Tank support structure

Abstract

To enable suppression of erroneous detection by a collision detection sensor.SOLUTION: A tank support structure 30 according to one embodiment comprises: a side rail 13 extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; a support member 31, located outside the side rail in the vehicle's width direction, and configured to support a hydrogen tank 20, the support member being connected to the side rail so that the hydrogen tank swings along an arc-shaped swinging locus centered on an axis AX extending in the longitudinal direction; and an impact detection sensor 32 fixed to the support member and configured to detect acceleration in a direction intersecting the locus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tank support structure for supporting a hydrogen tank.

Background Art

[0002] Some vehicles equipped with hydrogen tanks, such as fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen engine vehicles, may be equipped with safety devices to prevent leakage of hydrogen gas. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hydrogen gas leakage prevention device including a side member extending in the front-rear direction of a vehicle, a hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen gas, a support member for supporting the hydrogen tank outside the side member in the left-right direction, a collision detection sensor fixed to the support member for detecting a collision of the vehicle, and a shut-off valve for shutting off the flow of hydrogen gas from the tank to the piping when a collision of the vehicle is detected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, since the support member is connected to the side member by bolts or the like, when a force or vibration (hereinafter referred to as "road surface input") is transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle 1 due to unevenness of the road surface or the like during traveling, the hydrogen tank supported by the support member vibrates or swings around the connection position of the support member. Therefore, when a large road surface input is applied to the vehicle, the hydrogen tank swings greatly, and there is a risk of being erroneously detected as a collision by the collision detection sensor. In this case, the shut-off valve malfunctions and the supply of hydrogen gas is stopped, which hinders the use of the vehicle. In order to suppress the swing of the tank, it is conceivable to increase the rigidity or weight of the support member, but it is not easy to increase the rigidity or weight of the support member due to the constraints of the space under the vehicle body and the vehicle body weight.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a tank support structure capable of suppressing false detection of a collision detection sensor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A tank support structure according to one aspect includes a side rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a support member that supports a hydrogen tank outside the side rail in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle. The support member is connected to the side rail so that the hydrogen tank swings along an arc-shaped swing locus centered on an axis extending in the longitudinal direction, and an impact detection sensor that is fixed to the support member and detects an acceleration in a direction intersecting the locus.

[0007] In the tank support structure according to the above aspect, since the impact detection sensor detects the acceleration in the direction intersecting the swing locus, it is possible to reduce the influence on the measurement result of the impact detection sensor when the hydrogen tank swings along the swing locus. That is, since the swing of the hydrogen tank is less likely to be detected by the impact detection sensor, it is possible to suppress erroneously detecting the swing of the hydrogen tank as a collision.

[0008] The tank support structure may further include a shut-off valve that stops the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank when the acceleration detected by the impact detection sensor is equal to or greater than a reference value. In this case, when an impact is applied to the vehicle, the supply of hydrogen gas is stopped by the shut-off valve, so that leakage of hydrogen gas can be prevented.

[0009] The tank support structure may further include a deformation member that is disposed outside the impact detection sensor in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to collide with the impact detection sensor when an impact is input from the side of the vehicle. When an impact is input from the side of the vehicle, the deformation member deforms and collides with the impact detection sensor, whereby a high acceleration is detected by the impact detection sensor. As a result, a side collision of the vehicle can be reliably detected.

[0010] The impact detection sensor may detect an acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the swing locus. In this case, it is possible to more effectively suppress misdetection of the swing of the hydrogen tank as a collision.

