CN113871648A

CN113871648A - Fuel cell humidifier

Info

Publication number: CN113871648A
Application number: CN202111154051.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈梦泽; 贾建东; 张超
Original assignee: Hangzhou Cobetter Filtration Equipment Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hangzhou Cobetter Filtration Equipment Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-09-29
Filing date: 2021-09-29
Publication date: 2021-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-29
Also published as: CN113871648B

Abstract

The invention discloses a fuel cell humidifier, wherein a shell comprises a main body and two end covers which are hermetically fixed at two ends of the main body, a positioning element is arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of a hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of the main body, the positioning element is positioned at the corresponding end part of the main body, a seal is formed between the periphery of the positioning element and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body, and at least one seal part is formed between the inside of the positioning element and the periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle; the positioning element is arranged so that during assembly, the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be first sealingly fixed into the positioning element and then sealingly fixed to the end of the main body. Since the end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes is hermetically fixed to the positioning member before the end portion thereof is fixed with respect to the end portion of the main body, the operation process of hermetically fixing the end portion of the entire bundle of hollow fiber membranes with respect to the end portion of the main body becomes more convenient, the bundle of hollow fiber membranes is maintained in a uniformly piled state, and the humidifying efficiency and rate are advantageously improved.

Description

Fuel cell humidifier

Technical Field

The invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane module, in particular to a fuel cell humidifier.

Background

Chinese patent CN211265624U discloses a fuel cell gas humidifier, which comprises a humidifier body 1, a sealing plate 2, a hollow fiber membrane tube 3, a first end cap 4 and a second end cap 5, wherein the first end cap 4 and the second end cap 5 are hermetically connected to two opposite ends of the body 1 and respectively have a dry gas outlet 42 and a dry gas inlet 52, the outer wall of the body 1 is sequentially provided with a wet gas inlet 12 and a wet gas outlet 13, and both the wet gas inlet 12 and the wet gas outlet 13 are communicated with the inside of the body 1 and the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane tube 3.

The gas humidification process includes two loops. An outside-tube humidified gas circuit: the wet tail gas discharged from the fuel cell stack system enters the humidifier body 1 from a wet gas inlet 12 at one end of the humidifier body 1, passes through a space formed by the outer surfaces of the membranes of the hollow fiber membrane tubes 3, and is discharged to the atmosphere through a wet gas outlet 13. In-tube dry gas circuit: the dry gas to be humidified enters the humidifier body 1 from the dry inlet 52 on the outer wall of the second end cap 5, passes through the inner surface of the membrane of the hollow fiber membrane tube 3, and performs damp-heat exchange with the wet gas passing through the outer surface of the membrane of the hollow fiber membrane tube 3, and the dry gas is converted into the gas rich in moisture, then is discharged through the vertically arranged dry outlet 42 on the outer wall of the first end cap 4, and then enters the fuel cell stack system, so that the humidification process is completed.

In the humidifier, two ends of a middle through fiber membrane tube 3 are sealed at two ends of a humidifier body 1 by sealing materials, a central through hole of the membrane tube is guaranteed not to be blocked, and the sealing materials form a structure which is a sealing plate 2. That is, the hollow fiber membrane tubes 3 are directly fixed to both end portions of the body 1 by the sealing material. Because hollow fiber membrane tube 3 quantity is more, directly through sealing material with hollow fiber membrane tube 3's tip seal fixed to body 1, this step operation is more difficult, piles up regular hollow fiber membrane tube 3 originally and scrambles easily moreover, causes in the later stage use, and is poor to the humidification effect of dry gas. In addition, the potting material is directly filled between the outer circumference of the hollow fiber membrane tube 3 and the inner wall of the end of the body 1 to form the sealing plate 2, and during use, the sealing plate 2 is broken, resulting in mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid.

Therefore, there is a need to improve the structure of the existing humidifier to solve the problem of inconvenience in operation during fixing the hollow fiber membrane tubes to the body, ensure that the hollow fiber membrane tubes can be relatively uniformly contained in the body, and solve the problem of cracking of the potting material.

Disclosure of Invention

The objective of the present invention is to provide a novel fuel cell humidifier, which solves the problem of inconvenient operation during the process of fixing the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the body and ensures that the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be relatively uniformly accommodated in the body by improving the fixing structure of the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle relative to the body.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the following technical scheme:

a fuel cell humidifier comprises a shell and a hollow fiber membrane bundle positioned inside the shell, wherein the shell comprises a main body and two end covers which are hermetically fixed at two ends of the main body, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is composed of a plurality of hollow fibers, two ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle form sealing parts through potting materials respectively and are hermetically fixed at two ends of the main body through the sealing parts, two ends of the main body are provided with a first connector and a second connector respectively, the two end covers are provided with a third connector and a fourth connector respectively, the first connector and the second connector are communicated with a space between the inside of the main body and the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle so as to allow a first fluid to flow through, the third connector and the fourth connector are communicated with the inside of the hollow fibers so as to allow a second fluid to flow through, and the first fluid and the second fluid are separated by the sealing parts;

and a positioning element is also arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of the main body, the positioning element is positioned at the corresponding end part of the main body, a seal is formed between the periphery of the positioning element and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body, and at least one seal part is formed between the inside of the positioning element and the periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

The fuel cell humidifier provided by the application is characterized in that a positioning element is additionally arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of a hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of a main body, in the assembling process, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be fixed in the positioning element in a sealing mode, then the positioning element is fixed at the end part of the main body in a sealing mode, namely the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is indirectly positioned at the end part of the main body through the positioning element, and the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed to the positioning element in a sealing mode before being fixed relative to the end part of the main body, so that the operation process that the end part of the whole hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed in a sealing mode relative to the end part of the main body is more convenient, the phenomenon that the hollow fiber membrane bundle is stacked regularly in the main body is avoided, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is enabled to be stacked regularly, Uniformity is beneficial to improving the humidifying efficiency and rate; and, the periphery of locating element and the tip inner wall of main part can also form sealedly through filling potting material, and the locating element can act as the inside strengthening rib of potting material to can increase the holistic intensity of above-mentioned potting material, avoid appearing the fracture of potting material, and then prevent first fluid and second fluid mixture. Or, the positioning element can be positioned to the end part of the main body, then the hollow fiber membrane bundle passes through the positioning element and extends into the main body, the two end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extend out of the end part of the main body, finally the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed in the positioning element in a sealing way, and the positioning element is fixed at the end part of the main body in a sealing way.

