KR102622265B1 - Cartridge for membrane humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a cartridge housing having an internal space in which a hollow fiber membrane is embedded and an opening formed on the ceiling of the internal space, and a cartridge housing coupled to cover the opening. A mesh, one or more support plates that stand vertically in the internal space and are arranged in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane, and a plurality of ribs arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane and coupled to the top of the support plate It includes, and the mesh is integrally coupled with the support plate and ribs. Using the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention has the advantage that moist air supplied to the hollow fiber membrane can flow at a uniform speed throughout all areas, making it possible to reduce the weight of the product.

Description

Cartridge for membrane humidifier}

The present invention relates to a cartridge for a membrane humidifier in which a hollow fiber membrane is inserted, and more specifically, to a cartridge for a membrane humidifier configured to allow moist air supplied to the hollow fiber membrane to flow at a uniform speed throughout all areas.

A fuel cell is a power-generating battery that produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike general chemical cells such as batteries or storage batteries, fuel cells have the advantage of being able to continuously produce electricity as long as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied, and have the advantage of being twice as efficient as internal combustion engines because there is no heat loss. Additionally, because the chemical energy generated by the combination of hydrogen and oxygen is directly converted into electrical energy, pollutant emissions are low. Therefore, fuel cells are not only environmentally friendly, but also have the advantage of reducing concerns about resource depletion due to increased energy consumption.

Depending on the type of electrolyte used, these fuel cells are largely divided into polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC), and solid oxide fuel cells ( SOFC), and alkaline fuel cell (AFC). Each of these fuel cells operates on fundamentally the same principle, but the type of fuel used, operating temperature, catalyst, electrolyte, etc. are different. Among these, polymer electrolyte fuel cells are known to be the most promising not only for small-scale stationary power generation equipment but also for transportation systems because they operate at lower temperatures than other fuel cells and can be miniaturized due to their high power density.

One of the most important factors in improving the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells is supplying a certain amount of moisture to the polymer electrolyte membrane (Polymer Eletrolyte Membrane or Proton Exchange Membrane: PEM) of the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). This is to maintain the moisture content. This is because when the polymer electrolyte membrane dries, power generation efficiency rapidly decreases. Methods for humidifying the polymer electrolyte membrane include 1) a bubbler humidification method that supplies moisture by filling a pressure vessel with water and passing the target gas through a diffuser; 2) the amount of moisture supplied for the fuel cell reaction There is a direct injection method that calculates and supplies moisture directly to the gas flow pipe through a solenoid valve, and 3) a humidifying membrane method that supplies moisture to the gas fluidized bed using a polymer separation membrane.

Among these, the humidifying membrane method, which humidifies the polymer electrolyte membrane by providing water vapor to the gas supplied to the polymer electrolyte membrane using a membrane that selectively transmits only the water vapor contained in the exhaust gas, has the advantage of being able to lighten and miniaturize the humidifier.

When forming a module, the selectively permeable membrane used in the humidifying membrane method is preferably a hollow fiber membrane with a large permeable area per unit volume. In other words, when manufacturing a humidifier using a hollow fiber membrane, high integration of the hollow fiber membrane with a large contact surface area is possible, so that sufficient humidification of the fuel cell can be achieved even in a small capacity, low-cost materials can be used, and high temperature discharge from the fuel cell is possible. It has the advantage that the moisture and heat contained in the unreacted gas can be recovered and reused through a humidifier.

Hereinafter, a conventional membrane humidifier for fuel cells will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional membrane humidifier for fuel cells, and Figure 2 shows the flow rate of moist air supplied to the cartridge.

The membrane humidifier for fuel cells includes a housing (10) having a wet air inlet (11), a wet air outlet (12), a dry air inlet (13), and a dry air outlet (14), and a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (30). The basic component includes a cartridge 20 that is formed in the shape of a built-in hollow tube and has a plurality of ventilation holes formed on the ceiling and bottom surfaces to be inserted into the housing 10.

At this time, between one longitudinal side of the inner surface of the cartridge 20 of the hollow fiber membrane 30 (front side in FIG. 1) and one longitudinal side of the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 30 (front side in FIG. 1), and the hollow Between the other longitudinal side of the inner surface of the cartridge 20 (rear side in FIG. 1) and the other longitudinal side of the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 30 (rear side in FIG. 1) by a potting part 40. It is sealed.