[0011] The tank support structure may further include a first cover and a second cover for protecting the impact detection sensor, and a sensor bracket that is disposed between the first cover and the second cover and holds the impact detection sensor. The first cover may connect the support member and the sensor bracket, and the second cover may connect the support member and the first cover. In this case, the sensor bracket that holds the impact detection sensor is connected to the support member via the first cover and the second cover. That is, since the sensor bracket is connected to the support member at a plurality of positions, it is difficult for the sensor bracket to vibrate when a road surface input acts on the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to suppress misdetection of the impact detection sensor caused by vibration of the sensor bracket.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to various aspects of the present invention, it is possible to suppress misdetection of the collision detection sensor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The drawings may be drawn with some parts simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and the dimensional ratios, angles, etc. are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a vehicle 1 equipped with a tank support structure 30 according to an embodiment. The vehicle 1 is a large vehicle such as a truck, a freight vehicle, or a bus vehicle. For example, it is a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) that generates electricity by chemically reacting hydrogen and oxygen and drives a motor with the generated electricity to run. Hereinafter, an example in which the vehicle 1 is a truck will be described. In the following description, the forward and backward directions of the vehicle 1 are referred to as the longitudinal direction Y of the vehicle 1, and the left-right direction when the vehicle 1 is viewed from behind is referred to as the vehicle width direction X. Further, the direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction X and the longitudinal direction Y is referred to as the vertical direction Z.

[0016] Vehicle 1 includes a frame 12 that supports a cab 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the frame 12 includes a pair of side rails 13 that are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction X of the vehicle 1 and extend in the longitudinal direction Y of the vehicle 1, and a plurality of cross members 14 that extend in the vehicle width direction X of the vehicle 1 between the pair of side rails 13 and are connected to the pair of side rails 13. The frame 12 is, for example, a ladder frame.

[0017] The frame 12 supports a front axle 15, a rear axle 16, and a rear axle 17. The front axle 15 is connected to a pair of left and right front wheels FW. The rear axle 16 is connected to a pair of left and right rear wheels RW. The rear axle 17 is disposed behind the rear axle 16 and is connected to a pair of left and right rear wheels RW. At least one of the front axle 15, the rear axle 16, and the rear axle 17 is a drive shaft driven by a motor. A cab 11 in which the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 is disposed is supported at the front portion of the frame 12. A loading platform on which a load is mounted is supported at the rear portion of the frame 12.

[0018] The frame 12 is equipped with a fuel cell stack, a motor, an inverter, a battery, and the like. The fuel cell stack, the motor, the inverter, and the battery are electrical equipment for driving the vehicle 1 and are supported, for example, between the pair of side rails 13 of the frame 12.

[0019] Vehicle 1 includes a hydrogen tank 20 that stores hydrogen gas. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of hydrogen tanks 20 are disposed outside the pair of side rails 13 in the vehicle width direction X.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle 1 showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the hydrogen tank 20. In FIG. 2, the electrical equipment mounted on the frame 12 is omitted from the illustration. The hydrogen tank 20 stores hydrogen gas for power generation. The hydrogen tank 20 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction, and is disposed under the floor of the cargo bed of the vehicle 1 with its axial direction oriented in the longitudinal direction Y of the vehicle 1. A hydrogen gas outlet 21 is provided at an end portion in the axial direction of the hydrogen tank 20 (see FIG. 3). A pipe 22 for supplying the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen tank 20 to the fuel cell stack is connected to the outlet 21.

[0021] The vehicle 1 is provided with a tank support structure 30. The tank support structure 30 supports the hydrogen tank 20 outside a pair of side rails 13 in the vehicle width direction X. The side rails 13 form part of the tank support structure 30. The tank support structure 30 includes, in addition to the side rails 13, a support member 31 and a shock detection sensor 32.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 31 is disposed outside the pair of side rails 13 in the vehicle width direction X and supports the hydrogen tank 20. The support member 31 has a substantially L-shaped configuration when viewed from the longitudinal direction Y, and includes a support portion 31a extending in the vehicle width direction X and an upright portion 31b erected from the support portion 31a. The support portion 31a supports an end portion in the axial direction of the hydrogen tank 20. The upright portion 31b extends in the vertical direction Z inside the hydrogen tank 20 in the vehicle width direction X. The upper portion of the upright portion 31b is connected to the side rail 13 via a bracket 33 using a fastener B such as a bolt.

