CN216872046U - Fuel cell membrane humidifier - Google Patents
Fuel cell membrane humidifier Download PDFInfo
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- CN216872046U CN216872046U CN202122439774.2U CN202122439774U CN216872046U CN 216872046 U CN216872046 U CN 216872046U CN 202122439774 U CN202122439774 U CN 202122439774U CN 216872046 U CN216872046 U CN 216872046U
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier capable of improving a discharge performance of condensed water in a humidification module, the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a humidification module for performing moisture exchange between a first fluid supplied from the outside and a second fluid discharged from the fuel cell stack; covers formed at both ends of the humidification module; at least one cartridge provided in the humidification module and accommodating a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; and a condensed water discharge port discharging condensed water in the humidification module in a gravity direction.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier, and more particularly, to a fuel cell membrane humidifier capable of improving the discharge performance of condensed water in a humidification module.
Background
The fuel cell is a power generation type cell that generates electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike ordinary chemical batteries such as dry cells or secondary batteries, fuel cells can generate electricity continuously as long as they are supplied with hydrogen and oxygen, and there is no heat loss, and therefore, there is an advantage in that the efficiency is about twice as high as that of internal combustion engines.
In addition, chemical energy generated by combining hydrogen and oxygen is directly converted into electric energy, so that the emission of pollution substances is less. Therefore, the fuel cell is not only environmentally friendly, but also can reduce concerns about resource depletion due to an increase in energy consumption.
Such Fuel cells are roughly classified into Polymer Electrolyte Fuel cells (PEMFC), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC), Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), and Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFC), depending on the type of Electrolyte used.
These fuel cells basically operate on the same principle, but the kind of fuel used, the operating temperature, the catalyst, the electrolyte, and the like are different from each other. Among them, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs) are expected to be used not only as small stationary power generation equipment but also as transportation systems because they operate at a lower temperature and have a higher output density than other fuel cells, thereby enabling miniaturization.
One of the most important factors for improving the performance of a Polymer Electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) is to supply a predetermined amount or more of water to a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane or Proton Exchange Membrane: PEM) of a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) to maintain the water content. This is because the power generation efficiency is drastically reduced when the polymer electrolyte membrane is dried.
A method of humidifying the polymer electrolyte membrane includes, 1) a bubbler (bubbler) humidifying method of supplying moisture to the target gas through a diffuser (diffuser) after filling water into the pressure-resistant container; 2) a direct injection (direct injection) method of calculating the amount of supply water required for the reaction of the fuel cell and directly supplying water to the gas flow pipe through an electromagnetic valve; and 3) a humidifying membrane system in which moisture is supplied to the gas flowing layer by a polymer separation membrane.
Among them, the membrane humidification system in which the air supplied to the polymer electrolyte membrane is humidified by supplying water vapor to the air by the membrane selectively permeable only to water vapor contained in the off-gas contributes to weight reduction and size reduction of the membrane humidifier.
The permselective membrane used in the membrane humidification mode is preferably a hollow fiber membrane having a large permeation area per unit volume when formed into a module. That is, when the membrane humidifier is manufactured using hollow fiber membranes, it is possible to highly integrate hollow fiber membranes having a large contact surface area, to achieve sufficient humidification of the fuel cell even with a small capacity, to use inexpensive raw materials, and to recover moisture and heat contained in high-temperature off-gas (off-gas) discharged from the fuel cell and reuse the water and heat by the membrane humidifier.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Korean laid-open patent No. 10-2011-
Korean laid-open patent No. 10-2011-0026696
Korean laid-open patent No. 10-2011-0063366
SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL
Technical problem
The utility model aims to provide a fuel cell membrane humidifier which can improve the drainage performance of condensed water in a humidification module.
Technical scheme
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a fuel cell membrane humidifier including:
a humidification module for performing moisture exchange between a first fluid supplied from the outside and a second fluid discharged from the fuel cell stack; covers formed at both ends of the humidification module; at least one cartridge which is provided in the humidification module and which contains a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; and a condensed water discharge port discharging condensed water in the humidification module in a gravity direction.
In a fuel cell membrane humidifier to which an embodiment of the present invention relates, the humidification module includes: a middle shell; a second fluid flow inlet that flows either the second fluid or the first fluid into the middle shell; a second fluid discharge port that discharges either the second fluid or the first fluid to the outside; at least one cartridge disposed in the middle case.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, the condensed water discharge port may be formed in a lower surface of the middle case.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, the condensed water discharge port may be formed at a side surface of the middle case.
