Fuel cell membrane humidifier that prevents damage to the humidifying membrane

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier that can prevent the humidifying membrane from being damaged due to exhaust gas pressure, The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: The humidification module includes a humidification module that humidifies air supplied from the outside with moisture in exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack, and caps respectively attached to both ends of the humidification module. The humidification module includes a mid-case having an exhaust gas inlet through which the exhaust gas flows, at least one cartridge disposed within the mid-case and housing a plurality of humidification membranes, and a humidification membrane protection member formed at an incline toward the cartridge from the inner wall of the mid-case having the exhaust gas inlet formed therein, and prevents the exhaust gas from directly contacting the humidification membrane.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a membrane humidifier for a fuel cell, and more particularly to a membrane humidifier for a fuel cell that can prevent damage to a humidifying membrane due to exhaust gas pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] A fuel cell is a power generating battery that generates electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike ordinary chemical batteries such as dry batteries and storage batteries, fuel cells can continue to produce electricity as long as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied, and because there is no heat loss, they have the advantage of being about twice as efficient as internal combustion engines. In addition, since the chemical energy generated by the combination of hydrogen and oxygen is directly converted into electrical energy, fuel cells emit fewer pollutants, making them environmentally friendly and reducing concerns about resource depletion due to increased energy consumption. These fuel cells can be broadly classified into polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), alkaline fuel cells (AFC), etc. depending on the type of electrolyte used.

[0003] Although each of these fuel cells operates on the same principle, they differ in the type of fuel used, operating temperature, catalyst, electrolyte, etc. Among them, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are known to be the most promising for use in small-scale stationary power generation equipment as well as transportation systems, as they operate at lower temperatures than other fuel cells, have a high power density, and can be made smaller. One of the most important factors in improving the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is to maintain a certain amount of moisture in the polymer electrolyte membrane (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane or Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)) of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). If the polymer electrolyte membrane dries out, the power generation efficiency drops sharply. There are three methods for humidifying a polymer electrolyte membrane: 1) a bubbler humidification method in which a pressure vessel is filled with water and the target gas is passed through a diffuser to supply moisture; 2) a direct injection method in which the amount of moisture required for the fuel cell reaction is calculated and moisture is supplied directly to the gas flow pipe via a solenoid valve; and 3) a humidification membrane method in which moisture is supplied to the gas flow bed using a polymer separation membrane. Among these, the membrane humidification method, which utilizes a membrane that selectively allows only water vapor contained in exhaust gas to pass through and humidifies the polymer electrolyte membrane by providing water vapor to the air supplied to the polymer electrolyte membrane, is advantageous in that it allows the membrane humidifier to be made lighter and smaller.

[0004] The selectively permeable membrane used in the membrane humidification method is preferably a hollow fiber membrane, which has a large permeation area per unit volume when forming a module. That is, when a membrane humidifier is manufactured using hollow fiber membranes, it is possible to highly integrate hollow fiber membranes with a large contact surface area, and sufficient humidification of the fuel cell can be achieved even with a small capacity. It is also possible to use low-cost materials, and it is possible to recover moisture and heat contained in the off-gas discharged at high temperature from the fuel cell and reuse it through the membrane humidifier. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional fuel cell membrane humidifier. As shown in Fig. 1, the conventional fuel cell membrane humidifier 10 includes a humidification module 11 in which moisture exchange occurs between air supplied from the outside and exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack (not shown), and caps 12 attached to both ends of the humidification module 11. One of the caps 12 supplies air supplied from the outside to the humidification module 11, and the other supplies air humidified by the humidification module 11 to the fuel cell stack. The humidification module 11 includes a mid-case 11a having an off-gas inlet 11aa and an off-gas outlet 11ab, and a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 11b within the mid-case 11a. Both ends of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 11b are fixed to a potting portion 11c. The potting portion 11c is generally formed by hardening a liquid polymer such as liquid polyurethane resin using a casting method.

