Membrane-tube humidifier and fuel cell system

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention are a membrane-tube humidifier and a fuel cell system. The membrane-tube humidifier comprises a humidifier body and a plurality of membrane assemblies arranged in the humidifier body. The humidifier body is provided with a wet inlet and a wet outlet for a wet airflow to flow in and out, and a dry inlet and a dry outlet for a dry airflow to flow in and out. The plurality of membrane assemblies are stacked in a first direction with gap spaces therebetween. The dry airflow flows in each membrane assembly in a second direction. The wet airflow flows into a gap space between every two adjacent membrane assemblies in a third direction. Both the second direction and the third direction intersect with the first direction. Blocking members for blocking the wet airflow are provided in the humidifier body in the third direction. The wet airflow blocked by the blocking members is forced to flow through the membrane assemblies in the first direction, so as to enhance humidification of the dry airflow flowing through the membrane assemblies.

Description

A membrane tube humidifier and fuel cell system Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular to a membrane tube humidifier and a fuel cell system. Background Art

[0002] The mainstream fuel cell humidifier on the market is the membrane tube humidifier, which has multiple membrane assemblies inside. Each membrane assembly includes several membrane tubes and a plastic matrix that fixes the membrane tubes. A structural schematic diagram of a membrane assembly in an existing membrane tube humidifier is shown in Figure 1. The membrane assembly 2' includes multiple membrane tubes 20' fixed by a plastic matrix. The length directions of the membrane tubes 20' are consistent. The left and right directions shown in Figure 1 are the length directions of the membrane tubes 20'. Windows are provided on the plastic matrix at both ends near the length direction. Wet water vapor enters the membrane assembly 2' through the window at one end and flows along the length direction of the membrane tube 20'. When it flows to the window at the other end, it is discharged from the membrane assembly 2'. The wet water vapor humidifies the dry air flow in the membrane tube 20' during its flow in the membrane assembly 2'.

[0003] However, in this prior art, since the membrane tubes 20' are highly aggregated after being bundled, the gaps between the membrane tubes 20' are small, making it difficult for the wet vapor to contact all the membrane tubes during the flow process. At the same time, since the wet vapor flows along the length of the membrane tubes 20', the distance is long and the flow resistance is also large, which reduces the moisture transfer efficiency.

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to propose a technical solution to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present invention proposes a membrane tube humidifier and a fuel cell system, which can shorten the wet air flow path, reduce flow resistance, and improve humidification efficiency.

[0007] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a membrane tube humidifier, comprising a humidifier body and a plurality of membrane assemblies arranged in the humidifier body, the humidifier body having a wet inlet and a wet outlet for a wet air flow to flow in and out, and a dry inlet and a dry outlet for a dry air flow to flow in and out, wherein:

[0008] The plurality of membrane assemblies are stacked in a first direction with gaps therebetween, the dry airflow flows in each membrane assembly along a second direction, and the wet airflow flows in a third direction into the gaps between two adjacent membrane assemblies; wherein the second direction and the third direction both intersect with the first direction;

[0009] A blocking member for blocking the wet air flow is provided in the humidifier body in the third direction, and the wet air flow blocked by the blocking member is forced to flow through the membrane assembly along the first direction to enhance the humidification of the dry air flow flowing through the membrane assembly.

[0010] As a further improved technical solution, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect perpendicularly in pairs; or, the third direction is the same as the second direction and perpendicular to the first direction.

[0011] As a further improved technical solution, the blocking member blocks the gap spaces at intervals in the first direction, so that the wet air flow passes through the membrane assembly from a gap space, enters the gap space adjacent to the gap space, and then continues to flow out along the third direction.

[0012] As a further improved technical solution, the humidifier body includes a wet air flow distribution chamber connected to the wet inlet, and an opening connected to the gap space is opened on the wall panel of the wet air flow distribution chamber, wherein there is a gap space between two adjacent openings with one port closed by the wall panel.

[0013] As a further improved technical solution, the blocking member and the wall plate of the wet air flow distribution chamber both cover the opposite end faces of the membrane assembly.

[0014] As a further improved technical solution, the membrane assembly includes a plurality of membrane tubes extending along the second direction, and the plurality of membrane tubes are arranged along the third direction.

