzers that do not separate hydrolysis products, allowing them to float up through specific outlets.
- Bipolar plates that lack reactant inlets extending throughout their center.
- Electrolyzers where the anode and cathode channels do not overlap on the plate surfaces.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the "dome-shaped" design of the bipolar plates and other components, which likely improves the flow dynamics and separation of gaseous products like hydrogen and oxygen within the electrolyzer stack. This shape could enhance efficiency by reducing resistance or improving gas removal.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Alkaline electrolyzers
PEM electrolyzers
Green hydrogen production facilities
Industrial hydrogen generation units
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Electrolyzers are crucial for producing green hydrogen, a key component in decarbonizing industries like transportation, energy storage, and industrial processes. This patent focuses on optimizing a core component, the bipolar plate, which directly impacts the efficiency and cost of hydrogen production. Innovations in electrolyzer design contribute to making hydrogen a more viable and widespread energy carrier.
Filed
November 23, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Siemens Energy, Thyssenkrupp Nucera, and Plug Power are major players in electrolyzer technology, constantly researching and developing new designs for bipolar plates and stack architectures to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Startups in the green hydrogen space are also actively innovating in this area, seeking to optimize every component for better performance and lower manufacturing expenses.
Market impact
This type of innovation aims to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of hydrogen production, which is critical for scaling up the green hydrogen economy. By optimizing component design, it could contribute to making hydrogen a more competitive and widely adopted energy source, potentially enabling new applications and markets for clean energy. Improved electrolyzer designs can lower the capital and operational expenditures for hydrogen producers.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes an electrolyzer built from a stack of dome-shaped bipolar plates (Claim 17). Each plate includes a rim with specific anode and cathode reaction outlets, which are aligned through the entire stack (Claim 18). Reactant liquids enter through inlets located in the center of each plate (Claim 19). The plates also feature overlapping anode and cathode channels on their respective sides to guide the flow (Claim 25). This design helps separate the products of hydrolysis, such as hydrogen from the cathodic side, allowing them to float up the stack through the outlets (Claim 32, 33). For example, water would be fed into the stack, split into hydrogen and oxygen, and these gases would then exit through the aligned outlets, with the dome shape potentially aiding in their separation and removal.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the "dome-shaped" design of the bipolar plates and other components, which likely improves the flow dynamics and separation of gaseous products like hydrogen and oxygen within the electrolyzer stack. This shape could enhance efficiency by reducing resistance or improving gas removal.
What it does not cover
- Electrolyzers using flat or non-dome-shaped bipolar plates.
- Bipolar plates where the anode and cathode reaction outlets are not aligned through the stack.
- Electrolyzers that do not separate hydrolysis products, allowing them to float up through specific outlets.
- Bipolar plates that lack reactant inlets extending throughout their center.
- Electrolyzers where the anode and cathode channels do not overlap on the plate surfaces.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
16/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$94K – $300K
Midpoint $187K · 16.3 yr remaining · industry ×2.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
24 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
DERFLER, F. Dome-Shaped Plates for Efficient Hydrogen Production in Electrolyzers (U.S. Patent No. 20,250,027,216). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20250027216/electrolyzer
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Dome-Shaped Plates for Efficient Hydrogen Production in Electrolyzers cover?
This patent describes an electrolyzer that uses uniquely dome-shaped plates to improve how water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, enhancing efficiency and product separation.
Who owns patent US 20250027216?
This patent is owned by Individual.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 23, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 20250027216 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Electrolyzers are crucial for producing green hydrogen, a key component in decarbonizing industries like transportation, energy storage, and industrial processes. This patent focuses on optimizing a core component, the bipolar plate, which directly impacts the efficiency and cost of hydrogen production. Innovations in electrolyzer design contribute to making hydrogen a more viable and widespread energy carrier.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Electrolyzers using flat or non-dome-shaped bipolar plates.
Same assignee
More from Individual
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