[0005] Air supplied from the outside flows along the hollow fiber membrane 11b. Exhaust gas that flows into the mid-case 11a through the exhaust gas inlet 11aa comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 11b and is then discharged from the mid-case 11a through the exhaust gas outlet 11ab. When the exhaust gas comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 11b, moisture contained in the exhaust gas permeates the hollow fiber membrane 11b, humidifying the air flowing along the hollow fiber membrane 11b. The potting portion 11c, to which the ends of the hollow fiber membranes 11b are fixed, and the resin layer 11d between the potting portion 11c and the mid-case 11a separate the internal space of the cap 12 from the internal space of the mid-case 11a. Similar to the potting portion 11c, the resin layer 11d is generally formed by hardening a liquid polymer such as liquid polyurethane resin using a casting method. On the other hand, the exhaust gas flowing in through the exhaust gas inlet 11aa is a relatively high-pressure exhaust gas, and the hollow fiber membrane 11b comes into direct contact with the relatively high-pressure exhaust gas, which causes a problem in that the hollow fiber membrane in the portion in contact with the exhaust gas may be damaged due to the pressure of the exhaust gas. In the above, the selectively permeable membrane is a hollow fiber membrane, but even when the selectively permeable membrane is a flat membrane made of a membrane sheet, there is a similar problem that the flat membrane may be damaged due to direct contact with high-pressure exhaust gas. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a membrane humidifier for a fuel cell that can prevent damage to the humidifying membrane at the portion that comes into contact with the exhaust gas due to the pressure of the exhaust gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: The humidification module includes a humidification module that humidifies air supplied from the outside with moisture contained in exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack, and caps attached to both ends of the humidification module. The humidification module includes a mid-case having an exhaust gas inlet through which the exhaust gas flows, at least one cartridge disposed within the mid-case and containing a plurality of humidifying membranes, and a humidification membrane protection member formed at an angle toward the cartridge from the inner wall of the mid-case having the exhaust gas inlet formed therein, to prevent the exhaust gas from directly contacting the humidifying membrane. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the humidifying membrane protection member may include a protection member body formed at a predetermined angle inclined from the inner wall of the mid-case toward the cartridge, and at least one flow hole formed in the protection member body. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, the flow holes may be formed non-parallel to the direction of the exhaust gas inlet. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, the flow holes may be formed perpendicular to the direction of the protective member body. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the humidifying membrane may be a hollow fiber membrane formed of a hollow membrane with an open interior, or a flat membrane made of a pair of opposing membrane sheets.

[0008] In an embodiment of the fuel cell membrane humidifier of the present invention, the fuel cell membrane humidifier may further include a gasket assembly that is hermetically coupled to each end of the humidification module by mechanical assembly, and the gasket assembly may include a packing portion having a hole into which an end of the cartridge is inserted and that comes into close contact with the end of the cartridge inserted into the hole to absorb horizontal vibrations, an edge portion that is connected to the packing portion and is interposed in a space formed by a groove formed at the end of the mid-case and the end of the cap, and a sealing portion formed between the cartridge and the packing portion to contact the cartridge and the packing portion. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the packing part may include a body member having a hole into which the end of the cartridge is inserted, and a protrusion member formed at one end of the body member and in close contact with the end of the cartridge inserted into the hole. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge may include an inner case having an opening at an end thereof and housing the plurality of humidifying membranes, and a potting portion to which the end portions of the plurality of humidifying membranes are fixed and which closes the opening of the inner case. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the potting portion may be located outside the inner case, and the protruding member may be pressurized and tightly attached to the potting portion.

