Fuel cell unit

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell unit that can improve the workability of work performed by accessing from the side.SOLUTION: A fuel cell unit 20 includes a side plate 71 that is attached to a pillar portion 53 from the outside of the pillar portion 53 in the second direction Y and is disposed further outward in the second direction Y than a top plate 60. The side plate 71 includes a side plate main body 72, a groove forming plate 75 that is provided at a position recessed from an outer surface 721 of the side plate main body 72, a groove 77 that is formed in the groove forming plate 75 and includes an engaged surface 78c, and a head accommodating space S that accommodates the head 70b of the engaging member 70 and opens on the opposite side of the engaged surface 78c in the extending direction of the groove 77.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell unit. [Background technology]

[0002] A fuel cell unit has a fuel cell module including various components necessary for power generation, such as a fuel cell stack, and a housing that houses the fuel cell module. For example, the fuel cell unit described in Patent Document 1 has a cover placed on the top surface of a base material, and various components, such as the fuel cell stack, are housed inside the cover. The cover has a pair of first panel members, a pair of second panel members, a closing panel member, and a plurality of bolts. The cover and base material form a housing that houses the fuel cell module.

[0003] Each of the first panel members and the second panel members is fixed to the frame by bolts or the like. The pair of first panel members is sandwiched between a pair of second panel members. Each first panel member is a substantially rectangular plate, and each second panel member is an L-shaped plate with an extending plate portion formed by bending the upper end portion. A frame surface is formed by the upper end surfaces of each first panel member and the upper surfaces of the extending plate portions of each second panel member. The closing panel member is placed on the frame surface and is fixed to the pair of second panel members by a plurality of bolts.

[0004] The pair of first panel members, the pair of second panel members, and the base material define a storage space in which various components are stored, and the storage space is closed from above by the closing panel member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-8159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a fuel cell unit, work such as inspection of various components of a fuel cell module housed inside a housing is performed. From the standpoint of workability, work may be performed by accessing the housing from the side. However, in the fuel cell unit of Patent Document 1, when work is performed by accessing the housing from the side, the first panel member or the second panel member is removed from the base material. However, to remove the first panel member or the second panel member from the base material, the closing panel member must be removed from the second panel member. For this reason, the workability of work performed by accessing the housing from the side is low in the fuel cell unit of Patent Document 1. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A fuel cell unit for solving the above problems is a fuel cell unit having a housing that houses a fuel cell module including a fuel cell stack, the housing having a bottom plate arranged below the fuel cell stack, a frame including a plurality of pillars erected from an upper surface of the bottom plate, a top plate arranged above the pillars of the frame, an attachment plate fixed to the pillars from outside the pillars in a first direction along the upper surface of the bottom plate, and a side plate attached to the pillars from outside the pillars in a second direction along the upper surface of the bottom plate and perpendicular to the first direction, and arranged outside the top plate in the second direction. The pillar portion is provided with an engaging member having a shaft portion that is screwed onto the pillar portion and protrudes in the second direction, and a head portion that is provided at the tip of the shaft portion and clamps the side plate together with the pillar portion, and the side plate has a side plate main body, a groove forming plate provided at a position recessed from the outer surface of the side plate main body, a groove formed in the groove forming plate, the groove being insertable and detachable for the shaft portion and including an engaged surface that engages with the shaft portion, and a head accommodating space that is provided between an imaginary surface that includes the inner surface of the side plate main body and the groove forming plate facing the imaginary surface, that accommodates the head portion, and that opens on the opposite side of the engaged surface in the direction in which the groove extends.

[0008] According to this, when performing work inside the housing by accessing the side panel of the housing, the worker unscrews the shaft of the engaging member threadedly attached to the post from the post. When the side panel is released from clamping between the head of the engaging member and the post, the side panel can be moved in the direction of the groove. At this time, the head emerges from the head accommodating space on the side opposite the engaged surface in the direction of the groove, allowing the side panel to be removed from the frame without the head interfering with the side panel. Furthermore, because the side panel is positioned outward of the top panel in the second direction, the side panel can be removed from the frame without interfering with the top panel. Therefore, work inside the housing can be performed by removing only the side panel from the frame without removing the top panel from the frame, improving the workability of work performed by accessing from the side.

[0009] In the fuel cell unit, the groove may extend in the vertical direction, and the engaged surface may be provided at an upper end of the groove. According to this, when removing the side panel attached to the frame, moving the side panel upward releases the engagement between the shaft and the engaging surface, and allows the shaft to be removed from the groove. This allows the side panel to be removed from the frame by moving the side panel upward. For example, removing the side panel can be done more easily than if the side panel were moved sideways.

[0010] In the fuel cell unit, the frame may have a mounting member mounted on the column portions adjacent to each other in the first direction, and may include a fixing member that fixes the column portions and the mounting member and protrudes beyond the column portions in the second direction, and the side plate may cover the fixing member from the outside in the second direction.