Generally, the positioning element is additionally arranged between the periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the end part of the main body, so that the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is simpler and more convenient to seal and fix relative to the end part of the main body, the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be maintained to be uniformly stacked, the humidification rate and the humidification rate are improved, the strength of the potting material between the periphery of the positioning element and the inner wall of the end part of the main body is improved, the potting material is prevented from being broken, and the first fluid and the second fluid are prevented from being mixed.

Further, the positioning element comprises a wrapping ring and a positioning part which is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the wrapping ring, at least one sealing part is formed between the inner part of the wrapping ring and the outer periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the positioning element is positioned to the corresponding end part of the main body through the positioning part, and a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the wrapping ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body.

The positioning element comprises a wrapping ring and a positioning part positioned on the periphery of the wrapping ring, a sealing part on the periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is formed in the wrapping ring of the positioning element, the positioning element is positioned to the end part of the main body through the positioning part of the positioning element, and a seal is also formed between the periphery of the wrapping ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body so as to ensure that the first fluid and the second fluid are not mixed. The positioning element realizes the sealing fixation of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the sealing fixation of the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle relative to the end part of the main body only through the wrapping ring and the positioning part of the positioning element, and has simple integral structure and convenient processing.

Further, the positioning part is a protrusion formed on the outer periphery of the wrapping ring, and a slot is formed in the end part of the main body, or the positioning part is a slot formed on the outer periphery of the wrapping ring, and a protrusion is formed in the end part of the main body; the protrusion is insertable into the slot to locate the locating element to the respective end of the body, the surrounding ring forming a seal between the outer periphery and the inner wall of the body.

The positioning element and the end part of the main body form positioning through a protrusion or a slot, and the structure is simple and easy to realize.

Further, a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body by filling potting materials; or, a sealing ring is arranged between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body to form sealing.

The sealing is formed between the periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body by filling potting materials, and the sealing performance is reliable. Or, the sealing ring is installed between the two to form sealing, and the operation is simpler, more convenient and quicker on the premise of realizing sealing.

Further, the potting material filled between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end of the main body forms a second sealing part, and the thickness of the second sealing part along the axial direction is not larger than that of the sealing part inside the surrounding ring along the axial direction.

The thickness of the second sealing part between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the end part of the main body is not more than that of the sealing part inside the surrounding ring, in other words, the outer wall of the area, outside the positioning element and inside the main body, of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is not covered by the potting material, all the areas except the area forming the sealing part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be ensured to be actually utilized, namely, the actual utilization rate of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is improved, and the humidifying rate is further accelerated.

Furthermore, a plurality of first cavities are formed in the positioning element, the hollow fiber membrane bundle comprises a plurality of groups, two end parts of each group of hollow fiber membrane bundle form sealing parts through potting materials, and the sealing parts at least the same end of the plurality of groups of hollow fiber membrane bundles are respectively formed in the plurality of first cavities of the positioning element.

The positioning element comprises a plurality of first cavities, corresponding sealing parts are formed between the peripheries of the same end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundles and the inner walls of the first cavities, and the hollow fiber membrane bundles can be conveniently divided into a plurality of groups by the arrangement of the first cavities, so that the first fluid can be favorably diffused to the peripheries of all the hollow fibers, and the humidifying rate and efficiency are improved.

Furthermore, a first shielding part which is opposite to the first interface is arranged in the main body, the first shielding part separates the first interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a gap is reserved between the first shielding part and the positioning element adjacent to the first shielding part; and/or a second shielding part which is opposite to the second interface is further arranged in the main body, the second shielding part separates the second interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a gap is reserved between the second shielding part and the positioning element adjacent to the second shielding part.

The first shielding part in the main body separates the first interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, so that the first fluid can impact on the first shielding part after flowing in from the first interface, and can not impact the hollow fiber membrane bundle, so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle is protected, the first fluid impacts on the first shielding part, the flow velocity can be reduced to a certain extent, and the retention time of the first fluid in the shell can be prolonged; in addition, a gap is reserved between the first shielding component and the positioning element adjacent to the first shielding component, after the first fluid flows in from the first interface, the first fluid firstly reaches the first shielding component, then the direction of the first fluid is converted and flows into the gap, then the first fluid is diffused to the periphery of the hollow fiber through the gap and flows to the direction of the second interface, and as a certain energy loss is generated in the process of converting the flowing direction of the first fluid, the flow rate of the first fluid is further reduced, and the time for the first fluid to stay in the shell is further prolonged, therefore, the utilization rate of the first fluid and the humidifying efficiency of the first fluid to the second fluid flowing in the hollow fiber are greatly improved by combining the two aspects. After the first fluid is diffused to the area close to the second interface in the shell, the first fluid and the second interface are separated by the second shielding part and cannot directly flow to the second interface and be discharged, but the first fluid must reach the gap first, then the direction of the first fluid is changed, and the first fluid flows to the second interface, so that the retention time of the first fluid in the shell is prolonged.

Further, a projection of the first interface along a top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier falls completely into the first shielding member, so that the first shielding member completely separates the first interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle; and/or a projection of the second interface along the top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier completely falls into the second shielding part, so that the second shielding part completely separates the second interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

The first shielding component completely separates the first interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, on one hand, a first fluid which just flows in from the first interface and has a higher flow speed can firstly impact the first shielding component, the flow speed is greatly reduced, and the residence time of the first fluid in the shell is also greatly prolonged. Similarly, the function of the positional relationship between the second interface and the second shutter member is also similar to the function of the positional relationship between the first shutter member and the first interface.

Further, the main body has a separation member therein, the separation member has a plurality of second cavities therein, and at least 50% or more of the area of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is located inside each second cavity to divide the hollow fiber membrane bundle into a plurality of groups.

The separating element in the main body accommodates at least 50% of the length bottom of the hollow fiber membrane bundle therein, so that the first fluid diffused to the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is also located in the separating unit, that is, the separating unit acts as a temporary barrier to the first fluid, and the problems of low utilization rate of the first fluid and poor humidification efficiency caused by the first fluid flowing to the second port too fast are avoided. In addition, the separating element is internally provided with a plurality of second cavities, so that the hollow fiber membrane bundles can be conveniently divided into a plurality of groups, and the problems that all the hollow fiber membrane bundles are stacked together, and the first fluid is difficult to flow into the hollow fiber membrane bundles, so that the utilization rate of the hollow fibers positioned on the inner side is low and the humidifying effect on the inner side is poor can be avoided.

