Fuel cell device and vehicle

Abstract

This disclosure relates to fuel cell devices and vehicles. The fuel cell device (10) includes: a fuel cell stack (14); auxiliary equipment components (16); and a support member (54) that supports the fuel cell stack and auxiliary equipment components and can be mounted on an object. The fuel cell stack is mounted on the upper surface of the support member. The auxiliary equipment components include: a cooling system component (36); and a reaction gas system component (34), which includes an oxidant gas system component (40) and a fuel gas system component (38). The cooling system component is mounted on the lower surface of the support member, and at least a portion of the reaction gas system component is disposed below the cooling system component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to fuel cell devices and vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, in order to ensure that more people have access to appropriate, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy, research and development are underway on fuel cell devices that contribute to energy efficiency.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses the configuration (arrangement) of fuel cell stack, cooling system piping, anode system piping and cathode system piping for fuel cell devices.

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-163482 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem that the invention aims to solve We look forward to better fuel cell devices and vehicles.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to address the aforementioned problems.

[0007] Solution for solving the problem The first aspect of this disclosure relates to a fuel cell device comprising: a fuel cell stack; auxiliary equipment components connected to the fuel cell stack; and a support member supporting the fuel cell stack and the auxiliary equipment components and capable of being mounted on an installation object, the fuel cell stack being mounted on the upper surface of the support member, the auxiliary equipment components comprising: a cooling system component for circulating refrigerant in the fuel cell stack; and a reaction gas system component including an oxidant gas system component for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack and a fuel gas system component for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell stack, the cooling system component being mounted on the lower surface of the support member, and at least a portion of the reaction gas system component being disposed below the cooling system component.

[0008] The second aspect of this disclosure relates to a vehicle equipped with the aforementioned fuel cell device, wherein the fuel gas system components are disposed rearward relative to the fuel cell stack in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0009] The effects of the invention According to this disclosure, better fuel cell devices and vehicles can be provided.

[0010] The above-described objectives, features, and advantages should be readily understood from the following description of the embodiments, which are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a fuel cell device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of a fuel cell device.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a front view of a fuel cell device.

[0014] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A partial sectional view of line IV-IV, omitted from the original text.

[0015] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of auxiliary equipment components. Detailed Implementation

[0016] A fuel cell device includes a fuel cell stack and auxiliary equipment components. The auxiliary equipment components include a cooling system component and a reactant gas system component. In a fuel cell device, for example, during maintenance such as replacing the reactant gas system component, if the cooling system component is located outside the reactant gas system component, it may be necessary to remove the cooling system component. In this case, operations involving draining refrigerant from the cooling system component and injecting refrigerant into the cooling system component are required, which may increase maintenance time. Furthermore, the fuel cell device needs to be well-balanced in weight and compact in structure. According to this disclosure, a fuel cell device and vehicle can be provided that achieves good weight balance and compact structure, and can suppress the increase in maintenance time for the reactant gas system component.

[0017] The following description, using the accompanying drawings, illustrates an embodiment of a fuel cell device 10 and a vehicle 12 according to this disclosure. The fuel cell device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 12, such as a fuel cell electric vehicle. Figures 2 to 5 In this diagram, the X direction represents the vehicle's front-to-back direction, and the Y direction represents the vehicle's width. Additionally, the X1 direction represents the front of the vehicle, and the X2 direction represents the rear of the vehicle in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the fuel cell device 10 can also be mounted in stationary power generation systems, etc.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the fuel cell device 10 includes a fuel cell stack 14 and auxiliary equipment components 16. (As shown...) Figure 4 As shown, the fuel cell stack 14 has a fuel cell body 18 and a stack housing 20. The fuel cell body 18 is formed by stacking a plurality of power-generating individual cells 22. In this embodiment, the plurality of power-generating individual cells 22 are stacked along the X direction. The power-generating individual cells 22 generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen) and an oxidant gas (e.g., air).

[0019] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the stack housing 20 houses the fuel cell body 18. The stack housing 20 includes a peripheral wall housing 24 and a pair of end panels 26. The peripheral wall housing 24 is formed in a quadrilateral cylindrical shape. The peripheral wall housing 24 includes a lower plate 28, an upper plate 30, and a pair of side plates 32.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, auxiliary equipment component 16 is connected to fuel cell stack 14. Auxiliary equipment component 16 includes a reaction gas system component 34 and a cooling system component 36. The reaction gas system component 34 includes a fuel gas system component 38 and an oxidant gas system component 40.

[0021] The fuel gas system component 38 supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell stack 14. The fuel gas system component 38 includes, for example, fuel gas tanks, injectors, ejectors, piping, valves, etc.