[0015] As a further improved technical solution, the film tube is further configured as multiple layers stacked in the first direction.

[0016] As a further improved technical solution, the membrane assembly includes a body for fixing the plurality of membrane tubes, and the body is provided with a plurality of windows penetrating in a first direction.

[0017] As a further improved technical solution, the distance from the wet inlet to the wet outlet is smaller than the distance from the dry inlet to the dry outlet.

[0018] The present invention is also implemented through the following technical solution: a fuel cell system, which includes a hydrogen supply subsystem and an air supply subsystem, wherein the air supply subsystem includes a membrane tube humidifier as described in any one of the above.

[0019] The membrane tube humidifier provided by the present invention includes a blocking member, which is arranged on the flow path of the moist air flow to block the moist air flow so as to force the moist air flow to penetrate the membrane assembly along the stacking direction of the membrane assembly, so that the moist air flow flows radially along the membrane tubes in the membrane assembly. The moist air flow must fully contact all the membrane tubes before it can flow out. At the same time, the flow path of the moist air flow in the membrane assembly is shortened and the flow resistance is reduced, thereby greatly improving the humidification efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a membrane module in the prior art.

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a membrane-tube humidifier according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a membrane-tube humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the wet air flow of a membrane-tube humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a membrane assembly of an embodiment of a membrane-tube humidifier according to the present invention.

[0025] The figures are marked as follows: 1-humidifier body; 11-wet inlet; 12-wet air flow distribution chamber; 121-wall panel; 122-opening; 13-gap space; 14-wet air flow collection chamber; 15-blocking member; 151-outlet; 16-end cover; 17-wet outlet; 18-dry inlet; 19-dry outlet; 2-membrane assembly; 20-membrane tube; 21-body; 210-window. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Referring to Figures 2 to 5 , the present invention provides a membrane-tube humidifier, comprising a humidifier body 1 and a plurality of membrane assemblies 2 disposed within the humidifier body 1. Referring to Figures 2 and 3 , the humidifier body 1 has a wet inlet 11 and a wet outlet 17 for inflow and outflow of a wet airflow WF, as well as a dry inlet 18 and a dry outlet 19 for inflow and outflow of a dry airflow DF. The plurality of membrane assemblies 2 are stacked in a first direction with interstitial spaces 13. The dry airflow DF flows within each membrane assembly in a second direction, while the wet airflow WF flows into the interstitial spaces 13 between adjacent membrane assemblies 2 in a third direction. Both the second and third directions intersect the first direction. A blocking member 15 is disposed within the humidifier body 1 in the third direction to block the wet airflow WF. The wet airflow WF blocked by the blocking member 15 is forced to flow through the membrane assemblies 2 in the first direction, thereby enhancing humidification of the dry airflow DF flowing through the membrane assemblies 2.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first, second, and third directions intersect perpendicularly in pairs. The first direction is the up-down direction shown in Figure 3 , which is the direction in which the plate-shaped membrane assemblies 2 are stacked. The second direction is the direction of the dry airflow DF, which is also the longitudinal direction of the membrane tubes 20 included in each membrane assembly 2. The third direction is the direction of the wet airflow WF, which is parallel to the plane of the plate-shaped membrane assemblies 2 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the membrane tubes 20 in the membrane assemblies 2. In another embodiment, the third direction and the second direction may be the same and perpendicular to the first direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the multiple membrane assemblies 2 are stacked in a first direction with interstitial spaces 13. That is, adjacent membrane assemblies 2 are not stacked in direct face-to-face contact, but rather spaced apart. Specifically, the humidifier body 1 is provided with a support portion capable of supporting each membrane assembly 2. The membrane assemblies 2 are supported and secured within the humidifier body 1 by the support portion, with interstitial spaces 13 formed between adjacent membrane assemblies 2. These interstitial spaces 13 are used to allow the humidified airflow to flow.

