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US 2025/0170534 A1Published application
Humidification system and method for a process gas
AssigneeAts Corporation
InventorsDavid Guiler, Frank Cordovado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A humidification system for a process gas uses a plurality of differently sized steam eductors in order to control a relative humidity of a process gas.
Claims20
A humidification system for a process gas comprising:
- a mixing chamber comprising:
- a process gas inlet;
- a process gas outlet;
- a first steam eductor sized to provide a first range of steam flow rate;
- and
- a second steam educator sized to provide a second range of steam flow rate, with a maximum steam flow rate of the second range greater than the maximum steam flow rate of the first range;
- a first controllable valve connected between the first steam eductor and a steam source;
- a second controllable valve connected between the second steam eductor and the steam source;
- and
- a controller coupled to the first and second controllable valve to independently control a pressure difference across each of the first steam educator and the second steam educator in order to control a relative humidity of the process gas to a desired level between 0% RH and 100% RH when the process gas flows from the process gas inlet to the process gas outlet.
7 more elements
A testing system for testing a fuel cell that uses a cathode gas and an anode gas, the testing system comprising:
- a steam boiler;
- a cathode humidification system for the cathode gas comprising:
- a mixing chamber comprising:
- a cathode gas inlet;
- a cathode gas outlet;
- a first steam eductor sized to provide a first range of steam flow rate;
- and
- a second steam educator sized to provide a second range of steam flow rate, with a maximum steam flow rate of the second range greater than the maximum steam flow rate of the first range;
- a first controllable cathode valve connected between the first steam eductor and the steam boiler;
- and
- a second controllable cathode valve connected between the second steam eductor and the steam boiler;
- an anode humidification system for the anode gas comprising:
- a mixing chamber comprising:
- an anode gas inlet;
- an anode gas outlet;
- a first steam eductor sized to provide a first range of steam flow rate;
- and
- a second steam educator sized to provide a second range of steam flow rate, with a maximum steam flow rate of the second range greater than the maximum steam flow rate of the first range;
- a first controllable anode valve connected between the first steam eductor and the steam boiler;
- and
- a second controllable anode valve connected between the second steam eductor and the steam boiler;
- and
- a controller coupled to the first and second controllable valve to independently control a pressure difference across each of the first cathode steam educator, the second cathode steam educator, the first anode steam eductor and the second anode steam eductor in order to control a relative humidity of the cathode gas and the anode gas to a desired level between 0% RH and 100% RH.
20 more elements
A method of humidifying a process gas comprising:
- determining a steam flow rate required to provide a target humidification level to the process gas flowing through a mixing chamber;
- determining opening amounts for a plurality of valves each controlling steam flow to a respective steam nozzle of a plurality of steam nozzles in the mixing chamber, the plurality of steam nozzles providing a plurality of different ranges of steam flow rates, wherein the determined openings of the plurality of valves controls steam flow to the plurality of nozzles in order to provide the determined steam flow rate;
- and
- controlling the plurality of valves according to the determined opening amounts.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.