[0022] The oxidant gas system component 40 supplies oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack 14. The oxidant gas system component 40 includes an oxidant gas pump 42, a water-cooled intercooler 44, a humidifier 46, and oxidant gas piping 48. The oxidant gas system component 40 may also have other structural elements besides these, which will not be described here.

[0023] The oxidant gas pump 42 is, for example, a pump that supplies oxidant gas, i.e., air, to the fuel cell stack 14. The water-cooled intercooler 44 is a heat exchanger that cools the (compressed) oxidant gas supplied from the oxidant gas pump 42. The humidifier 46 uses the oxidant exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell stack 14 to humidify the oxidant gas exiting the water-cooled intercooler 44. An oxidant gas piping 48 connects the oxidant gas pump 42, the water-cooled intercooler 44, the humidifier 46, and the fuel cell stack 14. The oxidant gas piping 48 is, for example, made of a resin material and is flexible.

[0024] Cooling system component 36 circulates refrigerant within fuel cell stack 14. Cooling system component 36 includes a refrigerant pump 50, a valve 51, and refrigerant piping 52. Cooling system component 36 may also have other structural elements besides these, but these are omitted here. Refrigerant pump 50 delivers refrigerant to fuel cell stack 14. Additionally, refrigerant pump 50 delivers refrigerant to water-cooled intercooler 44. Refrigerant piping 52 connects refrigerant pump 50, water-cooled intercooler 44, and fuel cell stack 14. Refrigerant piping 52 is, for example, made of a metallic material.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the fuel cell device 10 includes a support member 54 that supports the fuel cell stack 14 and auxiliary equipment components 16. The support member 54 can be mounted on a mounting object (not shown). Examples of mounting objects include a vehicle frame. The mounting object can also be the frame of a fixed-mount power generation system.

[0026] The support member 54 includes a support plate portion 56. The fuel cell stack 14 is mounted to the upper surface of the support plate portion 56 (support member 54) by a plurality of bolts 57. That is, the fuel cell stack 14 is mounted on the upper surface of the support member 54, which can be mounted on the installation object, so compared with the case of directly mounting the fuel cell stack 14 to the installation object, the configuration of the fuel cell stack 14 relative to the installation object can be flexibly changed.

[0027] The fuel cell stack 14 is detachably mounted to the support member 54. In this case, when maintaining the fuel cell stack 14, it is not necessary to remove the support member 54 from the mounting, thus reducing maintenance time for the fuel cell stack 14. At least a portion of the auxiliary equipment component 16 is mounted to the lower surface of the support plate portion 56. This allows for a compact fuel cell device 10.

[0028] like Figure 5 As shown, the support plate portion 56 is formed in a ring shape. A notch 58 is formed in the center of the support plate portion 56, which extends through the support plate portion 56 in the vertical direction. When viewed from above, the outer peripheral edge portion 56a of the support plate portion 56 is formed in a quadrilateral shape.

[0029] The notched portion 58 includes a first hole 60, a second hole 62, and a third hole 64. The first hole 60 is located closer to the center of the support plate portion 56 in the Y direction than in the Y2 direction. The second hole 62 extends from the first hole 60 in the Y1 direction. The third hole 64 is connected to the Y1 end of the second hole 62. The width of the first hole 60 in the X direction is wider than the width of the second hole 62 in the X direction. The width of the third hole 64 in the X direction is narrower than the width of the first hole 60 in the X direction, but wider than the width of the second hole 62 in the X direction.

[0030] like Figure 4 As shown, the support plate portion 56 has a hollow cross-section structure portion 70, which includes an upper metal plate 66 and a lower metal plate 68. This allows the support plate portion 56 to be lightweight and its rigidity to be improved. The upper metal plate 66 and the lower metal plate 68 are each, for example, steel plates, but are not limited thereto.

[0031] The outer peripheral edge 66a of the upper metal plate 66 overlaps with the outer peripheral edge 68a of the lower metal plate 68. The outer peripheral edge 66a of the upper metal plate 66 and the outer peripheral edge 68a of the lower metal plate 68 are joined together by a joint 72 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "outer joint 72"). In other words, an outer joint 72 is provided on the outer peripheral edge 56a of the support plate portion 56. The outer joint 72 extends in a quadrilateral shape along the outer peripheral edge 56a of the support plate portion 56. The outer joint 72 is not limited to the example of extending in a quadrilateral shape, and may also be provided at intervals on the outer peripheral edge 56a of the support plate portion 56.

[0032] The inner peripheral edge 66b of the notched portion 58 in the upper metal plate 66 coincides with the inner peripheral edge 68b of the notched portion 58 in the lower metal plate 68. The inner peripheral edge 66b of the upper metal plate 66 and the inner peripheral edge 68b of the lower metal plate 68 are joined together by a joint 74 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "inner joint 74"). In other words, an inner joint 74 is provided on the inner peripheral edge 56b of the support plate portion 56. The inner joint 74 extends along the outer periphery of the notched portion 58. This improves the rigidity of the inner peripheral edge 56b of the support plate portion 56. The inner joint 74 may also be provided at intervals on the inner peripheral edge 56b of the support plate portion 56.

