Membrane humidifier cartridge and membrane humidifier equipped therewith

Abstract

The present invention relates to a membrane humidifier cartridge and a membrane humidifier equipped therewith. The membrane humidifier cartridge is characterized by having a main body having a space for housing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first window formed on one side of the main body through which moist gas flows in, a second window formed on the other side of the main body through which moist gas is discharged, and a recessed portion on the bottom surface of the main body that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge for a membrane humidifier and a membrane humidifier provided with the same, and relates to a cartridge for a membrane humidifier that reduces the pressure of a wet gas flowing into the inside of a cartridge that houses a hollow fiber membrane, prevents damage to the hollow fiber membrane, and improves the humidification efficiency by the wet gas, and a membrane humidifier provided with the same.

Background Art

[0002] A fuel cell produces electrical energy using chemical energy generated by the combination of hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells have recently been actively studied as an environmentally friendly energy source with low emissions of pollutants. Fuel cells can be broadly classified into Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFCs), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs), Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), and Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFCs) according to the type of electrolyte used. Each of these fuel cells operates based on fundamentally the same principle, but the types of fuels used, operating temperatures, catalysts, electrolytes, etc. are different from each other. Among these, the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is considered the most promising not only for small-scale stationary power generation equipment but also for transportation systems because it operates at a lower temperature compared to other fuel cells and can be miniaturized due to its high output density. One of the most important factors in improving the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs) is maintaining a certain level of moisture content in the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). This is because if the polymer electrolyte membrane dries out, the power generation efficiency will decrease rapidly. Methods for humidifying polymer electrolyte membranes include: 1) the bubbler humidification method, which involves filling a pressure vessel with water and then passing the target gas through a diffuser to supply moisture; 2) the direct injection method, which involves calculating the amount of moisture required for the fuel cell reaction and supplying moisture directly to the gas fluid pipe through a solenoid valve; and 3) the membrane humidification method, which uses a polymer separation membrane to supply moisture to the gas fluid bed. Among these, the membrane humidification method, which uses a membrane that selectively allows only water vapor contained in the exhaust gas to pass through and supplies water vapor to the air supplied to the polymer electrolyte membrane, is advantageous in that it allows for lighter and smaller humidifiers. When forming modules, hollow fiber membranes with a large permeable area per unit volume are desirable for selective permeable membranes used in membrane humidification systems. When manufacturing humidifiers using hollow fiber membranes, it is possible to integrate a large number of hollow fiber membranes with a large contact surface area, allowing for sufficient humidification of fuel cells even at small capacities, resulting in relatively low costs. Furthermore, it has the advantage of recovering moisture and heat contained in the high-temperature exhaust gas (off-gas) discharged from fuel cells and reusing it through the humidifier. Figure 1 is a schematic separated perspective view of a conventional membrane humidifier for fuel cells. Referring to Figure 1, a conventional membrane humidifier includes a humidification module 110 in which moisture exchange takes place between air supplied from the outside and exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack (not shown), and first and second caps 120 and 130 connected to both ends of the humidification module 110, respectively. Outside air flows in through the inlet 121 of the first cap 120 and is transmitted to the humidification module 110, and the air humidified by the humidification module 110 is transmitted to the fuel cell stack through the outlet 131 of the second cap 130. The humidification module 110 includes a housing 111 having an off-gas inlet 111a into which moist exhaust gas flows and an off-gas outlet 111b from which the exhaust gas is discharged, and a cartridge 100 disposed within the housing 111.

