Patent ID: 7226529

Claim:
An electrolyzer system comprising: a pressure vessel having an interior cavity; an electrolyzer having a first side which is one of an anode side and a cathode side and a second side which is the other of said anode and cathode sides, said electrolyzer operable to convert water and electricity into a hydrogen-containing stream on said cathode side and an oxygen-containing stream on said anode side, said electrolyzer located in said interior cavity of said pressure vessel; a pressurized water source operable to selectively supply pressurized water; a flow path from said pressurized water source to said interior cavity of said pressure vessel, said interior cavity receiving pressurized water from said pressurized water source via said flow path and said pressurized water pressurizing said interior cavity of said pressure vessel; a pump located in said interior cavity of said pressure vessel, said pump having an inlet communicating with said pressurized water in said interior cavity, an outlet communicating with inlets on each side of said electrolyzer, and said pump selectively supplies said pressurized water in said interior cavity to each side of said electrolyzer; a first fluid conduit communicating with said pump outlet and a first one of said inlets on said electrolyzer; a second fluid conduit communicating with said pump outlet and a second one of said inlets on said electrolyzer; and a flow regulator in said first fluid conduit operable to selectively regulate flow of pressurized water through said first fluid conduit supplied by said pump, wherein said pressurized water in said interior cavity of said pressure vessel is supplied to both sides of said electrolyzer and said electrolyzer uses said pressurized water along with an electrical current to produce said hydrogen-containing stream and said oxygen-containing stream.