Hollow Fiber Membrane Humidifier With Uniform Flow Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Highly integrated hollow fiber membranes in fuel cell humidifiers lead to non-uniform fluid flow, reducing the effective humidification area and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dual-layer net structure with a fluid guide unit, comprising a base unit and a protrusion unit, is used to uniformly direct the fluid flow between the hollow fiber membranes and the housing unit, preventing direct contact and enhancing humidification efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If hollow fiber membranes are highly integrated to increase transmission area, then humidification capacity is improved, but fluid flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid guide unit that segments the fluid flow path into multiple controlled channels. This segmentation allows the fluid to be distributed uniformly across different regions of the highly integrated hollow fiber membranes, preventing flow concentration in specific areas and maintaining flow uniformity despite the increased membrane integration density.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid guide unit acts as an intermediary component between the fluid source and the hollow fiber membranes. It mediates the fluid distribution by guiding and directing the fluid flow to ensure uniform contact with all membrane surfaces, thereby resolving the flow uniformity issue that arises from high membrane integration.
2Volume of stationary object
If hollow fiber membranes are highly integrated to reduce humidifier size, then device compactness is improved, but effective humidification area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a three-dimensional arrangement of hollow fiber membranes within a compact housing unit, utilizing vertical and radial spacing to maximize membrane surface area exposure. The fluid guide unit extends fluid distribution across multiple dimensions, ensuring that fluid contacts membrane surfaces throughout the volumetric space, thereby maintaining effective humidification area despite reduced overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membranes are nested within the housing unit in a space-efficient configuration, with the fluid guide unit penetrating through the membrane assembly to distribute fluid internally. This nested arrangement allows maximum membrane packing density while ensuring fluid accessibility to all membrane surfaces, effectively maintaining humidification area within a compact form factor.
3Productivity
If hollow fiber membranes are highly integrated, then moisture recovery efficiency is improved, but fluid flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid guide unit creates localized flow channels with optimized resistance characteristics. By controlling fluid distribution at the local level, the system maintains low flow resistance in regions where membranes are highly integrated, while still achieving high moisture recovery efficiency through enhanced fluid-membrane contact in these same regions.
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 solution ensures uniform fluid flow and improved humidification efficiency by guiding the fluid effectively across all membrane areas, preventing damage to the hollow fiber membranes and optimizing moisture exchange.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow fiber membrane having large transmission area per unit volume is preferably used as the selective transmission membrane used in the humidification membrane method
Implementation Method 2
the flow of the fluid introduced into the hollow fiber membrane module is guided uniformly or in a desired direction by the protrusion unit of the fluid guide unit
Implementation Method 3
supplying moisture to a gas that is supplied to the polymer electrolyte membrane or the proton exchange membrane using a membrane configured to selectively transmit only water vapor included in an exhaust gas
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier capable of improving humidifying efficiency by controlling the flow direction of fluid, and the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a hollow fiber membrane module for accommodating a hollow fiber membrane in which a first fluid and a second fluid perform moisture exchange while the first fluid flows therein and the second fluid flows on the outside thereof; and a housing part constituting the appearance of the membrane purifier, wherein a fluid guide part for uniformly guiding the flow of fluid is formed between the hollow fiber membrane and the housing part.