[0011] This prevents the fixing members from protruding outside the housing, which means that the fixing members do not get in the way when inserting or removing the fuel cell unit into or from the storage section that houses the fuel cell unit, making it easier to insert or remove the fuel cell unit into or from the storage section.

[0012] In the fuel cell unit, the groove may have a pair of first guide surfaces that extend parallel to each other and move the shaft portion linearly, and a pair of second guide surfaces that are connected to each of the pair of first guide surfaces and gradually increase the distance between them.

[0013] This allows the side panel to be moved straight in the direction of extension of the first guide surface due to contact between the first guide surface and the shaft. This makes it easy for an operator to move the side panel. Furthermore, even if the position of the shaft and the portion of the groove defined by the first guide surface are misaligned, the second guide surface can guide the shaft toward the first guide surface. This makes it easy to attach the side panel to the frame.

[0014] In a fuel cell unit, two of the engaging members may be provided on each of two adjacent column portions in the first direction, spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each of the two engaging members spaced apart in the vertical direction may face the two engaging members lined up in the first direction.

[0015] According to this, the engaging members adjacent to each other in the first direction are arranged at the same positions in the vertical direction. Therefore, when inserting the engaging members adjacent to each other in the first direction into the grooves, if the vertical positions of both ends of the side plate in the first direction are the same, all four engaging members can be inserted into the grooves. Therefore, even in a frame provided with four engaging members, the side plate can be easily attached and detached.

[0016] In the fuel cell unit, the groove may be provided by joining a groove member including the groove-forming plate to the side plate body. This makes it easier to form grooves in the side panels than to process the side panels to form groove-forming plates and then form grooves in the groove-forming plates. Also, by joining the groove members to the side panel bodies according to the positions at which the engaging members are provided on the frame, it is possible to easily form grooves and engaged surfaces at positions according to the engaging members. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention can improve the workability of work performed by accessing from the side. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a storage section and a fuel cell unit. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the fuel cell unit from the second attachment plate side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a fuel cell unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the frame and the side plate. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the first frame forming member. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the side plate from the inside. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view showing the groove from the mounting hole. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a groove member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the attached state of the side plate. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the engaging member is retracted. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a state in which the side plate has been moved upward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of the fuel cell unit will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. The fuel cell unit is a stationary type and is housed in a housing. <Storage section> 1, the storage unit 10 has a storage body 12 that defines a storage space 11 that is open to the front, and a mounting member 13 on which a fuel cell unit 20 to be stored in the storage space 11 is placed. The storage body 12 has support rails 12a that support the mounting member 13. The mounting member 13, supported by the support rails 12a, can be moved in and out of the storage space 11 by means of the support rails 12a.

[0020] <Fuel cell unit> 3, the fuel cell unit 20 has a housing 40 and a fuel cell module 21 housed in the housing 40. The fuel cell unit 20 can be connected to a hydrogen tank 14, an air filter 15, and a radiator 16 that are installed outside the housing 40.

[0021] <Fuel cell module> The fuel cell module 21 has a fuel cell stack 22, an air compressor 23, a diluter 24, a water pump 25, a hydrogen pump 26, a first fan 27, a second fan 28, and an inverter 29. A housing 40 houses the fuel cell module 21, and the fuel cell unit 20 has a housing 40 that houses the fuel cell stack 22. The inverter 29 controls the operation of the air compressor 23. The inverter 29 is housed in the housing 40.

[0022] The fuel cell module 21 has a hydrogen supply pipe 31 connected to the anode (not shown) of the fuel cell stack 22, a cooling medium pipe 32 for carrying a cooling medium circulating between the fuel cell stack 22 and the radiator 16, and an air intake pipe 33 connected to the air compressor 23. Note that although cooling water is used as the cooling medium, other types of liquids may also be used.

[0023] The fuel cell module 21 has a cathode offgas pipe 34a that connects the cathode of the fuel cell stack 22 to the diluter 24, and an anode offgas pipe 34b that connects the anode of the fuel cell stack 22 to the diluter 24. The fuel cell module 21 also has a discharge pipe 35 connected to the diluter 24, an air supply pipe 36 that connects the cathode of the fuel cell stack 22 to the air compressor 23, and a hydrogen circulation pipe 37 that connects the anode of the fuel cell stack 22 to the hydrogen supply pipe 31.

[0024] The hydrogen supply pipe 31 passes through the inside of the casing 40 from the fuel cell stack 22 and is drawn out to the outside of the casing 40, and is connected to a hydrogen connection pipe 18 connected to the hydrogen tank 14 outside the casing 40. The coolant pipe 32 includes an outward pipe 32a that sends cooling water from the radiator 16 to the fuel cell stack 22, and a return pipe 32b that sends cooling water from the fuel cell stack 22 to the radiator 16. The outward pipe 32a passes through the inside of the casing 40 from the fuel cell stack 22 and is drawn out to the outside of the casing 40, and is connected to a first connection pipe 17a connected to the radiator 16 outside the casing 40. Similarly, the return pipe 32b passes through the inside of the casing 40 from the fuel cell stack 22 and is drawn out to the outside of the casing 40, and is connected to a second connection pipe 17b connected to the radiator 16 outside the casing 40. A water pump 25 is provided on the outgoing pipe 32a, and the water pump 25 is housed in the housing 40. The air intake pipe 33 passes through the inside of the housing 40 from the air compressor 23 and is drawn out to the outside of the housing 40, and is connected to the air filter 15 outside the housing 40.

