Fuel tank system for vehicle

Abstract

To reduce cost and pressure loss in a fuel pipe in a system for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel cell.SOLUTION: A fuel tank system 2 of a vehicle 1 supplies fuel in a fuel tank 4 to a fuel cell 3 through a pressure reducing valve 7. The plurality of fuel tanks 4a and 4b are arranged side by side in the vehicle-width direction under the floor of the vehicle 1, and main stop valves 5a and 5b are connected to one end sides in the vehicle front-rear direction. The main stop valves 5a and 5b and the pressure-reducing valves 7 disposed under the floor of the car 1 are disposed so as to be aligned in the car widthwise direction, and are connected in series by the fuel supply pipes 6b and 6c positioned on the primary side of the pressure-reducing valves 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel tank system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which hydrogen tanks as fuel tanks are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at both ends of the vehicle width direction of the cabin floor of an automobile body.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, left and right hydrogen tanks are individually connected by respective pipelines to an FC stack (fuel cell stack) located in the center in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-26117 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 merely discloses a pipeline that simply connects the hydrogen tank and the FC stack, and gives no consideration to the placement of the pipeline that supplies fuel from the hydrogen tank to the FC stack.

[0006] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the pipeline will become longer, increasing costs and increasing pressure loss in the pipeline.

[0007] In other words, in a system that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel cell via a fuel pipe such as a pipeline, there is room for further improvement in terms of appropriately arranging and setting the fuel pipe so that the pipe length of the fuel pipe is appropriate, thereby reducing costs and reducing pressure loss in the fuel pipe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle fuel tank system of the present invention supplies fuel in multiple fuel tanks to a fuel cell via a pressure reducing valve, and is characterized in that the multiple fuel tanks are arranged in a row in the vehicle width direction under the floor of the vehicle, and a main stop valve is connected to one end side in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and the multiple main stop valves and pressure reducing valves are arranged in a row along the vehicle width direction and connected in series by fuel piping. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the arrangement of fuel pipes is consolidated and the path length of the fuel pipes is reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the fuel pipes and reducing pressure loss in the fuel pipes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic outline of a fuel tank system for a vehicle according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of a fuel tank system of a vehicle according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic arrangement of a fuel tank relative to a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic arrangement of a fuel tank relative to a vehicle. [Figure 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the positional relationship between the pressure reducing valve and the main stop valve in the vehicle vertical direction and the vehicle width direction. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory diagram showing a fuel supply pipe of the fuel tank system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic overview of a fuel tank system 2 of a vehicle 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram that shows an enlarged view of the fuel tank system 2. Figs. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams that show a schematic arrangement of a fuel tank 4 relative to the vehicle 1, with Fig. 3 being an explanatory diagram of the vehicle 1 as viewed from the front (front), and Fig. 4 being an explanatory diagram of the vehicle 1 as viewed from the side (side).

[0013] The fuel tank system 2 supplies fuel to a fuel cell 3 mounted on a vehicle 1, and includes a plurality of cylindrical fuel tanks 4, a plurality of main stop valves 5 individually connected to each fuel tank 4, a fuel supply pipe 6 connected to the fuel tanks 4 via the main stop valves 5, a pressure reducing valve 7 that reduces the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel cell 3, a desulfurizer 8 that removes sulfur from the fuel that has been pressure reduced by the pressure reducing valve 7, and a subframe 9 for the fuel tanks 4 that surrounds the plurality of fuel tanks 4.

[0014] The fuel cell 3 uses the supplied fuel to generate electric power that is supplied to a drive motor and the like that drives the vehicle 1. The electric power generated by the fuel cell 3 is charged into a battery 11 via a voltage conversion device 10. The fuel cell 3 is disposed in a space on the front side of the vehicle from a partition wall Pw. The partition wall Pw is located in front of the vehicle interior and separates the vehicle interior from the space in which the fuel cell 3 is disposed.

[0015] The vehicle 1 uses the electric power generated by the battery 11 or the fuel cell 3 to drive a traction motor (not shown), which drives the drive wheels of the vehicle 1 (for example, the left and right front wheels 12 in FIG. 1).

[0016] The fuel tank 4 is filled with high-pressure fuel gas, such as natural gas, as the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell 3.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel tank 4 is a so-called pressure tank (pressure vessel) that is roughly composed of a cylindrical central portion 21 and one end portion 22 and the other end portion 23 formed by hemispherical end plates that close the ends of the central portion 21, and is capable of storing high-pressure fuel.

