Fuel Cell Humidifier Module Assembly for High Airflow Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel cell humidifying systems require a significant installation area due to protruding components, increasing construction and operational costs while attempting to increase the flow rate of humidified air.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell humidifying system with stacked humidifying modules, shared supply and discharge caps, and sliding assemblies to manage gas flow, reducing the need for protruding components and optimizing gas passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple humidifying modules are installed to increase the flow rate of humidified air, then the productivity is improved, but the device complexity and installation area increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple humidifying modules are integrated into a single compact assembly where multiple hollow fiber membranes are bundled together and sealed within a common housing. The supply cap and discharge cap serve multiple modules simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate protruding components for each module. This merging approach increases the total humidification capacity while maintaining a small footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membranes are nested within a bundled configuration, with multiple membranes arranged concentrically or in tight proximity. This nested arrangement maximizes the permeable surface area within a minimal volume, allowing high integration of hollow fiber membranes with large contact surface area in a compact space.
2Ease of operation
If protruding components are used for gas supply and discharge, then the ease of connection is improved, but the installation area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supply cap and discharge cap are designed as integrated components that serve multiple humidifying modules simultaneously. The caps incorporate multiple connection points and sealing surfaces that accommodate several modules' gas flow paths without requiring individual protruding components for each module, thereby reducing the overall installation footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas supply and discharge connections are arranged in a planar configuration on the caps rather than extending as protruding components in three-dimensional space. This dimensional reorganization allows multiple connection points to be accessed from the same face or adjacent faces of the housing, eliminating the need for protruding structures.
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 system effectively increases the flow rate of humidified air without increasing installation space, thereby reducing construction and operational costs while enhancing power generation efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane which selectively allows only water vapor included in off-gas to pass therethrough
Implementation Method 2
a sliding assembly capable of sliding along a gas flow direction, comprising a first sliding member formed in the wet part to slide along the gas flow direction, and a second sliding member formed in the mid-case to slide along the gas flow direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a fuel cell humidifying system for supplying humidified air to the fuel cell, and the fuel cell humidifying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of humidifying modules configured to humidify battery gas to be supplied to a fuel cell stack by using wet gas; a humidifier configured to supply wet gas to the humidifying modules and discharge the wet gas discharged from the humidifying modules; a supply cap coupled to one side of the wet part to supply the battery gas to the humidifying modules; and a discharge cap coupled to the other side of the wet part to discharge the battery gas discharged from the humidifying modules to the fuel cell stack, and each of the humidifying modules comprises a cartridge coupled to a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a mid-case coupled to one or more cartridges, a supply hole formed through the mid-case so that wet gas is supplied into the mid-case, and a discharge hole formed through the mid-case so that the wet gas is discharged the mid-case, and the wet part comprises a wet body for accommodating the humidifying modules therein, a supply member for supplying the wet gas to the wet body, and a discharge member for discharging the wet gas from the wet body.