[0009] In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, the potting portion may be entirely located within the inner case, and the protruding member may be pressurized and tightly attached to the inner case. In a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the edge portion has edge wings protruding in both directions, and the edge wings are interposed while filling grooves formed at the end of the mid-case, thereby sealing the inside and outside of the mid-case, and the mid-case and the cap. In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the packing portion and the edge portion has a first hardness of 30 to 70 Shore A, and the fuel cell membrane humidifier may further include a reinforcing member inserted into at least a portion of the packing portion and at least a portion of the edge portion, the reinforcing member having a second hardness higher than the first hardness. Further details of implementations of various aspects of the present invention are included in the following detailed description. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the humidifying membrane from being damaged due to the pressure of the exhaust gas. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art fuel cell membrane humidifier. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation state of the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be illustrated and described in detail in the detailed description, but it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, and that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. The terms used in the present invention are merely used to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular terms include the plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood not to preclude the presence or possibility of addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Hereinafter, a fuel cell membrane humidifier that prevents damage to the humidifying membrane according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 2 is an exploded oblique view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an assembled cross-sectional view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operating state of a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the fuel cell membrane humidifier 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a humidification module 110, a cap 120, a gasket assembly 130, and a humidification membrane protection member 140. As shown in FIGS. The humidification module 110 humidifies air supplied from the outside with moisture contained in the exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell stack. Both ends of the humidification module 110 are coupled to caps 120. One of the caps 120 supplies air supplied from the outside to the humidification module 110, and the other supplies air humidified by the humidification module 110 to the fuel cell stack. Gasket assemblies 130 are mechanically and airtightly coupled to each end of the humidification module 110. The humidification membrane protection member 140 prevents the exhaust gas flowing in through the exhaust gas inlet 111a from coming into direct contact with the humidifying membrane and damaging the humidifying membrane. Humidifying membranes are broadly classified into hollow fiber membranes and flat membranes. Hollow fiber membranes are hollow membranes with an open interior, through which gas flows through hollow channels. Flat membranes consist of a pair of opposing membrane sheets, with a spacer disposed between the pair of membrane sheets to form a channel while preventing the membrane sheets from contacting each other. Gas flows through the channel between the membrane sheets. In the following explanation, a hollow fiber membrane will be used as an example of the humidifying membrane, but the same can be applied to a flat membrane.

[0014] The humidification module 110 is a device in which moisture exchange occurs between air supplied from the outside and exhaust gas, and may include a mid-case 111 having an exhaust gas inlet 111a and an exhaust gas outlet 111b, and at least one cartridge 112 arranged within the mid-case 111. The mid-case 111 and the cap 120 may each be independently formed of hard plastic or metal and may have a circular or polygonal widthwise cross section. Circular includes oval, and polygonal includes polygon with rounded corners. For example, the hard plastic may be polycarbonate, polyamide (PA), polyphthalamide (PPA), polypropylene (PP), etc. The internal space of the mid-case 111 may be divided into a first space S1 and a second space S2 by partitions 111c. The cartridge 112 may include a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 112a and a potting portion 112b that fixes the hollow fiber membranes 112a to each other. The ends of the hollow fiber membranes 112a may be fixed to the potting portion 112b. The cartridge 112 may further include an inner case 112c. The inner case 112c has openings at both ends, and the hollow fiber membranes 112a are placed therein. The ends of the hollow fiber membranes 112a are potted to potting portions 112b, which close the openings of the inner case 112c. As shown in Fig. 3, at least a portion of the potting portion 112b may be located outside the inner case 112c, and the protruding member 131b of the gasket assembly 130 may be in close contact with the potting portion 112b. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 6, the entire potting portion 112b may be located inside the inner case 112c, and the protruding member 131b of the gasket assembly 130 may be in close contact with the inner case 112c, not the potting portion 112b.

[0015] The inner case 112c has a plurality of holes (hereinafter referred to as "first mesh holes") MH1 arranged in a mesh form for fluid communication with the first space S1 and a plurality of holes (hereinafter referred to as "second mesh holes") MH2 arranged in a mesh form for fluid communication with the second space S2. Exhaust gas that flows into the first space S1 of the mid-case 111 through the exhaust gas inlet 111a flows into the inner case 112c through the first mesh hole MH1 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 112a. The exhaust gas, from which moisture has been removed, then exits into the second space S2 through the second mesh hole MH2 and is discharged from the mid-case 111 through the exhaust gas outlet 111b. The cartridge 112 having such an inner case 112c has the advantage that it can be easily assembled to the mid-case 111 and easily replaced. The hollow fiber membrane 112a may include a polymer membrane formed of polysulfone resin, polyethersulfone resin, sulfonated polysulfone resin, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) resin, polyimide resin, polyamide-imide resin, polyester-imide resin, or a mixture of at least two of these, and the potting portion 112b may be formed by hardening a liquid resin such as liquid polyurethane resin using a casting method such as dip potting or centrifugal potting. Air supplied from the outside flows along the hollow of hollow fiber membrane 112a. Exhaust gas that flows into mid-case 111 through exhaust gas inlet 111a comes into contact with the outer surface of hollow fiber membrane 112a and is then discharged from mid-case 111 through exhaust gas outlet 111b. When the exhaust gas comes into contact with the outer surface of hollow fiber membrane 112a, moisture contained in the exhaust gas permeates hollow fiber membrane 112a, humidifying the air flowing along the hollow of hollow fiber membrane 112a.

