WATER-BASED, COMBINED COOLING AND HUMIDIFICATION SYSTEM FOR A FUEL CELL SYSTEM

A combined cooling and humidifying system for a fuel cell system includes a first line strand, second line strand, gas separator, and water feed device. The first line strand has a supply line for feeding water to a heat exchanger of the fuel cell system and a return line for receiving a water-steam mixture from the fuel cell system. The gas separator is in the return line to at least partially separate the steam from the water-steam mixture and provide it at a steam connection. The second line strand has a fluid inlet for feeding a gaseous fluid to the fuel cell system. The steam connection is coupled to the second line strand downstream of the fluid inlet to admix steam with the fluid. The water feed device is coupled to the supply line to compensate for a separating mass flow of steam in the first line strand.