Humidifying gas induction or supply system

Water vapor is introduced into an inlet air stream (16) of an engine (12), for example, by a pervaporation process through a non-porous hydrophilic membrane (18). A water reservoir (20), which can contain contaminated water, provides a vapor pressure gradient across the hydrophilic membrane (18) int...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors YOUNG MARK ANDREW, TONKIN MARK CHRISTOPHER, SCHUCHARDT MARK ELDEN
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 28.01.2003
Edition7
Subjects
AIR
AIR SUPPLY
AIR-CONDITIONING, AIR-HUMIDIFICATION, VENTILATION, USE OF AIRCURRENTS FOR SCREENING
BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
BLASTING
COMBUSTION APPARATUS
COMBUSTION ENGINES
COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
COMBUSTION PROCESSES
DRAUGHT-INDUCING
ELECTRICITY
HEATING
HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES
LIGHTING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
METHODSOR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUELOR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
RANGES
SEPARATION
SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL, WITH COMBUSTIBLEMIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
SUPPLYING NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID OR GAS
TRANSPORTING
VENTILATING
WEAPONS
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Summary:Water vapor is introduced into an inlet air stream (16) of an engine (12), for example, by a pervaporation process through a non-porous hydrophilic membrane (18). A water reservoir (20), which can contain contaminated water, provides a vapor pressure gradient across the hydrophilic membrane (18) into the inlet air stream (16), while the rate of delivery of the water vapor to a cylinder (38-40) is self-regulated by the rate of flow of air across the membrane. The hydrophilic membrane (18) therefore also filters the water from the water reservoir (20) to an extent that pure water vapor is provided to the air inlet stream (16). Delivery of water vapor can nevertheless be controlled using a hood (26) that slides over the hydrophilic membrane to limit its exposed surface area. Alternatively, water vapor is introduced into one or more of the gas streams of a fuel cell by separating the gas stream from the wet exhaust gas stream by a hydrophilic membrane such that moisture passes across the membrane to moisten the gas stream and thereby prevent drying out of the proton exchange membrane.
Bibliography:Application Number: US19990369803