[0018] The fuel tank 4 is arranged so that one end 22, of both axial ends to which the main stop valve 5 is connected, is located rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The other end 23 of the fuel tank 4 is arranged so that it is located forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In other words, the one end of the fuel tank 4 to which the main stop valve 5 is connected is located rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The fuel tank 4 is arranged so that its central axis is along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The fuel tank 4 has one end 22 and the other end 23 supported or fixed to, for example, the sub-frame 9 via brackets 24, respectively.

[0019] In this embodiment, the multiple fuel tanks 4 include two fuel tanks: a first high-pressure fuel tank 4a disposed at approximately the center of the vehicle 1 in the width direction, and a second high-pressure fuel tank 4b adjacent to the first fuel tank 4a. In other words, the multiple fuel tanks 4 are a pair of fuel tanks 4 consisting of the first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b. The second fuel tank 4b is a fuel tank having a smaller diameter than the first fuel tank 4a. In other words, the central portion 21b of the second fuel tank 4b has a smaller diameter than the central portion 21a of the first fuel tank 4a. The one end 22b and the other end 23b of the second fuel tank 4b have smaller diameters than the one end 22a and the other end 23a of the first fuel tank 4a.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 3, the first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b are disposed below a floor panel P that is disposed on the floor of the vehicle 1. The first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b are disposed so that their respective tank central axes are at different height positions in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The tank central axes are central axes of the fuel tank 4 that are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the fuel tank 4.

[0021] The first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b are arranged in a direction along the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 1 (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1), and are arranged adjacent to each other (side by side) in the width direction of the vehicle 1. The first fuel tank 4a corresponds to the other fuel tank of the pair of fuel tanks 4 located on the other side in the vehicle width direction. The first fuel tank 4a corresponds to the pressure reducing valve side fuel tank. The second fuel tank 4b corresponds to the one fuel tank of the pair of fuel tanks 4 located on one side in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] The first fuel tank 4a is connected in series to the second fuel tank 4b via a fuel supply pipe 6. In this embodiment, the first fuel tank 4a is located downstream of the second fuel tank 4b in the direction of fuel flow toward the fuel cell 3. Fuel is filled into the fuel tank 4 from a fill port 13 provided on the side (left side) of the vehicle 1 via a first fuel supply pipe 6a (details of which will be described later).

[0023] The main stop valve 5 has the function of opening and closing the fuel tank 4, and enables filling of the fuel tank 4 with fuel and supply (discharge) of fuel from the fuel tank 4 to the fuel cell 3. The main stop valve 5 also has a first connection port 25 and a second connection port 26 to which a fuel supply pipe 6 can be connected. The first and second connection ports 25, 26 are so-called joint attachment portions, and the pipes are attached using threaded joints. In this embodiment, the first connection port 25 is located 180 degrees opposite the second connection port 26 with respect to the central axis of the main stop valve 5, which is aligned with the axial direction of the fuel tank 4. The main stop valve 5 has a communication passage (not shown) therein that connects the first connection port 25 and the second connection port 26.

[0024] The main stop valves 5 include a first main stop valve 5a attached to the first fuel tank 4a as the other-side main stop valve, and a second main stop valve 5b attached to the second fuel tank 4b as the one-side main stop valve. The first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b are adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] The first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b have, for example, the same configuration and are the same part. The first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b are arranged, for example, so as to be symmetrical in the vehicle width direction. The first main stop valve 5a corresponds to the pressure reducing valve side main stop valve.

[0026] The fuel supply pipe 6 allows fuel to pass through it, and includes a first fuel supply pipe 6a connecting the filling port 13 and the second main stop valve 5b, a second fuel supply pipe 6b connecting the second main stop valve 5b and the first main stop valve 5a, a third fuel supply pipe 6c connecting the first main stop valve 5a and the pressure reducing valve 7, a fourth fuel supply pipe 6d connecting the pressure reducing valve 7 and the desulfurizer 8, and a fifth fuel supply pipe 6e connecting the desulfurizer 8 and the fuel cell 3. The fuel supply pipe 6 is a fuel supply path that supplies fuel to the fuel cell 3, and corresponds to a fuel pipe.

[0027] One end of the first fuel supply pipe 6a is connected to the first connection port 25b of the second main stop valve 5b, and the other end is connected to the filling port 13. In other words, one end of the first fuel supply pipe 6a is attached and fixed to the first connection port 25b of the second main stop valve 5b, and the other end is attached and fixed to the filling port 13. The first fuel supply pipe 6a is a high-pressure pipe that is located upstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3, and through which high-pressure fuel that is not reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 7 flows.