[0025] The cathode off-gas piping 34a, the anode off-gas piping 34b, the exhaust piping 35, the air supply piping 36, and the hydrogen circulation piping 37 are housed inside a housing 40. A hydrogen pump 26 is provided on the hydrogen circulation piping 37, and the hydrogen pump 26 is housed inside the housing 40.

[0026] In the fuel cell unit 20 configured as described above, hydrogen is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell stack 22 from the hydrogen tank 14 via the hydrogen connection pipe 18 and the hydrogen supply pipe 31. In addition, air compressed by the air compressor 23 is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell stack 22 via the air supply pipe 36. The air compressor 23 draws in air that has passed through the air filter 15 via the air intake pipe 33. The fuel cell stack 22 generates direct current electrical energy by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in the air. The fuel cell stack 22 generates water as it generates electricity.

[0027] Anode off-gas, which is exhaust containing surplus hydrogen discharged from the fuel cell stack 22, also contains produced water. The anode off-gas, from which the produced water has been separated, flows into the hydrogen circulation pipe 37 and is returned to the hydrogen supply pipe 31 by the hydrogen pump 26. A portion of the anode off-gas separated from the anode off-gas is discharged to the diluter 24 via the anode off-gas pipe 34b. Cathode off-gas, which is exhaust containing oxygen discharged from the fuel cell stack 22 and water produced as the fuel cell stack 22 generates electricity, is discharged to the diluter 24 via the cathode off-gas pipe 34a.

[0028] In the diluter 24, the produced water is separated from the cathode off-gas and the anode off-gas. The hydrogen contained in the anode off-gas is diluted with the cathode off-gas from the fuel cell stack 22, and then discharged to the outside of the housing 40 via the discharge pipe 35.

[0029] In the coolant pipe 32, the coolant is circulated between the fuel cell stack 22 and the radiator 16 by the water pump 25 pumping the coolant. The coolant circulates through the coolant pipe 32 and flows into the heat exchange passage in the fuel cell stack 22 through the first connecting pipe 17a and the outward pipe 32a, absorbing heat generated in the fuel cell stack 22 and cooling the fuel cell stack 22. The coolant flows into the heat exchange passage of the radiator 16 through the return pipe 32b and the second connecting pipe 17b, and is cooled by the radiator 16.

[0030] <Case> As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the housing 40 has a bottom plate 41, a frame 51 erected from an upper surface 41a of the bottom plate 41, a top plate 60 fixed to the upper surface of the frame 51, a first attachment plate 61 and a second attachment plate 62 fixed to the frame 51, and a pair of side plates 71 attached to the frame 51.

[0031] The bottom plate 41 is a rectangular plate. The direction in which a pair of long edges of the bottom plate 41 extend is defined as a first direction X, and the direction in which a pair of short edges of the bottom plate 41 extend is defined as a second direction Y. The first direction X is a direction along the top surface 41a of the bottom plate 41, and the second direction Y is a direction along the top surface 41a of the bottom plate 41 and perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0032] The frame 51 is formed by assembling a pair of first frame forming members 52 erected on the upper surface 41a of the bottom plate 41 and a pair of second frame forming members 56 bridged between the pair of frame forming members 52. The pair of first frame forming members 52 erect on the upper surface 41a of the bottom plate 41 facing each other in the first direction X.

[0033] The first frame-forming member 52 is formed from a pair of pillars 53 facing each other in the second direction Y, and a bridge portion 54 that bridges the upper ends of the pair of pillars 53. Therefore, the frame 51, which includes a pair of first frame-forming members 52, includes multiple pillars 53 that stand upright on the upper surface 41a of the bottom plate 41. Each pillar 53 is in the form of a long plate with an L-shaped cross section. The first frame-forming member 52 has an outer surface 521 and an inner surface 522 that are opposite each other.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, each pillar 53 has a side panel mounting piece 53a and an attachment plate mounting piece 53b that are perpendicular to each other. Each first frame-forming member 52 has a shape in which the attachment plate mounting pieces 53b of a pair of pillars 53 are closer to each other than the side panel mounting pieces 53a and face each other in the second direction Y. Furthermore, the pair of first frame-forming members 52 are erected on the bottom plate 41 with the side panel mounting pieces 53a closer to each other and face each other in the first direction X than the attachment panel mounting pieces 53b. Therefore, each side panel mounting piece 53a is erected from the bottom plate 41 with its short end aligned along the long edge of the bottom plate 41, and each attachment plate mounting piece 53b is erected from the bottom plate 41 with its short end aligned along the short edge of the bottom plate 41.