[0033] The outer joint 72 and the inner joint 74 are each, for example, welded joints formed by welding the upper metal plate 66 to the lower metal plate 68. Such welded joints can be formed, for example, by laser welding, TIG welding (Tungsten Inert Gas welding), MIG welding (Metal Inert Gas welding), etc. The outer joint 72 and the inner joint 74 are not limited to welded joints; for example, they can also be formed by friction stir joining.

[0034] Next, the specific configuration (arrangement) of the auxiliary equipment component 16 will be explained. Furthermore, Figures 2 to 4 The diagram of some piping has been omitted. Additionally, Figure 5 The piping diagrams are omitted in the text. (For example...) Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the fuel gas system component 38 is positioned behind the fuel cell stack 14 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X2 direction). Thus, for example, in the event of a frontal collision with the vehicle 12 (where the vehicle 12 collides with an obstacle or the like in front), the fuel cell stack 14 can prevent the front part of the vehicle 12 from colliding with the fuel gas system component 38.

[0035] The fuel gas system component 38 is mounted to the rear-facing side (the side facing the X2 direction) of the fuel cell stack 14 by bolts (not shown). This shortens the length of the piping used to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell stack 14, making the fuel cell unit 10 more compact. Furthermore, it suppresses vibrations and noise generated when fuel gas is supplied from the fuel gas system component 38 (vibrations and noise generated when fuel gas is injected from the injector).

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, the cooling system component 36 is mounted on the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 (support member 54). Specifically, the refrigerant pump 50 is mounted on the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 by a plurality of bolts 76. The portion where the refrigerant pump 50 is mounted (the location of the bolts 76) is adjacent to the inner joint portion 74. This allows for stable support of the refrigerant pump 50 (cooling system component 36). A portion of the refrigerant pump 50 is disposed in the first hole portion 60. This allows for a reduction in the vertical dimension of the fuel cell device 10. A valve 51 is mounted on the refrigerant pump 50.

[0037] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the oxidant gas pump 42 is directly mounted to the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 (support member 54) by bolts (not shown). The oxidant gas pump 42 is configured to cover the third hole portion 64 from below (see reference). Figure 5 The oxidant gas pump 42 is positioned in the Y1 direction of the refrigerant pump 50. The size of the oxidant gas pump 42 is larger than the size of the refrigerant pump 50.

[0038] The water-cooled intercooler 44 is positioned below the cooling system component 36 (refrigerant pump 50). In the central portion of the support member 54, the fuel cell stack 14, the cooling system component 36 (refrigerant pump 50), and the oxidant gas system component 40 (water-cooled intercooler 44) are arranged sequentially from top to bottom. This ensures good weight balance for the fuel cell unit 10. Furthermore, the height of the water-cooled intercooler 44 is smaller than the height of the oxidant gas pump 42 and the humidifier 46 (see reference). Figure 3 Therefore, even if the refrigerant pump 50 and the water-cooled intercooler 44 are arranged in the height direction, the overall height of the fuel cell device 10 can be suppressed from increasing.

[0039] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the water-cooled intercooler 44 is mounted on the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 (support member 54) via a connecting member 78. The connecting member 78 includes a base 80 and a plurality of feet 82. The base 80 extends in the X direction. The base 80 is disposed below the refrigerant pump 50. The water-cooled intercooler 44 is mounted to the lower surface of the base 80 by bolts (not shown). The plurality of feet 82 extend upward from the base 80. The upper ends of the feet 82 are mounted to the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 by bolts (not shown). Thus, the water-cooled intercooler 44 can be stably mounted below the refrigerant pump 50.

[0040] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 5 As shown, the humidifier 46 is disposed at the end of the support plate portion 56 in the X2 direction and at the center in the Y direction. The humidifier 46 is directly mounted to the lower surface of the support plate portion 56 (support member 54) by bolts not shown. The humidifier 46 is located below the fuel gas system component 38 (see reference). Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 The humidifier 46 protrudes in the X2 direction relative to the X2 end of the support plate portion 56.

[0041] In this fuel cell device 10, maintenance such as replacing a portion of the reaction gas system component 34 is sometimes required. Specifically, for example, the oxidant gas piping 48 connected to the water-cooled intercooler 44 sometimes needs to be replaced. In the fuel cell device 10, the water-cooled intercooler 44 is located below the refrigerant pump 50. In other words, the oxidant gas piping 48 connected to the water-cooled intercooler 44 is located below the refrigerant piping 52 connected to the valve 51. Therefore, when maintaining the oxidant gas piping 48, it is not necessary to remove the cooling system component 36 (e.g., the refrigerant piping 52). That is, it is not necessary to perform operations such as draining refrigerant from the cooling system component 36 or injecting refrigerant into the cooling system component 36. In other words, it is possible to suppress the increase in maintenance time for the oxidant gas system component 40.