[0028] The second fuel supply pipe 6b corresponds to the second fuel pipe, and one end is connected to the second connection port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a and the other end is connected to the second connection port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b. In other words, the second fuel supply pipe 6b is attached and fixed at one end to the second connection port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a and the other end to the second connection port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b. Here, the second connection port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a corresponds to the primary connection port, which is an inlet through which fuel enters. The second connection port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b corresponds to the secondary connection port, which is an outlet through which fuel leaves.

[0029] One end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b is connected to the first fuel tank 4a via the first main stop valve 5a, and the other end is connected to the second fuel tank 4b via the second main stop valve 5b. In other words, one end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b is connected to the second connection port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a, which is a one-end connection port, and the other end is connected to the second connection port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b, which is a other-end connection port.

[0030] The second fuel supply pipe 6b is a high-pressure pipe located upstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3, through which high-pressure fuel that is not reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 7 flows.

[0031] The third fuel supply pipe 6c corresponds to the first fuel pipe, and has one end connected to a first connection port 27 (described later) of the pressure reducing valve 7 and the other end connected to a first connection port 25a of the first main stop valve 5a. In other words, one end of the third fuel supply pipe 6c is attached and fixed to the pressure reducing valve 7, and the other end is attached and fixed to the first connection port 25a of the first main stop valve 5a. Here, the first connection port 27 of the pressure reducing valve 7 corresponds to the primary connection port, which is an inlet through which fuel enters. The first connection port 25a of the first main stop valve 5a corresponds to the secondary connection port, which is an outlet through which fuel leaves. The third fuel supply pipe 6c is located upstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3, and is a high-pressure pipe through which high-pressure fuel that is not reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 7 flows.

[0032] One end of the fourth fuel supply pipe 6d is connected to the desulfurizer 8, and the other end is connected to a second connection port 28 (described later) of the pressure reducing valve 7. In other words, one end of the fourth fuel supply pipe 6d is attached and fixed to the desulfurizer 8, and the other end is attached and fixed to the pressure reducing valve 7. The fourth fuel supply pipe 6d is a low-pressure pipe that is located downstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3, and through which low-pressure fuel reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 7 flows.

[0033] The fifth fuel supply pipe 6e has one end connected to the fuel cell 3 and the other end connected to the desulfurizer 8. In other words, the fifth fuel supply pipe 6e has one end attached and fixed to the fuel cell 3 and the other end attached and fixed to the desulfurizer 8. The fifth fuel supply pipe 6e is a low-pressure pipe located downstream of the desulfurizer 8 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3, and through which low-pressure fuel reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 7 flows.

[0034] The pressure reducing valve 7 reduces (adjusts) the pressure of fuel from the fuel tank 4 to a predetermined pressure and supplies it downstream (to the fuel cell side). It is located downstream of the fuel tank 4 and upstream of the desulfurizer 8 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3. The pressure reducing valve 7 has a first connection port 27 and a second connection port 28 to which the fuel supply pipe 6 can be connected. The first and second connection ports 27 and 28 are so-called joint attachment portions, and the pipes are attached using threaded joints. The second connection port 28 of the pressure reducing valve 7 corresponds to the secondary connection port of the pressure reducing valve 7, which serves as the outlet for the fuel. The pressure reducing valve 7 is arranged alongside the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b in the vehicle width direction in a plan view of the vehicle. The pressure reducing valve 7 is also located outside the multiple fuel tanks 4 in the vehicle width direction and adjacent to the first main stop valve 5a.

[0035] The pressure reducing valve 7 is arranged so that the first connection port 27 and the second connection port 28 are at the same height position in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0036] The pressure reducing valve 7 is disposed on one side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1. In other words, the pressure reducing valve 7 is disposed on the opposite side of the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction from the filling port 13. The filling port 13 is formed in the side wall of the vehicle body on the other side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure reducing valve 7 is arranged so that the first connection port 27, which is the primary connection port of the pressure reducing valve 7, is at the same height in the vertical direction of the vehicle as the second connection port 26b, which is the secondary connection port of the second main stop valve 5b. The first main stop valve 5a is arranged so that the first connection port 25a and the second connection port 26a are at the same height in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The second main stop valve 5b is arranged so that the first connection port 25b and the second connection port 26b are at the same height in the vertical direction of the vehicle. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the positional relationship between the first and second connection ports 27, 28 of the pressure reducing valve 7 and the first and second connection ports 25, 26 of the main stop valve 5 in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the positional relationship between the pressure reducing valve 7 and the main stop valve 5 in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the pressure reducing valve 7 and the second main stop valve 5b are arranged so that the first connection port 27, which is the primary connection port of the pressure reducing valve 7, and the second connection port 26b, which is the secondary connection port of the second main stop valve 5b, are offset by the same amount in the same direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle relative to the first connection port 25a, which is the primary connection port of the first main stop valve 5a, and the second connection port 26a, which is the secondary connection port.

