Gas-liquid separator for separating at least one liquid component from a gaseous component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298651-B2
Application number	US-201816766876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas-liquid separator (2) for separating at least one liquid component, in particular H2O, from a gaseous component, in particular H2, the separator comprising at least one collecting tank (12) which is supplied with a medium, at least the liquid component of the medium being separated into the collecting tank (12), and the separated portion of the medium being discharged from the collecting tank (12) via a discharge valve (46). According to the invention, the gas-liquid separator (2) is integrated into a housing (11) of a recirculation pump (9).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) of a fuel cell system ( 1 ) which comprises a recirculation pump ( 9 ), the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) for separating at least one liquid component from a gaseous component with a collecting tank ( 12 ) which is supplied with a medium including H 2 and H 2 O, wherein at least the liquid component of the medium is separated into the collecting tank ( 12 ), wherein the separated portion of the medium is discharged from the collecting tank ( 12 ) via a discharge valve ( 46 ),
wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) is integrated into a housing ( 11 ) of the recirculation pump ( 9 ), and gas is returned from the collecting tank ( 12 ) via a suction connection ( 29 ) into an inflow channel ( 7 ) or an outflow channel ( 20 ) of the recirculation pump ( 9 ),
wherein the liquid component of the medium comprises H 2 O and the gaseous component of the medium comprises H 2 ,
wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) has a separating edge ( 8 ),
wherein one of the inflow channel ( 7 ) or the outflow channel ( 20 ) has a curvature ( 19 ) with a radius ( 17 ), and
wherein the separating edge ( 8 ) is configured such that, when the medium is flowing through the curvature ( 19 ), the medium meets the separating edge ( 8 ) such that the separating edge ( 8 ) deflects the H 2 O into the collecting tank ( 12 ).

2. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) is arranged downstream of a compressor chamber ( 26 ) of the recirculation pump ( 9 ).

3. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) is in the region of an outlet ( 18 ).

4. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) is arranged upstream of a compressor chamber ( 26 ) of the recirculation pump ( 9 ).

5. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) is in the region of an inlet ( 16 ).

6. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the outflow channel ( 20 ) in a flow direction of the medium has a constriction ( 15 ) and then the curvature ( 19 ).

7. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the radius ( 17 ) is in the region of the separating edge ( 8 ).

8. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the inflow channel ( 7 ) in a flow direction of the medium has a constriction ( 21 ) and then the curvature ( 19 ).

9. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the radius ( 17 ) is in the region of the separating edge ( 8 ).

10. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the medium also includes N 2 , and wherein the medium is accelerated when flowing through the constriction ( 15 ) and the medium undergoes a deflection when flowing through the curvature ( 19 ), such that the H 2 O and the N 2 , because of their mass, undergo a greater deflection, and the H 2 , because of its mass, undergoes a lesser deflection.

11. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a proportion of the H 2 is deflected into the collecting tank ( 12 ).

12. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the suction connection ( 29 ) has a choke element ( 14 ).

13. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a membrane chamber ( 25 ) is situated between the collecting tank ( 12 ) and the suction connection ( 29 ), wherein the membrane chamber ( 23 ) has a membrane insert ( 23 ).

14. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the membrane insert ( 25 ) is configured as a semipermeable membrane ( 34 ), and wherein the H 2 can move through the membrane ( 34 ) while the H 2 O cannot move through the membrane ( 34 ) due to molecular sizes of the H 2 and the H 2 O.

15. The gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the H 2 O and the N 2 is separated from the medium by the gas-liquid separator ( 2 ) via a centrifugal principle.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kurz Michael

Classifications

• H01M8/04164 Primary

  by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters · CPC title

• B01D53/22 Primary

  by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00) · CPC title

• B01D2221/14

  Separation devices for workshops, car or semiconductor industry, e.g. for separating chips and other machining residues · CPC title

• H01M8/04156

  with product water removal · CPC title

• H01M8/04119

  with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying · CPC title