Enthalpy exchanger
AssigneeCore Energy Recovery Solultions Inc.
InventorsCurtis Warren Mullen, David Erwin Kadylak, Christopher Robert Barr, James Franklin Dean, Guy Timothy Pearson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat and humidity exchanger comprises panels made up of membrane sheets attached on either side of a separator. Channels extend across each panel between the separator and the membrane sheets. The panels are much stiffer than the membrane sheets. Panels are stacked in a spaced apart relationship to provide an ERV core. Spacing between adjacent panels may be smaller than a thickness of the panels.
Claims13
A heat and moisture exchanger comprising a plurality of panels, each of the panels comprising:
- a flow field insert having a first face and an opposing second face;
- and
- a water-vapor permeable membrane material in contact with the first face and the opposing second face of the flow field insert, the flow field insert and the water-vapor permeable membrane material cooperating to define first channels for carrying a first fluid flow in a first direction through each of the panels, the first fluid flow parallel to the first face and the opposing second face of the flow field insert;
- wherein the panels are stacked in a parallel spaced-apart relationship with elongate spacers interposed between adjacent panels, the elongate spacers spaced apart from one another such that the panels and elongate spacers define second channels for carrying a second fluid flow in between adjacent panels in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
A fuel cell humidifier comprising a plurality of panels, each of the panels comprising:
- a flow field insert having a first face and an opposing second face;
- and
- a water-vapor permeable membrane material in contact with the first face and the opposing second face of the flow field insert, the flow field insert and the water-vapor permeable membrane material cooperating to define first channels for carrying a first fluid flow in a first direction through each of the panels, the first fluid flow parallel to the first face and the opposing second face of the flow field insert;
- wherein the panels are stacked in a parallel spaced-apart relationship with elongate spacers interposed between adjacent panels, the elongate spacers spaced apart from one another such that the panels and elongate spacers define second channels for carrying a second fluid flow in between adjacent panels in a second direction transverse to the first direction;
- the fuel cell humidifier further comprising:
- a first inlet port and a first outlet port, the first inlet port fluidly connected to the first outlet port by the first channels, said first inlet port for connecting to a cathode outlet port of a fuel cell assembly;
- a second inlet port and a second outlet port, the second inlet port fluidly connected to the second outlet port by said second channels, said second inlet port for connecting to a cathode inlet port of a fuel cell assembly
- wherein the panels have a panel thickness, the second channels each have a width of at least 20 times the panel thickness, and the elongate spacers interposed between adjacent panels are spaced apart from one another by a distance in a range of 30 to 100 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.