[0035] In each first frame-forming member 52, the bridge portion 54 is bent so as to be disposed between a pair of pillar portions 53. The bridge portion 54 has a long plate shape, and is formed such that the longitudinal direction of the bridge portion 54 extends in the second direction Y.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 5, a bracket 55 is joined to the side plate mounting piece 53a of the column portion 53. The bracket 55 is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The bracket 55 is joined to the inner surface 522 of the side plate mounting piece 53a by welding. The bracket 55 has a mounting end 55a that protrudes from the side plate mounting piece 53a in the first direction X. The mounting ends 55a of the brackets 55 of the pair of first frame forming members 52 face each other in the first direction X.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 , each first frame-forming member 52 has an engaging member 70 for attaching a side plate 71 to the frame 51. The engaging member 70 is formed by a bolt. The engaging member 70 has a shaft portion 70a with a male thread and a head portion 70b with a larger diameter than the shaft portion 70a. The shaft portion 70a is screwed into the side plate mounting piece 53a of each pillar portion 53. The engaging member 70 protrudes in the second direction Y from the side plate mounting piece 53a. Thus, the frame 51 is provided with an engaging member 70 that is screwed into the frame 51 and has a shaft portion 70a protruding in the second direction Y and a head portion 70b provided at the tip of the shaft portion 70a. The engaging member 70 is provided at an upper portion, which is a first end in the longitudinal direction of the side plate mounting piece 53a, and at a lower portion, which is a second end in the longitudinal direction.

[0038] In the pair of first frame forming members 52, the engaging members 70 screwed to the upper parts of the side panel mounting pieces 53a face each other in the first direction X. In the pair of first frame forming members 52, the engaging members 70 screwed to the lower parts of the side panel mounting pieces 53a face each other in the first direction X. Thus, two engaging members 70 are provided on each pillar portion 53 spaced apart in the vertical direction, and two engaging members 70 are provided on each pillar portion 53 side by side in the first direction X for each of the two engaging members 70. In detail, in a side view of the frame 51 seen in the second direction Y, the engaging members 70 are arranged in four locations, with two aligned in the first direction X and two aligned in the vertical direction.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the second frame-forming member 56 is a long plate with an L-shaped cross section. The second frame-forming member 56 has an outer surface 561 and an inner surface 562 that are opposite to each other. The second frame-forming member 56 has a long plate-shaped installation member 57 and a long plate-shaped top-panel support member 58 that are perpendicular to each other. The second frame-forming member 56 is installed on the pair of first frame-forming members 52 by fastening the installation member 57 to the mounting end 55 a of the first frame-forming member 52. The second frame-forming member 56 and the bracket 55 are fastened by screwing a fixing member 59 that passes through the installation member 57 to the mounting end 55 a. The fixing member 59 is a bolt. The second frame-forming member 56 is installed on the pair of first frame-forming members 52 with the outer surface 561 of the top-panel support member 58 facing upward. Therefore, the frame 51 has a mounting member 57 mounted on adjacent pillars 53 in the first direction X, and also includes a fixing member 59 that fixes the pillars 53 and the mounting member 57 and protrudes beyond the pillars 53 in the second direction Y.

[0040] 9, the outer surface 521 of the first frame forming member 52 at the side panel mounting piece 53a is located on the same plane as the outer surface 561 of the second frame forming member 56 at the installation member 57. Therefore, the fixing member 59 protrudes in the second direction Y beyond the outer surface 521 at the side panel mounting piece 53a. In addition, the outer surface 521 of the first frame forming member 52 at the installation portion 54 is located on the same plane as the outer surface 561 of the second frame forming member 56 at the top panel support member 58.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 2, the top plate 60 is a rectangular plate. The longitudinal direction of the top plate 60 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 41, and the lateral direction of the top plate 60 coincides with the lateral direction of the bottom plate 41. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the top plate 60 coincides with the first direction X, and the lateral direction of the top plate 60 coincides with the second direction Y. For this reason, the longitudinal direction of the top plate 60 will be referred to as the first direction X, and the lateral direction of the top plate 60 will be referred to as the second direction Y.

[0042] 2 and 9, the top plate 60 is supported by the outer surface 521 of the mounting portion 54 of the first frame-forming member 52, and is also supported by the outer surface 561 of the top plate support member 58 of the second frame-forming member 56. The top plate 60 is fixed to the upper surface of the frame 51 by fastening both longitudinal ends to the respective mounting portions 54. The dimension of the top plate 60 in the second direction Y is the same as or slightly smaller than the dimension of the first frame-forming member 52 in the second direction Y. Both ends of the top plate 60 in the second direction Y do not protrude beyond the outer surface 521 of the side panel mounting piece 53a in the second direction Y.

[0043] 4, the first attachment plate 61 is fastened to one of the pair of first frame forming members 52, and the second attachment plate 62 is fastened to the other of the pair of first frame forming members 52. Each of the first attachment plate 61 and the second attachment plate 62 is fastened to the outer surface 521 of the first frame forming member 52 at the attachment plate mounting piece 53b. Therefore, the housing 40 has the first attachment plate 61 and the second attachment plate 62 fixed to the column portion 53 from the outside of the column portion 53 in the first direction X along the upper surface 41a of the bottom plate 41.