The wet air flowing into the housing 10 through the wet air inlet 11 flows into the cartridge 20 through the ventilation hole 21 formed on the upper surface of the cartridge 20, as shown in FIG. After being in contact with the hollow fiber membrane 30, it flows out of the cartridge 20 through the ventilation hole formed on the bottom of the cartridge 20 and is discharged to the outside of the housing 10 through the wet air outlet 12. In addition, the dry air flowing into the housing 10 through the dry air inlet 13 flows into the front entrance of the longitudinal fiber membrane, passes through the interior of the hollow fiber membrane 30, and then flows through the dry air outlet 14. is discharged to the outside. While moist air flows along the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane 30 and dry air flows along the inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane 30, moisture in the wet air penetrates the hollow fiber membrane 30 and is transferred to the dry air.

At this time, the wet air inlet 11 that supplies wet air to the cartridge 20 is installed to be biased toward one side of the upper surface of the cartridge 20, so the wet air provided through the wet air inlet 11 is There is a problem in that it is not evenly distributed throughout the entire cartridge 20 and is concentrated on one side of the cartridge 20 as shown in FIG. 2, that is, the flow rate distribution of wet air is not evenly realized.

KR 10-2446774 B1

The present invention was proposed to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a cartridge for a membrane humidifier configured to allow moist air supplied to a hollow fiber membrane to flow at a uniform speed throughout all areas.

A cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes: a cartridge housing having an internal space in which a hollow fiber membrane is embedded, and an opening formed in the ceiling of the internal space; and a mesh coupled to cover the opening.

A plurality of discharge holes are formed in the bottom plate of the internal space.

The cartridge housing is provided with one or more support plates that stand vertically in the internal space and are arranged in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane, and the mesh is coupled to the upper part of the support plates.

A plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the support plate.

The cartridge housing further includes a plurality of ribs arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane and coupled to an upper end of the support plate, and the mesh is integrally coupled with the support plate and the ribs.

The cartridge housing and mesh are manufactured as one piece through a double injection process.

The top height of the rib is formed to be higher than the top height of the mesh.

The mesh is formed so that the eye size of the area close to the wet air inlet is smaller than the eye size of the area far from the wet air inlet.

The mesh includes a first mesh part located at a point closer to the wet air inlet, a second mesh part located at a point farther from the wet air inlet than the first mesh part, and a second mesh part farther from the wet air inlet than the second mesh part. It consists of a third mesh part located at a point, wherein the second mesh part has an eye size larger than that of the first mesh part, and the third mesh part has an eye size larger than that of the second mesh part.

The openings are formed in pairs to face each other on the ceiling and floor of the interior space, and the mesh is provided in pairs to cover each of the pair of openings.

The cartridge housing is formed in a vertically symmetrical shape.

Using the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention has the advantage that moist air supplied to the hollow fiber membrane can flow at a uniform speed throughout all areas, making it possible to reduce the weight of the product.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional membrane humidifier for fuel cells.
Figure 2 shows the flow rate of moist air supplied to the cartridge.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cartridge housing included in the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are a horizontal cross-sectional perspective view and an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.
Figures 7 and 8 are a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view and an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.
Figure 9 is a plan view of the mesh included in the second embodiment of the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cartridge housing included in the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.

The cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is a product in which a hollow fiber membrane 200 is inserted inside (see FIGS. 5 to 8) so that moisture in moist air can be transferred to dry air. The hollow fiber membrane 200 A cartridge housing 110 having an internal space 112 in which ) is built-in and an opening 114 formed on the ceiling of the internal space 112, and a mesh 120 coupled to cover the opening 114. It is provided as basic components.

At this time, if all parts are manufactured from plastic injection moldings like the conventional cartridge 20 shown in FIG. 1, the size of the inlet for introducing wet air cannot help but be manufactured larger than a certain size, so the size shown in FIG. 2 As can be seen, the flow rate and velocity of wet air in each area are bound to be different.

However, since the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is made of a mesh 120 whose upper surface is relatively small in size, the area where wet air flows in is used, so the wet air provided to the upper surface of the cartridge housing 110 is It has the advantage of passing evenly throughout the mesh 120. That is, when the wet air inlet is made of mesh 120, the speed at which wet air flows into the cartridge (more specifically, the speed at which wet air passes through the mesh 120) is reduced compared to before, as shown in FIG. 2 Even if moist air is configured to intensively supply to the upper right side of the cartridge as described above, all of the wet air supplied to the upper right side of the cartridge does not pass through only the right part of the mesh 120. Therefore, the wet air supplied to the right side of the mesh 120 passes evenly throughout the mesh 120, and as a result, the wet air comes into contact with all hollow fiber membranes 200 evenly, thereby improving humidity control performance with dry air. This significantly improved effect can be achieved.