In a fuel cell membrane humidifier to which an embodiment of the present invention relates, the middle case may include: a partition plate dividing an inner space of the middle case into a first space and a second space; and a constant bypass hole penetrating the partition plate to connect the first space and the second space.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge may include an inner case formed with a first mesh part for allowing any one of the second fluid and the first fluid to flow therein and a second mesh part for discharging any one of the second fluid and the first fluid flowing in through the first mesh part to the outside after moisture exchange, wherein the first mesh part and the second mesh part may be formed in asymmetric shapes.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the utility model, the total area of the mesh windows on the first mesh portion side may be larger than the total area of the mesh windows on the second mesh portion side.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the mesh windows of the first mesh portion and the second mesh portion are the same in size, the number of meshes constituting the first mesh portion may be larger than the number of meshes constituting the second mesh portion.
In the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the number of mesh windows of the first mesh portion and the second mesh portion is the same, the area of each mesh constituting the first mesh portion is larger than the area of each mesh constituting the second mesh portion.
Specific matters of implementation of other aspects of the present invention are included in the following detailed description.
Effect of the utility model
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the drainage performance of condensed water in the humidification module can be improved. In addition, other additional components for discharging condensed water can be omitted, so that manufacturing costs can be reduced, and an installation space for the additional components is not required, so that a compact fuel cell system can be realized. In addition, the distribution efficiency of the second fluid flowing from the fuel cell stack is improved, so that the humidification efficiency can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier of an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the humidification module of the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, with the cover removed.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line a-a' of fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a view showing a modification of the fuel cell membrane humidifier of fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a cartridge to which a fuel cell membrane humidifier of an embodiment of the present invention is mounted.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a cartridge to which a fuel cell membrane humidifier of an embodiment of the present invention is mounted.
Fig. 8a and 8b are diagrams comparing the flow distance of the second fluid in the conventional cartridge (fig. 8a) and the cartridge (fig. 8b) of the embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numerals
110: the humidifying module 111: middle shell
112: second fluid inflow port 113: second fluid discharge port
114: the separator 115: bypass hole at normal time
120: cover 130: condensed water discharge port
20: and (3) a box 21: hollow fiber membrane
22: potting part 23: inner shell
MH 1: first mesh portion MH 2: second mesh part
Detailed Description
The utility model is capable of many modifications and of being practiced and carried out in various embodiments, specific examples of which are set forth in the detailed description. However, this does not limit the present invention by a specific embodiment, and should be understood to include all the changes, equivalents and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model. Unless expressly indicated otherwise herein, singular references also include plural references. In the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "includes" or "including" are used to designate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof. Hereinafter, a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 2 is a plan view showing the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 3 is a side view showing a humidification module after a cover of the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention is removed, fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a' of fig. 2, and fig. 5 is a modified example showing the fuel cell membrane humidifier of fig. 1.
As shown in fig. 1 to 5, a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a humidification module 110, a plurality of caps 120, and a condensed water discharge port 130.
The humidification module 110 is used to exchange moisture between a first fluid supplied from the outside and a second fluid discharged from a fuel cell stack (not shown). A plurality of covers 120 are fastened to both ends of the humidifying module 110. One of the plurality of covers 120 is formed with a first fluid inlet 121 that supplies the first fluid supplied from the outside to the humidification module 110, and the other is formed with a first fluid outlet 122 that supplies the first fluid humidified by the humidification module 110 to the fuel cell stack.
The humidification module 110 includes a middle case 111 having a second fluid inflow port 112 and a second fluid discharge port 113, and at least one cartridge 20 disposed inside the middle case 111. The second fluid discharged from the fuel cell stack (not shown) flows in from the second fluid inlet 112, exchanges moisture in the humidification module 110, and is then discharged from the second fluid outlet 113.
In this specification, the fluid flowing in/out from the second fluid inflow port 112 or the second fluid discharge port 113 is not limited to the second fluid. In addition, the fluid flowing in/out from the first fluid inlet 121 or the first fluid outlet 122 is not limited to the first fluid.
According to design, one of the plurality of caps 120 supplies the second fluid to the humidification module 110 so as to flow through the inside of the hollow fiber membranes, and the other one discharges the moisture-exchanged second fluid to the outside. At this time, the first fluid flows in through one of the second fluid inlet 112 and the second fluid outlet 113, and the first fluid humidified by the humidification module 110 is supplied to the fuel cell stack through the other. The direction of flow of the first fluid and the direction of flow of the second fluid may be the same direction or opposite directions.
