Hyun Yoo Kim

Humidification of Air Using Water Injector and Cyclonic Separator

Humidification of PEM fuel cells is necessary for enhancing their performance and lifetime. In this study, a humidification system was designed and tested; the system includes an air-supply tube (inner diameter: 75 mm) through which a nozzle can be directly inserted and a cyclonic separator for the removal of water droplets. Three types of nozzles were employed to study the influence of injection pressure, air flow rate, and spray direction on the humidification performance. To evaluate the humidification performance, the concept of humidification efficiency was defined. In the absence of an external heat source, latent heat for evaporation will be supplied by the own enthalpies of water and air. Thus, the amount of water sprayed from the nozzle is the most critical factor affecting the humidification efficiency. Water droplets were efficiently removed by a cyclonic separator, but re-entrainment occurred at high air flow rates. The absolute humidity and humidification efficiency were 21.29 kJ/kgda and 86.57%, respectively, under the following conditions: nozzle type PJ24; spray direction angle 90°; injection pressure 1200 kPa; air flow rate 6000 Nlpm.