[0044] 1, first fan 27 and second fan 28 are installed on first attachment plate 61. Further, outward piping 32a and return piping 32b penetrate first attachment plate 61 and protrude to the outside of housing 40, and hydrogen supply piping 31 and air suction pipe 33 penetrate first attachment plate 61 and protrude to the outside of housing 40. Further, exhaust piping 35 penetrates first attachment plate 61 and protrudes to the outside of housing 40. Therefore, first attachment plate 61 has first fan 27, second fan 28, hydrogen supply piping 31, cooling medium piping 32, and air suction pipe 33 arranged together.

[0045] 2, an air intake port 62a is formed in the second attachment plate 62. The air intake port 62a is provided to draw air from the outside to the inside of the housing 40 by driving the first fan 27 and the second fan 28.

[0046] <Side plate mounting structure> The side plates 71 are attached to the frame 51 by engaging with the engaging members 70 provided on the frame 51 .

[0047] The side plate 71 will now be described in detail. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the side plate 71 has a rectangular side plate main body 72, ribs 73 erected on the side edges of the side plate main body 72, and a groove member 74 joined to the side plate main body 72.

[0048] The side plate 71 has an outer surface 721 and an inner surface 722 that are opposite each other in the plate thickness direction. The ribs 73 are formed to protrude from the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72. Mounting holes 72a are formed on both ends in the longitudinal direction and both ends in the lateral direction of the side plate main body 72. The mounting holes 72a penetrate the side plate main body 72 in the plate thickness direction and are formed near the four corners of the side plate main body 72. The groove members 74 are joined by welding to the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72 so as to cover the mounting holes 72a from the inner surface 722 side of the side plate main body 72.

[0049] 7 and 8, the groove member 74 has a rectangular groove forming plate 75 facing the mounting hole 72a, and three extending walls 76 extending from the groove forming plate 75. The groove forming plate 75 has a first edge 751 and a second edge 752 extending in the longitudinal direction of the groove forming plate 75. The first edge 751 and the second edge 752 extend parallel to each other. One of the three extending walls 76 extends from the first edge 751 of the groove forming plate 75. Each of the remaining two extending walls 76 extends from a pair of edges extending in the lateral direction of the groove forming plate 75.

[0050] Each extension wall 76 is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The dimension in the short direction of each extension wall 76 is greater than the thickness of the head 70b of the engagement member 70. The thickness at the head 70b is the dimension of the head 70b in the axial direction of the shaft portion 70a.

[0051] A groove 77 is formed in the groove forming plate 75. The groove 77 has a pair of first guide surfaces 78a that extend linearly in the vertical direction, second guide surfaces 78b that connect to the lower ends of each of the pair of first guide surfaces 78a, and an engaged surface 78c that connects the upper ends of the pair of first guide surfaces 78a. The groove 77 extends in the vertical direction, and the engaged surface 78c is provided at the upper end of the groove 77. The engaged surface 78c extends in an arc shape.

[0052] The pair of first guide surfaces 78a extend linearly and parallel to each other in the short direction of the groove forming plate 75, i.e., in the vertical direction. The distance between the pair of first guide surfaces 78a in the first direction X is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 70a of the engagement member 70. Therefore, the shaft portion 70a can move linearly in the vertical direction between the pair of first guide surfaces 78a. Therefore, the groove 77 has a pair of first guide surfaces 78a that extend parallel to each other and linearly move the shaft portion 70a in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the shaft portion 70a can be inserted into the first guide surface 78a from the second guide surface 78b side of the groove 77 and can be extracted to the outside of the groove 77 from the second guide surface 78b. Therefore, the shaft portion 70a can be inserted into and removed from the groove 77.

[0053] The pair of second guide surfaces 78b gradually widen the gap between them in the first direction X as they move away from the first guide surface 78a. The pair of second guide surfaces 78b are inclined so that the gap between them narrows as they move from the second edge 752 toward the first guide surface 78a. Thus, the groove 77 has a pair of second guide surfaces 78b that are connected to each of the pair of first guide surfaces 78a and that gradually widen the gap between them. The engaged surface 78c engages with the shaft portion 70a inserted between the pair of first guide surfaces 78a.

[0054] 9, the groove member 74 is provided on the side plate main body 72 by welding three extending walls 76 to the side plate main body 72 while the groove forming plate 75 faces the mounting hole 72a. The extending walls 76 separate the groove forming plate 75 from an imaginary plane H including the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72. Therefore, the side plate 71 has the groove forming plate 75 provided at a position recessed from the outer surface 721 of the side plate 71, and a groove 77 formed in the groove forming plate 75, into which the shaft portion 70a is removably inserted and which includes an engaged surface 78c that engages with the shaft portion 70a.

