Fuel Cell Humidifier Membrane Stack Sealing With Air Chambers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional humidifiers for fuel cell systems are complex in design due to the need for airtight seals to separate cathode supply and exhaust air, leading to increased production costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier design with a membrane stack having side surfaces aligned transversely and parallel to the longitudinal direction, allowing for simplified sealing and reduced production costs through the use of air chambers and support frames, and airtight separation of supply and exhaust air paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple seals are used to airtight separate cathode supply air and cathode exhaust air in the housing, then the separation reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the housing structure and concentrates it onto the membrane stack itself. The membrane stack is designed with integrated sealing elements that directly seal against the housing, eliminating the need for multiple separate seals within the housing. This extraction of the sealing function to a single component reduces device complexity while maintaining separation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the membrane function and sealing function into a single integrated membrane stack component. The membrane stack serves dual purposes: separating supply and exhaust air through its membrane structure and providing airtight sealing against the housing through integrated sealing elements. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components needed while ensuring reliable separation.
2Reliability
If a complex sealing system with multiple seals is used, then the airtight separation is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the housing and concentrates it onto the membrane stack, which is then manufactured as a single integrated component. This reduces the number of separate sealing parts that need to be sourced, assembled, and quality-checked, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining airtight separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane stack is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides air separation through its membrane structure and airtight sealing through integrated sealing elements. This multi-functionality reduces the total component count and assembly steps required, leading to lower manufacturing costs while ensuring reliable airtight separation of supply and exhaust air.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the membrane stack is oriented with membranes stacked in the longitudinal direction, then the structural stability is improved, but the pressure loss in exhaust air path increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the orientation of the membrane stack from the conventional longitudinal direction to the transverse direction. By stacking membranes in the transverse direction and orienting the flow paths perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the exhaust air can flow more directly through the membrane channels without following a long path along the longitudinal direction. This dimensional reorientation reduces pressure loss while the transverse stacking maintains structural stability through proper support frame design.
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 design simplifies the structure and reduces production costs while maintaining effective humidification of cathode supply air using moist cathode exhaust air, with reduced pressure loss in the exhaust air path.
Implementation Method 1
The membranes are impermeable to air and permeable to water vapour, so that the cathode supply air and the cathode exhaust air are separated by the membranes and nevertheless, the cathode supply air can be humidified through the membranes with the cathode exhaust air
Data Source
AI summary
A humidifier for humidifying a dry cathode supply air via a moist cathode exhaust air in a fuel cell system is disclosed. The humidifier may include a housing, a membrane stack, two opposing sealing plates, and a support frame. The membrane stack may be arranged in and insertable into the housing interior in a longitudinal direction. Two opposing side surfaces of the membrane stack may be hermetically sealed. Dry cathode supply air in a supply air flow path and moist cathode exhaust air in an exhaust air flow path may be flowable through the membrane stack free of mixing. The two sealing plates may each be connected to an associated side surface of the membrane stack and may contact the housing in a sealing manner such that two air chambers are separated in an airtight manner transversely to a circulation direction extending around the longitudinal direction.