[0016] The gasket assembly 130 can be hermetically coupled to each end of the humidification module 110 by mechanical assembly. Because air leakage between the mid-case 111 and the cap 120 is prevented by mechanical assembly of the gasket assembly 130, the casting process (i.e., the process of injecting liquid resin into a mold and hardening it) and the additional sealing process (i.e., the process of applying a sealant and hardening it) of the prior art can be omitted. Furthermore, since the gasket assembly 130 is attached to the humidification module 100 by mechanical assembly, if an abnormality occurs in a specific part of the humidification module 110 (e.g., the cartridge 112), the gasket assembly 130 can be easily mechanically separated from the humidification module 110 and only that part can be repaired or replaced. As shown in FIG. 3, the gasket assembly 130 includes a packing portion 131, an edge portion 132, and a sealing portion 133. The packing portion 131 and the edge portion 132 may be formed of an elastic material (e.g., silicone, rubber, etc.) having a first hardness of 20 to 70 Shore A, preferably 30 to 60 Shore A. The sealing portion 133 may include at least one of a solid sealant and a liquid sealant. The solid sealant may be made of a material such as silicone, acrylic rubber, EPDM, NBR, etc., and the liquid sealant may be made of a material such as silicone, urethane, etc. The packing portion 131 has a hole H into which an end portion (e.g., the potting portion 112b) of the cartridge 112 is inserted, and is interposed between the mid-case 111 and the cartridge 112. The packing portion 131 has a body member 131a and a protruding member 131b.

[0017] The body member 131a has a hole H into which an end portion (e.g., potting portion 112b) of the cartridge 112 is inserted, and the hole H is formed in a shape corresponding to the end portion of the cartridge 112. The lower body member 131aa, which protrudes from the body member 131a toward the mid-case 111, may have a polygonal (e.g., trapezoidal) cross section, and the upper body member 131ab, which is formed toward the cap 120, may have a flat cross section. A space in which the sealing portion 133 is disposed is formed between the lower body member 131aa and the cartridge potting portion 112b. In addition, a groove G, into which the end portion 111d of the mid-case 111 is sandwiched, is formed between the lower body member 131aa and the edge portion 132. The protruding member 131b is formed on one end of the body member 131a so as to contact the cartridge potting portion 112b inserted into the hole H. The protruding member 131b may be at least one annular protrusion protruding from one end of the body member 131a. The protruding member 131b presses and contacts the cartridge potting portion 112b by its elastic force, thereby sealing the space in the mid-case 111 and the space defined by the cap 120. Therefore, the protruding member 131b can prevent fluid in the mid-case 111 from flowing into the space defined on the cap 120 side. In addition, since the protruding member 131b has elasticity, it can perform a vibration buffering function, thereby preventing damage to the humidifier 100 due to vibration. The edge portion 132 is formed at the other end of the body member 131a. The edge portion 132 may be interposed in a space formed by the groove 111e formed at the end of the mid-case and the end 120a of the cap. The edge portion 132 may have edge wings 132a and 132b protruding in both directions. The edge wings 132a and 132b may be formed in the length direction of the humidification module 110. During assembly, the edge wings 132a and 132b are inserted into the groove 111e at the end of the mid-case, and the end 120a of the cap presses the edge wings 132b, and then the assembly can be performed by fastening with a fastening means such as a bolt B. At this time, because the edge wings 132a and 132b are made of an elastic material, the edge wings 132a and 132b may be interposed while partially filling the space in the groove 111e at the end of the mid-case. Fastening pieces 111f and 120b with fastening holes for bolt fastening may be formed on the end side surfaces of the mid-case 111 and the cap 120. The edge wings 132a and 132b may seal the inside and outside of the mid-case 111 and the mid-case 111 and the cap 120 by making the groove 111e at the end of the mid-case airtight.