At this time, a plurality of discharge holes 116 are formed in the bottom plate of the internal space 112 so that the wet air passing downward through the hollow fiber membrane 200 can be smoothly discharged. Since it is applied in substantially the same way to conventional membrane humidifiers, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Meanwhile, since the mesh 120 has lower strength than a plastic injection molded product, when the flow pressure of wet air is high, the mesh 120 may sag downward. In order to solve the above problems, the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is preferably provided with one or more support plates 130 standing vertically in the internal space 112. At this time, the support plate 130 is arranged in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane 200 so as not to interfere with the flow of dry air flowing inside the hollow fiber membrane 200, and the mesh 120 is connected to the support plate 130. ) is fixedly coupled to the top of the.

In this way, when the mesh 120 is coupled to the upper part of the support plate 130, the mesh 120 is supported by the support plate 130 and does not sag downward even if a downward external force is applied to the mesh 120. There is an advantage to this.

On the other hand, even if the entire area where wet air flows is covered with the mesh 120, a slight difference may occur in the wet air flow rate on the left and right sides of the mesh 120, so the wet air flow rate inside the internal space 112 is maintained in all areas. In order to be evenly distributed throughout, it is desirable that the wet air flowing into the internal space 112 be able to flow to some extent in the width direction of the cartridge. However, as shown in this embodiment, when a plurality of support plates 130 are erected vertically, a problem occurs in that the support plates 130 serve to block the flow of wet air.

In order to solve the above problems, the cartridge for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of ventilation holes (not shown) formed in the support plate 130. At this time, if the ventilation holes are formed too large and excessively, a problem may occur in which the structural strength of the support plate 130 is reduced, so the size or number of the ventilation holes depends on various conditions such as the flow pressure, flow rate, and distribution of the wet air flow rate. It is desirable to set it appropriately.

In addition, the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane 200 so that the mesh 120 can be more firmly fixed to the upper end of the support plate 130. It may further include a plurality of ribs 140 coupled to.

At this time, the mesh 120 is integrally coupled with the support plate 130 and the ribs 140, so as shown in this embodiment, the plurality of support plates 130 and the plurality of ribs 140 are arranged to intersect at right angles. When this happens, the mesh 120 has the advantage that all areas can be stably fixed.

The structure in which the mesh 120 is coupled to the support plate 130 and the ribs 140 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

Figures 5 and 6 are a horizontal cross-sectional perspective view and an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention, and Figures 7 and 8 are a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view of the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention. and an enlarged cross-sectional view.

The mesh 120 included in the present invention may be manufactured separately from the cartridge housing 110 and then configured to be combined through a separate joining process, or may be manufactured integrally with the cartridge housing 110 through a single double injection process. It may be possible, but in order to improve the bonding strength of the mesh 120 and simplify the manufacturing process, it is preferable that the mesh 120 is manufactured integrally with the cartridge housing 110 through a double injection process.

At this time, the height of the top of the rib 140 is preferably formed to be higher than the height of the top surface of the mesh 120, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. In this way, if the ribs 140 are configured to protrude upward from the upper surface of the mesh 120, the ribs 140 protect the mesh 120 when another object collides with the upper side of the cartridge housing 110. Since it plays a role, it has the advantage of reducing the risk of damage to the mesh 120.

In this embodiment, only the case where the ribs 140 are arranged to intersect the support wall at right angles is shown. However, the ribs 140 can be arranged in any pattern as long as they can stably protect and secure the mesh 120. You can.

On the other hand, if the support wall is formed to extend to the front and rear ends of the cartridge housing 110, there is a risk of interference with the potting portion 300 coupled to the front and rear ends of the cartridge housing 110, respectively. is preferably formed to be spaced a certain distance apart from the potting portion 300 coupled to the cartridge housing 110.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the mesh 120 included in the second embodiment of the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention.

The main feature of the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is that the mesh 120 is coupled to the opening 114 of the cartridge housing 110 to evenly distribute the flow amount of wet air throughout the cartridge housing 110. However, if the wet air inlet is located biased toward one side in the width direction of the cartridge housing 110, even if the mesh 120 is installed, the wet air is not distributed completely evenly across all areas. That is, even if the mesh 120 is coupled to the opening 114 of the cartridge housing 110, a phenomenon occurs in which the flow rate of wet air increases even slightly as it approaches the wet air inlet.

