Fuel cell vehicle

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell vehicle which employs collision avoidance measures even though which is disposed with not only a fuel cell module, but also with a drive unit and an electric motor, in a front space of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises in a vehicle front space: a fuel cell; a drive motor configured to be driven with electric power of the fuel cell; and a drive unit configured to transmit drive force from the drive motor. The fuel cell is mounted via a first frame coupled to a body. The drive motor and the drive unit are mounted via a second frame that is coupled to the body and that is different from the first frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell vehicle equipped with a fuel cell. [Background technology]

[0002] In modern society, automobiles have become an indispensable means of transportation, and various vehicles travel on the roads in our daily lives. In recent years, the development of fuel cell vehicles equipped with fuel cells that have a relatively small environmental impact has been progressing.

[0003] Such fuel cell vehicles are equipped with a hydrogen tank, a fuel cell module that receives hydrogen from the hydrogen tank to generate electricity, etc. As exemplified in Patent Document 1, for example, a collision countermeasure has been proposed that can prevent a collision between the fuel cell module and the hydrogen tank when a load is applied in the vehicle longitudinal direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-99918 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Not only the above-mentioned patent documents, but current technologies do not adequately meet market needs, and the following problems exist. In other words, in addition to the hydrogen tank and fuel cell module mentioned above, a fuel cell vehicle is also equipped with drive devices such as an electric motor driven by the power of the fuel cell, and a gearbox that transmits the driving force of the electric motor to the wheels.

[0006] The layout proposed in Patent Document 1 is a structure premised on rear-wheel drive in which the electric motor is disposed at the rear of the vehicle, but does not necessarily propose an optimal layout for, for example, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. In this way, in fuel cell vehicles assuming front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the layout including the electric motor and drive unit in addition to the fuel cell module.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems as an example, and aims to provide a fuel cell vehicle that has collision prevention measures in place when not only a fuel cell module but also a drive unit and an electric motor are arranged in the space in front of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a fuel cell vehicle in one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a fuel cell, a drive motor driven by power from the fuel cell, and a drive device that transmits driving force from the drive motor, located in a front space of the vehicle, wherein the fuel cell is mounted on a first frame connected to the body, and the drive motor and the drive device are mounted on a second frame connected to the body and different from the first frame. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, even when a load is applied in the vehicle length direction, damage to the fuel cell module, electric motor, and drive device, which are respectively arranged at the front of the vehicle, can be minimized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 2 is a perspective view of a front body and a holding mechanism in the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic side view of a front body and a holding mechanism in a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a schematic view of a holding mechanism according to the embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing the state transition of the retaining structure during a frontal collision. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing the state transition of the retaining structure during a frontal collision. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram (part 3) showing the state transition of the retaining structure during a frontal collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Next, a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the vehicle height direction of the fuel cell vehicle is defined as the Z direction, the vehicle length direction as the X direction, and the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction as the Y direction. However, the present disclosure is not dependent on the above-mentioned definition of directions, and it goes without saying that the scope of the claims is not unduly restricted. In addition, for configurations other than those described in detail below, the frame structure and on-board equipment and their elemental technologies related to known fuel cell vehicles, including the above-mentioned patent documents, may be appropriately supplemented.

[0012] [Fuel cell vehicle 100] The configuration of a fuel cell vehicle 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, the fuel cell vehicle 100 has a front space FS arranged within a bonnet (not shown) at the front of the vehicle in a body 10. In this front space FS, a fuel cell 20, a drive motor 30, a drive unit 40, high-voltage components 50, auxiliary equipment 60, etc. are mounted via respective frame members (described below) connected to the body 10.

[0013] In addition to the above, the fuel cell vehicle 100 is equipped with various other equipment, such as a known hydrogen tank (not shown) that supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell 20, and a known on-board battery (not shown) that stores electricity generated by the fuel cell 20 or the like as needed. In the following, a front-wheel drive vehicle in which driving force is transmitted from the drive unit 40 to the front wheels is exemplified as the fuel cell vehicle 100 of this embodiment. However, the fuel cell vehicle 100 is not limited to the front-wheel drive vehicle described above, and may be a rear-wheel drive vehicle in which driving force is transmitted to the rear wheels, or a four-wheel drive vehicle in which drive units are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0014] The fuel cell 20 may be configured as a known fuel cell module equipped with, for example, a fuel cell stack in which a plurality of known PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell) unit cells are stacked, a cooling circuit for the fuel cell, etc. Such a fuel cell 20 is mounted on a first frame 11 connected to a body 10 of a vehicle, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. As can be seen from the figures, the first frame 11 is configured as a cross member whose ends are connected to both sides of the body 10 via known fixing means.