[0003] The cartridge 100 is fastened to the fastening portion 112 of the housing 111. Multiple cartridges 100 may be fastened to the fastening portion 112. The inside of the cartridge 100 is filled with a hollow fiber membrane, and both ends of the hollow fiber membrane are potted and fixed to both ends of the cartridge 100. The hollow fiber membrane may be potted by curing a liquid polymer such as liquid polyurethane resin. Air supplied from the outside flows into the first cap 120 and flows along the hollow of the hollow fiber membrane. Exhaust gas that flows into the housing 111 through the exhaust gas moist gas inlet 111a comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane and then flows out of the housing 111 through the exhaust gas moist gas outlet 111b. When the exhaust gas comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane, the moisture contained in the exhaust gas permeates through the hollow fiber membrane, thereby humidifying the air that was flowing along the hollow of the hollow fiber membrane. In this manner, humidification is performed through the process in which the humid gas flowing into the humid gas inlet 111a comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 150 arranged inside the cartridge 100. However, multiple cartridges 100 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the humid gas flows in between the cartridges 100 and into the interior through windows formed in the cartridges 100. In this case, the pressure of the humid gas may damage the hollow fiber membrane placed inside the cartridge. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the humid gas flowing in through the inlet 111a flows from top to bottom along the space between adjacent cartridges 100, but the humid gas concentrates below the adjacent cartridges 100, causing a further increase in pressure. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The present invention was devised to improve the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a membrane humidifier cartridge and a membrane humidifier equipped therewith that reduce the pressure of the humidified gas flowing into the cartridge containing the hollow fiber membrane to prevent damage to the hollow fiber membrane and improve the humidification efficiency by the humidified gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A membrane humidifier cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by having a main body having a space for housing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first window formed on one side of the main body through which humid gas flows in, a second window formed on the other side of the main body through which the humid gas is discharged, and a recessed portion on the bottom surface of the main body that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body. Furthermore, the recessed portion includes a first inner wall portion, a second inner wall portion opposite to the first inner wall portion, and an upper surface portion connecting the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions, and a third window into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the first and second inner wall portions. Furthermore, the recessed portion includes a first inner wall portion, a second inner wall portion opposite to the first inner wall portion, and an upper surface portion connecting the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions, and a fourth window into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the upper surface portion. Furthermore, the upper surface portion may have a curved surface portion that is convex upwards. Furthermore, multiple third windows are provided in the vertical direction of the first and second inner walls, and the area of ​​the third windows provided in the first and second inner walls decreases as you go higher. Furthermore, the recessed portion may include a first recessed portion having a first width and a second recessed portion extending from the first recessed portion and having a narrower width than the second width. Furthermore, the second recessed portion extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion toward the center of the main body, and a step is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion, with the widths of the first and second inner walls narrowing, and the second recessed portion can be connected upward from the step. Furthermore, the second recessed portion includes a left recessed portion extending from the first inner wall portion and a right recessed portion extending from the second inner wall portion, the left recessed portion and the right recessed portion are spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends may be connected by a connecting portion. On the other hand, a membrane humidifier according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by including a housing having a moist gas inlet formed on one side for introducing the moist gas and a moist gas outlet formed on the other side for discharging the moist gas that has flowed in through the inlet; a main body detachably coupled to the housing and having a space for housing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a cartridge formed on one side of the main body for introducing the moist gas; a second window formed on the other side of the main body for discharging the moist gas; and a recessed portion on the bottom surface of the main body that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body; a first cap coupled to one side of the housing for introducing outside air; and a second cap coupled to the other side of the housing for discharging the outside air as it flows along the hollow fiber membrane and is humidified as it is discharged. Here, the recessed portion includes a first inner wall portion, a second inner wall portion opposite to the first inner wall portion, and an upper surface portion connecting the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions, and a third window into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the first and second inner wall portions. Here, the recessed portion 40 includes a first inner wall portion, a second inner wall portion opposite to the first inner wall portion, and an upper surface portion connecting the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions, and a fourth window into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the upper surface portion. Here, the upper surface portion may have a curved surface portion that is convex upwards. Here, multiple third windows are provided in the vertical direction of the first and second inner walls, and the area of ​​the third windows provided in the first and second inner walls decreases as you go higher.

