WATER TRANSFER EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT IN A MEMBRANE HUMIDIFIER BY REDUCING DRY AIR INLET TEMPERATURE

• Main Authors: HANNESEN UWE, BECKER MARC, KOENIG CHRISTIAN, SCHUMACHER ERIK, BURCH STEVEN D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.04.2008
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A fuel cell system that employs a heat exchanger and a charge air cooler for reducing the temperature of the cathode inlet air to a fuel cell stack during certain system operating conditions so that the cathode inlet air is able to absorb more moisture in a water vapor transfer unit. The system can include a valve that selectively by-passes the heat exchanger if the cathode inlet air does not need to be cooled to meet the inlet humidity requirements. Alternately, the charge air cooler can be cooled by an ambient airflow.