[0055] The dimension between the imaginary plane H and the inner surface 742 of the groove member 74 on the groove forming plate 75 is greater than the thickness of the head 70b of the engaging member 70. A head accommodating space S is defined in the side plate 71, surrounded by the three extending walls 76 and the groove forming plate 75. Therefore, the side plate 71 has the head accommodating space S provided between the imaginary plane H, which includes the inner surface 722 of the side plate 71, and the inner surface 742 of the groove forming plate 75, which faces the imaginary plane H. The head accommodating space S opens downward on the side of the second edge portion 752 of the groove forming plate 75. The groove 77 faces the head accommodating space S and is exposed on the outer surface 721 of the side plate main body 72 through the mounting hole 72a.

[0056] <How to install the side panels> The worker grasps the side plate 71 and positions the four groove members 74 above the four heads 70b. The worker moves the side plate 71 downward to insert the heads 70b into the head accommodating space S and insert the shafts 70a into the grooves 77. If the grooves 77 and the shafts 70a are not aligned relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the side plate main body 72, the second guide surfaces 78b guide the shafts 70a toward the first guide surfaces 78a. When the side plate 71 is moved downward, the pair of first guide surfaces 78a contact the shafts 70a, guiding the side plate 71 to move directly downward. When the engaged surfaces 78c come into contact with the shafts 70a, the engaging members 70 engage with the groove members 74, and the side plate 71 is supported by the four engaging members 70. Thereafter, the worker uses the head 70b of the engaging member 70 to thread the shaft 70a into the side plate attachment piece 53a, whereby the side plate 71 is fastened to the side plate attachment piece 53a and attached to the frame 51.

[0057] <Side panel installation status> 2, the pair of side plates 71 are attached to the pillars 53 from the outside of the pillars 53 in the second direction Y, and are disposed further outward in the second direction Y than the top plate 60. Specifically, ribs 73 provided on the upper ends of the side plates 71 face the outer side of the top plate 60 in the second direction Y.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 9 , the groove-forming plate 75 is sandwiched between the head 70b and the side plate mounting piece 53a via a washer 80. The groove-forming plate 75 is spaced from the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72 by the extension wall 76. Therefore, the side plate main body 72 is spaced from the side plate mounting piece 53a in the second direction Y by the groove member 74. The rib 73 covers the gap formed by the separation between the side plate mounting piece 53a and the side plate main body 72 from all sides of the side plate main body 72. Furthermore, due to the separation between the side plate mounting piece 53a and the side plate main body 72, the side plate main body 72 is spaced from the installation member 57 of the second frame-forming member 56 in the second direction Y. The fixing member 59 protruding from the installation member 57 is covered by the side plate main body 72, which is spaced from the installation member 57 in the second direction Y.

[0059] <Storing the fuel cell unit in the storage compartment> As shown in FIG. 1 , the fuel cell unit 20 is placed on the mounting member 13 with the second attachment plate 62 positioned at the back of the storage section 10 and the first attachment plate 61 positioned on the opening side of the storage section 10. The front view of the fuel cell unit 20 is when the fuel cell unit 20 stored in the storage section 10 is viewed from the opening side of the storage space 11. When viewed from the front of the fuel cell unit 20, the first attachment plate 61 can be seen from the front. When viewed from the front, a pair of side plates 71 sandwiching the first attachment plate 61 form the side faces of the fuel cell unit 20. Therefore, the side of the fuel cell unit 20 is the side of the side plate 71.

[0060] [Operation of the embodiment] The operation of the embodiment will be described. When performing maintenance from the side of the fuel cell unit 20, the worker pulls out the mounting member 13 stored in the storage section 10 from the storage space 11, and then pulls out the fuel cell unit 20 placed on the mounting member 13 from the storage space 11. At this time, the fuel cell unit 20 is pulled out from the storage space 11 until the pair of side plates 71 of the fuel cell unit 20 are entirely exposed outside the storage space 11.

[0061] 10, the worker then unscrews the shaft portion 70a of the engaging member 70, which is screwed into the side plate mounting piece 53a of the column portion 53, from the side plate mounting piece 53a. This releases the groove forming plate 75 from being clamped between the head portion 70b of the engaging member 70 and the side plate mounting piece 53a.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 11 , the worker grasps the side plate 71 and moves it upward. This allows the side plate 71 to be moved in the direction in which the groove 77 extends. At this time, the head 70b comes out of the head accommodating space S, and the side plate 71 can be removed from the frame 51 without the head 70b interfering with the side plate 71. Furthermore, because the side plate 71 is positioned outward of the top plate 60 in the second direction Y, the side plate 71 can be removed from the frame 51 without interfering with the top plate 60. As a result, the housing 40 is no longer covered by the side plate 71, and the fuel cell unit 20 inside the housing 40 can be accessed.