[0039] In addition, the pressure reducing valve 7 and the first and second fuel tanks 4a, 4b are arranged so that the distance between the pressure reducing valve 7 and the first main stop valve 5a along the vehicle width direction is equal to the distance between the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b along the vehicle width direction.

[0040] The desulfurizer 8 is located below the floor panel P and is arranged adjacent to the first fuel tank 4a on the opposite side (opposite side) of the second fuel tank 4b with the first fuel tank 4a in between. The desulfurizer 8 is arranged side by side with the first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b in the vehicle width direction. The desulfurizer 8 corresponds to a filter member that removes unnecessary substances from the fuel supplied to the fuel cell 3. The desulfurizer 8 is located downstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 and upstream of the fuel cell 3 in the fuel flow direction toward the fuel cell 3. The desulfurizer 8 is located between the fuel cell 3 and the pressure reducing valve 7 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The desulfurizer 8, the pressure reducing valve 7, and the fuel cell 3 are arranged in series along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The desulfurizer 8 can be omitted if the fuel supplied to the fuel cell 3 does not contain sulfur.

[0041] The subframe 9 is disposed at the center in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side frames 14a, 14b, and is one of the components of the body frame of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the subframe 9 corresponds to a vehicle structural member of the vehicle 1.

[0042] Here, the side frames 14 are one of the components of the body frame, and are vehicle structural members located on both sides of the vehicle 1 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The left and right side frames 14a, 14b are connected by a plurality of cross members 15 extending in the vehicle width direction. The cross members 15 correspond to vehicle structural members. The pair of side frames 14a, 14b and the plurality of cross members 15 are connected to each other, forming an overall ladder shape.

[0043] The subframe 9 is disposed rearward of the partition wall Pw in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The subframe 9 is disposed forward of the filling port 13 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In other words, the filling port 13 is formed rearward of the subframe 9 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the filling port 13 is located rearward of a center pillar of the vehicle 1. The center pillar is located, for example, between the rear width direction member 32a of the subframe 9 and the battery 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0044] The subframe 9 has a plurality of longitudinal members 31 that extend in an elongated manner along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a plurality of widthwise members 32 that extend in an elongated manner along the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of vertical members 33 that extend in an elongated manner along the vehicle up-down direction. By connecting the plurality of longitudinal members 31, the plurality of widthwise members 32, and the plurality of vertical members 33 to one another, the subframe 9 has an overall shape of a lidless rectangular box that surrounds the first and second fuel tanks 4a, 4b, the pressure reducing valve 7, and the desulfurizer 8. The subframe 9 is fixed to a cross member 15, for example.

[0045] The multiple longitudinal members 31 include at least a one-side longitudinal member 31a located between the second fuel tank 4b and the side frame 14a located on one side in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above the vehicle, and an other-side longitudinal member 31b located between the desulfurizer 8 and the side frame 14b located on the other side in the vehicle width direction.

[0046] The multiple width direction members 32 include at least a rear width direction member 32a positioned so as to face the main stop valve 5 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Both ends of the multiple width direction members 32 are connected to one side longitudinal direction member 31a and the other side longitudinal direction member 31b on both sides, respectively.

[0047] The vertical members 33 are located at least at the four corners of the subframe 9, for example.

[0048] 6, the fuel supply pipe 6 of the fuel tank system 2 is fixed to a rear width direction member 32a extending along the width direction of the vehicle 1 via a clip member 16. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the fuel supply pipe 6 of the fuel tank system 2.

[0049] 6, the rear width direction members 32a are two rear width direction members 32aa and 32ab arranged side by side at different heights in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. The rear width direction member 32aa is located higher than the rear width direction member 32ab in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1.