[0018] The sealing part 133 is formed between the cartridge 112 and the packing part 131 to bring the cartridge 112 and the packing part 131 into contact with each other. Specifically, the sealing part 133 is formed to simultaneously contact (or adhere) the potting part 112b of the cartridge and the lower body member 131aa of the packing part. The sealing part 133 seals the space of the mid-case 111 and the space of the cap 120 airtightly to prevent fluid in the mid-case 111 from flowing toward the cap 120. The gasket assembly 130 may further include a reinforcing member 134. The reinforcing member 134 may have a second hardness higher than the first hardness. For example, the reinforcing member 134 may be formed of a metal, a thermoplastic resin, or a thermosetting resin. The reinforcing member 134 may be inserted into the gasket assembly 130 by inserting a metal plate into a mold during molding of the gasket assembly 130. The reinforcing member 134 may be inserted into at least a portion of the packing portion 131 and at least a portion of the edge portion 132. The reinforcing member 134 may be formed in a portion of the gasket assembly 130 that is vulnerable to deformation (the portion where the groove G is formed). The reinforcing member 134, which has a higher hardness than the packing portion 131 and the edge portion 132, prevents deformation of the body member 131a when the gasket assembly 130 is mechanically assembled to the humidification module 110 or during operation of the humidifier, thereby more reliably preventing air leakage. The humidifying membrane protection member 140 may be formed inclined at a predetermined angle toward the cartridge 112 from the inner wall of the mid-case 111 where the exhaust gas inlet 111a is formed.

[0019] 5, the exhaust gas flowing in through the exhaust gas inlet 111a can flow into the first mesh hole MH1 while being guided by the humidifying membrane protection member 140. The exhaust gas first collides with the humidifying membrane protection member 140 and flows into the first mesh hole MH1 after a certain amount of pressure loss, so that the hollow fiber membranes housed in the cartridge 112 come into contact with the exhaust gas whose pressure has been lost. Therefore, the humidifying membrane protection member 140 can prevent the exhaust gas flowing in through the exhaust gas inlet 111a from coming into direct contact with the hollow fiber membranes and damaging the hollow fiber membranes. Specifically, the humidifying membrane protection member 140 may include a protection member body 141 formed at a predetermined angle from the inner wall of the mid-case 111 toward the cartridge 112, and a predetermined number of flow holes 142 formed in the protection member body 141. The flow holes 142 are not essential. That is, the protection member body 141 alone can prevent damage to the hollow fiber membrane. However, since the presence of the protection member body 141 alone may result in excessive exhaust gas pressure loss, selectively forming the flow holes 142 can prevent damage to the hollow fiber membrane due to exhaust gas while reducing exhaust gas pressure loss and improving humidification efficiency. In this case, if the direction of the flow holes 142 is parallel to the direction of the exhaust gas inlet 111a, high-pressure exhaust gas will directly contact the hollow fiber membrane. Therefore, it is preferable that the direction of the flow holes 142 is non-parallel to the direction of the exhaust gas inlet 111a. More preferably, the direction of the flow holes 142 may be perpendicular to the direction of the protective member body 141 . 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the fuel cell membrane humidifier 100a according to the modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the fuel cell membrane humidifier 100 according to the first embodiment described above, except that the potting portion 112b is entirely located within the inner case 112c, and the protruding member 131b of the gasket assembly 130 is in close contact with the inner case 112c rather than the potting portion 112b.

[0020] Next, a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is an assembled cross-sectional view showing the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the fuel cell membrane humidifier 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the fuel cell membrane humidifier 100 according to the first embodiment described above, except that (i) the humidification module 110 has two or more cartridges 212, and (ii) the gasket assembly 230 has two or more holes H into which two or more cartridges 212 are respectively inserted. In this case, the gasket assembly 230 may have two or more protruding members 131b (see FIG. 3) formed at one end of the body member 131a (see FIG. 3) so as to contact the cartridge potting portion 212b, and may have two or more sealing portions 133 (see FIG. 3) formed between the cartridge 212 and the packing portion 131 (see FIG. 3) so as to contact the cartridge 212 and the packing portion 131. By installing multiple cartridges 212, each equipped with an inner case 212c, at regular intervals within the mid-case 111, exhaust gas can be uniformly distributed to all hollow fiber membranes 212a present within the mid-case 111, and only specific cartridges 212 that have developed problems can be selectively replaced, further reducing the maintenance and repair costs of the fuel cell membrane humidifier 200.

