ACID FUEL CELL CONDENSING HEAT EXCHANGER

• Main Authors: KOWALSKI JOHN W, ISOM JOSHUA D, RAMASWAMY SITARAM, SAITO KAZUO, DUFNER BRYAN F, BROWN RICARDO O
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.01.2012
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OFGENERAL APPLICATION; ELECTRICITY; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; WEAPONS

A heat exchanger for a fuel cell includes first and second heat exchanger portions that provide a fluid flow passage. The second heat exchanger portion is arranged downstream from the first heat exchanger portion. The first and second heat exchanger portions include a coolant flow passage, which is provided by tubes in one example. The first and second heat exchanger portions are configured to transfer heat between the fluid flow and coolant flow passages. The first heat exchanger portion is configured to provide a first heat transfer rate capacity. The second heat exchanger portion includes a second heat transfer rate capacity that is greater than the first heat transfer rate capacity. In one example, the first heat exchanger portion includes tubes and does not include any fins, and the second heat exchanger includes spaced apart fins supporting the tubes.