Fuel Cell Membrane Humidifier With Pressure-Responsive Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel cell membrane humidifiers experience a decline in airtightness over time, leading to leakage of dry air and reduced fuel cell power generation efficiency due to deteriorating seals between the cap casing, middle casing, and hollow fiber membrane cartridge when high-pressure dry air is supplied.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell membrane humidifier design that incorporates a variable seal with a back pressure passage and a rib structure, which increases sealing pressure and maintains airtightness by using an elastic seal and a rib with a variable angle, along with a specific groove arrangement to accommodate air pressure, and a cartridge design with graduated distribution and discharge openings to prevent dead zones and enhance gas circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a packing member is used to maintain airtightness between the cap casing and middle casing, then initial sealing is achieved, but airtightness deteriorates over time when high-pressure dry air is supplied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a variable seal that dynamically adjusts its sealing force in response to pressure changes. The seal includes a movable pressing member that is pushed by elastic force to apply variable pressing force to the packing member, allowing the sealing pressure to adapt to operating conditions and maintain airtightness over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing parameter from a fixed packing structure to a variable pressing force system. The elastic pressing member converts pressure changes into variable sealing force, adjusting the sealing pressure parameter dynamically to maintain reliable airtightness during prolonged operation with high-pressure dry air.
2Reliability
If a simple seal structure is used, then manufacturing is easy, but sealing performance deteriorates under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an elastic pressing member that functions as a flexible element to transmit and amplify sealing force. This flexible component deforms under pressure to maintain contact and sealing performance, providing reliable sealing without requiring complex rigid mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastic force of the pressing member to convert pressure differential into sealing force. The elastic element acts as a pneumatic-mechanical transducer, using the pressure of dry air itself to enhance the sealing action through the elastic deformation and recovery of the pressing member.
3Productivity
If dry air is supplied at high pressure to maintain flow rate, then humidification efficiency improves, but leakage increases due to seal deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a feedback mechanism where the dry air pressure itself acts on the elastic pressing member to increase sealing force. The higher the operating pressure, the greater the elastic force generated, which in turn increases the sealing pressure to counteract leakage, forming a self-regulating feedback loop that maintains airtightness during high-pressure operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the elastic force of the pressing member as a counteracting force against the leakage-tending pressure. The elastic element generates a restoring force that opposes the high-pressure dry air's tendency to cause leakage, balancing the forces to maintain reliable sealing under high-pressure conditions.
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 securely maintains airtightness and sealing performance, ensuring stable dry air flow and improved fuel cell power generation efficiency by increasing sealing pressure and preventing dead zones within the hollow fiber membrane module.
Implementation Method 1
a variable seal having a body elastically grounded to an outer peripheral surface of the seal mount and a rib elastically transformed with respect to the body and being in close contact with the seal ground portion
Implementation Method 2
a back pressure passage communicating between the main chamber and the seal ground portion, wherein a ground pressure of the rib on the seal ground portion is formed to increase in correspondence to a pressure of dry air of the main chamber introduced through the back pressure passage
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a fuel cell membrane humidifier which includes a main housing, a hollow fiber membrane cartridge including a seal mount and a fixing layer, an inlet housing including a coupling portion, a seal ground portion, and a main chamber, an outlet housing including a coupling portion, a gas inflow port, a second chamber, and a cartridge insertion portion, a variable seal including a body portion, and a rib elastically transformed with respect to the body portion and being in close contact with the seal ground portion, and a back pressure passage communicating between the main chamber and the seal ground portion, wherein the ground pressure of the rib on the seal ground portion is formed to increase in correspondence to the pressure of dry air of the main chamber introduced through the back pressure passage when the dry air is supplied.