Further, the separation element is integrally formed in the main body, and a gap is reserved between the end part of the separation element and the sealing part adjacent to the end part.

The separating element is integrally formed in the main body, so that the mounting step is omitted, and the integral assembling step of the humidifier is simplified; and a gap is reserved between the end part of the separation element and the sealing part adjacent to the end part, the first fluid flows in from the first interface, then the direction is switched, the first fluid flows to the gap, then the first fluid is diffused to the inside of each second cavity and the periphery of the hollow fiber through the gap and flows to the second interface, and as the first fluid can flow into the gap after the direction is switched and then is further diffused into each second cavity, the flow speed is reduced in the flow direction switching process, and the time for the first fluid to stay in the shell is further prolonged.

Further, the width of the second cavity in the direction perpendicular to both the top view direction and the axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier is denoted as W, and the ratio of the height H2 of the second cavity in the top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier to the width W is greater than 2.

The ratio of the height H2 to the width W of the second cavity is greater than 2, i.e. the second cavity is flat, so that the shape of the stack of hollow fiber membranes contained therein is also flat, facilitating uniform diffusion of the first fluid to the outer periphery of the hollow fibers constituting the entire membrane bundle, i.e. all the hollow fibers of the entire membrane bundle can be fully utilized, thereby improving both the efficiency and rate of humidification of the second fluid.

Further, the third port and the fourth port are located on the same side of the end cap, and the inner surface of the end cap is inclined from the side where the third port and the fourth port are located toward the opposite side of the end cap.

The end cap of this configuration may direct the flow of the second fluid, i.e., direct the second fluid to the opposite side of the third port and direct the second fluid on the opposite side of the fourth port to the fourth port.

Further, the periphery of the end part of the main body forms a concave part for installing a sealing element, and the sealing element comprises a circumferential sealing part attached to the periphery of the concave part and an axial sealing part clamped between the main body and the end cover.

The periphery of the end part of the main body forms a concave part for installing the sealing element, the sealing element is provided with a circumferential sealing part attached to the periphery of the concave part and an axial sealing part clamped between the main body and the end cover, namely, both circumferential sealing and axial sealing are formed between the end cover and the end part of the main body, double sealing is realized, and the effect is more reliable.

Further, the present application also provides a method for preparing the fuel cell humidifier, comprising the following steps:

(1) positioning the positioning element into the end part of the main body, wherein the hollow fiber membrane bundle passes through the positioning element and extends into the main body, and the two end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extend out of the end part of the main body;

(2) filling the potting material into the positioning element at the two end parts of the main body, between the peripheries of the two end parts of the hollow fibers and between the periphery of the positioning element and the inner walls at the two end parts of the main body; or filling a potting material between the inside of the positioning member at one end of the body and the outer periphery of one end of the hollow fiber and between the outer periphery of the positioning member and the inner wall at one end of the body, and filling a potting material between the inner wall at the other end of the body and the outer periphery of the other end of the hollow fiber;

(3) after the potting material is cooled, the potting material penetrates through both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle so as to expose openings at both ends of the hollow fiber;

(4) and the two end covers are respectively fixed at the two ends of the main body in a sealing way, and the openings at the two ends of the hollow fibers are communicated with the third interface and the fourth interface.

The positioning element is arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of the main body, when in assembly, the positioning element is positioned to the end part of the main body, then the hollow fiber membrane bundle passes through the positioning element and extends into the main body, the two end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extend out of the end part of the main body, finally the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed inside the positioning element, and the positioning element is sealed and fixed at the end part of the main body.

Further, the main body is internally provided with a separation unit, the separation element is internally provided with a plurality of second cavities, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle in the step (1) passes through the positioning element and then extends into each second cavity of the separation element, so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle is divided into a plurality of groups.

The inside unit of separating that still sets up of main part separates the inside a plurality of second cavities that have of component to can divide into the multiunit with the hollow fiber membrane bundle very conveniently, and then avoid all hollow fiber membrane bundles to pile up together, improve and be located more inboard hollow fiber's utilization ratio.

Further, the present application provides another method of preparing the fuel cell humidifier described above, comprising the steps of:

(1) one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle passes through the positioning element, and filling potting material between the inside of the positioning element and the periphery of the end part of the hollow fiber so as to seal and fix one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the inside of the positioning element;

(2) positioning the positioning element with one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle hermetically fixed inside in the step (1) to one end part of the main body, and filling potting material between the periphery of the positioning element and the inner wall of one end part of the main body;

(3) positioning another positioning member to the other end portion of the main body, the other end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extending into the main body, passing through the positioning member, and extending a part of the length out of the other end portion of the main body, filling potting material between the inside of the positioning member and the outer periphery of the other end portion of the hollow fiber and between the outer periphery of the positioning member and the inner wall of the other end portion of the main body; or, the other end of the hollow fiber membrane extends into the main body and partially extends out of the other end of the main body, and then the potting material is filled between the inner wall of the other end of the main body and the outer periphery of the other end of the hollow fiber;

(4) after the potting material is cooled, the potting material penetrates through both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle so as to expose openings at both ends of the hollow fiber;

(5) and the two end covers are respectively fixed at the two ends of the main body in a sealing way, and the openings at the two ends of the hollow fibers are communicated with the third interface and the fourth interface.

The positioning element is arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of the main body, during assembly, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is sealed and fixed in the positioning element, and then the positioning element is sealed and fixed at the end part of the main body, namely, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is indirectly positioned to the end part of the main body through the positioning element.

Further, the main body has a partition unit therein, the partition member has a plurality of second cavities therein, and the other end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes in step (3) extends into, through, and partially out of the other end portion of the main body, thereby dividing the bundle of hollow fiber membranes into a plurality of groups.

The separating element is internally provided with a plurality of second cavities, so that the hollow fiber membrane bundles can be conveniently divided into a plurality of groups, all the hollow fiber membrane bundles are prevented from being stacked together, and the utilization rate of the hollow fibers positioned at the inner side is improved.