[0031] Please refer specifically to Figures 3 and 4 . The humidifier body 1 includes a wet air flow distribution chamber 12 connected to the wet inlet 11. An opening 122 connected to the interstitial space 13 is provided on the wall panel 121 of the wet air flow distribution chamber 12. Between two adjacent openings 122, there is an interstitial space 13 whose end is closed by the wall panel 121. Since the wet inlet 11 has a relatively small area, the wet air flow passing through the wet inlet 11 is relatively concentrated and cannot face all of the interstitial spaces 13. Therefore, a wet air flow distribution chamber 12 is required. The wet air flow entering from the wet inlet 11 first fills the wet air flow distribution chamber 12, and then disperses into the plurality of interstitial spaces 13 through the openings 122 provided on the wall panel 121 of the wet air flow distribution chamber 12. In this embodiment, since the moist air flow within the interstitial space 13 with an outlet 151 blocked can pass upward or downward through the membrane assembly 2 and enter the interstitial space 13 adjacent to or above the blocked interstitial space 13, the interstitial space 13 with the opening 122 and the interstitial space 13 whose port is enclosed by the wall plate 121 can be arranged with a gap. This not only relatively concentrates the moist air flow and prevents it from being excessively dispersed, but also ensures that the moist air flow through a particular membrane assembly 2 is in a single direction, preventing two opposing moist air flows from simultaneously passing through the same membrane assembly 2 and affecting the moist air flow and humidification effect.

[0032] Please continue to refer to Figures 3 and 4. The blocking member 15 is arranged at the end of the membrane assembly 2 and the gap space 13, that is, it is arranged downstream of the wet air flow WF passing through the membrane assembly 2. The blocking member 15 blocks the gap space 13 at intervals in the first direction, so that the wet air flow passes through the membrane assembly 2 from one gap space 13, enters the gap space 13 adjacent to the gap space 13, and then continues to flow out along the third direction. In other words, the blocking member 15 is provided with an outlet 151, and the outlet 151 is offset from the opening 122 on the wall plate 121. Therefore, the wet air flow entering the gap space 13 from the opening 122 cannot be discharged directly from the end of the gap space 13, but must pass through the membrane assembly 2 and then flow out from the outlet 151 of the adjacent gap space 13. That is, the flow path of the wet air flow is Z-shaped, thereby achieving forced humidification of the dry air flow in the membrane tube 20 flowing through the membrane assembly 2. The blocking member 15 and the housing at this end of the humidifier body 1 form a moist airflow collection chamber 14. Multiple moist airflows discharged from the multiple interstitial spaces 13 are collected in the moist airflow collection chamber 14 and then discharged from the moist outlet 17. In this embodiment, the blocking member 15 and the wall panels 121 of the moist airflow distribution chamber 12 both shield the opposite end faces of the membrane assembly 2, preventing the moist airflow from directly impacting the end faces of the membrane assembly 2.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 5. In this embodiment, the membrane assembly 2 includes a plurality of membrane tubes 20 extending along the second direction, and the plurality of membrane tubes 20 are arranged along the third direction. That is, the length direction of the membrane tube 20 is the second direction, and the plurality of membrane tubes 20 are arranged in the third direction. Furthermore, the membrane tube 20 is also configured as a plurality of layers stacked in the first direction. It should be noted that the plurality of membrane tubes 20 can be single or bundled, extending in the length direction of the body 21 of the membrane assembly 2, and uniformly arranged in the width and thickness directions of the body 21. In this embodiment, the distance from the wet inlet 11 to the wet outlet 17 is smaller than the distance from the dry inlet 18 to the dry outlet 19 to reduce the flow path of the wet air flow. In this embodiment, the membrane assembly 2 includes a main body 21 for fixing the multiple membrane tubes 20, which is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The main body 21 is provided with a plurality of windows 210 that pass through in a first direction. The multiple windows 210 are arranged in an array. The multiple windows 210 are used to allow the wet air flow to pass through the membrane assembly 2 along the radial direction of the membrane tube 20, that is, along the thickness direction of the membrane assembly 2.

[0034] In one embodiment, the humidifier body 1 includes end covers 16 arranged at both ends of the dry air flow DF. The end covers 16 enclose the air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity of the dry air flow DF, which can realize the distribution of the dry air flow before humidification and the collection and discharge of the dry air flow after humidification.