[0006] Here, the depression may include a first depression having a first width and a second depression extending from the first depression and having a narrower width than the second width. Here, the second recessed portion extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion toward the center of the main body, and a step is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion as the width of the first and second inner walls narrows, and the second recessed portion can be connected upward from the step. Here, the second recessed portion includes a left recessed portion extending from the first inner wall portion and a right recessed portion extending from the second inner wall portion, the left recessed portion and the right recessed portion are spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends may be connected by a connecting portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The humidification module for a membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention provides the effect of improving humidification efficiency in a humidification module that supplies humidified gas to a fuel cell, by allowing the moist gas from the stack to flow to the center of the humidification module. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a conventional membrane humidifier. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating how a humid gas flows between cartridges. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an enlarged view of section A in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the main part of a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of section B in Figure 4, showing the third window, where the area decreases as you move upwards. [Figure 7] This is a drawing showing a recessed portion used in another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a drawing showing a recessed portion used in yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing a cartridge equipped with a rotating cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Because the various embodiments of the present invention involve various modifications and have a wide range of forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and related detailed descriptions are provided. However, this should be understood not as an attempt to limit the various embodiments of the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather as including all modifications and / or equivalents or substitutes that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the various embodiments of the present invention. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. Expressions such as “includes” or “may include” used in the various embodiments of the present invention refer to the existence of the disclosed function, operation, or component, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, or components. Furthermore, in the various embodiments of the present invention, terms such as “includes” or “has” specify the existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood not to pre-exist to exclude the existence or possibility of adding one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it should be understood that the former component may be directly connected to the latter component, but there may also be another new component between the former component and the latter component. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another component, it should be understood that there is no new component between the former component and the latter component. The terms used in various embodiments of the present invention are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the various embodiments of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of the present invention belong. [[ID=*6]]Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless clearly defined in the various embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that in your original text, there is a small error in the tag of line . I have corrected it to [ID=*6] in the translation to maintain consistency with the original text structure. If this is not what you want, please let me know.The present invention relates to a cartridge used in a membrane humidifier that humidifies dry gas supplied from an external source using moist gas discharged from a fuel cell stack. The present invention also relates to a membrane humidifier employing the cartridge. The cartridge 1 according to the present invention can be used in a membrane humidifier as shown in Figure 1. The cartridge 1 can be fastened to a housing 111. The housing 111 is provided with fastening portions 112 to which the cartridge 1 is fastened. The housing 111 has a moist gas inlet 111a formed on one side through which moist gas flows in, and a moist gas outlet 111b formed on the other side through which the moist gas that has flowed in through the inlet 111a is discharged. First and second caps 120 and 130 can be attached to both ends of the housing 111, as shown in Figure 1. The first cap 120 is attached to one side of the housing 111, and outside air flows in through the first cap 120. The second cap 130 is coupled to the other side of the housing 111, and the outside air is humidified as it flows along the hollow fiber membrane before being discharged. Meanwhile, the moist exhaust gas discharged from the stack flows into the cartridge 1 inside the housing 111, and as the outside air flows through the hollow fiber membrane 2, the moist gas flows along the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 2. As the moist gas comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 20, moisture is transferred to the inside of the hollow fiber membrane 2, humidifying the outside air, and the humidified outside air can be supplied to the fuel cell stack through the second cap 130.

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The membrane humidifier cartridge 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10, a first window 20, a second window 30, and a recessed portion 40. First, the cartridge 1 is provided with a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 2 disposed therein for humidifying the outside air flowing into the hollow fiber membranes 2 using the wet gas. The hollow fiber membranes 2 are disposed inside the cartridge 1, and both ends of the cartridge 40 and both ends of the hollow fiber membranes 2 are potted and fixed while forming a potting layer (not shown). The potting layer can be formed by curing a liquid polymer such as a liquid polyurethane resin. The cartridge 1 can be detachably coupled to the fastening portion 112 of the housing 111. The main body portion 10 provides a space for accommodating a plurality of hollow fiber membranes. According to this embodiment, the cross section of the main body portion 10 is formed in an elongated hole shape in which the length in the vertical direction is longer than the length in the horizontal direction. The main body portion 10 is formed in a shape substantially like "0". The main body portion 10 is formed by extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 111. The hollow fiber membranes 2 are accommodated inside the main body portion 10, and both ends of the hollow fiber membranes 2 are potted with both ends of the main body portion 10. The hollow fiber membranes 2 are formed of a material through which the moisture of the wet gas can penetrate. For example, the hollow fiber membranes 2 can be formed of a polymer membrane made of polysulfone resin, polyethersulfone resin, sulfonated polysulfone resin, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) resin, polyimide resin, polyamideimide resin, polyesterimide resin, or a mixture of two or more of these. The hollow fiber membranes 2 are potted and fixed to the main body portion 10, so that the cartridge 1 can be detachably integrated with the housing 111. The first window 20 is formed on one side of the main body portion 10 for allowing the wet gas to flow in. According to this embodiment, when the cartridge 1 is attached to the housing 111, the first window 20 is disposed below the inlet 111a of the housing 111.

