ION EXCHANGER FILTER DEVICE AND ION EXCHANGER CARTRIDGE

Abstract

An ion exchanger filter device has a housing with inflow opening and outflow opening for a medium that penetrate a wall of the housing. An ion exchanger cartridge is arranged in the housing. A flow path for the medium extends from inflow opening through the ion exchanger cartridge to outflow opening. The ion exchanger cartridge has a cartridge container with a receptacle that is delimited by a circumferentially extending wall provided with one or more outflow ports distributed circumferentially about the circumferentially extending wall. The receptacle is filled with ion exchanger material. The outflow ports, relative to the outflow opening, are arranged offset in axial direction of the ion exchanger filter device. The flow path has a deflection downstream of the outflow ports. The outflow ports, relative to a direction of gravity in intended mounting position of the ion exchanger filter device, are arranged axially above the outflow opening.

Claims

1. An ion exchanger filter device comprising: a housing comprising at least one inflow opening and at least one outflow opening for a medium, wherein the at least one inflow opening and the at least one outflow opening penetrate a wall of the housing; an ion exchanger cartridge arranged in the housing, wherein a flow path for the medium extends from the at least one inflow opening through the ion exchanger cartridge to the at least one outflow opening; wherein the ion exchanger cartridge comprises a cartridge container comprising a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is delimited by a circumferentially extending wall comprising one or more outflow ports distributed at or about a circumference of the circumferentially extending wall; wherein the receptacle is filled with an ion exchanger material; wherein the one or more outflow ports, in relation to the at least one outflow opening, are arranged offset in an axial direction of the ion exchanger filter device; wherein the flow path comprises at least one deflection downstream of the one or more outflow ports; wherein the one or more outflow ports, in relation to a direction of gravity in an intended mounting position of the ion exchanger filter device, are arranged in the axial direction above the at least one outflow opening.

2. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the housing that is penetrated by the at least one outlet opening is a jacket wall of the housing.

3. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outflow opening is arranged in an upper third of a housing height of the housing.

4. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more outflow ports are arranged in the axial direction in an upper quarter of the receptacle.

5. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more outflow ports are covered by a screen fabric.

6. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an inflow socket arranged in a lower third of a housing height of the housing.

7. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the ion exchanger cartridge comprises at least one circumferentially extending seal.

8. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one circumferentially extending seal is a seal that seals substantially in a radial direction and is arranged at an axial end region of the ion exchanger cartridge facing away from the one or more outlet ports.

9. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the ion exchanger material is a loose fill.

10. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cover, wherein the cover is embodied as one piece together with the ion exchanger cartridge or the cover is connected with form fit or material fusion to the cartridge container.

11. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 10, wherein the ion exchanger cartridge comprises at least one circumferentially extending seal arranged at the cover.

12. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 10, wherein the cover comprises an overlap region formed as a connection section configured to connect the ion exchanger cartridge to the housing.

13. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 12, wherein the overlap region overlaps the one or more outflow ports in the axial direction and forms an annular gap.

14. The ion exchanger filter device according to claim 12, wherein the connection section is a thread section.

15. An ion exchanger cartridge comprising: a cartridge container comprising a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is delimited by a circumferentially extending wall comprising one or more outflow ports distributed at or about a circumference of the circumferentially extending wall, wherein the receptacle is filled with an ion exchanger material; a cover embodied as one piece together with the circumferentially extending wall or connected with form fit or material fusion to the circumferentially extending wall, wherein the cover is configured as a cover of a housing of an ion exchanger filter device configured to receive the ion exchanger cartridge; wherein the cover comprises an overlap region overlapping in an axial direction the one or more outlet ports and forming an annular gap; wherein a flow path of a medium through the ion exchanger cartridge comprises a deflection within the annular gap downstream of the one or more outlet ports.

16. The ion exchanger cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the overlap region is embodied as a connection section configured to connect the ion exchanger cartridge to the housing of the ion exchanger filter device.

17. The ion exchanger cartridge according to claim 16, wherein the connection section is a thread section.

18. The ion exchanger cartridge according to claim 17, wherein the thread section of the overlap region comprises an outer thread.

19. A fuel cell system comprising an ion exchanger filter device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further advantages result from the following drawing description. Embodiments of the invention are illustrated. The drawings, description, and claims contain numerous features in combination. A person of skill in the art will consider the features expediently also individually and combine them to expedient further combinations.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows an ion exchanger filter device according to an embodiment of the invention in isometric view.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the longitudinally sectioned ion exchanger filter device according to FIG. 1.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows an ion exchanger cartridge for an ion exchanger filter device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows the ion exchanger cartridge according to FIG. 3 with partially sectioned overlap region.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] In the Figures, same or same-type components are identified with same reference characters. The Figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0046] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an ion exchanger filter device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention which is provided in particular for a fuel cell system. The ion exchanger filter device 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in isometric view and in FIG. 2 in a longitudinal section.

[0047] The ion exchanger filter device 100 comprises a housing 102 in which an ion exchanger cartridge 10 is received. The housing 102 comprises at least one inflow opening 104 and at least one outflow opening 106 for a medium, for example, a cooling medium, wherein the at least one inflow opening 104 and the at least one outflow opening 106 penetrate a jacket wall 110 of the housing 102.