In the fuel cell humidifier provided by the invention, the positioning element is additionally arranged between the periphery of at least one end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the corresponding end part of the main body, in the assembling process, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle can be sealed and fixed in the positioning element, and then the positioning element is sealed and fixed at the end part of the main body, namely, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is indirectly positioned at the end part of the main body through the positioning element Uniformity is beneficial to improving the humidifying efficiency and rate; and, the periphery of locating element and the tip inner wall of main part can also form sealedly through filling potting material, and the locating element can act as the inside strengthening rib of potting material to can increase the holistic intensity of above-mentioned potting material, avoid appearing the fracture of potting material, and then prevent first fluid and second fluid mixture. Or, the positioning element can be positioned to the end part of the main body, then the hollow fiber membrane bundle passes through the positioning element and extends into the main body, the two end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extend out of the end part of the main body, finally the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed in the positioning element in a sealing way, and the positioning element is fixed at the end part of the main body in a sealing way. That is, the positioning element makes the sealing and fixing operation of the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle relative to the end of the main body simpler and more convenient, and the uniform accumulation of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is easily maintained, which is beneficial to the improvement of the humidifying rate and the efficiency.

Drawings

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel cell humidifier provided in accordance with the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic view showing a structure of a main body (containing a hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the humidifier for a fuel cell provided in fig. 1;

fig. 3 is a semi-sectional isometric view of the housing (without the hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing (without the hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural view ii of a main body (containing a hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 6 is a side view of the body (without the hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 7 is an isometric view of the body (without the hollow fiber membrane bundle) of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 8 is an isometric view of a positioning member of the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1;

fig. 9-15 are process schematic diagrams of a method of making the fuel cell humidifier provided in fig. 1.

100-fuel cell humidifier, 1-housing, 11-body, 111-first interface, 112-second interface, 113-recess, 114-slot, 12-end cap, 121-third interface, 122-fourth interface, 13-seal, 131-circumferential seal, 132-axial seal, 2-hollow fiber membrane bundle, 20-hollow fiber, 3-seal, 31-seal two, 4-positioning element, 41-wrap ring, 42-positioning part/protrusion, 43-first cavity, 5-first shielding part, 51-gap, 6-second shielding part, 61-gap, 7-buffer space, 71-guide, 8-separation element, 81-second cavity, 82-gap, 9-plate.

Detailed Description

In order that the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention can be more clearly understood, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other without conflict.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, however, the present invention may be practiced in other ways than those specifically described herein, and therefore the scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

A fuel cell humidifier 100, as shown in fig. 1-4, includes a housing 1 and a bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 inside the housing 1, the housing 1 including a main body 11 and two end caps 12 sealingly fixed to both ends of the main body 11. The hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is composed of a plurality of hollow fibers 20, and both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are sealed with potting material to form sealed portions 3, and are sealed and fixed to both ends of the body 11 by the respective sealed portions 3.

The two ends of the main body 11 are respectively provided with a first port 111 and a second port 112, the two end caps 12 are respectively provided with a third port 121 and a fourth port 122, the first port 111 and the second port 112 are communicated with the space between the inside of the main body 11 and the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 for the first fluid to flow through (Q1 shown in fig. 4), the third port 121 and the fourth port 122 are communicated with the inside of the hollow fibers 20 for the second fluid to flow through (Q2 shown in fig. 4), and the first fluid and the second fluid are separated by the sealing part 3.

Typically, the first fluid is a wet gas having a relatively high water vapor content and the second fluid is a dry gas having a relatively low water vapor content. A first fluid flows outside the hollow fibers 20 and a second fluid flows inside the hollow of the hollow fibers 20 with a difference in humidity, and water vapor entrained in the first fluid passes through the side walls of the hollow fibers 20 and enters the inside of the hollow fibers 20, thereby humidifying the second fluid.

Preferably, the third port 121 and the fourth port 122 are located on the same side of the end cap 12, and the inner surface of the end cap 12 is inclined from the side where the third port 121 and the fourth port 122 are located toward the opposite side of the end cap 12. The end cap 12 of this configuration may direct the flow of the second fluid, i.e., direct the second fluid to the opposite side of the third port 121 and direct the second fluid on the opposite side of the fourth port 122 to the fourth port 122.

The periphery of the end part of the main body 11 forms a concave part 113 for installing the sealing piece 13, and the sealing piece 13 comprises a circumferential sealing part 131 attached to the periphery of the concave part 113 and an axial sealing part 132 clamped between the main body 11 and the end cover 12, so that the end cover 12 and the end part of the main body 11 form both circumferential sealing and axial sealing, double sealing is realized, and the effect is more reliable.

In one embodiment, the first port 111 serves as an inlet of the first fluid, the second port 112 serves as an outlet of the first fluid, the third port 121 serves as an inlet of the second fluid, and the fourth port 122 serves as an outlet of the second fluid, that is, the first fluid and the second fluid flow in a counter-current manner, and the flow directions of the first fluid and the second fluid are opposite, so that higher humidification efficiency can be provided. The verification result shows that the flow mode has better humidifying effect on the second fluid.

In another embodiment, the first port 111 serves as an inlet of the first fluid, the second port 112 serves as an outlet of the first fluid, the fourth port 122 serves as an inlet of the second fluid, and the third port 121 serves as an outlet of the second fluid, that is, the first fluid and the second fluid flow in the same direction, the humidification effect on the second fluid can also be achieved, and only the humidification effect is slightly poor, so that the humidification device can be used in some working conditions with low requirements on the humidification effect.

The first port 111, the second port 112, the third port 121, and the fourth port 122 are located on the same side of the housing 1, and during operation of the fuel cell humidifier 100, the first port 111, the second port 112, the third port 121, and the fourth port 122 are located on the upward side and the opposite side thereof is located on the downward side, and a downward view from the side where the first port 111, the second port 112, the third port 121, and the fourth port 122 are located is a top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100, that is, a direction represented by S1 in fig. 4. The axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100 refers to a direction parallel to the center line of the 2 end caps 12, or a direction parallel to the total flow direction of the first fluid or the second fluid inside the humidifier 100, as the axial direction of the humidifier 100, that is, a direction parallel to the direction represented by S2 in fig. 4. And the direction perpendicular to both the top-view direction and the axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100, i.e., the thickness direction, is a direction parallel to the direction represented by S3 in fig. 6.

In the preferred embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 2 and 5, in the humidifier 100, a positioning member 4 is further provided between the outer periphery of at least one end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 and the corresponding end portion of the main body 11, the positioning member 4 is positioned at the corresponding end portion of the main body 11, the outer periphery thereof forms a seal with the inner wall of the corresponding end portion of the main body 11, and at least one of the above-mentioned seal portions 3 is formed between the inside of the positioning member 4 and the outer periphery of the end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2.