[0011] According to this embodiment, multiple first windows 20 are provided on each of the two sides of the main body 10. Referring to Figure 3, the first windows 20 are formed in multiple rows in the vertical direction. Of course, the size and number of rows of each first window 20 can be varied in various ways. The first window 20 is formed with a sufficient area to efficiently transfer the moist gas to the hollow fiber membrane 2. When moist gas flows in, the sides between adjacent first windows 20 (part of the main body forming a grid) collide with the moist gas as it flows into the main body 10, reducing the pressure of the moist gas and preventing damage to the hollow fiber membrane 2. The second window 30 is formed on the other side of the main body 10 to discharge the moist gas that has flowed into the main body 10. According to this embodiment, when the cartridge 1 is mounted in the housing 111, the second window 30 is positioned below the outlet 111b of the housing 111. According to this embodiment, multiple second windows 30 are provided on each of the two sides of the main body 10. Referring to Figure 3, the second windows 30 are formed in multiple rows in the vertical direction. Of course, the size and number of rows of each second window 30 can be varied in various ways. The second window 30 is formed with a sufficient area to efficiently transfer the moist gas to the hollow fiber membrane 2, and is formed substantially identically to the first window 20, allowing the moist gas flowing into the main body 10 to be smoothly discharged into the second window 30. Referring to Figure 3, the moist gas flowing into the main body 10 through the first window 20 flows to the rear end of the main body 10 and can then be discharged to the outside of the main body 10 through the second window 30. The moist gas discharged to the outside of the main body 10 can then be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 111b of the housing 111. The recessed portion 40 is formed by recessing upward from the bottom surface of the main body portion 10 toward the center of the main body portion 10. When the main body portion 10 is said to be recessed, it means that the outer surface of the main body portion 10 is recessed inward. According to this embodiment, the recessed portion 40 includes a first inner wall portion 41, a second inner wall portion 42, and an upper surface portion 43. The first inner wall portion 41 and the second inner wall portion 42 are the two sides formed by the recessing of the bottom surface of the main body portion 10. The first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 face each other, and according to this embodiment, the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 are arranged parallel to each other. Of course, the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 are not limited to a shape that extends parallel to each other, and can be formed so that the distance between the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 gradually increases or decreases as one goes upward.

[0012] According to this embodiment, a third window 44 is formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 through which moist gas flows. As shown in Figure 4, the third window 44 may be formed in multiple rows in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42. The third window 44, together with the first window 20 formed on both sides of the main body portion 10, forms a channel through which moist gas flows further into the interior of the main body portion 10, increasing the permeability of the moist gas into the interior of the main body portion 10. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, a plurality of the third windows 44 are provided in the vertical direction of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, and the area of ​​the third windows 44 provided in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 may be formed to decrease as you go higher. The third windows 44 are provided in a plurality of rows in the vertical direction, and the area of ​​each third window 44 in each row may be formed to decrease as you go higher. The third window 44 allows additional humid gas to flow into the main body 10 as the humid gas that has flowed to the bottom surface of the main body 10 flows into the recessed portion 40. Since the pressure of the humid gas is relatively higher in the lower region where the humid gas flows into the recessed portion 40 compared to the upper region, increasing the area of ​​the third window 44 in the lower region effectively relieves the pressure of the humid gas. The upper surface portion 43 connects the upper parts of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42. According to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the upper surface portion 43 has a curved surface that is convex upward. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a fourth window 45 into which moist gas flows is formed in the upper surface portion 43. Multiple fourth windows 45 are provided on the upper surface portion 43. The fourth windows 45 form another channel through which the moist gas flowing between the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 enters the interior of the main body portion 10, and the fourth windows 45 enable efficient transfer of the moist gas to the hollow fiber membrane 2 located on the central side of the main body portion 10. As described above, the third and fourth windows 44 and 45, together with the first and second windows 20 and 30, provide a flow path for the moist gas flowing inside the main body 10, ensuring a sufficient flow rate of moist gas transmitted to the hollow fiber membrane 2 while simultaneously relieving the increasing pressure of the moist gas below the cartridge 1. Figures 7 and 8 show cross-sections of cartridges according to other embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of Figures 7 and 8, the configuration and operation of the main body 10 and the first and second windows 20 and 30 are substantially the same as those of cartridge 1 in Figure 3, and redundant explanations are omitted. The embodiments of Figures 7 and 8 differ from the embodiment of Figure 3 in the configuration of the recessed portion 40, and the recessed portion 40 will be described in detail below.

