Moisture exchangers: connecting material properties to core performance

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Over the last 4 years, UBC researchers working with CORE have developed predictive models of membranes, flow passages and full ERV cores. The principles in the model could be extended to fuel-cell humidifiers but would require modification to deal with much higher temperatures and operating pressures of oxygen-depleted air streams, near saturation vapor pressures, and Reynolds numbers. Further, the model components have not been integrated into a design tool that can be used by CORE. We propose work that would fill these gaps. Specifically, we need to validate a new composite membrane model that can link polymer properties to humidity- and temperature-dependent membrane models. Next, the membrane models must be used in flow passage resistance correlations, allowing for the effect of surface roughness and channel geometry. The passage models will then be used in core models for counterflow, quasi-counterflow, and crossflow configurations. Finally, the core models will be compared against performance measurements of full cores. We also propose that previous studies of flow channel geometric enhancements be extended to identify optimal geometries for specific applications.