The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2005
Chuanfu Wang, Shenzhen, CN;
Yong Zhou, Shenzhen, CN;
Chuanfu Wang, Shenzhen, CN;
Yong Zhou, Shenzhen, CN;
BYD Company Limited, Shenzhen, CN;
Abstract
The present invention discloses methods and devices for humidifying the proton exchange membranes of fuel cells with water obtained from the exhaust of the fuel cells. Humidifying methods include the following steps: cooling the hot and humid exhaust of the fuel cell to condense the water in the exhaust with the intake gas for the fuel cell; separating the water from the rest of the exhaust, and, delivering the water to the intake gas of the fuel cell. Humidifying devices include an outer shell containing a rotating inner shell. The inside of the inner shell forms a chamber where the exhaust is collected and cooled, and water is condensed and separated by the rotation of the inner shell. Openings on the inner shell allow the condensed water to pass through to one or more chambers containing the intake gas. The chambers are formed by the inside of the outer shell and the outside of the inner shell. Humidifying devices methods and devices of this invention can respond to the varying power output of the fuel cell. They also have high humidifying efficiency, low energy consumption, are cheap to operate, and work well during startup at low temperatures.