Humidifying system for a fuel cell
US6872484B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A fuel cell includes an anode and a cathode, and a fuel gas supplied to the anode and an oxidant gas supplied to the cathode chemically react with each other to generate electricity. Moisture contained in a cathode exhaust gas discharged from the cathode is transferred to the fuel gas in a first humidifier and then to the oxidant gas in a second humidifier. The cathode exhaust gas flows through a cathode exhaust gas passage from the cathode via the first humidifier to the second humidifier. A bypass is provided to the cathode exhaust gas passage to allow part of the cathode exhaust gas to detour round the first humidifier and flow to the second humidifier. Accordingly, the balance between humidification levels of fuel gas and oxidant gas each supplied to the fuel cell may be kept and adjusted properly even when the output of the fuel cell gets higher.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.