Angular Flow Humidification Device for Fuel Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humidification devices for fuel cells are complex in configuration and inefficient in enriching air streams with moisture, leading to increased flow resistance and directional changes that hinder effective moisture exchange.
Innovation Solution
A humidification device with stacked units of water vapor-permeable membranes arranged between support frames, featuring supply and exhaust air flow paths that are angularly displaced, reducing flow resistance by eliminating parallel plane directional changes and utilizing form-fit connections for secure membrane clamping and frame stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional humidification devices use complex configurations with multiple components, then they can achieve moisture exchange, but the device complexity increases and flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the humidification function into multiple stacked membrane units, each handling a portion of the moisture exchange. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high reliability through distributed functionality while keeping each individual unit simple in structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support frames serve dual functions: they provide structural support for the membranes and simultaneously guide the flow paths. By merging these functions into a single component, the device reduces overall complexity while maintaining effective moisture exchange
2Reliability
If air streams flow through conventional humidification devices with parallel plane flow paths, then moisture exchange occurs, but flow resistance increases due to directional changes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional parallel plane flow paths to a three-dimensional angular flow path configuration. By allowing flow paths to extend at angles to each other across different lateral faces of membranes, the system enables moisture exchange without requiring sharp directional changes, thereby reducing flow resistance
3Quantity of substance
If conventional devices require directional changes in flow paths, then moisture exchange is achieved, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The angular flow paths extend on different lateral faces of the membranes at angles to each other, allowing the flow to transition smoothly through three-dimensional space rather than making sharp turns in a single plane. This dimensional transition reduces flow resistance while maintaining effective moisture transfer
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively enriches air streams with moisture, achieving required minimum moisture content with reduced flow resistance and enhanced stability through angular flow path design and secure form-fit connections, suitable for fuel cells and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
The membranes are permeable for water vapor but not for air so that, through the membranes, a water exchange exclusively from the air stream with higher moisture to the air stream with lower moisture is realized
Data Source
AI summary
A humidification device is provided with at least one stacked unit of water vapor-permeable membranes and of support frames. The support frames are stacked on each other. The membranes each are positioned between two of the support frames, respectively, and have edges clamped between the two support frames. The membranes are arranged parallel and spaced apart relative to each other. Between the two support frames, a supply air flow path extends on a first lateral face of the membrane and, angularly displaced to the supply air flow path, an exhaust air flow path extends on a second lateral face of the membrane facing away from the first lateral face. A flow opening of the supply air flow path and a flow opening of the exhaust air flow path are delimited by the two support frames and extend parallel to a plane of the membrane clamped between them.