[0050] The rear width direction member 32aa is located higher than the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b in the vehicle vertical direction. The rear width direction member 32ab is located lower than the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0051] The clip member 16 is made of, for example, a resin material, and is fixed to the fuel supply pipe 6 and is also fixed to the rear width direction member 32a.

[0052] The first fuel supply pipe 6a is fixed to the second main stop valve 5b and two rear width direction members 32aa, 32ab which are located at different height positions.

[0053] The second fuel supply pipe 6b is fixed to the first main stop valve 5a, the second main stop valve 5b, and the rear width direction member 32aa.

[0054] The attachment position of the fuel supply pipe 6 relative to the first main stop valve 5a is located higher in the vehicle vertical direction than the attachment position of the fuel supply pipe 6 relative to the second main stop valve 5b. That is, the height positions in the vehicle vertical direction of one end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b and the other end of the third fuel supply pipe 6c attached to the first main stop valve 5a are located higher than the height positions in the vehicle vertical direction of one end of the first fuel supply pipe 6a and the other end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b attached to the second main stop valve 5b. In other words, the second connection port 26a to which one end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b is connected and the second connection port 26b to which the other end of the second fuel supply pipe 6b is connected are located at different height positions in the vehicle vertical direction. Furthermore, the first fuel tank 4a and the second fuel tank 4b are arranged so that the second connection port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a and the second connection port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b are located at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0055] In the fuel tank system 2 of the above-described embodiment, the first main stop valve 5a, the second main stop valve 5b, and the pressure reducing valve 7 are arranged side by side along the vehicle width direction, and are connected in series by the second fuel supply pipe 6b and the third fuel supply pipe 6c located on the primary side of the pressure reducing valve 7.

[0056] This allows the fuel tank system 2 to consolidate the arrangement of the fuel supply pipes 6 and reduce the path length of the fuel supply pipes 6. Therefore, the fuel tank system 2 can reduce the cost of the fuel supply pipes 6 and can also reduce pressure loss in the fuel supply pipes 6.

[0057] Furthermore, in the fuel tank system 2, the arrangement of the fuel supply pipes 6 is consolidated and the length of the fuel supply pipes 6 is shortened, so that the overall package capacity (volume), that is, the overall capacity (volume), can be reduced.

[0058] In the fuel tank system 2, the first and second fuel tanks 4a, 4b and the pressure reducing valve 7 are arranged so that the distance between the pressure reducing valve 7 and the first main stop valve 5a along the vehicle width direction is equal to the distance between the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b that are adjacent along the vehicle width direction.

[0059] More specifically, the fuel tank system 2 is set so that the first connecting port 27 of the pressure reducing valve 7 and the second connecting port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b are at the same height position in the vehicle up-down direction, and the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b are arranged so that the first connecting port 25 and the second connecting port 26 are at the same height position in the vehicle up-down direction. Furthermore, the fuel tank system 2 is arranged so that the first connecting port 27 of the pressure reducing valve 7 and the second connecting port 26b of the second main stop valve 5b are offset by the same amount in the same direction in the vehicle up-down direction relative to the first connecting port 25a and the second connecting port 26a of the first main stop valve 5a.

[0060] This allows the fuel tank system 2 to share parts between the third fuel supply pipe 6c that connects the pressure reducing valve 7 and the first main stop valve 5a, and the second fuel supply pipe 6b that connects the first main stop valve 5a and the second main stop valve 5b.

[0061] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0062] For example, the second fuel tank 4b may be disposed in a state inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In other words, the multiple fuel tanks 4 may be disposed horizontally, and at least one fuel tank may be disposed in a state inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in a plan view of the vehicle.

[0063] The fuel tank 4 that is disposed at an angle with respect to the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction in a plan view of the vehicle can increase the length of the fuel tank 4 while maintaining the length of the fuel tank installation space along the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. In other words, the fuel tank 4 that is disposed at an angle with respect to the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction in a plan view of the vehicle can increase the length that can be placed in the fuel tank installation space, and therefore the capacity of the fuel tank 4 can be increased.

