Plate-style water vapor transfer unit with integral headers

摘要

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.

主权项

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; anda 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.