The middle case 111 and the cover 120 may be independently formed of hard plastic or metal, respectively, and may have a circular or polygonal cross-section. The circle includes an ellipse, and the polygon includes a polygon having rounded corners. For example, the hard plastic may be polycarbonate, Polyamide (PA), polyphthalamide (PPA), polypropylene (PP), and the like. The inner space of the middle case 111 may be partitioned into a first space S1 and a second space S2 by a partition 114. The partition 114 may have at least one insertion port H into which the cartridge 20 can be inserted.
Referring to fig. 7, the cartridge 20 includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 21, a potting portion 22, and an inner case 23.
The hollow fiber membrane 21 may include a polymer membrane formed of polysulfone resin, polyethersulfone resin, sulfonated polysulfone resin, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) resin, polyimide resin, polyamideimide resin, polyesterimide resin, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
Potting part 22 is used to fix the ends of hollow fiber membranes 21. The potting portion 22 may be formed by curing a liquid resin such as a liquid urethane resin in a casting manner such as impregnation potting, centrifugal potting, or the like.
The inner casing 23 has openings (opening) at each end thereof, and internally houses a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 21. Potting portions 22 in which the ends of the hollow fiber membranes 21 are potted close the openings of the inner casing 23. The inner shell 23 is provided with first mesh portions MH1 and second mesh portions MH2, the first mesh portions MH1 are arranged in a grid shape to be in fluid communication with the first space S1, and the second mesh portions MH2 are arranged in a grid shape to be in fluid communication with the second space S2.
The second fluid flowing into the first space S1 of the middle shell 111 through the second fluid inflow port 112 flows into the inner shell 23 through the first mesh part MH1 and contacts the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes 21. Subsequently, the second fluid, which has exchanged moisture with the first fluid, is discharged to the second space S2 through the second mesh part MH2, and then is discharged from the middle case 111 through the second fluid discharge port 113.
A gasket (not shown) may be disposed between the middle case 111 and the case 20. A gasket (not shown) may mount the cartridge 20 to the humidification module 110 by mechanical assembly. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in a specific portion (for example, the cartridge 20) of the humidification module 110, the middle case 111 and the gasket (not shown) can be mechanically and simply separated from the humidification module 110, and then only the corresponding portion can be repaired or replaced.
A condensate discharge port 130 is formed at a specific position of the middle case 111 constituting the humidification module 110. The condensed water drain port 130 is formed at a position where condensed water accumulated in the humidification module 110 can be drained in a gravity direction.
As shown in fig. 1, when the fuel cell membrane humidifier is set in an upright state (gravity direction, vertical direction), the condensate water discharge port 130 may be formed at the lower surface of the middle shell 111.
On the other hand, as shown in fig. 5, when the fuel cell membrane humidifier is set in a lying state (horizontal direction), the condensate water discharge port 130 may be formed at a side surface of the middle case 111.
The condensed water discharge port 130 may be formed at a lower surface or a side surface of the middle case 111 according to the installation state of the fuel cell membrane humidifier so as to be naturally discharged to the outside by the self weight of the condensed water.
Therefore, the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve the drainage performance of the condensed water generated in the humidification module 110. In addition, other additional components for discharging condensed water can be omitted, so that manufacturing costs can be reduced, and an installation space for the additional components is not required, so that a compact fuel cell system can be realized.
Referring again to fig. 3, the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a bypass hole 115 formed in the separator 114.
The bypass hole 115 is formed to penetrate the partition plate 114 in a predetermined shape. The bypass hole 115 connects the first space S1 and the second space S2 partitioned by the partition plate 114.
A part of the second fluid flowing in from the second fluid inlet 112 flows into the second space S2 from the first space S1 through the normal bypass hole 115 and is discharged from the second fluid outlet 113. The second fluid flowing through the bypass holes 115 is not in contact with the first fluid at all times, and therefore, moisture exchange does not occur.
When the volume of the fuel cell membrane humidifier is miniaturized, the second fluid flowing from the fuel cell stack causes an increase in the pressure difference within the fuel cell membrane humidifier. Such an increased pressure difference may adversely affect the efficiency of the fuel cell membrane humidifier, and therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the pressure difference. The bypass hole 115 always bypasses (bypasses) a part of the second fluid flowing in to the hollow fiber membrane and discharges the second fluid to the outside, and therefore, the increase in the differential pressure can be eliminated. Therefore, the bypass hole 115 is advantageous for downsizing the fuel cell membrane humidifier.