[0021] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled fuel cell membrane humidifier according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the fuel cell membrane humidifier 200a according to the modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the fuel cell membrane humidifier 200 according to the second embodiment described above, except that the potting portion 212b is entirely located within the inner case 212c, and the protruding member of the gasket assembly 230 is in close contact with the inner case 212c rather than the potting portion 212b. Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, a person having ordinary knowledge in the art may modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components, without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims, and this may also be said to fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 100, 100a, 200, 200a: Fuel cell membrane humidifier 110: Humidification module 111: Mid-case 111a: Exhaust gas inlet 111b: Exhaust gas outlet 111c: Partition wall 112, 212: Cartridge 112a, 212a: Hollow fiber membrane 112b, 212b: Potting part 112c, 212c: Inner case 120: Cap 130, 230: Gasket assembly 140: Humidifying membrane protection member 141: Protection member body 142: Fluid Hall

Claims

1. a humidification module that humidifies air supplied from the outside with moisture contained in exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell stack; caps coupled to both ends of the humidification module; Equipped with The humidification module comprises: a mid-case having an exhaust gas inlet through which the exhaust gas flows; at least one cartridge disposed within the mid-case and containing a plurality of humidifying membranes; a humidifying membrane protection member formed at an incline toward the cartridge from an inner wall of the mid-case in which the exhaust gas inlet is formed, and preventing the exhaust gas from directly contacting the humidifying membrane; The humidifying membrane protection member is a protection member body formed at a predetermined angle inclined from an inner wall of the mid-case toward the cartridge; At least one flow hole formed in the protective member body; Equipped with The protective member body can collide with the exhaust gas flowing in from the exhaust gas inlet hole to cause a loss of pressure of the exhaust gas, The flow holes are formed non-parallel to the direction of the exhaust gas inlet and perpendicular to the direction of the protection member body, The cartridge contains a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a gasket assembly hermetically coupled to each end of the humidification module by mechanical assembly; The gasket assembly includes: a packing portion having a hole into which an end of the cartridge is inserted, the packing portion being in close contact with the end of the cartridge inserted into the hole to absorb horizontal vibrations; an edge portion connected to the packing portion and interposed in a space formed by a groove formed at an end of the mid-case and an end of the cap; a sealing portion formed between the cartridge and the packing portion so as to contact the cartridge and the packing portion, The packing portion is a body member having a hole into which the end of the cartridge is inserted; a protruding member formed at one end of the body member and in close contact with the end of the cartridge inserted into the hole; A fuel cell membrane humidifier comprising:

2. 2. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying membrane is a hollow fiber membrane formed of a hollow membrane with an open interior, or a flat membrane made of a pair of opposing membrane sheets.

3. The cartridge comprises: an inner case having an opening at an end thereof and accommodating the plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a potting portion to which end portions of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes are fixed and which closes the opening of the inner case; 10. The fuel cell membrane humidifier of claim 1, comprising:

4. At least a portion of the potting portion is located outside the inner case, The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 3 , wherein the protruding member is pressed and tightly attached to the potting portion.

5. the potting portion is entirely located within the inner case; The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 3 , wherein the protruding member is pressed and tightly attached to the inner case.

6. The edge portion is Equipped with edge wings protruding in both directions, 2. The fuel cell membrane humidifier of claim 1, wherein the edge wings are interposed while filling grooves formed at the ends of the mid-case, sealing the inside and outside of the mid-case and the mid-case and the cap.

7. each of the packing portion and the edge portion has a first hardness of 30 to 70 Shore A; The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member inserted into at least a portion of the packing portion and at least a portion of the edge portion, the reinforcing member having a second hardness higher than the first hardness.

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