How a Fuel Cell Humidifier Adjusts Air Moisture with a Bypass
This patent describes a fuel cell humidifier that uses a special bypass path to precisely control how much moisture is added to dry air, improving fuel cell performance.
Original patent title: “Humidifier for fuel cell”
This patent describes a fuel cell humidifier that uses a special bypass path to precisely control how much moisture is added to dry air, improving fuel cell performance. Granted to Kolon Industries in 2023 with 9 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2040.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a humidifier for a fuel cell (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). It includes a housing with a moist air supply port and a moist air discharge port. Inside, a humidifying membrane allows dry air to flow along its interior. The key feature is a "bypass flow path" (Claim 1) formed in the housing. This path allows a portion of the moist air to flow directly from the supply port to the discharge port without passing through the humidifying membrane. By changing the cross-sectional area of this bypass path (Claim 2), the humidifier can adjust the amount of humidification and the pressure difference across the device. For example, a controller can decrease the bypass area by moving a blocking member downward when the fuel cell needs more humidity (Claim 8), forcing more moist air through the membrane.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Humidifiers that do not include a bypass flow path specifically for moist air.
- Humidifiers where the bypass path is not used to adjust humidification or differential pressure based on operating conditions.
- Humidifiers that do not specifically use a humidifying membrane for dry air flow.
- Systems where the cross-sectional area of the bypass flow path cannot be changed selectively (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 2).
- Humidifiers not designed for integration with a fuel cell stack.
- Humidifiers that lack a controller to dynamically adjust the bypass based on humidity (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 6).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever part is using a bypass path for *moist air* to continuously flow around the humidifying membrane, allowing for dynamic adjustment of humidification and differential pressure based on the fuel cell's operating needs. This offers a way to fine-tune performance without completely redesigning the core humidification process.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles like the Hyundai NEXO
Stationary fuel cell power generators for buildings
Portable fuel cell devices for backup power
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Fuel cells require precise humidity levels to operate efficiently and prevent damage to their membranes. Too little moisture can dry out the membrane, reducing performance, while too much can flood the cell. This patent's method of dynamically adjusting humidification and differential pressure allows fuel cells to maintain optimal conditions, leading to better energy efficiency and longer operational life across various environmental and load conditions.
Filed
July 14, 2020
Granted
May 9, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Kolon Industries Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a major player in advanced materials, including membranes for fuel cells. Other companies active in fuel cell component development, such as Ballard Power Systems, Cummins, and Hyundai Mobis, are likely developing or utilizing similar technologies to optimize fuel cell performance and efficiency.
Market impact
This type of technology improves the efficiency and lifespan of fuel cell systems, making them more competitive against traditional power sources. By allowing precise control over humidification, it enables fuel cells to operate more reliably across varying environmental conditions and power demands, which is crucial for their broader adoption in the automotive and stationary power generation sectors.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a humidifier for a fuel cell (Claim 1). It includes a housing with a moist air supply port and a moist air discharge port. Inside, a humidifying membrane allows dry air to flow along its interior. The key feature is a "bypass flow path" (Claim 1) formed in the housing. This path allows a portion of the moist air to flow directly from the supply port to the discharge port without passing through the humidifying membrane. By changing the cross-sectional area of this bypass path (Claim 2), the humidifier can adjust the amount of humidification and the pressure difference across the device. For example, a controller can decrease the bypass area by moving a blocking member downward when the fuel cell needs more humidity (Claim 8), forcing more moist air through the membrane.
The clever bit
The clever part is using a bypass path for *moist air* to continuously flow around the humidifying membrane, allowing for dynamic adjustment of humidification and differential pressure based on the fuel cell's operating needs. This offers a way to fine-tune performance without completely redesigning the core humidification process.
What it does not cover
- Humidifiers that do not include a bypass flow path specifically for moist air.
- Humidifiers where the bypass path is not used to adjust humidification or differential pressure based on operating conditions.
- Humidifiers that do not specifically use a humidifying membrane for dry air flow.
- Systems where the cross-sectional area of the bypass flow path cannot be changed selectively (Claim 2).
- Humidifiers not designed for integration with a fuel cell stack.
- Humidifiers that lack a controller to dynamically adjust the bypass based on humidity (Claim 6).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
6/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$63K – $202K
Midpoint $126K · 13.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
9 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Kim, H. Y., Kim, K. J., AHN, W. J., & OH, Y. S. (2023). How a Fuel Cell Humidifier Adjusts Air Moisture with a Bypass (U.S. Patent No. 11,646,431). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11646431/humidifier-for-fuel-cell
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Fuel Cell Humidifier Adjusts Air Moisture with a Bypass cover?
This patent describes a fuel cell humidifier that uses a special bypass path to precisely control how much moisture is added to dry air, improving fuel cell performance.
Who owns patent US 11646431?
Kolon Industries owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 14, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11646431 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Fuel cells require precise humidity levels to operate efficiently and prevent damage to their membranes. Too little moisture can dry out the membrane, reducing performance, while too much can flood the cell. This patent's method of dynamically adjusting humidification and differential pressure allows fuel cells to maintain optimal conditions, leading to better energy efficiency and longer operational life across various environmental and load conditions.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Humidifiers that do not include a bypass flow path specifically for moist air.
Patent monitoring