[0013] In the embodiments shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cartridge 1, the recessed portion 40 includes a first recessed portion 401 and a second recessed portion 402. The first recessed portion 401 is provided in the lower section of the bottom surface of the main body portion 10 and is formed to have a first width. Having a first width means that the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 have a predetermined first width. The second recessed portion 402 extends from the first recessed portion 401 and has a second width smaller than the first width. Referring to Figure 7, the second recessed portion 402 extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion 401 toward the center of the main body portion 10. At this time, a step 410 is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion 401 as the width of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 narrows. The second recessed portion 402 is connected upward from the step 410. In Figure 7, one second recessed portion 402 extends from the first recessed portion 401. The first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 of the first and second recessed portions 401 and 402 are formed with the aforementioned third window 44, and the upper surface portion 43 of the second recessed portion 402 may be formed with a fourth window 45. Referring to Figure 8, the second recessed portion 402 includes a left recessed portion 412 extending from the first inner wall portion 41 and a right recessed portion 422 extending from the second inner wall portion 42. As shown in Figure 8, the left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422 are spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends are connected by a connecting portion 420. The connecting portion 420 is subjected to collision with moist gas flowing upward through the first recessed portion 401, thereby reducing the pressure of the moist gas. Furthermore, the aforementioned third window 44 is formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41, 42 of the first recessed portion 401, and a similar third window 44 may also be formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41, 42 that form the left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422. In addition, a fourth window 45 may be formed in the upper surface portion 43 of the left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422. According to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the main body portion 10 includes a rotating cover 50. The rotating cover 50 is provided on the upper part of the main body portion 10. The rotating cover 50 is formed on the opposite side of the lower part of the main body portion 10 where the recessed portion 40 is formed. The rotating cover 50 is formed to cover the upper part of the main body portion 10, centering on one side of the main body portion 10. The hollow fiber membrane 2 can be filled with the rotating cover 50 while the inside of the main body portion 10 is open. The hollow fiber membrane 2 can be easily filled into the main body portion 10 by the rotating cover 50. On the other hand, according to another aspect of the present invention, a membrane humidifier equipped with the aforementioned cartridge is provided.

[0014] A membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 110, a first cap 120, a second cap 130, and a cartridge 40. Specifically, the housing 110 has a moist gas inlet 111a on one side through which the moist gas is introduced, and a moist gas outlet 111b on the other side through which the moist gas that has flowed in via the inlet is discharged. The first cap 120 is connected to one side of the housing 111, and outside air flows into it. The second cap 130 is connected to the other side of the housing 111, and the outside air flows along the hollow fiber membrane 2, is humidified, and then discharged. The housing 110 and the first and second caps 120 and 130 have been described above, so a redundant explanation will be omitted. The cartridge 1 is detachably coupled to the housing 111 and may include a main body 10 having a space for housing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 2, a first window 20 formed on one side of the main body through which moist gas flows in, a second window 30 formed on the other side of the main body through which the moist gas is discharged, and a recessed portion 40 on the bottom surface of the main body that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body. The cartridge 1 used in the membrane humidifier according to the present invention can substantially adopt the configuration of the cartridge 1 described above as is. Specifically, the recessed portion 40 may include a first inner wall portion 41, a second inner wall portion 42 facing the first inner wall portion 41, and an upper surface portion 43 connecting the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42. A third window 44 into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42. A fourth window 45 into which the moist gas flows may be formed in the upper surface portion 43. The upper surface portion 43 may have a curved surface portion that is convex upwards. Multiple third windows 44 are provided in the vertical direction of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, and the area of ​​the third windows 44 provided in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 decreases as it goes upwards. The functions and effects of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 and the third and fourth windows 44 and 45 have been described above, so a redundant explanation will be omitted. Furthermore, membrane humidifiers according to other embodiments of the present invention may employ cartridges having recessed portions 40 of different shapes. Specifically, the recessed portion 40 may include a first recessed portion 401 having a first width and a second recessed portion 402 extending from the first recessed portion 401 and having a narrower width than the second width.

[0015] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the second recessed portion 402 extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion 401 toward the center of the main body portion 10, and a step 410 is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion 401, with the width of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 narrowing, and the second recessed portion 402 may be connected upward from the step 410. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the second recessed portion 402 may include a left recessed portion 412 extending from the first inner wall portion 41 and a right recessed portion 422 extending from the second inner wall portion 42. The left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422 are spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends may be connected by a connecting portion 420. The membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention can provide the same function and effect as the cartridge described above. Therefore, redundant explanations of the function and effect of the cartridge are omitted. Although the present invention has been described in detail above as a preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be provided without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A main body 10 having a space for housing multiple hollow fiber membranes, A first window 20 is formed on one side of the main body portion 10, through which moist gas flows in, A second window 30 is formed on the other side of the main body 10, through which the moist gas is discharged, A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the bottom surface of the main body 10 is provided with a recessed portion 40 that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body 10.