[0035] The membrane tube humidifier provided by the present invention, when in use, introduces a wet air flow WF through the wet inlet 11, and introduces a dry air flow DF through the dry inlet 18; the dry air flow DF enters the membrane tube 20 of the membrane assembly 2, flows along the length direction of the membrane tube 20, and the wet air flow WF enters the gap space 13 of the adjacent membrane assembly 2, and due to the obstruction of the blocking member 15, is forced to pass through the membrane assembly 2 along the thickness direction of the membrane assembly 2 (that is, the radial direction of the membrane tube 20), and flows into the adjacent gap space 13, thereby flowing through all the membrane tubes 20 for moisture transfer; the wet air flow WF after moisture exchange is discharged from the humidifier from the wet outlet 17, and the dry air flow DF after humidification is transported from the dry outlet 19 humidifier to the subsequent system for use.

[0036] The present invention also provides a fuel cell system, which includes a hydrogen supply subsystem and an air supply subsystem, wherein the hydrogen supply subsystem supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, and the air supply subsystem supplies air to the fuel cell stack. Hydrogen and oxygen in the air react chemically in the fuel cell stack to generate electricity and produce water as a byproduct. The air supply subsystem includes a membrane tube humidifier as described above. In one embodiment, the wet air flow can be provided by air discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell, which enters the wet side of the humidifier. The wet air flow passes through the special membrane material of the membrane tube 20, transfers moisture to the dry air flow in the membrane tube 20, humidifies the air delivered from the air supply device (such as an air compressor), and supplies it to the cathode.

[0037] From the above description of the specific embodiments, it can be seen that the membrane tube humidifier provided by the present invention includes a blocking member 15, which is arranged on the flow path of the wet air flow WF to block the wet air flow WF, so as to force the wet air flow WF to penetrate the membrane assembly 2 along the stacking direction of the membrane assembly 2, so that the wet air flow WF flows radially in the membrane tube 20 in the membrane assembly 2. The wet air flow WF must fully contact all the membrane tubes 20 before it can flow out. At the same time, the flow path of the wet air flow WF in the membrane assembly 2 is shortened and the flow resistance is reduced, which greatly improves the humidification efficiency.

[0038] The present invention is described by means of several specific embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent substitutions may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, various modifications may be made to the present invention for specific situations or circumstances without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but is intended to include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A membrane tube humidifier, comprising a humidifier body and a plurality of membrane assemblies arranged in the humidifier body, wherein the humidifier body has a wet inlet and a wet outlet for a wet air flow to flow in and out, and a dry inlet and a dry outlet for a dry air flow to flow in and out, characterized in that: The plurality of membrane assemblies are stacked in a first direction with gap spaces, the dry airflow flows in each membrane assembly along a second direction, and the wet airflow flows into the gap space between two adjacent membrane assemblies along a third direction; wherein the second direction and the third direction both intersect with the first direction; A blocking member for blocking the wet air flow is provided in the humidifier body in the third direction, and the wet air flow blocked by the blocking member is forced to flow through the membrane assembly along the first direction to enhance the humidification of the dry air flow flowing through the membrane assembly.

2. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect each other perpendicularly in pairs; or, the third direction is the same as the second direction and perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The blocking members block the gap spaces at intervals in the first direction, so that the wet airflow passes through the membrane assembly from a gap space, enters a gap space adjacent to the gap space, and then continues to flow out along the third direction.

4. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The humidifier body comprises a wet air flow distribution chamber connected with the wet inlet, and an opening connected with the gap space is formed on the wall plate of the wet air flow distribution chamber, wherein a gap space with a port closed by the wall plate exists between two adjacent openings.

5. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 4, characterized in that: The blocking member and the wall plate of the wet air flow distribution chamber both cover the opposite end surfaces of the membrane assembly.

6. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The membrane module includes a plurality of membrane tubes extending along the second direction, and the plurality of membrane tubes are arranged along the third direction.

7. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 6, characterized in that: The film tube is also configured as a plurality of layers stacked in the first direction.

8. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 7, characterized in that: The membrane assembly comprises a body for fixing the plurality of membrane tubes, and the body is provided with a plurality of windows penetrating in a first direction.

9. The membrane tube humidifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: A distance from the wet inlet to the wet outlet is smaller than a distance from the dry inlet to the dry outlet.

10. A fuel cell system comprising a hydrogen supply subsystem and an air supply subsystem, characterized in that: The air supply subsystem comprises a membrane-tube humidifier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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