[0048] The housing 102 comprises an inflow socket 108 with the inflow opening 104 which is preferably arranged in a lower third of a housing height 122 of the housing 102 wherein the outflow opening 106 is arranged in an upper third of a housing height 122 of the housing 102.

[0049] A flow path 50 extends from the inflow opening 104 of the inflow socket 108 through the ion exchanger cartridge 10 to the outflow opening 106.

[0050] The ion exchanger cartridge 10 comprises a cartridge container 14 with a receptacle 16 that is filled with ion exchanger material 12 and is delimited by a circumferentially extending wall 32 that comprises a plurality of outflow ports 18 distributed about its circumference. The outflow ports 18 of the ion exchanger cartridge 10 are arranged in relation to the outflow opening 106 of the housing 102 offset in axial direction L. The outflow ports 18 in relation to a direction of gravity 54 in the illustrated intended mounting position are arranged axially above the outlet opening 106 of the housing 102.

[0051] The ion exchanger material 12 in the receptacle 16 is provided as loose fill and can contain, for example, an ion exchanger resin in particle form.

[0052] Due to the arrangement of the outflow ports 18, the flow path 50 downstream of the outflow ports 18 of the ion exchanger cartridge 10 comprises a deflection 52, in particular about at least 45°.

[0053] In the ion exchanger filter device 100 according to the invention, the installation space can be utilized beneficially because ion exchanger resin can be arranged also above the outlet opening 106 of the ion exchanger filter device 100.

[0054] The cooling medium flows via the inflow opening 104 of the inflow socket 108 of the housing 102 into the lower interior of the housing 102. Here, the medium can enter the cartridge container 14 via the inflow port 34, not visible in the illustration and arranged in the lower end region 20 of the cartridge container 14, and flow through the ion exchanger material 12. The medium can flow through outflow ports 18 to the inner side of the cover 112 where it is deflected and guided through an annular gap 26 between cartridge container 14 and cover 112 of the ion exchanger filter device 100 opposite to the prior flow direction back to the outflow opening 106.

[0055] The deflection 52 of the flow upon entry into the annular gap 26 acts in this context in a homogenizing manner on the flow so that the entire ion exchanger resin is uniformly utilized and no dead spaces are formed in relation to the flow.

[0056] The arrangement of the outflow opening 106 far toward the top in relation to the direction of gravity 54 ensures, in turn, that the ion exchanger filter arrangement 100 can be vented sufficiently well.

[0057] The ion exchanger cartridge 10 comprises at the lower axial end region 20 facing away from the outlet ports 18 a circumferentially extending seal 22, in particular a circumferentially extending seal that seals substantially in radial direction, which serves for sealing at the inner side of the jacket wall 110 of the housing 102.

[0058] The cover 112 of the housing 102 is embodied as one piece together with the ion exchanger cartridge 10 so that the receptacle 16 of the cartridge container 14 is sealed by the cover 112 against the environment. The cover 112 comprises an overlap region 24 which overlaps the outflow ports 18 in axial direction L. The overlap region 24 is configured as a connection section 28 with a thread section.

[0059] For intended mounting of the ion exchanger filter device, the ion exchanger cartridge 10 can be inserted with the cover 112 into the housing 102 and connected by the cover 112 to the housing 102. In this context, the thread section of the connection section 28 engages the counter thread 120 of the housing 102. A radially acting, circumferentially extending seal 118 axially above the thread of the connection region 28 is provided for sealing between cover 112 and housing 102.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows an ion exchanger cartridge 10 for an ion exchanger filter device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 4, the ion exchanger cartridge 10 according to FIG. 3 is illustrated with partially sectioned overlap region 24 so that the outflow ports 18 can be seen.

[0061] The ion exchanger cartridge 10 comprises a cartridge container 14 with a receptacle 16, visible in the longitudinal section in FIG. 2, that is filled with ion exchanger material 12 and is delimited by a circumferentially extending wall 32. The wall 32 comprises a plurality of outflow ports 18 distributed about its circumference.

[0062] The wall 32 is embodied as one piece together with the cover 112 that, as intended, is provided as cover 112 of the housing 102 of the ion exchanger filter device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for receiving the ion exchanger cartridge 10.

[0063] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 4, the outflow ports 18 of the ion exchanger cartridge 10 are arranged in an axially upper quarter of the receptacle 16. Furthermore, screen fabric 30 is arranged in the receptacle 16 in front of the outflow ports 18 of the ion exchanger cartridge 10 in order to enable the flow of the medium to exit from the cartridge container 14 and to retain the loose fill of the ion exchanger material 12 at the same time.

[0064] The cover 112 comprises an overlap region 24, in particular a connection section 28 with a thread section for connection to the housing 102 of the ion exchanger filter device 100 which in axial direction L at least overlaps the wall 32.

[0065] Since the overlap region 24 is arranged at a distance to the wall 32 of the cartridge container 14, between the overlap region 24 and the wall 32 a gap 26, in particular an annular gap, is formed. The outflow ports 18 are arranged in the region of the wall 32 that is overlapped by the overlap 24, i.e., in the region of the gap 26. In this way, a flow path 50 of a medium through the ion exchanger cartridge 10 downstream of the outflow ports 18 comprises a deflection 52 within the gap 26. The deflection 52 of the flow upon entry in the annular gap 26 acts in this context in a homogenizing manner on the flow so that the entire ion exchanger resin is used up uniformly and no dead spaces are formed in relation to the flow.