Plate-style water vapor transfer unit with integral headers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634340-B2
Application number	US-201213653769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2012
Priority date	Oct 17, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A water vapor transfer unit having fluid flow conduits which distribute wet or dry fluid throughout the water vapor transfer unit, which are created by forming apertures in each wet and dry plate so that when the plates are stacked, fluid flow inlet and outlet headers are integrated into the flow stack. These integrated headers negate the need for traditional wet and dry fluid inlet and outlet manifolds external to the water vapor transfer unit stack. Because the plates are stacked and sealed so that the fluid flows cannot co-mingle, the fluids are introduced directly into the stack, flow across the flow fields, and exit the stack without leakage or flow contamination. The integrated header design allows for sealing the stack on no more than a single plane defined by the stack or on no more than two parallel opposing planes and allows for accommodation of stack expansion and contraction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water-vapor transfer unit for a fuel-cell system, the water-vapor transfer unit comprising:
a plate-stack comprising:
a plurality of dry-side plates and a plurality of wet-side plates being alternately stacked along a stacking dimension,
each dry-side plate and each wet-side plate being generally planar in a planar dimension that is orthogonal to the stacking dimension,
each dry-side plate defining a plurality of dry-side flow channels extending in a first direction along the planar dimension,
each wet-side plate defining a plurality of wet-side flow channels extending in a second direction along the planar dimension,
each dry-side plate being in humidity-exchange communication with at least one respective wet-side plate such that humidity can move between dry-side fluid flowing through the dry-side flow channels and wet-side fluid flowing through the wet-side flow channels,
the plate-stack being sealed about edges of the plate-stack to prevent fluid flow from the edges of the plate-stack;

a plurality of apertures defined through each wet-side plate and each dry-side plate in the stacking dimension, the plurality of apertures having a dry-side aperture group and a wet-side aperture group; and
a sealing plate disposed at a top of the plate-stack, the sealing plate having a plurality of face seals extending therefrom, the plurality of face seals including a wet-side face-seal group and a dry-side face-seal group;

a plurality of dry-side headers extending along the stacking dimension, each of the plurality of dry-side headers defined by respective ones of the dry-side aperture group;
a plurality of wet-side headers extending along the stacking dimension, each of the plurality of wet-side headers defined by respective ones of the wet-side aperture group;
a dry-side integrated fluid conduit for flow of the dry-side fluid therethrough, the dry-side integrated fluid conduit defined by the dry-side face-seal group, the plurality of dry-side headers, and the dry-side flow channels; and
a wet-side integrated fluid conduit for flow of the wet-side fluid therethrough, the wet-side integrated fluid conduit defined by the wet-side face-seal group, the plurality of wet-side headers, and the wet-side flow channels,
wherein the dry-side fluid enters the dry-side integrated fluid conduit through a first dry-side face-seal of the dry-side face-seal group, travels through a first dry-side header of the plurality of dry-side headers along the stacking dimension, is generally distributed through the plurality of dry-side flow channels from the first dry-side header, travels through a second dry-side header of the plurality of dry-side headers along the stacking dimension, and exits through a second dry-side face-seal of the dry-side face-seal group, and
wherein the wet-side fluid enters the wet-side integrated fluid conduit through a first wet-side face-seal of the wet-side face-seal group, travels through a first wet-side header of the plurality of wet-side headers along the stacking dimension, is generally distributed through the plurality of wet-side flow channels from the first wet-side header, travels through a second wet-side header of the plurality of wet-side headers along the stacking dimension, and exits through a second wet-side face-seal of the wet-side face-seal group.

2. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein the dry-side flow channels are disposed generally perpendicular to the wet-side flow channels.

3. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein:
each dry-side plate includes a first edge portion and a second edge portion, the first edge portion and the second edge portion being substantially parallel to the dry-side flow channels, the plurality of dry-side flow channels being disposed between the first edge portion and the second edge portion;
each wet-side plate includes a third edge portion and a fourth edge portion, the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion being substantially parallel to the wet-side flow channels, the plurality of wet-side flow channels being disposed between the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion;
the dry-side aperture group is disposed within the third edge portion and the fourth edge portion of the wet-side plates; and
the wet-side aperture group is disposed within the first edge portion and the second edge portion of the dry-side plates.

4. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 3 , wherein the first edge portions, the second edge portions, the third edge portions, and the fourth edge portions are disposed within a picture-frame edge.

5. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures of the dry-side aperture group are disposed within the plurality of dry-side flow channels and extend orthogonally thereto, and wherein the plurality of apertures of the wet-side aperture group are disposed within the plurality of wet-side flow channels and extend orthogonally thereto.

6. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of dry-side headers and each of the plurality of wet-side headers define a tapered shape along the stacking dimension.

7. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , further comprising a housing defining a cavity, the plate-stack being disposed within the cavity, the plurality of face seals configured to engage the housing and provide a space between the plate-stack and the housing, wherein the plurality of face seals allow expansion and contraction of the plate-stack within the housing by deflecting during a temperature change of the plate-stack while maintaining a substantially fluid-tight connection.

8. The water-vapor transfer unit of claim 1 , further comprising a housing having a plurality of dry-side fluid manifolds and a plurality of wet-side fluid manifolds disposed thereon, the plurality of dry-side fluid manifolds corresponding to the dry-side integrated fluid conduit and the plurality of wet-side fluid manifolds corresponding to the wet-side integrated fluid conduit.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Martinchek David A
• Jermy Ian R
• Guzda Jeffrey M

Classifications

• H01M8/04291 Primary

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

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04141 Primary

  by water containing exhaust gases · CPC title

• H01M8/04149

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

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title