FC-serie Nafion® Gasbevochtigers

FC series Nafion® gas humidifiers for energy and hydrogen applications

High-capacity gas-to-gas and water-to-gas humidification for fuel cells, hydrogen and industrial test environments

The Perma Pure FC series delivers up to 20.000 hours of reliable humidification in two configurations: gas-to-gas for fuel cells and energy applications, and water-to-gas for extreme capacities up to 7.000+ slpm. Based on patented Nafion™ membrane technology with no moving parts, ideal for fuel cell tests, hydrogen research, large test setups and OEM systems.

Key advantages for energy, test lab and OEM applications

• Dual configuration: gas-to-gas (fuel cell/energy) and water-to-gas (large test setups/bubbler replacement)
• Extreme capacity: up to 2.500 alpm (gas-to-gas) and 7.000+ slpm (water-to-gas) depending on model
• Zero parasitic load: no electrical power required (gas-to-gas), minimal pressure drop
• Multi-gas compatible: certified for H₂, air, O₂ and inert gases
• Operational excellence: up to 20.000 hours of service life, no freeze/thaw problems (gas-to-gas)

Operating principle: two configurations for different applications

The FC series offers two humidification modes with identical Nafion™ membrane technology but different moisture sources:

Gas-to-gas configuration (ideal for fuel cells and energy)

Process step by step:

1. Dry process gas (H₂, air, inert) flows through Nafion™ tubing (tube side)
2. Humidifying gas (saturated air/hydrogen) is supplied on the shell side
3. Water vapour diffuses selectively through the Nafion™ membrane based on the difference in water activity
4. The process gas is humidified without liquid carry-over or contamination
5. The humidified gas stream reaches the required RH value for the downstream process

Advantages of gas-to-gas:

• No liquid water: eliminates the risk of flooding, condensation and liquid carry-over
• Freeze/thaw resistant: no freezing risk in cold environments
• Zero power: no external energy required for humidification
• Self-limiting: natural equilibrium limits prevent over-conditioning
• Fuel cell optimal: ideal match for PEM fuel cell humidity requirements

Typical applications:

• Fuel cell stack testing (automotive, aerospace, stationary)
• Hydrogen electrolyser R&D
• Portable and mobile energy systems
• Applicaties waar geen vloeibaar water toegestaan is

Water-to-gas configuration (ideal for high-capacity test labs)

Process step by step:

1. Dry process gas flows through Nafion™ tubing (tube side)
2. Deionised water is supplied on the shell side
3. Water is absorbed into the Nafion™ membrane
4. Water vapour diffuses into the gas stream
5. High-capacity humidification without atomisation or aerosols

Advantages of water-to-gas:

• Extreme capacity: 3-5x higher flows possible vs gas-to-gas
• Compact installation: no large humidifying gas preparation needed
• Stable saturation: 80-85% RH consistently achievable
• Bubbler replacement: eliminates the maintenance and validation issues of bubblers
• Simple moisture source: only deionised water and temperature control required

Typical applications:

• Large test setups (50-100kW fuel cell test stands)
• Industrial calibration laboratories with high flows
• Multichannel testing with parallel gas streams
• OEM production test benches
• Applications where gas-to-gas humidifying gas preparation is too complex

Critical design requirement:

Gas pressure must be higher than water pressure to prevent liquid entry into the tubing. Water temperature must be controlled for consistent performance.

First-order kinetics: dynamic response for both configurations

Moisture exchange in the FC series follows a first-order kinetic reaction in both modes:

Gas-to-gas dynamics

• Load-following capability: humidification rate proportional to the water activity difference between gas streams
• Millisecond response time: immediate adjustment to flow and temperature variations
• Stable output under transients: reproducible RH with changing fuel cell load cycles

Water-to-gas dynamics

• Fast equilibrium: moisture equilibrium reached within milliseconds
• Flow-independent RH: stable output RH over a wide flow range
• Temperature-controlled: water temperature is the primary control variable

This dynamic response makes both configurations suitable for:

• Fuel cell dynamic load testing
• Hydrogen electrolyser R&D with cyclic operation
• Test setups with variable demand
• Stack testing with controlled humidity profiles

Specifications and dimensions

Performance

Gas-to-gas

Water-to-gas

Product code

Fields of application: energy, test labs and industry

Fuel cell development and testing (mainly gas-to-gas)

• Automotive stack testing: PEM fuel cell validation for passenger cars
• Aerospace systems: UAV and aircraft fuel cell power systems
• Stationary energy: CHP (combined heat & power) fuel cell R&D
• Stack performance mapping: controlled humidity for I-V curves

Hydrogen technology

• Electrolyser R&D: PEM and alkaline electrolyser testing (gas-to-gas for H₂/O₂)
• H₂ compression systems: inlet gas conditioning (water-to-gas for large flows)
• Hydrogen storage: gas conditioning for tank filling stations
• Fuel cell components: membrane, catalyst and GDL testing

Large test setups and test labs (mainly water-to-gas)

• 50-100kW test stands: FC600 water-to-gas as bubbler replacement
• Multichannel testing: parallel test channels with a shared water-to-gas source
• Industrial calibration labs: large flows for sensor calibration and validation
• OEM production testing: high-throughput testing with stable RH control

Energy research

• Power research: grid-scale energy storage testing
• Battery-hybrid systems: fuel cell range extender validation
• Energieconversie: Efficiency testing power-to-gas
• Materials development: membrane and catalyst durability studies

OEM integration systems

• Test benches: gas-to-gas for compact fuel cell test systems
• Dynamic load simulators: water-to-gas for large test capacity
• Durability testing: Long-term studies (20.000+ uur in beide modi)
• Quality control: production line validation