[0063] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The housing 40 has an engaging member 70 provided on the pillar portion 53 of the frame 51 and a groove member 74 provided on a side plate main body 72. The side plate 71 is attached to the frame 51 by engagement between the shaft portion 70a of the engaging member 70 and the engaged surface 78c of the groove 77, and is fixed to the frame 51 by sandwiching the side plate 71 between the head portion 70b of the engaging member 70 and the pillar portion 53. The pair of side plates 71 are disposed outside the top plate 60 in the second direction Y. When work inside the housing 40 is performed by accessing the housing 40 from the side of the side plate 71 of the housing 40, the side plate 71 can be moved in the direction in which the groove 77 extends when the side plate 71 is released from being sandwiched between the head portion 70b of the engaging member 70 and the pillar portion 53. At this time, the head 70b comes out of the head accommodating space S, so the side plate 71 can be removed from the frame 51 without the head 70b interfering with the side plate 71. The side plate 71 can also be removed from the frame 51 without interfering with the top plate 60. Therefore, work inside the housing 40 can be performed by removing only the side plate 71 from the frame 51 without removing the top plate 60 from the frame 51, thereby improving the workability of work performed by accessing the fuel cell unit 20 from the side.

[0064] (2) The head 70b of the engaging member 70 is accommodated in the head accommodating space S recessed from the outer surface 721 of the side plate main body 72. Therefore, the head 70b does not protrude from the outer surface 721 of the side plate 71. As a result, even in the housing 40 in which the side plate 71 is made detachable using the engaging member 70, it is possible to prevent the engaging member 70 from spoiling the aesthetic appearance.

[0065] (3) The groove-forming plate 75 is separated from the inner surface 722 of the side plate 71 by the extension wall 76. The groove-forming plate 75 is separated from an imaginary plane H including the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72 by the extension wall 76. The dimension of the extension wall 76 in the short direction is greater than the thickness of the head 70b, so the head 70b can be moved within the head accommodating space S. Therefore, because the side plate 71 can be moved, the side plate 71 can be easily removed from the frame 51.

[0066] (4) Because the first guide surface 78a of the groove 77 extends linearly in the vertical direction, contact between the first guide surface 78a and the shaft portion 70a allows the side plate 71 to be moved linearly in the vertical direction. When removing the side plate 71 attached to the frame 51, moving the side plate 71 upward releases the engagement between the shaft portion 70a and the engagement surface 78c, and the shaft portion 70a can be pulled out of the groove 77. This allows the side plate 71 to be removed from the frame 51. This makes it easy for an operator to move the side plate 71 in the vertical direction.

[0067] (5) The second guide surfaces 78b of the groove 77 are inclined so that the distance between them narrows as they approach the first guide surfaces 78a. Therefore, even if the position of the shaft portion 70a and the portion of the groove 77 defined by the first guide surfaces 78a are misaligned relative to each other, the second guide surfaces 78b can guide the shaft portion 70a toward the first guide surfaces 78a. This makes it easy to attach the side plate 71 to the frame 51.

[0068] (6) Four engaging members 70 are provided on the frame 51. The engaging members 70 adjacent to each other in the first direction X face each other in the first direction X, and are therefore arranged at the same positions in the vertical direction. Therefore, when inserting each of the engaging members 70 adjacent to each other in the first direction X into the grooves 77, the four engaging members 70 can be inserted into the grooves 77 by performing the work while aligning the vertical positions of both ends of the side plate 71 in the first direction X. Therefore, even with a frame 51 having four engaging members 70, the side plate 71 can be easily attached and detached.

[0069] (7) The grooves 77 are formed by joining a groove member 74, which is separate from the side plate main body 72, to the side plate main body 72. For example, compared to forming a groove-forming plate 75 by processing the side plate main body 72 and then forming the grooves 77 in the groove-forming plate 75, the grooves 77 can be easily formed in the side plate 71. Furthermore, by joining the groove member 74 to the side plate main body 72 depending on the position at which the engaging member 70 is provided on the frame 51, the engaging member 70 can be engaged with the engaged surface 78c.

[0070] (8) The groove 77 is formed in the side plate 71 by joining the groove member 74 to the side plate main body 72. The groove member 74 can separate the groove-forming plate 75 from the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72 by the extension wall 76. Therefore, when the groove-forming plate 75 contacts the side plate mounting piece 53a and fastens the side plate 71 to the frame 51, the side plate mounting piece 53a and the installation member 57 flush with the side plate mounting piece 53a can be separated from the inner surface 722 of the side plate main body 72. As a result, the fixing member 59 protruding from the installation portion 54 can be covered without interfering with the side plate main body 72, and the fixing member 59 is not exposed from the outer surface of the housing 40. As a result, the aesthetic appearance of the housing 40 is prevented from being impaired.

[0071] (9) The first fan 27, the second fan 28, the hydrogen supply pipe 31, the cooling medium pipe 32, and the air intake pipe 33 are arranged together on the first attachment plate 61 of the housing 40. The second attachment plate 62 is also formed with an air intake port 62a. The air intake port 62a is provided to draw air from the outside of the housing 40 into the inside when the first fan 27 is driven.

[0072] On the other hand, no components that make up the fuel cell module 21 are arranged on the side plates 71. Therefore, when removing or attaching the side plates 71 to or from the frame 51, there is no need to attach or detach or install components that make up the fuel cell module 21, which improves the workability of work that can be performed by accessing from the side.

