FC-Series ideal humidification method for fuel cells replacing industrial lead acid batteries
Toms River, NJ (July 1, 2008) – Increased productivity, zero emissions and reduced costs are just a few of the reasons small vehicle manufacturers are looking at fuel cells as an alternative to industrial lead acid batteries.  FC-Series humidifiers from Perma Pure provide the efficient water management critical to the operation of these Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells.  The compact, lightweight units are available in a range of sizes suitable to virtually any transportation application, from wheelchairs and motorbikes to forklifts and trains.

In PEM fuel cells, where incoming gas must be humid, FC-Series humidifiers provide durable, self-contained humidification.  The humidifiers recover water from the fuel cell exhaust and transfer it into the incoming gases by permeation through the walls of Nafion® tubing, a proprietary technology available only from Perma Pure under license from the polymer manufacturer, DuPont.  With no moving parts, there is no parasitic power load on the stack, nor are there any parts that can wear, fail or leak.  The humidifiers provide over 10,000 continuous hours of operation in Class 1 and Class 3 trucks. 

The highly durable devices are shock proof to withstand the vibrations and hard starts and stops inherent in forklift and other vehicle operation.  Additionally, the humidifiers are not damaged by wide swings in temperature, permitting operation in extreme environments such as freezer warehouses.  The lightweight devices are available in a range of models which may be used alone or in parallel to accommodate any application size. 

FC-Series humidifiers are self-limiting and require no controls.  Selective permeation ensures that there is no crossover contamination between the exhaust and incoming gases.  In addition to moisture exchange, Perma Pure’s humidifiers simultaneously function as heat exchangers, recovering waste heat as well as water from the exhaust.