Patent ID: 7651799

Claim:
A fuel cell stack air humidification system, comprising: a fuel cell stack having a cathode inlet connected to a source of an oxidant feeding the fuel cell stack and a cathode air/water outlet; a compressor to compress and inject a volume of the oxidant into the fuel cell stack; a humidifier humidifying the volume of the oxidant to approximately 20 to 30 percent relative humidity prior to delivery of the volume of the oxidant to the cathode inlet, the humidifier including a cathode influent connection connected to the cathode air and/or water outlet by a cathode air and/or water outlet line; a charge air cooler positioned downstream of the compressor and upstream of the humidifier, the charge air cooler cooling the volume of oxidant discharged from the compressor prior to injection into the humidifier; a source containing ambient temperature water connected to an inlet line to the humidifier; a cross-connect line connecting the cathode air and/or water outlet line to the feed line; an injection nozzle connected into the inlet line to receive, vaporize and inject the ambient temperature water and cathode gas discharged via the cathode air and/or water outlet line, reducing a temperature of the oxidant by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius; injection of the ambient temperature water via the injection nozzle increasing a water transfer rate of the humidifier and increasing the relative humidity of the oxidant discharged from the humidifier to 50 percent.