2. The aforementioned recessed portion 40 is First inner wall portion 41, A second inner wall portion 42 facing the first inner wall portion 41, It includes an upper surface portion 43 that connects the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, The membrane humidifier cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that a third window 44 into which the humid gas flows is formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42.

3. The aforementioned recessed portion 40 is First inner wall portion 41, A second inner wall portion 42 facing the first inner wall portion 41, It includes an upper surface portion 43 that connects the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, The membrane humidifier cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that a fourth window 45 into which the humid gas flows is formed in the upper surface portion 43.

4. The cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the upper surface portion 43 has a curved surface portion that is convex upwards.

5. The third window 44 is provided in multiple locations in the vertical direction of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, and the area of ​​the third window 44 provided on the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 decreases as it goes upwards, as described in claim 2 for a membrane humidifier cartridge.

6. The cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that the recessed portion 40 includes a first recessed portion 401 having a first width and a second recessed portion 402 extending from the first recessed portion 401 and having a narrower width than the second width.

7. The second recessed portion 402 extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion 401 toward the center of the main body portion 10, The membrane humidifier cartridge according to claim 6, characterized in that a step 410 is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion 401, with the widths of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 narrowing, and the second recessed portion 402 is connected upward from the step 410.

8. The second recessed portion 402 includes a left recessed portion 412 extending from the first inner wall portion 41 and a right recessed portion 422 extending from the second inner wall portion 42. The left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422 are arranged spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends are connected by a connecting portion 420, as described in claim 6 for a membrane humidifier cartridge.

9. A housing 110 has a moist gas inlet 111a formed on one side through which the moist gas is introduced, and a moist gas outlet 111b formed on the other side through which the moist gas that has flowed in through the inlet is discharged, A cartridge comprising: a main body portion 10 detachably coupled to the housing and having a space for housing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a first window 20 formed on one side of the main body portion through which moist gas flows in; a second window 30 formed on the other side of the main body portion through which the moist gas is discharged; and a recessed portion 40 on the bottom surface of the main body portion that is recessed upward toward the center of the main body portion. A first cap 120 is coupled to one side of the housing, through which outside air flows in, A membrane humidifier characterized by comprising a second cap 130 coupled to the other side of the housing, through which the outside air flows along the hollow fiber membrane, is humidified, and then discharged.

10. The aforementioned recessed portion 40 is First inner wall portion 41, A second inner wall portion 42 facing the first inner wall portion 41, It includes an upper surface portion 43 that connects the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, The membrane humidifier according to claim 9, characterized in that a third window 44 into which the humid gas flows is formed in the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42.

11. The aforementioned recessed portion 40 is First inner wall portion 41, A second inner wall portion 42 facing the first inner wall portion 41, It includes an upper surface portion 43 that connects the upper sides of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, The membrane humidifier according to claim 9, characterized in that a fourth window 45 into which the humid gas flows is formed in the upper surface portion 43.

12. The membrane humidifier according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the upper surface portion 43 has a curved surface portion that is convex upward.

13. The membrane humidifier according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the third windows 44 are provided in the vertical direction of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42, and the area of ​​the third windows 44 provided on the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 decreases as you go upwards.

14. The membrane humidifier according to claim 9, characterized in that the recessed portion 40 includes a first recessed portion 401 having a first width and a second recessed portion 402 extending from the first recessed portion 401 and having a narrower width than the second width.

15. The second recessed portion 402 extends upward from the upper end of the first recessed portion 401 toward the center of the main body portion 10, The membrane humidifier according to claim 14, characterized in that a step 410 is formed at the upper end of the first recessed portion 401, with the widths of the first and second inner wall portions 41 and 42 narrowing, and the second recessed portion 402 is connected upward from the step 410.

16. The second recessed portion 402 includes a left recessed portion 412 extending from the first inner wall portion 41 and a right recessed portion 422 extending from the second inner wall portion 42. The membrane humidifier according to claim 14, characterized in that the left recessed portion 412 and the right recessed portion 422 are spaced apart from each other, and their lower ends are connected by a connecting portion 420.

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