[0015] <Detailed structure of the first frame 11> 2, 6, etc., the fuel cell 20 is supported by a first cross member 11A disposed at the front of the first frame 11 in the vehicle length direction, and a second cross member 11B disposed rearward of the first cross member 11A. As can be seen more specifically from Fig. 6, the front side of the fuel cell 20 is fixed via a front bracket 11Ab provided on a front mount 11Am of the first cross member 11A, and may also be fixed via a rear bracket 11Bb provided on a rear mount 11Bm of the second cross member 11B.

[0016] The structure and materials of the front mount 11Am and rear mount 11Bm of this embodiment are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of mounting the fuel cell 20, and known mounting mechanisms such as those exemplified in the above-mentioned patent documents may be applied.

[0017] 6, in this embodiment, the front bracket 11Ab and the rear bracket 11Bb that secure the fuel cell 20 may be configured to have different strengths for securing the fuel cell 20. In other words, when the first frame 11 receives an impact during a front collision or the like, the front bracket 11Ab and the rear bracket 11Bb may secure the fuel cell 20 such that the front bracket 11Ab maintains the fixation of the fuel cell 20 while the fixation of the fuel cell 20 by the rear bracket 11Bb is preferentially released.

[0018] As an example of achieving such preferential breaking of the rear bracket 11Bb, for example, the fuel cell 20 may be fixed by fastening bolts in the vertical direction to the front bracket 11Ab, while the bolts in the rear bracket 11Bb may be fastened along the vehicle length direction so that the bolts will come out when the above-mentioned impact occurs. Alternatively, as another example of achieving the above-mentioned preferential breaking, the strength and rigidity of the bolts used in the rear bracket 11Bb may be set lower than those of the front bracket 11Ab. This allows the rear bracket 11Bb to break preferentially over the front bracket 11Ab when the first frame 11 receives an impact during a frontal collision or the like.

[0019] 6, the first cross member 11A and the second cross member 11B, which extend parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction, are connected by a connecting piece 11C interposed therebetween. Note that the connecting piece 11C may be connected to the first cross member 11A and the second cross member 11B by known fixing means such as welding or fastening.

[0020] The first cross member 11A and the second cross member 11B may be made of a known steel material. On the other hand, the rigidity of the connecting piece 11C in this embodiment may be set to be lower than the rigidity of the first cross member 11A and the second cross member 11B described above. Alternatively, the connecting piece 11C in this embodiment may have an inflection region that bends so as to intersect with the vehicle length direction. As a result, as described later, when the first frame 11 receives an impact during a frontal collision or the like, the rear bracket 11Bb is broken, and the first frame 11 as a whole can be deformed and reduced in the vehicle length direction.

[0021] The drive motor 30, which is driven by power from the fuel cell, and the drive unit 40, which transmits driving force from the drive motor 30, are disposed rearward in the vehicle length direction from the fuel cell 20 in the front space FS, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. More specifically, the drive motor 30 and the drive unit 40 of this embodiment may be mounted on a second frame 12 that is connected to the body 10 of the vehicle and is different from the first frame 11.

[0022] <Detailed structure of second frame 12> As can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, the second frame 12 is positioned rearward of the first frame 11 in the vehicle length direction and is configured to include a cross member whose ends are connected to both sides of the body 10 via known fixing means.

[0023] More specifically, the second frame 12 may be configured to include a third cross member 12A and a fourth cross member 12B extending in the vehicle width direction and having ends connected to both sides of the body 10, and a first side member 12C and a second side member 12D connected at both ends to the third cross member 12A and the fourth cross member 12B, respectively, and extending in the vehicle length direction.

[0024] Of these, the third cross member 12A may be disposed on the front side of the fourth cross member 12B in the vehicle length direction and on the upper side in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, as can be seen from the figure, the first side member 12C and the second side member 12D may be disposed at an angle such that their front sides are positioned vertically upward. That is, the rear of the front space FS is separated from the floor (under the floor) of the vehicle compartment, but as shown in Fig. 2 etc., the second frame 12 of this embodiment may be disposed in an inclined state under the floor tunnel 14 located in the center of the above-mentioned floor.

[0025] The above-mentioned drive motor 30 and drive unit 40 are fixed between the first side member 12C and the second side member 12D. The method of fixing the drive motor 30 and the drive unit 40 to the side members is not particularly limited, and for example, fastening means using bolts, welding, or fastening means using an adhesive may be applied.

[0026] As can be seen from FIG. 1 etc., in order to realize an evacuation operation in the event of a collision, which will be described later, the fuel cell 20, the drive device 40 and the drive motor 30 in this embodiment are arranged from the front to the rear of the vehicle in this order.

