Patent ID: 6953635
Filing Date: 2005-10-11
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A humidifier for fuel cell comprising: a hollow fiber membrane module having a hollow fiber membrane bundle, comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes bundled together, and a housing which accommodates the hollow fiber membrane bundle, the hollow fiber membrane module feeding a reactive gas, which is to be supplied to a fuel cell, inside the housing and outside the hollow fiber membranes, and feeding off-gas, exhausted from the fuel cell, into the hollow fiber membranes, thereby transferring water in the off-gas via the hollow fiber membranes to the reactive gas and humidifying the reactive gas; an off-gas flow entrance which the off-gas flows through into the hollow fiber membrane, the off-gas flow entrance being provided in one end of the hollow fiber membrane module; a liquid exhaust mechanism which exhausts liquid, which has been generated from the off-gas flowing through the off-gas flow entrance; and a water blockage detecting unit which detects water blockage of the hollow fiber membrane in the off-gas flow entrance wherein the liquid exhaust mechanism is controlled in accordance with a detection result of the water blockage detecting unit, is provided below the off-gas flow entrance, and is separate from reactive gas exits from which the reactive gas is exhausted from the humidifier.