The positioning element 4 is arranged, so that in the assembling process, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 can be fixed in the positioning element 4 in a sealing way, and then the positioning element 4 is fixed in the end part of the main body 11 in a sealing way, namely, the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is indirectly positioned to the end part of the main body 11 through the positioning element 4, because the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is fixed to the positioning element 4 in a sealing way before the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed relative to the end part of the main body 11, the operation process of forming the sealing fixation of the end part of the whole hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 relative to the end part of the main body 11 is more convenient, and the phenomenon of stacking disorder of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 can not occur in the process of fixing the end part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 in a sealing way relative to the end part of the main body 11, so that the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is regularly and uniformly stacked in the main body 11, and the humidifying efficiency and the humidifying rate can be improved; moreover, the periphery of the positioning element 4 and the inner wall of the end part of the main body 11 can be sealed by filling the potting material, and the positioning element 4 can serve as a reinforcing rib inside the potting material, so that the overall strength of the potting material can be increased, the potting material is prevented from being broken, and the first fluid and the second fluid are prevented from being mixed. Or, the positioning element 4 may be positioned to the end of the main body 11, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 may pass through the positioning element 4 and extend into the main body 11, and the two end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 extend out of the end of the main body 11, and finally the end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 may be hermetically fixed inside the positioning element 4, and the positioning element 4 may be hermetically fixed to the end of the main body 11, since the positioning element 4 is directly wrapped around the periphery of the end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, the stacking shape of the end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 may be restricted, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 may be maintained in a uniformly stacked state, and since the end portion thereof is restricted by the positioning element 4, the subsequent sealing and fixing operation may be easily implemented. That is, the positioning member 4 is provided so that the operation of sealing and fixing the end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 with respect to the end portion of the main body 11 is simpler and more convenient, and the uniform stacking of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is easily maintained, contributing to the improvement of the humidification rate and the rate.

For example, the positioning member 4 may be provided only between the outer periphery of one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 and one end portion of the main body 11, the positioning member 4 being positioned at one end portion of the main body 11 with the outer periphery thereof forming a seal with the inner wall of the one end portion of the main body 11, and a seal portion 3 being formed between the inside of the positioning member 4 and the outer periphery of one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2. Alternatively, the positioning members 4 are respectively provided between the outer peripheries of both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 and both end portions of the main body 11, the positioning members 4 are respectively positioned at both end portions of the main body 11, the outer peripheries of the positioning members 4 are respectively sealed with the inner walls of both end portions of the main body 11, and the two sealing portions 3 are respectively formed between the insides of the positioning members 4 and the outer peripheries of both end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2. Of course, the latter is more preferable, and it is more preferable that the assembling convenience of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 and the uniformity of the deposition of the hollow fibers 20 are improved.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, 5 and 8, the positioning member 4 includes a surrounding ring 41 and a positioning portion 42 integrally formed at an outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41, at least one sealing portion 3 is formed between an inner portion of the surrounding ring 41 and an outer periphery of one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, the positioning member 4 is positioned to the corresponding end portion of the main body 11 by the positioning portion 42, and a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and an inner wall of the corresponding end portion of the main body 11.

When the positioning member 4 is provided only between the outer periphery of one end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 and one end portion of the main body 11, a seal portion 3 is formed between the inside of the surrounding ring 41 thereof and the outer periphery of one end portion of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2, the positioning member 4 is positioned to one end portion of the main body 11 by the positioning portion 42, and a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the inner wall of the one end portion of the main body 11. Alternatively, the positioning members 4 are respectively provided between the outer peripheries of both end portions of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 and both end portions of the body 11, the sealing portions 3 are respectively formed between the outer peripheries of both end portions of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 and the interiors of the two surrounding rings 41 by potting material, and the sealing is respectively formed between the outer peripheries of the surrounding rings 41 and the inner walls of both end portions of the body 11.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the positioning portion 42 is a protrusion 42 formed on the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41, a slot 114 is formed in the end portion of the main body 11, the protrusion 42 can be inserted into the slot 114 to position the positioning element 4 to the end portion of the main body 11, and a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the inner wall of the main body 11. Alternatively, the positioning portion 42 is a slot formed around the outer periphery of the ring 41, and a protrusion is formed in the end portion of the main body 11, so that the protrusion in the end portion of the main body 11 is inserted into the slot around the outer periphery of the ring 41, thereby positioning the positioning element 4 with respect to the end portion of the main body 11, and forming a seal between the outer periphery of the ring 41 and the inner wall of the main body 11.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 5, the space between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the inner wall of the corresponding end portion of the body 11 is sealed by filling the potting material, and the potting material forms the second sealing portion 31 therebetween. When the number of the positioning elements 4 is 2, the two surrounding rings 41 are sealed by filling the potting material between the outer circumference thereof and the inner walls of the two end portions of the body 11, that is, the two sealing portions 31 are formed.

The thickness of the second sealing part 31 in the axial direction is not greater than the thickness of the sealing part 3 surrounding the inside of the ring 41 in the axial direction, in other words, the outer wall of the region of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 outside the positioning element 4 and inside the main body 11 is not covered by the potting material, so that all regions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 except the region where the sealing part 3 is formed can be ensured to be actually used, that is, the actual utilization rate of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is improved, and the humidification rate is further increased.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, a seal may be formed between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the inner wall of the corresponding end of the body 11 by installing a seal ring, the seal ring being formed to match the shape of the gap between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the corresponding end of the body 11, thereby achieving a seal therebetween. Likewise, when the number of positioning elements 4 is 2, the two surrounding rings 41 are sealed by form-fitting sealing rings between the outer circumference and the inner walls of the two ends of the body 11.

Preferably, the positioning element 4 is of an integral structure and has a plurality of first cavities 43 inside, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 includes a plurality of groups, both ends of each group of hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 form the sealing parts 3 through potting material, and the sealing parts 3 at least the same end of the plurality of groups of hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 are respectively formed in the plurality of first cavities 43 of the positioning element 4. When the number of the positioning members 4 is 1, the sealing parts 3 of the same end of the plurality of groups of hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 are respectively formed in the plurality of first cavities 43 of the positioning members 4, which are positioned to one end of the main body 11. Alternatively, when the number of the positioning elements 4 is 2, the sealing parts 3 of the respective ends of the plurality of sets of hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 are respectively formed in the plurality of first cavities 43 of the respective positioning elements 4, by being positioned to the both ends of the main body 11. For example, as shown in fig. 2, 5 and 8, the integrated positioning member 4 has 3 first cavities 43 which divide the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into 3 groups, and the sealing parts 3 of each end of the 3 groups of hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 are formed in the 3 first cavities 43 of each positioning member 4, respectively.

