Patent ID: 8216728

Claim:
A device ( 10 ) for a fuel cell system for controlling the temperature and humidity content of the inlet air supplied via a compressor ( 1 ) and the reaction gases as exhaust gas ( 18 ) discharged from the fuel cell ( 6 ), wherein the compressor ( 1 ) compresses inlet air to temperature above the operating temperature region of the fuel cell system, wherein exhaust gas ( 18 ) of the fuel cell ( 6 ) is used for cooling and humidifying the compressed inlet air ( 11 ) by refeed via membranes ( 5 ), wherein membrane bundles ( 14 ) are mounted in a functional unit ( 10 ) for cooling and humidification, wherein the membranes of the membrane bundle ( 14 ) consist of high temperature-resistant material, wherein the functional unit ( 10 ) has flow chambers ( 15 , 16 ) on the one hand, via which the compressed inlet air ( 11 ) in contact with the membrane bundle ( 14 ) is guided in the direction of the fuel cell ( 6 ), and on the other hand a shell volume ( 13 ) through which the exhaust gas ( 18 ) of the fuel cell ( 6 ) is guided in a counterflow through the functional unit ( 10 ) via the membrane bundle ( 14 ), and wherein the functional unit ( 10 ) has means ( 20 , 21 ) for controlling condensate in the shell volume ( 13 ).