US20090317690A1 - Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow - Google Patents

Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow Download PDF

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Publication number
US20090317690A1
US20090317690A1 US12/438,096 US43809609A US2009317690A1 US 20090317690 A1 US20090317690 A1 US 20090317690A1 US 43809609 A US43809609 A US 43809609A US 2009317690 A1 US2009317690 A1 US 2009317690A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
water
gas flow
chamber
gas
water separator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US12/438,096
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English (en)
Inventor
Janusz Blaszczyk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mercedes Benz Group AG
Original Assignee
Daimler AG
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Daimler AG, Ford Global Technologies LLC filed Critical Daimler AG
Assigned to DAIMLER AG, FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES INC. reassignment DAIMLER AG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BLASZCZYK, JANUSZ
Publication of US20090317690A1 publication Critical patent/US20090317690A1/en
Assigned to DAIMLER AG reassignment DAIMLER AG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Priority to US13/556,299 priority Critical patent/US8408524B2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D45/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
    • B01D45/04—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia
    • B01D45/06—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia by reversal of direction of flow
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
    • H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
    • H01M8/04119—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying
    • H01M8/04126—Humidifying
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
    • H01M2250/20—Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02T90/40—Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus for humidifying a gas flow, including means for separating excess water from the gas flow.
  • the invention is particularly but not exclusively applicable for humidifying fuel gas and oxidant gas used in a fuel cell for automotive applications.
  • a known type of fuel cell has a polymer electrolyte membrane in which hydrogen forming a fuel gas is passed over one side of the membrane (the anode).
  • an electrochemical reaction takes place in which hydrogen ions migrate through the membrane to combine with oxidant (usually derived from air) on the other side (or cathode) of the membrane.
  • oxidant usually derived from air
  • German patent document DE 100 28 133.8 discloses apparatus which is particularly suitable for humidifying a process gas flow in a fuel cell system.
  • the humidified device comprises three sections, a spray chamber, a heat exchanger region, and a water separator. Water is atomized and injected into the spray chamber, where it is mixed with the flow of the gas.
  • heat exchange means are provided which utilize the heat in the gas to at least partially evaporate water to humidify the gas and to enable the excess water to be at least partially condensed.
  • a greater amount of water is atomized than is theoretically required to achieve a relative humidity of the gas of 100 percent.
  • the excess water is collected in a water collector or separator located below the heat exchanger region.
  • the humidified device and water separator described have disadvantages when used in an automotive application, in particular, in coping with the g-forces which occur during cornering and changes in angular position of the vehicle when the vehicle is on a sloping surface. This can lead to inefficient drainage and reduced water separation. Thus, excess water can lie on the bottom of the separator where it can be re-entrained by the gas flow and, in extreme conditions, an excess of water can enter the fuel cell, reducing its efficiency.
  • One object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying apparatus incorporating a water separator, which is much less sensitive to g-forces than the known device.
  • the humidification apparatus in which an atomized liquid is combined with a gas flow in a spray chamber to humidify the gas.
  • the combined atomized liquid and gas are passed through a gas flow passage which comprises a generally U-shaped passage having a first generally vertical part through which the atomized liquid and gas stream pass to a lower part. From there, the gas stream passes generally vertically upwardly to an outlet.
  • the lower part of the passage incorporates an opening through which excess water separated out from the gas stream can pass to a water separator.
  • the opening is closable by a float device, or includes a water flow control valve which permits water to flow into the chamber but substantially impedes water flow from the chamber back into the gas flow passage.
  • the float device controls a drain valve which controls the flow of liquid out of the water separator.
  • the opening is at the lowermost part of the gas flow passage, and is relatively small compared to the cross-section of the passage and that of the water separator chamber (reservoir). In this way, water readily drains through into the water separator and reduces the amount of water that is exposed to the gas flow and is subject to possible re-entrainment.
  • the water in the water separator is preferably transferred for use elsewhere in the fuel cell operating system for, for example, humidifying the incoming gas.
  • the water separator chamber is substantially square or rectangular in plan view having a planar top wall which, in the installed condition on a vehicle is substantially horizontal.
  • Four openings are located adjacent the four corners of the top wall, which forms the lower wall of the lowermost part of the gas flow passage.
  • each of the four openings includes a flow control valve incorporating a baffle to restrict the flow of water in a direction from the chamber to the gas passage.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas flow passage in a humidifier, together with a water separator;
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 ;
  • FIGS. 3 a 3 b, and 3 c show schematically in plan view, three alternative layouts of single, double, and multi-outlet designs of water separator;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 c.
  • FIG. 5 is a detail view of a water flow control valve used in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 c and 4 .