In order to solve this problem, the cartridge 100 for a membrane humidifier according to the present invention is formed so that the size of the eyes in the area close to the wet air inlet of the mesh 120 is smaller than the size of the eyes in the area far from the wet air inlet.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the mesh 120 has a first mesh part 121 located at a point closer to the wet air inlet, and a first mesh part 121 located at a point farther from the wet air inlet than the first mesh part 121. It is composed of a second mesh part 122, which is located, and a third mesh part 123, which is located at a point farther from the wet air inlet than the second mesh part 122, and the second mesh part 122 is located at the The eye size may be larger than that of the first mesh part 121, and the third mesh part 123 may have an eye size larger than that of the second mesh part 122.

In this way, when the eye size of the mesh 120 is formed differently for each part, the first mesh part 121 with a small eye size is positioned closest to the wet air inlet, and the third mesh part 123 with a large eye size is placed closest to the wet air inlet. By positioning it furthest from the inlet, the flow rate of wet air flowing into the cartridge housing 110 can be distributed more evenly.

In this embodiment, only the case where the eye size of the mesh 120 is manufactured differently for each region is shown. However, the eye size of the mesh 120 may be formed in a shape that gradually increases toward one side of the width direction.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, only the case where the opening 114 is formed on the ceiling surface of the cartridge housing 110 and the mesh 120 is coupled to the opening 114 is shown. However, the opening 114 is formed in the cartridge housing. A pair is formed on the ceiling and bottom surfaces of 110, and the mesh 120 may also be provided as a pair to cover each of the pair of openings 114. At this time, the pair of openings 114 are preferably formed in positions facing each other so that the vertical downward flow of wet air can be smoothly achieved.

In this way, when the opening 114 and the mesh 120 are also provided on the bottom surface of the cartridge housing 110, the wet air in the internal space 112 of the cartridge housing 110 is discharged to the outside of the cartridge housing 110. The advantage is that the humidity control efficiency can be further improved as it is distributed evenly again in the process.

In addition, as mentioned above, when the opening 114 and the mesh 120 are formed on the upper and lower sides of the cartridge housing 110, the cartridge housing 110 may be formed in a shape that is vertically symmetrical. . In this way, if the cartridge housing 110 is formed to be vertically symmetrical, when foreign matter such as dust gets stuck in the mesh 120, the cartridge housing 110 is turned over and mounted to backwash the mesh 120. The effect of cleaning the mesh 120 can be obtained.

Above, the present invention has been described in detail using preferred embodiments, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and should be interpreted in accordance with the appended claims. Additionally, those skilled in the art should understand that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

100: cartridge for membrane humidifier 110: cartridge housing
112: internal space 114: opening
116: discharge hole 120: mesh
121: first mesh part 122: second mesh part
123: Third mesh part 130: Support plate
140: rib 200: hollow fiber membrane
300: Porting part

Claims (11)

A cartridge housing having an internal space in which a hollow fiber membrane is embedded, wherein an opening is formed on the ceiling of the internal space; and
Includes a mesh coupled to cover the opening,
The cartridge housing includes one or more support plates that stand vertically in the interior space and are arranged in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the mesh is coupled to the upper part of the support plate.
In claim 1,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that a plurality of discharge holes are formed in the bottom plate of the internal space. delete In claim 1,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that a plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the support plate. In claim 1,
The cartridge housing further includes a plurality of ribs arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membrane and coupled to the upper end of the support plate,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the mesh is integrally combined with the support plate and ribs. In claim 5,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the cartridge housing and mesh are manufactured as one piece through a double injection process. In claim 5,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the upper height of the rib is formed higher than the upper surface height of the mesh. In claim 1,
The mesh is a cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the size of the eyes in the area close to the wet air inlet is smaller than the size of the eyes in the area far from the wet air inlet. In claim 8,
The mesh includes a first mesh part located at a point closer to the wet air inlet, a second mesh part located at a point farther from the wet air inlet than the first mesh part, and a second mesh part farther from the wet air inlet than the second mesh part. It consists of a third mesh part located at a point,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, wherein the second mesh part has an eye size larger than that of the first mesh part, and the third mesh part has an eye size larger than that of the second mesh part. In claim 8,
The openings are formed in pairs to face each other on the ceiling and floor of the interior space,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the mesh is provided in pairs to cover each of the pair of openings. In claim 10,
A cartridge for a membrane humidifier, characterized in that the cartridge housing is formed in a vertically symmetrical shape.

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