KR20140085154A - humidifier for fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

A humidification device for a fuel cell according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a partition wall which partitions a humidification chamber where bubbles for humidification are discharged, from a detection chamber where no bubbles are discharged; a sponge-material porous layer which partitions an air chamber in a lower area of the humidification chamber and discharges the bubbles; an air injection port which injects air into the air chamber; a water level detection sensor which is disposed in the detection chamber; a coolant inlet which is provided to allow a coolant to flow into the humidification chamber; a coolant outlet which is provided to allow the coolant to flow out from the detection chamber; an air discharge port which is provided in an upper portion of the detection chamber and supplies air humidified in the humidification chamber to the outside; and a water supply port which supplies water when a low water level is determined by the water level detection sensor.

Description

[0001] Humidifier for fuel cell [0002]

The present invention relates to a humidifying device for a fuel cell system for supplying humidified humidified gas to a fuel cell stack in a proper amount so that the fuel cell can maintain the best performance. In particular, the present invention relates to a gas supply apparatus for operating a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and more particularly, to a gas supply apparatus for operating a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which can operate at a high pressure and can easily control the humidifying state of a reaction gas supplied to the fuel cell, To a humidifying apparatus for operating a fuel cell capable of replenishing water necessary for humidification.

Generally, a fuel cell is an electric power generating device that generates electricity by an electrochemical reaction. It has higher energy efficiency than a conventional internal combustion engine or a charge / discharge type battery, and since there is no discharge of pollutants, The application range is very wide.

A fuel cell using a polymer electrolyte uses a polymer membrane as an electrolyte. When the electrolyte membrane is dried, ion conductivity drops and the fuel cell can not be operated. Therefore, in order to maintain ion conductivity, the electrolyte membrane must contain proper moisture. It is necessary to humidify the fuel cell.

A conventional humidification device for operating a fuel cell will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10 is a schematic view of a gas supply device for a fuel cell operation, in which a fuel gas supply device 10 for operating a fuel cell includes a fuel gas and an oxidant gas (hereinafter referred to as a "reaction gas" (Not shown), a flow rate controller 12 for controlling the flow rate of the supplied reaction gas, a humidifier (not shown) for supplying the reaction gas through the humidifier gas supply pipe 13 A fuel cell gas supply pipe 15 for supplying the humidified reaction gas to the fuel cell 16, a fuel cell gas discharge pipe 17 for discharging the reaction gas after the reaction in the fuel cell 16, And a back pressure regulator 18 for regulating the pressure.

Here, the humidifier 14 is located between the gas supply source and the fuel cell 16, and the reaction gas supplied from the gas supply source is passed through the heated water to be humidified and supplied to the fuel cell 16. As shown in FIG.

That is, the humidifier 14 includes a gas distributor 21 for dispersing the humidifier gas supplied from the gas supply source into the humidifier gas supply pipe 13 and the humidification bottle 20 containing water for humidifying the supplied reaction gas, A water level indicating pipe 23 for indicating the amount of water in the humidifying bottle 20 and a humidified reaction gas which is humidified in the humidifying bottle 20 are supplied to the fuel cell 16 A fuel cell gas supply pipe 15 and a fuel cell gas supply pipe insulation 24.

However, the conventional humidifier as described above is expensive to manufacture, and thus it has become a hindrance to reduce the price of the fuel cell system to commercialization level.

The present invention seeks to provide a humidifying device for a fuel cell capable of achieving an effective humidifying capability for a fuel cell stack with a low production cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying device for a fuel cell having a structure capable of easily removing foreign substances from humidified water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying device for a fuel cell which is easy to attach and detach.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a humidifying apparatus for a fuel cell, comprising: a humidifying chamber through which air bubbles for humidification are discharged; A porous layer of a sponge material for partitioning the air chamber into a lower region of the humidifying chamber and discharging the bubbles; An air inlet for injecting air into the air chamber; A water level sensor installed in the sensing chamber; A cooling water inlet for allowing the cooling water to flow into the humidifying chamber; A cooling water outlet through which the cooling water flows out from the sensing chamber; An air outlet provided at an upper portion of the sensing chamber for supplying humidified air from the humidification chamber to the outside; And a water supply port for supplying water when the water level determined by the water level detection sensor is low.

The apparatus may further include a droplet removing jaw provided so that humidified air in an upper region of the humidifying chamber flows downward and moves to an upper region of the sensing chamber.