[0023] In one embodiment, the tank support structure 30 further includes a deformation member 34 and a connecting member 35. The deformation member 34 extends in the vertical direction Z outside the hydrogen tank 20 in the vehicle width direction X. That is, the hydrogen tank 20 is disposed between the standing portion 31b and the deformation member 34 in the vehicle width direction X. The deformation member 34 is connected to the support member 31 via a fixture 34f. The deformation member 34 has a substantially L-shaped configuration when viewed from the front-rear direction Y of the vehicle 1, and a protruding portion 34a protruding outward in the vehicle width direction X is formed at the lower portion of the deformation member 34. Typically, the protruding portion 34a is disposed below a pair of side rails 13.

[0024] The connecting member 35 extends in the vehicle width direction X outside the hydrogen tank 20 in the front-rear direction Y, and connects the upper portion of the standing portion 31b and the upper portion of the deformation member 34. The connecting member 35 is disposed at a position overlapping the hydrogen tank 20 when viewed from the front-rear direction Y, and prevents the hydrogen tank 20 from falling off the tank support structure 30. The connecting member 35 has a strength such that it does not undergo buckling deformation during a side collision.

[0025] As described above, since the lower end of the deformation member 34 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction X, during a side collision, an impact from the outside is applied to the protruding portion 34a of the deformation member 34. The impact applied to the protruding portion 34a is transmitted to the side rail 13 through the support member 31 and the connecting member 35. That is, the impact from the outside is received by the tank support structure 30, and the hydrogen tank 20 is prevented from being directly impacted.

[0026] As described above, the support member 31 supports the hydrogen tank 20 outside the pair of side rails 13 in the vehicle width direction X. Since the support member 31 is connected to the side rail 13 using the fastener B, when a road surface input (a force or vibration transmitted from the road surface to the vehicle 1 through the tires due to unevenness of the road surface, etc.) is applied to the vehicle 1 during travel of the vehicle 1, the support member 31 vibrates or swings about the vicinity of the fastener B. Along with this, the hydrogen tank 20 supported by the support member 31 swings along an arcuate swing locus T centered on an axis AX extending in the longitudinal direction Y. The axis AX is a node of the primary vibration mode of the support member 31 and is typically formed in the vicinity of the connection position between the side rail 13 and the support member 31.

[0027] A radiator 38 may be provided outside the hydrogen tank 20 in the vehicle width direction X. The radiator 38 is supported by the deformation member 34 of the tank support structure 30. When outside air passes through the radiator 38, the radiator 38 dissipates the heat of the refrigerant flowing through its interior to the outside air to cool the refrigerant. The cooled refrigerant is supplied to the electrical equipment of the vehicle 1 through a refrigerant passage to cool the electrical equipment. The refrigerant is, for example, cooling water.

[0028] The impact detection sensor 32 is fixed to the lower part of the support member 31. The impact detection sensor 32 is, for example, an acceleration sensor and detects a side collision to the vehicle 1 based on the measured acceleration. The impact detection sensor 32 is disposed outside the piping 22 of the hydrogen tank 20 in the vehicle width direction X and is provided adjacent to the lower end of the deformation member 34.

[0029] The impact detection sensor 32 detects acceleration in an oblique direction angled with respect to the vehicle width direction X and the vertical direction Z when viewed from the longitudinal direction Y. More specifically, the impact detection sensor 32 detects acceleration in a direction intersecting the swing locus T of the hydrogen tank 20. The direction intersecting the swing locus T means a direction intersecting the tangent line of the swing locus T at the position of the hydrogen tank 20 in the natural state (the state where no road surface input is applied to the vehicle 1). The impact detection sensor 32 may detect acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the swing locus T. The direction perpendicular to the swing locus T means a direction substantially perpendicular to the tangent line of the swing locus T at the position of the hydrogen tank 20 in the natural state, and includes, for example, a direction having an angle within plus or minus 10° with respect to the normal line of the swing locus T. In the following description, the direction in which the impact detection sensor 32 detects acceleration is referred to as the detection direction D. For example, the detection direction D has an angle of 15° or more and 60° or less with respect to the vehicle width direction X when viewed from the longitudinal direction Y.