[0027] Note that there are no particular limitations on the specific example of the drive motor 30, and various known electric motors mounted on fuel cell vehicles may be used. Also, a specific example of the drive device 40 may be a known drive force transmission mechanism such as a gear box that transmits the drive force from the drive motor 30 to the wheels.

[0028] <Detailed structure of the third frame 13> As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fuel cell vehicle 100 of this embodiment may further include a third frame 13 fixed onto the second frame 12 via fixing means Fx. The third frame 13 carries a high-voltage component 50 that drives the drive motor 30. An example of the high-voltage component 50 of this embodiment is a known inverter, but other known high-voltage components necessary for fuel cell vehicles may also be used. In this embodiment, the high-voltage component 50 is an inverter, so the third frame 13 can be said to be a frame dedicated to the inverter.

[0029] A specific example of the fixing means Fx is a known fastener such as a fastening bolt. As a fixing mode of the third frame 13 to the second frame 12, as shown in Fig. 3, the first side member 12C and the second side member 12D may be provided with fixing holes FH into which the above-mentioned fastening bolts can be inserted, and the bottom surface of the third frame may be fixed to the first side member 12C and the second side member 12D via the above-mentioned fixing means Fx.

[0030] The fixing holes FH provided on the upper surface of the first side member 12C and the upper surface of the second side member 12D may be elliptical or elongated with their major axes parallel to the vehicle length direction, thereby enabling the third frame 13 that is struck by the fuel cell 20 in the event of a collision, which will be described later, to slide within the fixing holes FH.

[0031] <Layout of auxiliary equipment 60> 1 and 2, the accessories 60 necessary for driving the fuel cell 20 may be fixed via a known mounting mechanism below the above-mentioned first frame 11. Such accessories 60 include electric accessories 60A such as a converter and an electric pump that need to be protected in the event of a collision, and non-electric accessories 60B such as an intercooler that do not necessarily need to be protected in the event of a collision.

[0032] 4, in the auxiliary machinery 60 of this embodiment, the electric auxiliary machinery 60A that needs to be protected in the event of a collision may be disposed on the left and right sides of the first frame 11 in the vehicle width direction so as not to overlap the drive unit 40 in the vehicle length direction. On the other hand, the non-electrical auxiliary machinery 60B may be disposed on the center side of the first frame 11 in the vehicle width direction so as to overlap the drive unit 40 in the vehicle length direction.

[0033] In this manner, in the fuel cell vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the auxiliaries 60 are mounted on the first frame 11 below the fuel cell 20, and among these auxiliaries, the electrical auxiliaries may be arranged so that their installation positions in the vehicle width direction are shifted in the vehicle length direction so as not to overlap with the installation positions in the vehicle width direction of the drive unit 40. As a result, in the event of a collision, which will be described later, for example, the auxiliaries 60 will slide rearward via the first frame 11 in the same manner as the fuel cell 20, but the electrical auxiliaries 60A and the drive unit 40 will not overlap in the vehicle length direction, and a collision can be avoided.

[0034] <State transition in the fuel cell vehicle 100 when an impact is received in the vehicle length direction> Next, state transitions when the fuel cell vehicle 100 of this embodiment receives an impact in the vehicle length direction will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Note that the following description will be given taking as an example a forward collision in which the fuel cell vehicle 100 collides from the rear with some obstacle in front of it as an "impact in the vehicle length direction". However, this embodiment is not limited to this example, and the impact in the vehicle length direction may also include a rear collision in which the fuel cell vehicle 100 collides with an obstacle on the rear side.

[0035] That is, when the fuel cell vehicle 100 collides head-on, the impact is transmitted to the first frame 11 via the body 10, and the inertial force based on this impact also acts on the fuel cell 20. As described above, in this embodiment, in the event of an impact, the fixation of the fuel cell 20 by the rear bracket 11Bb takes precedence and breaks, while the front bracket 11Ab maintains the fixation of the fuel cell 20. In addition, the rigidity of the connecting piece 11C is set to be lower than the rigidity of the first cross member 11A and the second cross member 11B described above.

[0036] 6, first, the rear bracket 11Bb that supports the fuel cell 20 breaks. Next, the fuel cell 20 moves toward the rear of the vehicle due to the action of the inertial force, and a part of the first frame 11 (connecting piece 11C in this example) is compressed and deformed in the vehicle length direction. This makes it possible to suppress damage and deformation to the fuel cell 20 in the event of a frontal collision.

[0037] 4, the electric auxiliaries 60A of the present embodiment are disposed on the left and right sides of the first frame 11 in the vehicle width direction so as not to overlap the drive unit 40 in the vehicle length direction. Also, as shown in the figure, the high-voltage components 50 mounted on the third frame 13 may be disposed above the auxiliaries 60 in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to prevent contact between the high-voltage components 50 and the auxiliaries 60 as much as possible during a collision.