Here, the droplet removing jaw may be configured such that air humidified in the humidifying chamber is deflected at a right angle in the droplet removing jaw region, then moved downward, and then bent at a right angle to move to the sensing chamber.

Here, the porous layer of the spongy material is mounted in parallel with the upper lid directly below the openable lid of the water tank frame forming the humidification chamber and the sensing chamber, A coupling hole for passing the coupling means can be formed.

Here, the partition wall is a vertical wall communicating the upper part and the lower part, and the water supply port may be installed in the communicating area of the lower part of the partition wall.

Here, the porous layer is formed of a corrosion-resistant metal (nickel), a polymer resin (PPS, PE, TEFLON), and a structure in which the formed pores do not vertically communicate with each other above and below the porous layer, Lt; / RTI >

Here, the upper portion of the humidifying chamber may further include a pressure preventing means for preventing an increase in internal pressure.

Here, the pressure preventing means may include an exhaust hole for exhausting the air in the humidification chamber, and a valve means for closing the exhaust hole at the time of power generation and opening the exhaust hole at the time of power generation.

Here, the pressure preventing means may include a check valve for discharging air from the inside to the outside according to a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference pressure.

Here, the water level sensor may include a floater that is floated by water contained in the sensing chamber; A guide rod for guiding the floater to move up and down; And a fixing part fitted in the sensor fixing hole in the lower part of the sensing chamber.

Here, the heater may further include a heater disposed parallel to the porous layer of the sea surface material on the porous layer of the sea surface.

A fuel cell system according to another aspect of the present invention includes: a fuel cell stack for generating electrical energy by a redox reaction of fuel and air; A humidifying device according to an aspect of the present invention configured to supply humidified air and cooling water to the fuel cell stack and to receive cooling water heated by the fuel cell stack; And a blower for blowing air into the humidifying device.

The implementation of the humidifying device for a fuel cell having the above-described configuration has an advantage that an effective humidifying ability for the fuel cell stack can be achieved at a low production cost.

Alternatively, the present invention has an advantage that the foreign matter of the humidifying water can be easily removed.

Alternatively, the present invention is advantageous in that the components can be easily attached and detached.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a fuel cell system including a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a water level sensor that can be installed in a sensing chamber of the humidifying device of FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 3B is a sectional view showing the binding structure of the water level sensor of FIG. 3A. FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a droplet removing jaw of the humidifying device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a humidifier according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
6 is a perspective view of a humidifier according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a humidifier according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a photograph showing one embodiment of a porous layer of a spongy material applicable to a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a fuel cell system having a humidifying device of the prior art; Fig.
10 is a sectional view showing a humidifying device of the prior art;

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a fuel cell system including a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.

The illustrated fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack for generating electrical energy by a redox reaction of fuel and air; A humidifier having a configuration according to the present invention, for supplying humidified air and cooling water to the fuel cell stack, and receiving cooling water heated by the fuel cell stack; And a blower for blowing air into the humidifying device. The fuel cell stack and the blower may be selected from various known implementations, so that detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2, the humidifying device for a fuel cell according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a humidifying chamber 140 through which air bubbles for humidification are discharged and a compartment wall 162 through which the air bubbles are discharged. ; A porous layer 142 dividing the air chamber into a lower region of the humidifying chamber 140 and discharging the air bubbles; An air inlet 115 for injecting air into the air chamber; A water level sensor 180 installed in the sensing chamber 160; A cooling water inlet (116) for allowing cooling water to flow into the humidifying chamber (140); A cooling water outlet 113 for discharging cooling water from the sensing chamber 160; An air outlet 112 provided at an upper portion of the sensing chamber 160 to supply humidified air from the humidification chamber 140 to the outside; And a water supply port 114 for supplying water when the water level determined by the water level detection sensor 180 is low.

The partition wall 162 is a vertical wall that is open to allow water or air to communicate with the upper and lower portions. The water supply port 114 communicates with a lower portion of the partition wall 162, Lt; / RTI >

The porous layer of the sponge material may be made of a corrosion resistant metal (nickel) or a polymer resin material such as PPS, PE, TEFLON or the like as a main feature of the present invention. The porous layer of the spongy material has a minimum thickness of several to several hundred times the diameter of the porous body, such as a hepa filter of an air purifier or a wet filter of an automobile, which forms a voluminous porous body . Alternatively, the porous layer of sponge material may have a fibrous aggregate form stacked in a superimposed network or nonwoven form.

