| CPC F01N 1/02 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04111 (2013.01); H01M 8/04156 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] | 10 Claims |
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1. A broadband resonator for a fuel cell compressor, comprising:
a resonator housing having at least one radially inner enclosing surface, enclosing a resonator insert receiving chamber therein;
a resonator insert installed into the resonator insert receiving chamber, the resonator insert comprising:
a tubular pipe elongated along a central axis from a first axial end to a second axial end, the tubular pipe having a circumferential outer wall,
wherein a radial interior of the tubular pipe forms a gas flow duct for guiding a fuel cell gas flow through the broadband resonator from an inlet opening at the first axial end to an outlet opening at the second axial end;
a plurality of annular disk-shaped walls provided on and projecting radially outwardly from the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe, adjacent ones of the annular disk-shaped walls spaced axially part from each other to define resonator chambers therebetween,
wherein the annular disk-shaped walls are eccentrically positioned on the tubular pipe such that the tubular pipe is positioned eccentrically within the resonator insert receiving chamber, such that a lower portion of the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe is positioned substantially proximate to the radially inner enclosing surface of the resonator housing at a distance d1, while an upper portion of the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe is positioned further away from the radially inner enclosing surface of the resonator housing at a distance d2, with d2>d1, such that a resonance volume of the resonator chambers is arranged substantially at the upper portion of the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe;
wherein the tubular pipe is provided with a plurality of resonator chamber entry holes spaced apart and extending radially through the circumferential outer wall into the resonance volume of respective resonator chambers,
wherein the plurality of resonator chamber entry holes are arranged in the upper portion of the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe;
wherein the annular disk-shaped walls have an outer circumference which closes against a radially inner surface of the resonator housing to divide a volume of the resonator insert receiving chamber into resonator chambers separated by the annular disk-shaped walls;
wherein the plurality of resonator chamber entry holes cooperate with the resonator chambers to provide a designed amplitude frequency spectrum response of the broadband resonator, modifying or attenuating fuel cell compressor noise;
wherein the broadband resonator further includes an entrained water removal system preventing entrained water from accumulating in the resonator chambers, preventing an undesirable detuning of the designed amplitude frequency spectrum response, the entrained water removal system comprising:
a notch openings formed in the annular disk-shaped walls, the notch openings extending radially inwardly from the outer circumference of the annular disk-shaped walls;
wherein entrained water drains from a lower portion of the resonator chambers through the notch openings and along the lower portion of the resonator chambers, forming a drainage channel draining water towards the outlet opening at the second axial end;
wherein the lower portion of the circumferential outer wall of the tubular pipe further includes an entrained water re-entry hole positioned proximate to the outlet opening at the second axial end of the tubular pipe and in fluid communication with the drainage channel;
wherein entrained water removed from the resonator chambers re-enters an interior of the tubular pipe proximate to the outlet opening through the entrained water re-entry hole so as to exit the broadband resonator through the outlet opening together with the fuel cell gas flow.
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