[0030] The tank support structure 30 may further include a shut-off valve 36 capable of shutting off the pipe 22 of the hydrogen tank 20. The shut-off valve 36 shuts off the pipe 22 of the hydrogen tank 20 to stop the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 20 when the acceleration in the detection direction D detected by the impact detection sensor 32 is equal to or greater than a reference value. For example, the shut-off valve 36 is arranged at the connection portion between the outlet 21 of the hydrogen tank 20 and the pipe 22, and is an electromagnetic valve whose opening and closing are controlled by a control signal from a control device.

[0031] The tank support structure 30 has a mounting structure 40 for mounting the impact detection sensor 32 to the support member 31. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the mounting structure 40 of the impact detection sensor 32 will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mounting structure 40 as viewed from below. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mounting structure 40 includes a sensor bracket 41, a first cover 42, and a second cover 43. The sensor bracket 41 is, for example, a metal plate having a flat plate shape. The first cover 42 and the second cover 43 are, for example, metal plates having a bent shape. The sensor bracket 41 is disposed between the first cover 42 and the second cover 43 and holds the impact detection sensor 32. The first cover 42 and the second cover 43 are disposed with the impact detection sensor 32 therebetween and cover the impact detection sensor 32 to protect the impact detection sensor 32 from flying stones and the like.

[0033] The first cover 42 is disposed on one side in the thickness direction of the sensor bracket 41 and connects the support member 31 and the sensor bracket 41. The second cover 43 is disposed on the other side in the thickness direction of the sensor bracket 41 and connects the support member 31 and the first cover 42. Note that the first cover 42 and the second cover 43 are fastened to the support member 31 with bolts or the like at different positions.

[0034] As described above, the sensor bracket 41 is connected to the support member 31 at different positions via the first cover 42 and the second cover 43. That is, since the sensor bracket 41 is connected to the support member 31 at a plurality of positions, the sensor bracket 41 is less likely to vibrate when a road surface input acts on the vehicle 1. Therefore, false detection of the impact detection sensor 32 due to vibration of the sensor bracket 41 can be suppressed. Further, by removing the first cover 42 and the second cover 43 from the support member 31, access to the impact detection sensor 32 becomes possible, so that the maintainability of the impact detection sensor 32 is improved. Note that the second cover 43 may connect the support member 31 and the sensor bracket 41 at a position different from that of the first cover 42.

[0035] Next, the operation and effect of the tank support structure 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, during a side collision, an external impact F is applied to the protruding portion 34a of the deformation member 34. When a strong impact is applied to the protruding portion 34a, the lower part of the deformation member 34 bends inward in the vehicle width direction X and collides with the impact detection sensor 32. At this time, the position and strength of the deformation member 34 are designed such that the lower part of the deformation member 34 collides with the impact detection sensor 32 from the detection direction D. When the deformation member 34 collides with the impact detection sensor 32 from the detection direction D, a large acceleration is detected by the impact detection sensor 32. As described above, by designing the deformation member 34 to collide with the impact detection sensor 32 from the detection direction D during a side collision, the side collision can be reliably detected.

[0036] When an acceleration exceeding the reference value is detected by the impact detection sensor 32, the shut-off valve 36 is closed and the pipe 22 is blocked. As a result, the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 20 to the fuel cell stack is stopped, and leakage of hydrogen gas is prevented.