Alternatively, the positioning element 4 may also be formed by a plurality of separate components, each having a cavity, so that the positioning element 4 as a whole comprises a plurality of cavities.

As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the main body 11 is further provided with a first shielding member 5 facing the first port 111, the first shielding member 5 separates the first port 111 from the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, and a gap 51 is left between the first shielding member 5 and the positioning member 4 adjacent thereto. In addition, a second shielding part 6 facing the second port 112 is further arranged in the main body 11, the second shielding part 6 separates the second port 112 from the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, and a gap 61 is left between the second shielding part 6 and the positioning element 4 adjacent to the second shielding part 6.

Due to the fact that the first shielding part 5 is arranged right opposite to the first interface 111, the first fluid can impact the first shielding part 5 after flowing in from the first interface 111, and can not impact the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 or the hollow fiber 20, and can play a role in protecting the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the first fluid impacts the first shielding part 5, the flow rate can be reduced to a certain extent, and then flows into the gap 51 and further diffuses to the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, so that the residence time of the first fluid in the shell 1 is prolonged, and the utilization rate and the humidification efficiency of the moisture are improved. After the first fluid diffuses to the area inside the housing 1 near the second port 112, the first fluid is separated from the second port 112 by the second shielding member 6, and cannot directly flow to the second port 112 and be discharged, but must first reach the gap 61, then change direction, and flow to the second port 112, so as to prolong the residence time of the first fluid inside the housing 1.

The length L of the gap 51 in the axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100 is 12-30mm, the first fluid flowing from the first port 111 enters the first gap 51 after being changed by the first shielding member 5, and then diffuses to the outer periphery of the hollow fibers 20, and the gap 51 with the size can further play a role of buffering the flow velocity of the first fluid entering the gap with a sufficient amplitude, so that the residence time of the first fluid in the housing 1 is prolonged. Specifically, the length L may take values of 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 28mm and 30 mm.

Of course, the first shutter member 5 and the second shutter member 6 may be provided with only one, and accordingly, the gap 51 and the gap 61 may be provided with only one.

Preferably, a buffer space 7 is formed between the surface of the first shutter member 5 facing the first port 111 and the first port 111, the first fluid flowing from the first port 111 first enters the buffer space 7, the flow velocity is reduced by a certain extent, the first fluid is prevented from directly impacting the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, while the first fluid is dispersed along the extension of the buffer space 7 to fill the entire buffer space 7, and directs the first fluid in a direction perpendicular to both the top-down and axial directions of the fuel cell humidifier 100 i.e. the thickness direction, to improve the practical utilization of the hollow fibers 20 located at both sides of the first port 111 in the thickness direction of the housing 1, i.e., the hollow fibers 20 located near the inner wall of the housing 1 in the thickness direction, and to improve the uniformity of the degree of dispersion of the first fluid in all the spaces inside the housing 1, and to accelerate the humidification rate.

As shown in fig. 4, the height H1 of the buffer space 7 in the plan view direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100 is 15 to 25 mm. The first fluid flowing from the first port 111 first enters the buffer space 7, and since the height H1 of the buffer space 7 is between 15mm and 25mm, the flow rate of the first fluid entering the buffer space 7 can be reduced to a certain extent, and at the same time, the housing 1 is not oversized. Wherein the height H1 of the buffer space 7 can take values of 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm and 25 mm.

Preferably, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the first shutter member 5 has a first end facing the sealing portion 3 adjacent thereto and a second end opposite to the first end, at least one of the first end and the second end forming a guide portion 71, the guide portion 71 guiding the first fluid flowing in from the first port 111 to the space 51. More specifically, the guide portion 71 at the first end of the first shutter member 5 faces the convex curved surface of the space 51, and the guide portion 71 at the second end of the first shutter member 5 faces the concave curved surface of the space 51. The guide portion 71 is formed in a convex curved surface shape or a concave curved surface shape, so that the processing is relatively easy, and the convex curved surface shape or the concave curved surface shape of the guide portion 71 does not cause an excessive disturbance to the flow of the first fluid. Of course, only one of the first end and the second end of the first shutter member 5 may be provided with the guide portion 71.

In still other preferred embodiments, the main body 11 has therein the partition member 8 having therein the plurality of second cavities 81, and at least 50% or more of the area of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is located inside each of the second cavities 81 to divide the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into the plurality of groups. As shown in fig. 3 to 6, the number of the second cavities 81 is 3, and accordingly, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is divided into 3 groups.

In the operation process of the humidifier 100, the first fluid diffused to the outer periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is also located inside the separation unit 8, that is, the separation unit 8 temporarily blocks the first fluid, so as to avoid the first fluid flowing to the second port 112 too fast, which causes the problems of low utilization rate of the first fluid and poor humidification efficiency. The plurality of cavities 81 divide the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into a plurality of groups, which can avoid the problems that all the hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 are stacked together, the first fluid is difficult to flow into the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, and the utilization rate of the hollow fibers 20 positioned at the inner side is low and the humidifying effect at the inner side is poor.

The partition member 8 is integrally formed inside the main body 11, leaving a gap 82 between the end of the partition member 8 and the seal portion 3 adjacent thereto. Preferably, a gap 82 is left between each of the two end portions of the partition member 8 and the sealing portion 3 adjacent thereto. Since the sealing part 3 is located inside the surrounding ring 41 of the positioning element 4 in this embodiment, the gap 82 and the gap 51 and/or the gap 61 are in the same position as each other.

In some embodiments, the first shielding part 5 is formed in the area of the separating element 8 facing the first port 111 or the flat plate 9 integrally formed on the outer surface of the area of the separating element 8 facing the first port 111 forms the first shielding part 5, and the first shielding part 5 is formed in a simple manner and has a simple structure, does not occupy an excessive volume inside the housing 1, and is convenient to manufacture. The second shutter member 6 is formed in a manner similar to that of the first shutter member 5.

