Patent ID: 8722261
Filing Date: 2014-05-13
Classification: B01D,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A recycler for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the recycler comprising: a housing in which a gas-liquid mixture recovered from a stack is accommodated, the housing having an inner wall adjacent to a perimeter thereof; a rotor rotatably mounted in the housing, the rotor having an outer circumference; a gap between the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the rotor; a motor to rotate the rotor, wherein the recycler is configured such that when the rotor is rotated by the motor, a phase separation occurs such that liquid in the gas-liquid mixture is collected mainly in an outer region of the housing due to a centrifugal force and gas is collected in a center region of the housing; a gravitational direction detection sensor to detect an orientation of the housing with respect to a direction of gravity, the gravitational direction detection sensor being operationally connected to the motor to control an operation of the motor according to a detected gravitational direction; a first inlet port at the perimeter of the housing and extending through the inner wall thereof to direct the gas-liquid mixture into an interior of the housing, the first inlet port being so disposed relative to the housing as to direct the gas-liquid mixture into the gap between the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the rotor, a gas outlet port through which the gas collected in the center region of the housing is discharged, and a discharge path connected to the gas outlet port to change the direction of the gas discharged from the gas outlet port to prevent the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture from being discharged with the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture, wherein the discharge path is bent to extend completely around the housing at least one time.