Gas humidifying device for use with a fuel cell
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakafumi Okamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas humidifying device for use with a fuel cell in which water permeable membranes are provided with fuel gas passages and oxygen-containing gas passages formed on one side of the water permeable membranes, and wherein humidifying water passages are formed on the other side thereof. Medium supply passages are provided independently from, yet in proximity to the water passages, for supplying a medium having a melting point lower than that of water. Accordingly, a melting operation for melting the water in the interior of the humidifier can be easily and swiftly carried out, while the device remains simple in structure.
Claims8
A gas humidifying device for a fuel cell, in which said humidifying device humidifies a fuel gas and/or an oxygen-containing gas which is supplied to the fuel cell, in which an anode electrode and cathode electrode oppositely face each other with a solid electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween, comprising:
- a water permeable element;
- a gas supply passage formed on one side surface of said water permeable element;
- a humidifying water passage formed on the other side surface of said water permeable element;
- and
- a medium flow passage for supplying a medium having a melting point below that of water which is disposed independently from yet proximate to said humidifying water passage.
A gas humidifying device for humidifying a gas supplied to a fuel cell, comprising:
- a water permeable element;
- a gas supply passage formed on one side surface of said water permeable element;
- a humidifying water passage formed on the other side surface of said water permeable element;
- and
- a medium flow passage disposed sufficiently proximate to said humidifying water passage so as to be in heat exchange relationship with said humidifying water passage, said medium flow passage for circulating a medium therethrough having a temperature higher than 0.degree. C.
A gas humidifying device for humidifying a gas supplied to a fuel cell, comprising:
- a water permeable element;
- a gas supply passage formed on one side surface of said water permeable element for circulating the gas through;
- a humidifying water passage formed on the other side surface of said water permeable element for circulating water through and humidifying the gas by passing through said water permeable element;
- and
- means disposed sufficiently proximate to said humidifying water passage so as to be in heat exchange relationship with said humidifying after passage, said means for heating said humidifying water passage when the water is frozen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.