[0064] For example, the fuel tank system 2 may be configured so that the main stop valve 5 is connected to the other end 23 of the fuel tank 4, and the pressure reducing valve 7 is arranged alongside the main stop valve 5 connected to the other end 23 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the fuel tank system 2 may be configured so that one end of the fuel tank 4 to which the main stop valve 5 is connected is located on the front side of the vehicle in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the pressure reducing valve 7 is arranged alongside the main stop valve 5 arranged in this manner in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the fuel tank system 2 may be formed so that the filling port 13 is located on the rear side of the partition wall Pw in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0065] For example, in the fuel tank system 2, in addition to the desulfurizer 8, a dryer that removes moisture from the fuel may be provided downstream of the pressure reducing valve 7 as a filter member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...Vehicle 2...Fuel tank system 3…Fuel cell 4. Fuel tank 4a...First fuel tank 4b...Second fuel tank 5…Main stop valve 5a...1st main stop valve 5b…Second main stop valve 6…Fuel supply piping 6a...1st fuel supply pipe 6b...Second fuel supply pipe 6c…Third fuel supply pipe 6d…4th fuel supply pipe 6e…5th fuel supply pipe 7...Reducing valve 8…Desulfurizer 9...Subframe 10...Voltage conversion device 11...Battery 12...Front wheel 13...Filling port 25...First connection port 26...Second connection port 27...First connection port 28...Second connection port

Claims

1. In a fuel tank system for a vehicle, fuel in a plurality of fuel tanks is supplied to a fuel cell through a pressure reducing valve, The plurality of fuel tanks are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction under the floor of the vehicle, and a main stop valve is connected to one end side in the vehicle front-rear direction, A fuel tank system for a vehicle, characterized in that a plurality of the main stop valves and the pressure reducing valves are arranged in a line along the vehicle width direction and connected in series by fuel piping.

2. 2. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure reducing valve is located outside the plurality of fuel tanks in the vehicle width direction and is arranged adjacent to a pressure reducing valve-side main stop valve that is a main stop valve for a pressure reducing valve-side fuel tank that is one of the plurality of fuel tanks.

3. 3. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of fuel tanks and the pressure reducing valves are arranged such that the interval between each pressure reducing valve and each pressure reducing valve-side main stop valve in the vehicle width direction is equal to the interval between adjacent main stop valves in the vehicle width direction.

4. the plurality of fuel tanks are a pair of fuel tanks consisting of a first fuel tank which is the pressure reducing valve side fuel tank and a second fuel tank adjacent to the first fuel tank, the fuel pipe includes: a first fuel pipe having one end connected to a primary connection port of the pressure reducing valve and the other end connected to a secondary connection port of a first main stop valve which is the pressure reducing valve-side main stop valve; and a second fuel pipe having one end connected to the primary connection port of the first main stop valve and the other end connected to a secondary connection port of a second main stop valve which is the main stop valve of the second fuel tank, a primary connection port of the pressure reducing valve and a secondary connection port of the second main stop valve are arranged to be at the same height position along the vehicle up-down direction, The first main stop valve and the second main stop valve have a primary connection port and a secondary connection port at the same height position along the vehicle vertical direction, 4. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 3, wherein the pressure reducing valve and the second main stop valve are arranged so that the primary connection port of the pressure reducing valve and the secondary connection port of the second main stop valve are offset by the same amount in the same direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle relative to the primary connection port and the secondary connection port of the first main stop valve.

5. 3. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 2, wherein the pressure reducing valve is disposed on one side of the vehicle in the width direction, and a fill port for supplying fuel to the fuel tank is formed in the vehicle body on the other side of the vehicle in the width direction.

6. a subframe that is disposed rearward of a partition wall that separates a vehicle interior from a space in which the fuel cell is disposed, in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and that surrounds the plurality of fuel tanks; 6. The fuel tank system for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the filling port is formed to be located rearward of the subframe in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

7. a subframe that is disposed rearward of a partition wall that separates a vehicle interior from a space in which the fuel cell is disposed, in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and that surrounds the plurality of fuel tanks; one end side of each of the plurality of fuel tanks to which the main stop valve is connected is located on the front side of the vehicle in the vehicle front-rear direction, 6. The fuel tank system for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the filling port is formed to be located rearward of the partition wall in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

8. a filter member for removing unnecessary substances from the fuel supplied to the fuel cell; 8. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 2, wherein the filter member is disposed under a floor of the vehicle and is arranged alongside the plurality of fuel tanks in the vehicle width direction.

9. 9. The fuel tank system for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the filter member is located between the fuel cell and the pressure reducing valve in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the pressure reducing valve, the filter member, and the fuel cell are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. 2. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fuel tanks are arranged horizontally and parallel to one another, and the tank central axes are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

11. 2. The vehicle fuel tank system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fuel tanks are arranged horizontally, and at least one fuel tank is arranged inclined relative to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when viewed from above.

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