The porous layer of the sponge material having the above-described structure has an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced as compared with the microporous perforated plate generally used in the prior art, and there is an advantage that uniform micropores can be formed.

In the case of the microporous perforated plate, the passage area of the fluid is reduced by using a limited number of holes in the bubbling structure (the size of the humidifier is increased to increase the bubbling structure in order to prevent reduction of the passage area) If the porous layer is used, the entire area of the bubbling structure can be used to secure the passage area smoothly. Securing of the passage area means that the fluid reduces the passing speed of the bubbling member, and the reduction of the passing speed can reduce the power used in the apparatus for supplying the flow by reducing the friction loss of the fluid.

In addition, the microporous perforated plate has a structure in which the micropores are vertically communicated vertically, while the micropores formed in the porous layer of the sponge material do not vertically communicate with the upper and lower portions of the porous layer, have. Accordingly, the porous layer 142 of the sea surface has a function of effectively collecting foreign substances precipitated in the humidifying water in the humidifying chamber 140. Since the porous layer 142 of the sea surface is inexpensive and has a structure that can be easily replaced, it can be replaced with a new one if the foreign matter is sufficiently collected.

The structure for facilitating the replacement may have the following configuration. The porous layer of the sponge material is mounted directly below the upper cover when the openable top cover of the water tank frame which forms the water tank constituting the humidifying chamber and the sensing chamber is opened and the four corners of the porous layer A coupling hole for passing coupling means (screw or rivet or the like) for coupling the porous layer may be formed. The coupling means passing through the coupling hole may be coupled to the porous layer support attached to the bottom of the water tank.

In order to further increase the foreign matter collecting effect, effluent from the stack, which contains a large amount of foreign matter, flows into the cooling water inlet 116, and the cooling water inlet 116 is formed so that cooling water flows into the upper region of the porous layer of the sea- .

According to the embodiment, the apparatus may further include a droplet removing jaw 168 installed so that humidified air in the upper region of the humidifying chamber 140 flows downward and moves to the upper region of the sensing chamber. Details of the droplet removing jaw 168 will be described later.

According to the embodiment, the illustrated humidifying device 100 may further include a pressure preventing means 117 for preventing an increase in internal pressure in the upper portion of the humidifying chamber 140.

For example, the pressure preventing means 117 may be embodied as an exhaust hole for exhausting the air in the humidifying chamber, and a valve means for closing the exhaust hole at the time of power generation of the fuel cell stack and opening the exhaust hole at the time of power generation . In this case, the valve means may be configured to open or close by a control signal from the drive control device of the fuel cell.

Alternatively, the pressure preventing means 117 may include a check valve for discharging air from the inside to the outside according to a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference pressure. The air check valve for opening and closing the air is a well-known technology, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3A illustrates an embodiment of a water level sensor that can be installed in the sensing chamber of the humidifier of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B illustrates the water level sensor coupling structure.

The illustrated water level sensor includes: a floater which is floated by water contained in the sensing chamber; A guide rod 186 for guiding the floater to move up and down; And a fixing portion 188 fitted to the sensor fixing hole in the upper portion of the sensing chamber. As shown in FIG. 3B, the water level sensor can maintain the hermetic seal 188 in the sensor fixing hole with the O-ring 189. [ The upper and lower limits of the height of the water surface of the sensing chamber can be monitored using the plotter.

Fig. 4 shows the structure of the droplet removing jaw 168 of the humidifying device of Fig. The droplet removing jaw 168 is disposed in parallel with the partition wall 168 and includes a second partition wall 166 formed in the upper communicating area of the partition wall 168 and a second partition wall 166 formed in the upper part of the partition wall 168 Quot; L " The humidified air in the humidifying chamber 140 is bent at a right angle in the area of the droplet removing jaws 168, then moved downward, and then bent at a right angle to be moved to the sensing chamber. Accordingly, not only can the droplet be removed more effectively, but also the structure in which the second partition wall 166 does not interfere with the operation of replacing the porous layer 142 of the sea surface material and the water level sensor 180 There is an advantage.

5 shows a humidifying device for a fuel cell in which a water level sensor is downwardly coupled to a sensor fixing hole formed at the bottom of the sensing chamber. The water level sensor 280 shown in FIG. 5 includes: a floater that is floated by water contained in the sensing chamber; A guide rod for guiding the floater to move up and down; And a fixing portion 288 fitted in the sensor fixing hole in the lower portion of the sensing chamber. The illustrated structure is required to have a watertight structure between the fixing portion 288 and the sensor fixing hole. Since the watertight structure is easier to implement than the airtight structure, a more accurate airtight structure is not required by water sealed by the watertight structure .