[0038] When the fuel cell 20 moves toward the rear of the vehicle in conjunction with an impact in the vehicle length direction, the fuel cell 20 comes into contact with the third frame 13 on which the high-voltage components 50 are mounted, as shown in Fig. 5. In this manner, the third frame 13 of this embodiment may be configured to include a front plate 13H interposed between the fuel cell 20 and the high-voltage components 50. This makes it possible to prevent direct contact between the fuel cell 20 and the high-voltage components 50 in the event of a collision, and also makes it possible to suppress the induction of excessive damage in the event of the collision.

[0039] When the fuel cell 20 comes into contact with the third frame 13, the fixing means Fx of the third frame 13 on which the high-voltage components 50 are mounted is broken, causing the third frame 13 to move toward the rear of the vehicle. Then, as shown in the figure, the third frame 13 that has moved toward the rear of the vehicle comes into contact with the drive motor 30, and a connection portion 12fxb of the fourth cross member 12B of the second frame 12 to the body 10 is broken due to the impact caused by the contact of the third frame 13. As a result, the connection portion 12fxb of the second frame 12 with the body 10 on the rear side of the vehicle is broken in the event of a front collision, and the second frame 12 becomes able to turn around the connection portion 12fxa with the body 10 at the front of the vehicle as a base point.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the drive motor 30 and the drive unit 40 are disposed from the front in the vehicle length direction in the order of the drive unit 40 and the drive motor 30. Furthermore, at least a portion of the drive motor 30 and the drive unit 40 may be disposed at an angle below a floor tunnel of the vehicle located behind the front space FS.

[0041] The fuel cell 20, the drive motor 30, and the drive unit 40 may each be fixed via a mounting mechanism to a dedicated frame (in this example, a first frame 11 and a second frame 12) connected to the body 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a high-voltage component 50 (inverter) fixed to a dedicated third frame 13 may be disposed above the drive unit 40. This third frame 13 may be fixed via fixing means Fx to a fixing hole FH (such as an elongated hole) provided in the second frame 12 along the vehicle length direction.

[0042] When an impact in the vehicle length direction occurs due to a frontal collision or the like, the third frame 13 is pushed out by the fuel cell 20 moving rearward, and is allowed to move so that at least a portion of it is submerged under the floor tunnel along the inclination of the second frame 12. If the third frame 13 moves backwards enough to come into contact with the drive unit 40, the collision load is applied from the third frame 13 to the drive unit 40, damaging the connection portion 12fxb of the second frame 12 with the body 10 at the front of the vehicle.

[0043] Then, the drive motor 30 is in a cantilever state with the connection part 12fxa with the body 10 at the front of the vehicle as a base point, and the rear side of the vehicle drops downward under its own weight from this connection part 12fxa as a starting point (it rotates from the connection part 12fxa as a starting point). This creates a predetermined gap between the drive motor 30 and the floor tunnel 14, and the high-voltage component 50 can slip into this gap to avoid a collision with the fuel cell 20.

[0044] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs may attempt to further modify the above-mentioned embodiment within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10. Body 20 Fuel Cell 30 Drive motor 40 Drive unit 50 High Voltage Components 60 Auxiliary Equipment 100 fuel cell vehicle

Claims

1. A fuel cell; a drive motor driven by the power of the fuel cell; a drive device that transmits a driving force from the drive motor, the drive device being disposed in a front space of the vehicle; The fuel cell is mounted on a first frame connected to a body, the drive motor and the drive device are mounted on a second frame connected to the body and different from the first frame; Fuel cell car.

2. the fuel cell, the drive device, and the drive motor are arranged in this order from the front to the rear of the vehicle, the first frame is disposed so as to be capable of being contracted and deformed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle when a frontal collision occurs due to a rear bracket being broken; the second frame is disposed so as to be broken at a connection portion between the second frame and the body at a rear side of the vehicle during the front collision, and to pivot about a connection portion between the second frame and the body at a front side of the vehicle as a base point. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. The vehicle further includes a third frame, which is fixed on the second frame via a fixing means and on which high-voltage components for driving the driving motor are mounted. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 .

4. Auxiliary equipment is mounted on the first frame below the fuel cell, an electrical auxiliary among the auxiliary devices is disposed so that an installation position thereof in a vehicle width direction is shifted from an installation position of the drive device in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle length direction so as not to overlap with the installation position of the drive device in the vehicle width direction; The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 .

5. The second frame is disposed in an inclined state below a floor tunnel of the body. The fuel cell vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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