Integrated gas management device for a fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031611-B2
Application number	US-201815917955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

An integrated gas management device (GMD) for a fuel cell has a gas-to-gas humidifier for transferring water from a second gas to a first gas; and a heat exchanger attached to a first end of the humidifier core for cooling the first gas. The GMD may optionally have a thermal isolation plate between the heat exchanger and the first end of the humidifier core. The GMD further has a bypass line to allow the first gas to bypass the humidifier. The first gas may be cathode charge air and the second gas may be cathode exhaust.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated gas management device (GMD), comprising:
(a) a gas-to-gas humidifier core comprising:
a stack of humidifier plates separated by moisture-permeable membranes or a bundle of tubes, each of the tubes having a tube wall comprising a water permeable membrane;
one or more first gas flow passages;
one or more second gas flow passages;
a first end and a second end;
a first gas inlet manifold and a first gas outlet manifold in flow communication with the first gas flow passages; and
a second gas inlet manifold and a second gas outlet manifold in flow communication with the second gas flow passages;

wherein the manifolds extend through the humidifier core from the first end to the second end;
(b) a heat exchanger attached to the first end of the humidifier core, the heat exchanger comprising at least one heat exchanger first gas flow passage extending along the length of the heat exchanger and at least one coolant flow passage extending in a counter-flow or co-flow configuration with
the at least one first heat exchanger gas flow passage, the heat exchanger further comprising a first gas outlet opening aligned with the first gas inlet manifold of the humidifier core, the first gas outlet opening through which the at least one first heat exchanger gas flow passage is in flow communication with the first gas inlet manifold of the humidifier core,
a wall of the heat exchanger interior to the GMD forming an end plate of the humidifier core which compresses the humidifier core when assembled;
an exterior wall of the heat exchanger forming an exterior wall of the GMD; and
(c) a second component attached to the second end of the humidifier core, and a wall of the second component forming an exterior wall of the GMD,
a wall of the second component interior to the GMD forming an end plate of the humidifier core which compresses the humidifier core during assembly.

2. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermal isolation plate positioned between the humidifier core and wall of the heat exchanger interior to the GMD, wherein the thermal isolation plate is comprised of a plastic material,
wherein the thermal isolation plate includes a first gas opening through which flow communication is provided between the first gas outlet opening of the heat exchanger and the first gas inlet manifold of the humidifier; and
wherein the thermal isolation plate closes the first gas outlet manifold, the second gas inlet manifold and the second gas outlet manifold at the first end the humidifier core.

3. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , further comprising a bypass line having a first end in flow communication with the first gas inlet manifold of the humidifier core and a second end in flow communication with the first gas outlet manifold of the humidifier core; and wherein the bypass line is located along one of the exterior walls of the GMD formed by the heat exchanger or second component.

4. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , further comprising an anode gas heater for heating a hydrogen-containing reductant gas stream;
wherein the anode gas heater is integrated with the heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchanger is a three-fluid heat exchanger which further comprises at least one reductant gas flow passage.

5. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 ,
wherein the humidifier plates and the membranes of the humidifier stack are sealed to one another by compression; and
wherein the wall of the heat exchanger interior to the GMD and a thermal isolation plate are mechanically attached to the humidifier stack and compress the humidifier core when assembled.

6. The integrated GMD according to claim 5 ,
wherein the humidifier plates comprise flexible plastic plates; and
wherein the heat exchanger comprises a rigid, brazed assembly comprising a stack of plate pairs and the rigid assembly compresses the flexible plastic plates when assembled.

7. The integrated GMD according to claim 5 , further comprising a thermal isolation plate between the humidifier core and the heat exchanger,
wherein the thermal isolation plate is comprised of a plastic material; and
wherein the thermal isolation plate provides a flat sealing surface against which the humidifier stack is compressed.

8. The integrated GMD according to claim 7 , wherein the thermal isolation plate has a thickness of about 0.5-20 mm.

9. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , wherein a rigid structural end plate is attached to the second component.

10. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the heat exchanger which faces away from the humidifier core is provided with a coolant inlet fitting and a coolant outlet fitting, wherein the coolant inlet and outlet fittings are in flow communication with the at least one coolant flow passage of the heat exchanger.

11. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , wherein no structural humidifier end plate is provided between the heat exchanger and the gas-to-gas humidifier core.

12. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , wherein the second component is a water separator.

13. The integrated GMD according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a three-fluid heat exchanger.

14. The integrated GMD according to claim 12 , wherein a first gas inlet is positioned in the wall of the water separator interior to the GMD and the first gas inlet of the water separator is aligned with the first gas outlet manifold of the humidifier core.

15. The integrated GMD according to claim 14 , wherein a second gas inlet is positioned in the wall of the water separator interior to the GMD and the second gas inlet of the water separator is aligned with the second gas outlet manifold of the humidifier core.

16. The integrated GMD according to claim 15 , wherein the water separator comprises a first gas outlet in an exterior wall connected to the first gas inlet in the wall of the water separator interior to the GMD.

17. The integrated GMD according to claim 16 , wherein the water separator comprises a second gas outlet in an exterior wall connected to the second gas inlet in the wall of the water separator interior to the GMD.

18. The integrated GMD according to claim 17 , wherein the second gas contains water vapor, and the second gas flows through the GMD in the following order: into the second gas inlet in the exterior wall of the water separator, into the second gas inlet manifold of the humidifier core, diagonally across the humidifier core, into the second gas outlet manifold of the humidifier core, into the second gas inlet in the wall of the water separator interior to the GMD, through a water separation chamber, and out of the second gas outlet in the exterior wall of the water separator.

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Vanderwees Doug
• Bardeleben Michael
• Stroebel Raimund
• Scherer Joachim
• Glueck Rainer

Classifications

• B01D53/265

  by refrigeration (condensation) · CPC title

• H01M8/04291

  Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems (H01M8/04119 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/04141

  by water containing exhaust gases · CPC title

• H01M8/04074 Primary

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title