Next, a cartridge to which the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 8a and 8 b. Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a cartridge to which a fuel cell membrane humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the cartridge to which the fuel cell membrane humidifier according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and fig. 8a and 8b are diagrams comparing a flow distance of a second fluid in a conventional cartridge (fig. 8a) and the cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention (fig. 8 b).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number or area of the mesh windows W constituting the mesh portion can also be adjusted in the cartridge 20, thereby improving humidification efficiency.
As shown in fig. 6, cartridge 20 may be formed such that the total area of mesh windows W on the first mesh part MH1 side is larger than the total area of mesh windows W on the second mesh part MH2 side. The mesh window W is an opening through which the second fluid flows in and out.
The total area of the mesh windows W formed on the first mesh portion MH1 side on the second fluid inlet port 112 side is made large to allow the second fluid to smoothly flow into the inner casing 23, and the total area of the mesh windows W formed on the second mesh portion MH2 side on the second fluid outlet port 113 side is made small to promote the flow of the second fluid in the inner casing 23.
In addition, when first mesh portion MH1 and second mesh portion MH2 are formed asymmetrically, the distance between first mesh portion MH1 and second mesh portion MH2 can be increased as compared with the case of the symmetrical shape, and therefore, the flow distance of the second fluid in inner casing 23 can be increased. (refer to reference numerals L1, L2 in fig. 8a, 8b) as the second fluid flow distance increases, the time for which the second fluid contacts the surface of the hollow fiber membrane 21 increases, so that the overall humidification efficiency can be improved.
When the sizes of the mesh windows W of both side mesh portions are the same, the number of meshes constituting the first mesh portion MH1 may be greater than the number of meshes constituting the second mesh portion MH 2.
In addition, when the number of mesh windows W of both side mesh portions is the same, each mesh area constituting first mesh portion MH1 may be larger than each mesh area constituting second mesh portion MH 2.
As such, in the embodiment of the present invention, by forming the shapes of first mesh part MH1 and second mesh part MH2 to be asymmetric, it is possible to promote the second fluid flow inside inner case 23 and increase the second fluid flow distance, thereby improving the humidification efficiency.
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present invention by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components without departing from the scope of the idea of the present invention described in the claims, and these are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.
Claims (9)
1. A fuel cell membrane humidifier, comprising:
the humidifying module is used for carrying out moisture exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid;
covers formed at both ends of the humidification module;
at least one cartridge which is provided in the humidification module and which contains a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; and
and a condensed water discharge port discharging condensed water in the humidification module in a gravity direction.
2. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 1,
the humidification module includes:
a middle shell;
a second fluid flow inlet for flowing either the first fluid or the second fluid into the middle shell; and
a second fluid discharge port that discharges either the first fluid or the second fluid to the outside,
wherein the at least one cartridge is disposed within the middle shell.
3. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 2,
the condensed water discharge port is formed on the lower surface of the middle shell.
4. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 2,
the condensed water discharge port is formed at a side surface of the middle case.
5. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 2,
the middle shell comprises:
a partition plate dividing an inner space of the middle case into a first space and a second space; and
and a bypass hole which penetrates the partition plate to connect the first space and the second space.
6. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 2,
the cartridge includes an inner shell that is configured to be received within the cartridge,
the inner casing is formed with a first mesh part for allowing any one of the second fluid and the first fluid to flow in and a second mesh part for discharging any one of the second fluid and the first fluid flowing in through the first mesh part to the outside after moisture exchange,
the first mesh portion and the second mesh portion are formed in an asymmetrical shape.
7. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 6,
the total area of the mesh windows of the first mesh part side is larger than the total area of the mesh windows of the second mesh part side.
8. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 7,
when the mesh windows of the first and second mesh portions are the same size, the number of meshes constituting the first mesh portion is greater than the number of meshes constituting the second mesh portion.
9. The fuel cell membrane humidifier according to claim 7,
when the number of mesh windows of the first mesh portion and the second mesh portion is the same, the area of each mesh constituting the first mesh portion is larger than the area of each mesh constituting the second mesh portion.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202122439774.2U CN216872046U (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2021-10-11 | Fuel cell membrane humidifier |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202122439774.2U CN216872046U (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2021-10-11 | Fuel cell membrane humidifier |
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| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN216872046U true CN216872046U (en) | 2022-07-01 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202122439774.2U Active CN216872046U (en) | 2021-10-11 | 2021-10-11 | Fuel cell membrane humidifier |
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| CN (1) | CN216872046U (en) |
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- 2021-10-11 CN CN202122439774.2U patent/CN216872046U/en active Active
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