External gas humidifier for fuel cell
AssigneeIndustrial Technology Research Institute
InventorsLung-Yu Sung, Jar-Lu Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An external gas humidifier for fuel cell transfers recycled high-temperature waste heat produced by the fuel cell to a reactant gas, such as hydrogen or air, which is guided into the external gas humidifier. The heated reactant gas is treated in the external gas humidifier to effectively increase the moisture content of the reactant gas within a shortened time. When the humidified reactant gas enters into the fuel cell, it enables a polymeric membrane in the fuel cell to be well humidified to thereby enhance the power generation efficiency and service life of the fuel cell.
Claims8
An external gas humidifier for fuel cell, said fuel cell being supplied with a reactant gas to generate power and discharge high-temperature waste heat through an electrochemical reaction therein;
- said external gas humidifier comprising:
- a barrel for storing a humidifying liquid therein, and being provided at a top with a gas outlet;
- a preheating serpentine mounted in said barrel, and having an outlet, an inlet, and a middle coiled section between said outlet and said inlet;
- said reactant gas being guided into said barrel via said inlet of said preheating serpentine, and said coiled section being immersed in said humidifying liquid stored in said barrel;
- and
- a gas disperser provided in said barrel near a bottom thereof, so that a gas chamber is formed in said barrel below said gas disperser, and said humidifying liquid is isolated from said gas chamber by said gas disperser;
- wherein said outlet of said preheating serpentine is located in said gas chamber, so that said reactant gas is guided into said gas chamber via said outlet and enters into said humidifying liquid via said gas disperser in the form of tiny bubbles, and said tiny bubbles then leave said barrel via said gas outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.