[0037] On the other hand, when a large road surface input is applied to the vehicle 1, the hydrogen tank 20 swings greatly along the swing trajectory T. Here, since the impact detection sensor 32 measures the acceleration in the detection direction D that intersects the swing trajectory T, the component of the acceleration in the detection direction D among the accelerations due to the swing of the hydrogen tank 20 becomes small. That is, in the tank support structure 30, since the swing of the hydrogen tank is less likely to be detected by the impact detection sensor 32, it is possible to suppress misdetection of the swing of the hydrogen tank 20 as a side collision. In order to suppress the misdetection of the impact detection sensor 32 caused by the swing of the hydrogen tank 20, it is conceivable to increase the rigidity or weight of the support member 31. However, due to the restrictions on the space at the lower part of the vehicle body or the vehicle body weight, it is not easy to increase the rigidity or weight of the support member 31. On the other hand, in the tank support structure 30, it is possible to suppress the misdetection of the impact detection sensor 32 by measuring the acceleration in the detection direction D without increasing the rigidity or weight of the support member 31. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the compression of the space of the vehicle 1 and the increase in the vehicle body weight.

[0038] Although the tank support structure 30 according to various embodiments has been described above, various modifications can be made without being limited to the above-described embodiments as long as the gist of the invention is not changed. For example, in the above-described embodiments, a plurality of tank support structures 30 support a plurality of hydrogen tanks 20, respectively, but the vehicle 1 may be provided with at least one tank support structure 30.

[0039] Although the vehicle 1 has been described as a fuel cell vehicle, the vehicle 1 may be a hydrogen engine vehicle. The various embodiments described above can be combined as long as there is no contradiction.

[0040] The present disclosure includes the following contents.

[0041] [1] A side rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, A support member that supports a hydrogen tank outside the side rail in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and is connected to the side rail so that the hydrogen tank swings along an arc-shaped swing locus centered on an axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the support member; An impact detection sensor that is fixed to the support member and detects an acceleration in a direction intersecting the swing locus; A tank support structure comprising:

[0042] [2] The tank support structure according to [1], further comprising a shut-off valve that stops the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank when the acceleration detected by the impact detection sensor is equal to or greater than a reference value.

[0043] [3] The tank support structure according to [1] or [2], further comprising a deformation member that is disposed outside the impact detection sensor in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to collide with the impact detection sensor when an impact is input from the side of the vehicle.

[0044] [4] The tank support structure according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the impact detection sensor detects an acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the swing locus.

[0045] [5] A first cover and a second cover for protecting the impact detection sensor, A sensor bracket disposed between the first cover and the second cover and holding the impact detection sensor, further comprising, The first cover connects the support member and the sensor bracket, The second cover connects the support member and the first cover, and the tank support structure according to any one of [1] to [4].

Description of the reference numerals

[0046] 1... vehicle, 13... side rail, 20... hydrogen tank, 30... tank support structure, 31... support member, 32... impact detection sensor, 36... shut-off valve, 41... sensor bracket, 42... first cover, 43... second cover, AX... axis, F... impact, T... swing locus.

Claims

1. A side rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a support member that supports a hydrogen tank outside the side rail in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and is connected to the side rail so that the hydrogen tank swings along an arcuate swing locus centered on an axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the support member; a shock detection sensor fixed to the support member and detecting an acceleration in a direction intersecting the swing locus; A tank support structure comprising:

2. The tank support structure according to claim 1, further comprising a shut-off valve that stops the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank when the acceleration detected by the shock detection sensor is equal to or greater than a reference value.

3. The tank support structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a deformation member that is disposed outside the shock detection sensor in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to collide with the shock detection sensor when an impact is input from the side of the vehicle.

4. The tank support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shock detection sensor detects an acceleration in a direction perpendicular to the swing locus.

5. a first cover and a second cover for protecting the shock detection sensor; a sensor bracket disposed between the first cover and the second cover and holding the shock detection sensor; further comprising: The first cover connects the support member and the sensor bracket; The tank support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second cover connects the support member and the first cover.

Images