As shown in fig. 6, the width of the second cavity 81 in the direction perpendicular to both the top view direction and the axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100 is denoted as W, and the ratio of the height H2 of the second cavity 81 in the top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier 100 to the width W is greater than 2. The cavity 81 is formed flat so that the stack of hollow fiber membrane bundles 2 accommodated therein is also formed flat, facilitating the uniform diffusion of the first fluid to the outer peripheries of the hollow fibers 20 constituting the entire membrane bundle 2, i.e., all the hollow fibers 20 of the entire membrane bundle 2 can be fully utilized, thereby improving the humidification effect of the second fluid.

In addition, the present application also provides two methods of making the humidifier 100.

The first method of manufacturing the humidifier 100 includes the steps of:

(1) positioning the positioning element 4 into the end of the main body 11, wherein the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 passes through the positioning element 4 and extends into the main body 11, and the two end parts of the hollow fiber membrane bundle extend out of the end of the main body 11;

(2) filling potting material into the positioning element 4 at both ends of the body 11, between the outer peripheries of both ends of the hollow fibers 20, and between the outer periphery of the positioning element 4 and the inner walls of both ends of the body 11; alternatively, the potting material is filled between the inside of the positioning member 4 at one end of the body 11 and the outer periphery of one end of the hollow fibers 20 and between the outer periphery of the positioning member 4 and the inner wall of one end of the body 11, and the potting material is filled between the inner wall of the other end of the body 11 and the outer periphery of the other end of the hollow fibers 20;

(3) after the potting material is cooled, the potting material penetrates both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 so that openings at both ends of the hollow fibers 20 are exposed;

(4) two end caps 12 are sealingly fixed to both ends of the main body 11, respectively, and openings of both ends of the hollow fiber 20 communicate with the third port 121 and the fourth port 122.

When the number of the positioning elements 4 is 2, 2 positioning elements 4 are positioned into the two end portions of the main body 11, in this case, the sealing portions 3 at the two ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are respectively located in the surrounding rings 41 of the two positioning elements 4, and the sealing portions 31 are formed between the outer peripheries of the two surrounding rings 41 and the inner walls at the two end portions of the main body 11 by filling the potting material. When the number of the first members 4 is 1, 1 positioning member 4 is first positioned into one end portion of the main body 11, in which case the seal portion 3 of one end of the bundle 2 of hollow fiber membranes is positioned in the surrounding ring 41 of the positioning member 4, the outer periphery of the surrounding ring 41 and the corresponding end portion of the main body 11 form the seal portion two 31, and the seal portion 3 of the other end is positioned between the one end portion of the main body 11 and the outer periphery of the other end portion of the hollow fiber 20.

In order to effectively and reliably seal and fix the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into the positioning member 4 or the end of the main body 11, the tip of the positioning member 4 and/or the end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are protruded out of the end of the main body 11 before filling the potting material.

In the step (2), the filling of the potting material may be performed by injecting a certain amount of softened potting material into the inside and the outer periphery of the positioning member 4 by using the gravity of the potting material, sealing and fixing one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 inside the positioning member 4, and forming a seal between the outer periphery of the positioning member 4 and the inner wall of one end of the main body 11, and then sealing and fixing the other end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 to the other end of the main body 11 directly or indirectly through the positioning member 4. Alternatively, the main body 11 may be rotated while one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is sealingly fixed inside the positioning member 4, a seal is formed between the outer periphery of the positioning member 4 and the inner wall of one end of the main body 11, and the other end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is sealingly fixed to the other end of the main body 11 directly or indirectly via the positioning member 4.

When the number of positioning elements 4 is 2, the specific method of exposing the end openings of the hollow fibers 20 in step (3) is: the potting material, the partial length of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2, and the partial region of the positioning member 4, which are located outside both end portions of the main body 11, are cut out along positions flush with both end portions of the main body 11, so that the openings of both end portions of the hollow fibers 20 are penetrated, and both end portions of the positioning member 4 and the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are flush with both end portions of the main body 11.

When the number of positioning elements 4 is 1, the specific method of exposing the end openings of the hollow fibers 20 in step (3) is: cutting away the potting material outside the one end of the body 11, a part of the length of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 and a part of the area of the positioning member 4 along a position flush with the one end of the body 11 so that the opening of the one end of the hollow fiber 20 is penetrated and the positioning member 4 and the one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are flush with the one end of the body 11; the potting material and a part of the length of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 located outside the end of the body 11 are cut off along a position flush with the other end of the body 11 so that the opening of the other end of the hollow fiber 20 is penetrated so that the other end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is flush with the other end of the body 11.

Preferably, the main body 11 has a partition unit 8 therein, and the partition member 8 has a plurality of second cavities 81 therein, and in step (1), the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 passes through the positioning member 4 and then extends into each of the second cavities 81 of the partition member 8, thereby dividing the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into a plurality of groups.

The second method of manufacturing the humidifier 100 includes the steps of:

(1) passing one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 through the positioning member 4, filling potting material between the inside of the positioning member 4 and the outer periphery of the end portion of the hollow fiber 20 to sealingly fix the one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 to the inside of the positioning member 4, as shown in fig. 9;

(2) positioning the positioning element 4, in which one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is hermetically fixed in the step (1), to one end of the body 11, and filling a potting material between the outer periphery of the positioning element 4 and the inner wall of one end of the body 11;

(3) positioning another positioning member 4 to the other end portion of the main body 11, the other end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 extending into the main body 11, passing through the positioning member 4, and partially extending out of the other end portion of the main body 11, filling potting material between the inside of the positioning member 4 and the outer periphery of the other end portion of the hollow fiber 20 and between the outer periphery of the positioning member 4 and the inner wall of the other end portion of the main body 11; alternatively, the other end of the hollow fiber membrane 20 is extended into the body 11 and extended by a partial length from the other end of the body 11, and a potting material is filled between the inner wall of the other end of the body 11 and the outer periphery of the other end of the hollow fiber 20, and steps (2) and (3) are shown in fig. 10 to 12;

(4) after the potting material is cooled, the potting material penetrates both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 so that openings at both ends of the hollow fibers 20 are exposed, as shown in fig. 13;

(5) two end caps 12 are sealingly fixed to both ends of the body 11, respectively, and openings of both ends of the hollow fiber 20 communicate with the third port 121 and the fourth port 122, as shown in fig. 14 to 15.

