Humidifier and fuel cell system having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658688-B2
Application number	US-201816055544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A humidifier includes: moisture permeable members each having a tubular shape; a case housing the moisture permeable members; a first flow path portion in which one of cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows inside the moisture permeable members; a second flow path portion in which the other of the cathode gas and the cathode off-gas flows outside the moisture permeable members within the case; and a temperature sensitive member attached to at least one of the moisture permeable members, deformable in response to temperature, and deforming so as to decrease a gap between the moisture permeable members as the temperature decreases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A humidifier comprising:
moisture permeable members each having a tubular shape;
a case housing the moisture permeable members;
a first flow path portion in which one of cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows inside the moisture permeable members;
a second flow path portion in which the other of the cathode gas and the cathode off-gas flows outside the moisture permeable members within the case; and
a temperature sensitive member attached to at least one of the moisture permeable members, deformable in response to temperature, and deforming so as to decrease a gap between the moisture permeable members as the temperature decreases,
wherein the temperature sensitive member includes at least one of a bimetal and a shape memory alloy.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein
the moisture permeable member is a moisture permeable membrane, and
the temperature sensitive member is attached to at least one of an inside and an outside of a curved portion of the moisture permeable membrane.

3. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein
the moisture permeable members are hollow fiber membranes, and
the temperature sensitive member is curved so as to grasp the hollow fiber membranes.

4. The humidifier of claim 1 , further comprising an element configured to perform at least one of heating and cooling the temperature sensitive member.

5. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive member is a porous body partially exposing the moisture permeable member.

6. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell; and
a humidifier,
wherein the humidifier includes:
moisture permeable members each having a tubular shape;
a case housing the moisture permeable members;
a first flow path portion in which one of cathode gas to be supplied to
a fuel cell and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows inside the moisture permeable members;
a second flow path portion in which the other of the cathode gas and the cathode off-gas flows outside the moisture permeable members within the case; and
a temperature sensitive member attached to at least one of the moisture permeable members, deformable in response to temperature, and deforming so as to decrease a gap between the moisture permeable members as the temperature decreases,
wherein the temperature sensitive member includes at least one of a bimetal and a shape memory alloy.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shinozaki Yoshihiro

Classifications

• G01K5/483

  using materials with a configuration memory, e.g. Ni-Ti alloys · CPC title

• G01K5/62

  the solid body being formed of compounded strips or plates, e.g. bimetallic strip · CPC title

• H01M8/0435

  of cathode exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04835

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04149 Primary

  by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes · CPC title