[0042] According to this embodiment, a portion of the reactant gas system component 34 is disposed below the cooling system component 36, thus allowing for maintenance such as replacement of a portion of the reactant gas system component 34 without removing the cooling system component 36. This reduces the increase in maintenance time for the reactant gas system component 34. Furthermore, the fuel cell stack 14, the cooling system component 36, and a portion of the reactant gas system component 34 are arranged vertically, resulting in good weight balance and a compact structure for the fuel cell device 10. Moreover, the fuel cell stack 14 is mounted on the upper surface of the support member 54, which can be mounted on the installation object. Therefore, compared to directly mounting the fuel cell stack 14 to the installation object, the configuration of the fuel cell stack 14 relative to the installation object can be flexibly changed. This provides a better fuel cell device 10.

[0043] The following notes are also disclosed regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0044] (Postscript 1) The fuel cell device 10 disclosed herein includes: a fuel cell stack 14; an auxiliary equipment component 16 connected to the fuel cell stack; and a support member 54 that supports the fuel cell stack and the auxiliary equipment component and can be mounted on an installation object, the fuel cell stack being mounted on the upper surface of the support member, the auxiliary equipment component having: a cooling system component 36 for circulating refrigerant in the fuel cell stack; and a reaction gas system component 34 including an oxidant gas system component 40 for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack and a fuel gas system component 38 for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell stack, the cooling system component being mounted on the lower surface of the support member, and at least a portion of the reaction gas system component being disposed below the cooling system component.

[0045] With this structure, a portion of the reactant gas system components is positioned below the cooling system components, allowing for maintenance such as replacement of the reactant gas system components without removing a portion of the cooling system components. This reduces maintenance time for the reactant gas system components. Furthermore, the fuel cell stack, cooling system components, and a portion of the reactant gas system components are arranged vertically, resulting in good weight balance and a compact structure for the fuel cell device. Additionally, the fuel cell stack is mounted on the upper surface of a support member that can be mounted on the installation object, allowing for more flexible configuration changes relative to the installation object compared to directly mounting the fuel cell stack. This provides a superior fuel cell device.

[0046] (Postscript 2) According to the fuel cell device described in Appendix 1, at least a portion of the oxidant gas system component may be disposed below the cooling system component.

[0047] This structure can suppress the increase in maintenance time for oxidizer gas system components.

[0048] (Note 3) According to Appendix 1 or 2, the fuel gas system components may also be mounted on the side of the fuel cell stack.

[0049] This structure allows for a shorter piping length to supply fuel gas to the fuel cell stack, resulting in a more compact fuel cell device. Furthermore, the fuel gas system components are mounted on the side of the fuel cell stack, thus suppressing vibrations and noise generated when fuel gas is supplied from these components.

[0050] (Postscript 4) According to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, the fuel cell device may also have the fuel cell stack detachably mounted on the support member.

[0051] This structure enables a reduction in the maintenance time of fuel cell stacks.

[0052] (Note 5) The vehicle disclosed herein is equipped with a fuel cell device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, wherein in vehicle 12, the fuel gas system component is disposed at the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction relative to the fuel cell stack.

[0053] With such a structure, for example, in the event of a frontal collision (where the vehicle collides with an obstacle in front), the fuel cell stack can prevent the front part of the vehicle from colliding with the fuel gas system components.

[0054] This disclosure has been described in detail, but it is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, and partial deletions can be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, or from the spirit of this disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, these embodiments can also be combined. For example, the order of each action and each process in the above embodiments is only one example and is not limited thereto. The same applies to the use of numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas in the description of the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A fuel cell device comprising: Fuel cell stack; Auxiliary equipment components, which are connected to the fuel cell stack; and Supporting members that support the fuel cell stack and the auxiliary equipment components and can be installed on the mounting object. The fuel cell stack is mounted on the upper surface of the support member. The auxiliary equipment component has: Cooling system components, which are used to circulate the refrigerant in the fuel cell stack; and The reaction gas system components include an oxidant gas system component for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cell stack and a fuel gas system component for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell stack. The cooling system component is mounted on the lower surface of the support member. At least a portion of the reactive gas system component is disposed below the cooling system component.

2. The fuel cell device according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least a portion of the oxidant gas system component is disposed below the cooling system component.

3. The fuel cell device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel gas system components are mounted on the side of the fuel cell stack.

4. The fuel cell device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel cell stack is detachably mounted to the support member.

5. A vehicle comprising a fuel cell device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the vehicle, The fuel gas system components are positioned relative to the fuel cell stack at the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction.

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