Similarly, when the number of the positioning members 4 is 2, the sealing parts 3 at both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 are respectively located in the surrounding rings 41 of the two positioning members 4, and the sealing parts 31 are also respectively formed by filling the potting material between the outer peripheries of the two surrounding rings 41 and the inner walls at both ends of the main body 11. When the number of the first members 4 is 1, the seal part 3 of one end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is located in the surrounding ring 41 of the positioning member 4, and the seal part 3 of the other end is located in one end part of the body 11 and between the outer peripheries of the hollow fibers 20.

In the second method, regardless of the number of the positioning members 4 being 1 or 2, the step (1) may be the same by first inserting one end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 into the inside of one positioning member 4 and forming a seal portion 3 between the inside of the surrounding ring 41 of the positioning member 4 and the outer periphery of one end portion of the hollow fiber 20.

However, when the number of the positioning members 4 is 1 or 2, the step (3) is different.

When the number of the positioning members 4 is 2, in the step (3), another positioning member 4 is first positioned to the other end portion of the main body 11, and then the other end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 2 is extended into the main body 11, passes through the other positioning member 4, and is extended out of the other end portion of the main body 11 by a partial length.

When the number of the positioning members 4 is 1, in step (3), the other end of the hollow fiber membrane 20 protrudes into the main body 11 and a part of the length thereof protrudes from the other end of the main body 11, and does not pass through another positioning member.

Preferably, the main body 11 also has a partition unit 8 therein, the partition member 8 has a plurality of second cavities 81 therein, and in step (3), the other end portions of the hollow fiber membranes 2 protrude into, through, the respective second cavities 81 of the partition member 8, and partially protrude out of the other end portions of the main body 11, thereby dividing the bundle of hollow fiber membranes 2 into a plurality of groups.

The second method of making the fuel cell humidifier 100 is preferred because it is more convenient to operate.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications of the invention can be effected therein by those skilled in the art after reading the above teachings of the invention. Such equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A fuel cell humidifier comprises a housing and a hollow fiber membrane bundle positioned inside the housing, the housing includes a main body and two end caps hermetically fixed to both ends of the main body, the hollow fiber membrane bundle is composed of a plurality of hollow fibers, both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle form a sealed portion by potting material, respectively, and are fixed at two ends of the main body in a sealing way through the sealing parts, the two ends of the main body are respectively provided with a first interface and a second interface, the two end covers are respectively provided with a third interface and a fourth interface, the first interface and the second interface are communicated with the space between the interior of the main body and the periphery of the hollow fiber membrane bundle so as to allow the first fluid to flow through, the third and fourth ports being in communication with the interior of the hollow fibers for the flow of a second fluid therethrough, the seal separating the first and second fluids, characterized in that:

2. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the positioning member includes a surrounding ring and positioning portions integrally formed on an outer periphery of the surrounding ring, at least one of the sealing portions is formed between an inner portion of the surrounding ring and an outer periphery of an end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the positioning member is positioned to the corresponding end portion of the main body by the positioning portions, and the outer periphery of the surrounding ring forms a seal with an inner wall of the corresponding end portion of the main body.

3. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 2, wherein the positioning portion is a protrusion formed in an end portion of the main body that surrounds an outer periphery of the ring, or a protrusion formed in an end portion of the main body that surrounds an outer periphery of the ring; the protrusion is insertable into the slot to locate the locating element to the respective end of the body, the surrounding ring forming a seal between the outer periphery and the inner wall of the body.

4. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the enclosure ring is sealed between its outer periphery and the inner wall of the respective end portion of the main body by filling with a potting material; or, a sealing ring is arranged between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the corresponding end part of the main body to form sealing.

5. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 4, wherein the potting material filled between the outer periphery of the surrounding ring and the inner wall of the respective end portion of the main body forms a second sealing portion, and a thickness of the second sealing portion in the axial direction is not greater than a thickness of the sealing portion inside the surrounding ring in the axial direction.

6. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the positioning member has a plurality of first cavities therein, the hollow fiber membrane bundle includes a plurality of groups, both end portions of each group of the hollow fiber membrane bundle form the sealing portions by potting material, and the sealing portions of at least the same end of the plurality of groups of the hollow fiber membrane bundles are formed in the plurality of first cavities of the positioning member, respectively.

7. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein a first shielding member facing the first port is further provided inside the main body, the first shielding member separates the first port from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a gap is left between the first shielding member and the positioning element adjacent to the first shielding member; and/or a second shielding part which is opposite to the second interface is further arranged in the main body, the second shielding part separates the second interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle, and a gap is reserved between the second shielding part and the positioning element adjacent to the second shielding part.

8. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 7, wherein a projection of the first interface along a top-down direction of the fuel cell humidifier falls entirely within the first shielding member such that the first shielding member completely separates the first interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle; and/or a projection of the second interface along the top view direction of the fuel cell humidifier completely falls into the second shielding part, so that the second shielding part completely separates the second interface from the hollow fiber membrane bundle.

9. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a partition member inside, the partition member having a plurality of second cavities inside, at least 50% or more of the area of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes being located inside each second cavity to divide the bundle of hollow fiber membranes into a plurality of groups.

10. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 9, wherein the partition member is integrally formed inside the main body with a gap left between an end portion of the partition member and a sealing portion adjacent thereto.

11. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 9, wherein the second cavity has a width, denoted as W, perpendicular to both the top view and the axial direction of the fuel cell humidifier, and the ratio of the height H2 of the second cavity to the width W in the top view of the fuel cell humidifier is greater than 2.

12. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the third port and the fourth port are located on a same side of an end cap, an inner surface of the end cap being inclined from the side of the third port and the fourth port towards an opposite side of the end cap.

13. The fuel cell humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the outer periphery of the end portion of the main body forms a recess for mounting a seal member, the seal member including a circumferential seal portion conforming to the outer periphery of the recess and an axial seal portion sandwiched between the main body and the end cap.

14. A method of making a fuel cell humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the steps of:

15. The method of manufacturing a fuel cell humidifier according to claim 14, wherein the main body has a partition unit therein, the partition member has a plurality of second cavities therein, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle in step (1) passes through the positioning member and then protrudes into each of the second cavities of the partition member, thereby dividing the hollow fiber membrane bundle into a plurality of groups.

16. A method of making a fuel cell humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the steps of:

17. The method for a fuel cell humidifier according to claim 16, wherein the main body has a partition unit therein, the partition member has a plurality of second cavities therein, and the other end portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundles in step (3) are inserted into, passed through the respective second cavities of the partition member, and partially inserted out of the other end portions of the main body, thereby dividing the hollow fiber membrane bundles into a plurality of groups.