  • FIG. 1 shows a gas flow passage 1 of a fuel gas humidifier, together with a water separator 2 .
  • a fuel gas humidifier typically hydrogen
  • fuel gas for a fuel cell typically hydrogen
  • atomized water in a spray chamber.
  • the combined fuel gas and atomized water (which consists of a large number of water droplets) passes through a heat exchanger, where the water droplets are partially evaporated to humidify the gas and partially condensed into water and larger water droplets.
  • the combined gas and atomized water and the water droplets then pass through a generally U-shaped flow passage, first passing downwardly through a first generally vertically disposed gas flow passage section 3 to reach the lowermost part 4 of the passage 1 .
  • the latter is formed in a shaped section having inclined sides 5 to reduce the cross-sectional area of the passage in the downwardly vertical sense.
  • the lowermost part terminates in an opening 6 leading into the water separator chamber 7 .
  • the gas flow is forced through a 180 degree turn to rise up an outlet part 8 of the gas flow passage to an outlet 9 leading to the input of a fuel cell.
  • the opening 6 into the water separator chamber 7 is relatively small compared to be cross-section of the gas flow passage so that the possibility of water droplets being re-entrained by the gas flow is substantially reduced.
  • the opening 6 is generally on the centerline of the water separator chamber 7 and is also much smaller than the cross-sectional area of the water separator chamber, to reduce the possibility of water in the separator chamber re-entering the gas flow passage when the vehicle's motion generates g-forces that disturb the water in the chamber.
  • the chamber may incorporate baffles to reduce the tendency of the liquid in the chamber to surge excessively.
  • the efficiency of separating out the water droplets from the humidified gas stream is increased because the effect of gravitational forces, which tend to draw the water droplets downwardly, is increased by the reversal of the gas flow. That is, the greater mass of the water droplets compared to the gas increases the rate at which they drop out of the gas, in the manner of a centrifugal separator.
  • the opening 6 from the gas flow passage into the water separator 7 is controlled by a float 10 in the shape of a ball which is adapted to close off the opening 6 if the water in the water separator rises above a predetermined level. Should this occur, the float 10 also may serve to operate a valve (not shown) which opens to allow water to drain out of the separator. In normal operation, the condensed water is drawn out of the water separator by a pump and recirculated to humidify the incoming fuel gas or oxidant supplied to be fuel cell.
  • the present design having the U-shaped gas flow passage with the narrow opening to the water separator placed immediately beneath, enables the overall size and height of the humidifier/water separator assembly to be reduced substantially compared with the known devices referred to earlier.
  • the design also facilitates the draining of all water out of the system so that it is far less likely to be damaged by ice formation when the vehicle is not in use under freezing conditions.
  • the use of floats to close the opening into the water separator chamber has further advantages when water from both sides of the fuel cell (that is, the fuel gas side and the airflow side) can be vented into a common water separator chamber.
  • the use of the floats to close the openings to the gas flow passages serves to prevent the two different gases from entering the wrong passage from the water separator chamber.
  • FIG. 2 shows an arrangement in which two water separator chambers 7 a and 7 b are provided spaced across the lowermost part of the gas flow passage 4 .
  • two flow passages may be provided side-by-side in a common housing: one for humidifying the fuel gas, and the other for humidifying the air supply providing the oxidant for the fuel cell. In this case, excess water in the process gases on both sides of the membrane are vented into a common water separator chamber.
  • FIG. 3 a shows the opening of a single chamber water separator
  • FIG. 3 b shows two openings which lead into a common water separator chamber 7 (although they may lead into separate chambers)
  • FIG. 3 c shows an arrangement having four openings all opening into a common water separator chamber 7 .
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 c, in which four openings 6 open into a common water separator chamber 7 .
  • the four openings are spaced apart towards the four corners of the chamber 7 which is substantially square or rectangular in plan.
  • the openings in this embodiment each incorporate a water flow control valve 13 , further details of which are shown in FIG. 5 .
  • the control valves 13 have a venturi-shaped bore with a center section 14 of reduced diameter, and tapered inlet and outlet sections 15 and 16 .
  • the lower end of the center section adjacent to the chamber 7 has a flow-restricting baffle 17 with one or more bores of a relatively small diameter. In this way, water impinging on the top wall 18 of the chamber 7 , which forms the lower wall of the gas flow passage 3 , can flow down through the control valves, but the baffle 17 serves effectively to prevent water rising up back into the gas flow passage.
  • the wall 18 When the apparatus is installed in a vehicle, the wall 18 is located substantially in a horizontal position.
  • the use of four spaced apart flow control valves ensures that whether the vehicle is tilted laterally from one side to the other or fore and aft, or is subjected to g-forces laterally or fore and aft, any water separating out from the gas stream will flow on to an area of the wall 18 containing an open control valve so that the water can drain down into the chamber 7 .
  • this arrangement it has been found that although a degree of gas can pass into the chamber 7 , this does not affect the efficient functioning of the separator.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Fuel Cell (AREA)
  • Air Humidification (AREA)
US12/438,096 2006-09-13 2006-09-13 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow Abandoned US20090317690A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/556,299 US8408524B2 (en) 2006-09-13 2012-07-24 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2006/008904 WO2008031442A1 (en) 2006-09-13 2006-09-13 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/556,299 Division US8408524B2 (en) 2006-09-13 2012-07-24 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow

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US20090317690A1 true US20090317690A1 (en) 2009-12-24

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US12/438,096 Abandoned US20090317690A1 (en) 2006-09-13 2006-09-13 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow
US13/556,299 Expired - Fee Related US8408524B2 (en) 2006-09-13 2012-07-24 Apparatus for humidifying a gas flow

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Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (2) US20090317690A1 (https=)
EP (1) EP2062314B1 (https=)
JP (1) JP5307010B2 (https=)
CA (1) CA2659517C (https=)
DE (1) DE602006020790D1 (https=)
WO (1) WO2008031442A1 (https=)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102011120536A1 (de) * 2011-12-08 2013-06-13 Daimler Ag Flüssigkeitsabscheider für ein Brennstoffzellensystem
DE102013007207A1 (de) * 2013-04-25 2014-10-30 Daimler Ag Vorrichtung zur Aufbereitung von Luft

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2178389A (en) * 1937-06-09 1939-10-31 Bentley Stephen Humidifying apparatus
US2812827A (en) * 1956-06-28 1957-11-12 Black Sivalls & Bryson Inc Gas dehydration process and apparatus
US2858903A (en) * 1955-01-11 1958-11-04 Madeleine Fallon Methods for the treatment of industrial aerosols
US3766717A (en) * 1972-06-12 1973-10-23 Josam Dev Inc Particle collector for cleaning gases
US3788043A (en) * 1970-10-15 1974-01-29 Metallgesellschaft Ag Absorber for sulfur trioxide
US4023938A (en) * 1973-10-17 1977-05-17 Bayer Aktiengesellschaft Process for dehydrating gas with sulfuric acid
US20020086194A1 (en) * 2000-06-07 2002-07-04 Janusz Blaszczyk Method and apparatus for humidifying a gas flow and to a method for using such a device
US6579637B1 (en) * 2000-05-31 2003-06-17 General Motors Corporation Fuel cell system having a compact water separator

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US4409005A (en) * 1981-07-06 1983-10-11 Mckendrick Lorne J Method and apparatus for separating liquid and solid contaminants from a flowing gas
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USRE32989E (en) * 1985-02-08 1989-07-18 La-Man Corporation Air line vapor trap
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JP4374782B2 (ja) * 2001-01-18 2009-12-02 トヨタ自動車株式会社 車載用燃料電池システム及びその制御方法
DE10129098A1 (de) * 2001-06-16 2003-01-09 Ballard Power Systems Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Abscheiden von Flüssigkeit aus einem Gasstrom
JP2004060729A (ja) * 2002-07-26 2004-02-26 Osaka Gas Co Ltd ドレイン抜き装置
JP5044881B2 (ja) * 2003-05-14 2012-10-10 トヨタ自動車株式会社 燃料電池システム
CN1291514C (zh) * 2003-07-15 2006-12-20 松下电器产业株式会社 燃料电池发电装置
JP2005071926A (ja) * 2003-08-27 2005-03-17 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd 燃料電池システム
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US8187756B2 (en) * 2004-09-06 2012-05-29 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Fuel cell system
JP4564341B2 (ja) * 2004-11-24 2010-10-20 本田技研工業株式会社 気液分離装置
JP4520898B2 (ja) * 2005-04-26 2010-08-11 本田技研工業株式会社 燃料電池自動車および燃料電池自動車の水排出方法

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2178389A (en) * 1937-06-09 1939-10-31 Bentley Stephen Humidifying apparatus
US2858903A (en) * 1955-01-11 1958-11-04 Madeleine Fallon Methods for the treatment of industrial aerosols
US2812827A (en) * 1956-06-28 1957-11-12 Black Sivalls & Bryson Inc Gas dehydration process and apparatus
US3788043A (en) * 1970-10-15 1974-01-29 Metallgesellschaft Ag Absorber for sulfur trioxide
US3766717A (en) * 1972-06-12 1973-10-23 Josam Dev Inc Particle collector for cleaning gases
US4023938A (en) * 1973-10-17 1977-05-17 Bayer Aktiengesellschaft Process for dehydrating gas with sulfuric acid
US6579637B1 (en) * 2000-05-31 2003-06-17 General Motors Corporation Fuel cell system having a compact water separator
US20020086194A1 (en) * 2000-06-07 2002-07-04 Janusz Blaszczyk Method and apparatus for humidifying a gas flow and to a method for using such a device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE602006020790D1 (https=) 2011-04-28
CA2659517C (en) 2012-05-22
JP2010503955A (ja) 2010-02-04
EP2062314A1 (en) 2009-05-27
US8408524B2 (en) 2013-04-02
JP5307010B2 (ja) 2013-10-02
US20120288773A1 (en) 2012-11-15
CA2659517A1 (en) 2008-03-20
WO2008031442A1 (en) 2008-03-20
EP2062314B1 (en) 2011-03-16

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Owner name: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES INC., MICHIGAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BLASZCZYK, JANUSZ;REEL/FRAME:023326/0024

Effective date: 20090206

Owner name: DAIMLER AG, GERMANY

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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC;REEL/FRAME:026290/0784

Effective date: 20101208

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

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