Humidification cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634338-B2
Application number	US-86756809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2009
Priority date	Feb 13, 2008
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A humidification cell of a fuel cell apparatus includes a first outer plate and a second outer plate. A gas chamber, a humidification chamber and a water-permeable membrane separating the two chambers, are disposed between the first outer plate and the second outer plate, starting from the first outer plate. A first water-permeable support element that prevents fibers from detaching and also prevents medium flows from blocking narrow gas outlets, is disposed between the first outer plate and the membrane in such a way that the first support element is made of a filter material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A humidification cell of a fuel cell apparatus, the humidification cell comprising:
a first outer plate and a second outer plate;
a gas chamber;
a humidification water chamber;
a water-permeable membrane separating said gas and humidification water chambers;
starting from said first outer plate, said gas chamber, said humidification water chamber and said water-permeable membrane, being disposed between said first outer plate and said second outer plate; and
a first water-permeable support element disposed between said first outer plate and said membrane, said first support element being made from a screen fabric;
said membrane having a rigidity;
said screen fabric and said membrane being matched to one another and to pressures in said chambers adjoining said membrane with regard to said thickness and said diameter of said pores of said screen fabric and with regard to said rigidity of said membrane, for preventing said membrane from squeezing through said pores and coming into contact with at least one of said outer plates, during operation of the humidification cell;
said screen fabric having a thickness and pores with a diameter; and
said diameter of said pores and said thickness of said screen fabric being in a ratio of from 1:2 to 1:5.

2. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , which further comprises a second water-permeable support element disposed between said membrane and said second outer plate, said second support element also being made from a screen fabric.

3. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said first outer plate, said first support element, said membrane, said second support element and said second outer plate respectively rest against one another.

4. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element is formed of plastics.

5. The humidification cell according to claim 4 , wherein said plastics are formed of a polypropylene or of polyester.

6. The humidification cell according to claim 4 , wherein said plastics are polyetheretherketone or polysulfone.

7. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein:
said screen fabric of said second support element has a thickness and pores with a diameter;
said membrane has a rigidity; and
said screen fabric of said second support element and said membrane are matched to one another and to pressures in said chambers adjoining said membrane with regard to said thickness and said diameter of said pores of said screen fabric of said second support element and with regard to said rigidity of said membrane, for preventing said membrane from squeezing through said pores and coming into contact with at least one of said outer plates, during operation of the humidification cell.

8. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has a thickness and pores with a diameter, and said diameter and said thickness are in a ratio of from 1:2 to 1:5.

9. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has a thickness and pores with a diameter, and said diameter and said thickness are in a ratio of from 1:3 to 1:4.

10. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has pores with a diameter of from 50 μm to 150 μm.

11. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has pores with a diameter of from 90 μm to 110 μm.

12. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has a thickness of from 200 μm to 500 μm.

13. The humidification cell according to claim 2 , wherein said screen fabric of said second support element has a thickness of from 300 μm to 400 μm.

14. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said screen fabric is formed of plastics.

15. The humidification cell according to claim 14 , wherein said plastics are formed of a polypropylene or of polyester.

16. The humidification cell according to claim 14 , wherein said plastics are polyetheretherketone or polysulfone.

17. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said diameter and said thickness are in a ratio of from 1:3 to 1:4.

18. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said pores of said screen fabric have a diameter of from 50 μm to 150 μm.

19. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said pores of said screen fabric have a diameter of from 90 μm to 110 μm.

20. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said thickness of said screen fabric is from 200 μm to 500 μm.

21. The humidification cell according to claim 1 , wherein said thickness of said screen fabric is from 300 μm to 400 μm.

Assignees

• Brandt Torsten
• Datz Armin
• Hammerschmidt Albert
• Latzel Silke
• Lersch Josef
• Mattejat Arno
• Stuehler Walter
• Voitlein Ottmar
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Brandt Torsten
• Datz Armin
• Hammerschmidt Albert
• Latzel Silke
• Lersch Josef
• Mattejat Arno
• Stuehler Walter
• Voitlein Ottmar

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04149 Primary

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title