[0073] [Example of change] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0074] The groove 77 including the engaged surface 78c may be formed by directly machining the side plate body 72 instead of using the groove member 74. The groove member 74 and the side plate body 72 can be joined by bolts, adhesive, or other suitable means.

[0075] The positions and number of the engaging members 70 provided on the frame 51 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the engaging members 70 may be provided only in the longitudinal center of the side panel mounting piece 53a of each first frame forming member 52. In this case, two groove members 74 are provided on the side panel main body 72 corresponding to the two engaging members 70.

[0076] The second guide surface 78b may be omitted from the groove 77 of the groove member 74. In this case, the groove 77 is formed by a pair of linear first guide surfaces 78a and an engaged surface 78c. The second guide surface 78b may be slanted.

[0077] The groove member 74 may be joined to the side plate main body 72 so as to open the head accommodating space S in the horizontal direction. In this case, the groove 77 extends in the longitudinal direction of the side plate main body 72. When attaching or detaching the side plate 71 to or from the frame 51, the worker moves the side plate 71 in the horizontal direction.

[0078] In the frame 51, the installation members 57 installed between the pillars 53 adjacent to each other in the first direction X may be fixed to the pillars 53 by a method other than fixing with the fixing members 59. For example, the installation members 57 installed between the pillars 53 adjacent to each other in the first direction X may be fixed to the pillars 53 by welding to the pillars 53.

[0079] In the frame 51, the bridging members 57 do not necessarily have to be bridging the pillars 53 adjacent to each other in the first direction X. Of the pair of side plates 71, only one may be engageable with the engaging member 70 via the engaged surface 78c and may be detachable from the pillar portion 53 of the frame 51. In this case, the remaining side plate 71 is fixed to the pillar portion 53 of the frame 51 so as not to be detachable.

[0080] The side plate 71 may be configured with only the side plate body 72 without the ribs 73 . The pillars 53 of the frame 51 may have only the side plate attachment pieces 53a without the attachment plate attachment pieces 53b.

[0081] The fuel cell unit 20 does not have to be housed in the housing portion 10. The fuel cell unit 20 may be mounted on an industrial vehicle such as a forklift. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] H...imaginary plane, S...head accommodating space, X...first direction, Y...second direction, 20...fuel cell unit, 21...fuel cell module, 22...fuel cell stack, 40...housing, 41...bottom plate, 41a...top surface, 51...frame, 53...column portion, 57...mounting member, 59...fixing member, 60...top plate, 61...first attachment plate, 62...second attachment plate, 70...engaging member, 70a...shaft portion, 70b...head, 71...side plate, 72...side plate main body, 74...groove member, 75...groove forming plate, 77...groove, 78a...first guide surface, 78b...second guide surface, 78c...engaged surface, 721...outer surface, 722...inner surface, 742...inner surface.

Claims

1. A fuel cell unit having a housing that houses a fuel cell module including a fuel cell stack, The housing includes a bottom plate disposed below the fuel cell stack; a frame including a plurality of pillars erected from an upper surface of the bottom plate; a top plate disposed above the column portion of the frame; an attachment plate fixed to the column portion from the outside of the column portion in a first direction along the upper surface of the bottom plate; a side plate that is attached to the column portion from the outside in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and that is disposed along the upper surface of the bottom plate and further outward than the top plate in the second direction; the column portion is provided with an engaging member having a shaft portion that is screwed to the column portion and protrudes in the second direction, and the engaging member is provided at a tip of the shaft portion and has a head portion that holds the side plate together with the column portion; The side plate is a side plate body; and a groove forming plate provided at a position recessed from an outer surface of the side plate body; a groove formed in the groove forming plate, the groove including an engaged surface into which the shaft portion is insertable and detachable and which engages with the shaft portion; A fuel cell unit characterized by having a head accommodating space that is provided between an imaginary surface including the inner surface of the side plate main body and the groove forming plate facing the imaginary surface, that accommodates the head and opens on the opposite side of the engaged surface in the direction in which the groove extends.

2. 2. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein the groove extends in the vertical direction, and the engagement surface is provided at an upper end of the groove.

3. the frame includes a bridge member bridged between the pillars adjacent to each other in the first direction, and a fixing member that fixes the pillars and the bridge member and protrudes beyond the pillars in the second direction; 3. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein the side plate covers the fixing member from outside in the second direction.

4. A fuel cell unit as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the groove has a pair of first guide surfaces extending parallel to each other and moving the shaft portion linearly, and a pair of second guide surfaces connected to each of the pair of first guide surfaces and gradually increasing the distance between them.

5. A fuel cell unit as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein two of the engaging members are provided on each of two adjacent column portions in the first direction, spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each of the two engaging members spaced apart in the vertical direction faces the two engaging members aligned in the first direction.

6. 3. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1, wherein the groove is provided by joining a groove member including the groove-forming plate to the side plate body.

Images