6 shows a humidifying device for a fuel cell to which a heater 378 for increasing the humidifying ability is added. The heater 378 is electrically conductive and may be coupled to a fixing hole formed in a sidewall of the water tub frame where the air inlet 115 and the cooling water inlet 116 are formed. The heater 378 may be disposed parallel to the porous layer 142 of the sponge material to heat a region where the porous layer 142 starts to generate bubbles.

7 shows a humidifying device for a fuel cell having a ramp structure 466 for removing droplets. The slope structure 466 shown in FIG. 2 has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to replace the porous layer 142 of the water level sensor and / or the sea level surface, although the efficiency of removing the droplet is slightly higher than that of the droplet removing jaw of FIG.

5 to 7, the structure and function of the components other than the modified or added components are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG. 2, so that redundant explanations are omitted.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a porous layer of a spongy material that can be applied to a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. It can be seen that the porous layer of the spongy material shown has a bulky network structure forming irregular pores.

It is to be understood that the detailed description is only an example for the understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as being limited to the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

100: Humidifier
112: air outlet
113: Cooling water outlet
114: water supply port
115: air inlet
116: cooling water inlet
142: Porous layer of spongy material
162: compartment wall

Claims (12)

A humidifying chamber for discharging air bubbles for humidification and a compartment wall for separating the sensing chamber from which air bubbles are discharged;
A porous layer of a sponge material for partitioning the air chamber into a lower region of the humidifying chamber and discharging the bubbles;
An air inlet for injecting air into the air chamber;
A water level sensor installed in the sensing chamber;
A cooling water inlet for allowing the cooling water to flow into the humidifying chamber;
A cooling water outlet through which the cooling water flows out from the sensing chamber;
An air outlet provided at an upper portion of the sensing chamber for supplying humidified air from the humidification chamber to the outside; And
When the water level determined by the water level sensor is low, a water supply port
And a humidifying device for the fuel cell.
The method according to claim 1,
A humidifying chamber for humidifying the humidified air, and a humidifying chamber for humidifying the humidified air,
Further comprising:
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the droplet removing jaw is configured such that air humidified in the humidifying chamber is deflected at a right angle in the droplet removing jaw region, then moved downward, and then bent at a right angle to move to the sensing chamber. .
The method according to claim 1,
The porous layer of the sponge material may comprise
Wherein when the upper lid capable of opening and closing the water tank frame constituting the water tank constituting the humidifying chamber and the sensing chamber is opened, it is mounted in parallel with the upper lid directly below the water tank, Humidifying device.
The method according to claim 1,
The partition wall is a vertical wall communicating the upper part and the lower part,
And the water supply port is provided in a communicating region under the partition wall.
The method according to claim 1,
The porous layer may comprise
A humidifying device for a fuel cell, comprising: a metal (nickel) and a polymeric resin (PPS, PE, TEFLON) as a material for preventing corrosion; and a structure in which formed pores are not vertically communicated with each other above and below the porous layer.
The method according to claim 1,
Pressure preventing means for preventing an increase in internal pressure at an upper portion of the humidifying chamber;
Further comprising: a humidifying device for the fuel cell.
8. The method of claim 7,
The pressure-
An exhaust hole for exhausting the air in the humidifying chamber, and
Closing the exhaust hole at the time of power generation and opening the exhaust hole at the time of power generation,
And a humidifying device for humidifying the fuel cell.
8. The method of claim 7,
The pressure-
A check valve for discharging air from the inside to the outside according to a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference pressure
And a humidifying device for the fuel cell.
The method according to claim 1,
The water level sensor comprises:
A floater which is floated by the water contained in the sensing chamber;
A guide rod for guiding the floater to move up and down; And
A sensor fixing hole in the lower portion of the sensing chamber,
And a humidifying device for the fuel cell.
The method according to claim 1,
And a heater disposed parallel to the porous layer of the spongy material on the porous layer of the spongy material.
A fuel cell stack for generating electrical energy by a redox reaction of fuel and air;
A humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for supplying humidified air and cooling water to the fuel cell stack and for receiving cooling water heated by the fuel cell stack; And
A blower blowing air into the humidifying device
And a fuel cell system.

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