IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0801916
(2001-03-09)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Cargnelli, Joe
- Gopal, Ravi B.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
18 |
초록
▼
A method for humidifying and controlling the temperature of a process gas stream comprising the steps of super-saturating and heating the process gas stream with steam until it reaches a first pre-set temperature; cooling the process gas stream until it reaches a second pre-set temperature; removing
A method for humidifying and controlling the temperature of a process gas stream comprising the steps of super-saturating and heating the process gas stream with steam until it reaches a first pre-set temperature; cooling the process gas stream until it reaches a second pre-set temperature; removing excess condensed water from the process gas stream; and heating the process gas stream until it reaches a third pre-set temperature. An apparatus for implementing this method is also disclosed.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of humidifying a process gas stream, the method comprising;(a) humidifying the process gas stream at a first temperature so as to provide the process gas stream with excess humidity;(b) cooling the process gas stream at a second temperature, lower than the first temperature, to cause con
1. A method of humidifying a process gas stream, the method comprising;(a) humidifying the process gas stream at a first temperature so as to provide the process gas stream with excess humidity;(b) cooling the process gas stream at a second temperature, lower than the first temperature, to cause condensation of excess moisture;(c) removing excess condensed moisture from the process gas stream;(d) delivering the process gas stream at a known temperature, whereby the relative humidity level in the process gas stream is determined from the ratio of the saturation pressures at the second and said known temperatures;(e) providing a fuel cell with an outlet for an exhausted gas stream; and(f) transferring enthalpy, including heat and moisture from the exhausted gas stream to the process gas stream, prior to step (b), thereby to heat the process gas stream and increase the absolute humidity of the process gas stream. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (d) includes heating the process gas stream to a third temperature greater than the second temperature. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, which includes delivering the process gas stream through a supply line to the fuel cell and heating the supply line with a heating element to maintain the process gas stream at the third temperature. 4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said process gas stream comprises a fuel gas stream and wherein the method additionally includes:(i) providing an oxidant gas stream;(ii) humidifying the oxidant gas stream at a fourth temperature, so as to provide the oxidant gas stream with excess humidity;(iii) cooling the oxidant gas stream to a fifth temperature lower than the fourth temperature, to cause condensation of excess moisture;(iv) removing excess condensed moisture from the oxidant gas stream;(v) delivering the oxidant gas stream at a second known temperature to the fuel cell, whereby the relative humidity level in the oxidant gas stream is determined from the ratio of the saturation pressures at the fourth and said second known temperatures. 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, in which step (v) includes heating the oxidant gas stream to a sixth temperature greater than the fifth temperature, and delivering the oxidant gas stream through a second supply line while maintaining the oxidant gas stream at the sixth temperature. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, which includes heating the second supply line with a heating element, to maintain the temperature of the oxidant gas stream. 7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 , 3 , and 5 - 8 which includes humidifying the process gas stream in step (a) by supplying steam into the process gas stream. 8. A method as claimed in claim 4, which includes supplying steam to both the fuel gas stream and the oxidant gas stream so as both to heat and to humidify the gas streams and so as to supersaturate the gas streams. 9. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fuel cell includes a second outlet for an exhausted oxidant gas stream, and wherein the method includes transferring enthalpy, including heat and moisture, from the exhausted oxidant gas stream to the oxidant gas stream prior to step (iii). 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel cell includes both a fuel gas stream and an oxidant stream, wherein the process gas stream comprises one of the fuel and oxidant streams, and wherein the method includes transferring the enthalpy from the exhausted process gas stream to at least one of the fuel and oxidant streams upstream from the fuel cell. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said process gas stream comprises the fuel gas stream, and wherein the method comprises transferring the enthalpy from exhausted fuel gas to the incoming fuel gas. 12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 , 3 , and 5 wherein the first temperature is in the range 10° C. to 120° C. 13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second temperature is in the range 5° C. to 115° C. 14. A method as claimed in claim 3 or 5 wherein the first temperature is in the range 10° C. to 120° C., wherein the second temperature is in the range 5° C. to 115° C., wherein the third temperature is in the range 10° C. to 120° C., and wherein the relative humidity of the process gas stream at the third temperature is in the range of 0 to 100%. 15. A method as claimed in claim 5 or 13 which includes providing the fuel cell with a proton exchange membrane. 16. A method as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6 , herein, each of the first and fourth temperatures is in the range 10° C. to 120° C., wherein each of the second and fifth temperatures is in the range 5° C. to 115° C.; wherein each of the third and sixth temperatures is in the range 10° C. to 120° C., and wherein the relative humidity of each of the process gas stream and the oxidant gas stream is in the range 0 to 100%.
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