Fuel cell vehicles

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell vehicle which can store a larger amount of hydrogen while securing a wide passenger compartment.SOLUTION: A fuel cell vehicle 10 includes: an FC unit 24; a pair of side rails 12; a plurality of hydrogen tanks 70 disposed under a floor of a vehicle, at the vehicle rear relative to a front wheel 16F, and at the vehicle front relative to a rear wheel 16R; and a main battery 50 which stores electric power generated by the FC unit 24. The plurality of hydrogen tanks 70 includes two or more inner hydrogen tanks 70A arranged parallel to each other in a vehicle width direction between the pair of side rails 12. The main battery 50 is disposed on the floor of the vehicle and at a rear part of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] This specification discloses a fuel cell vehicle equipped with a fuel cell.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, fuel cell vehicles equipped with fuel cells have been widely known. A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by chemically reacting hydrogen and oxygen. Therefore, a hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen is mounted on the fuel cell vehicle.

[0003] When the hydrogen tank is arranged on the floor of the vehicle, the passenger compartment becomes narrow. Therefore, a technique of arranging the hydrogen tank under the floor of the vehicle is also known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel cell vehicle in which a hydrogen tank is arranged under the floor of the vehicle. According to such a technique, a wider passenger compartment can be secured compared to the case where the hydrogen tank is arranged on the floor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] <{0000028]]However, in the case of the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the hydrogen tank is arranged only on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side rail. The side rail is a skeletal member extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the vicinity of the end in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle. Wheels are also arranged on the outside in the vehicle width direction of this side rail. Therefore, in the case of the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the hydrogen tank needs to be arranged avoiding the wheels, and there is a possibility that the number of hydrogen tanks decreases or the size of the hydrogen tank becomes small. As a result, in the case of the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the hydrogen storage capacity of the vehicle decreases.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses a fuel cell vehicle that can store a larger amount of hydrogen while securing a spacious passenger compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fuel cell vehicle disclosed herein comprises a fuel cell, a pair of side rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle under the floor of the vehicle, a plurality of hydrogen tanks located under the floor of the vehicle, behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels, and a main battery for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell, wherein the plurality of hydrogen tanks include two or more hydrogen tanks arranged in parallel in the width direction of the vehicle between the pair of side rails, and the main battery is located on the floor of the vehicle and at the rear of the vehicle.

[0008] By positioning multiple hydrogen tanks under the vehicle floor, a spacious passenger compartment can be secured. Furthermore, by placing some of the hydrogen tanks between a pair of side rails, a larger quantity of hydrogen can be stored.

[0009] In this case, the vehicle further includes an external power supply unit that includes an inverter and supplies power from the main battery to external equipment, and an exhaust pipe that guides the exhaust, which is cooling air after the external power supply unit has been cooled, to the outside, wherein the external power supply unit is located on the floor of the vehicle and adjacent to the front of the main battery, and the exhaust pipe includes an exhaust port for releasing the exhaust, the exhaust port may be located on the floor of the vehicle and facing to the side of the vehicle.

[0010] With this configuration, even if hydrogen leaks from the hydrogen tank into the space under the floor, it is less likely to flow into the exhaust port. As a result, the inflow of hydrogen into the passenger compartment is effectively prevented.

[0011] Furthermore, the vehicle includes a drive unit that includes a rotating electric motor to rotate the wheels, and the plurality of hydrogen tanks include two inner hydrogen tanks and two outer hydrogen tanks, the two inner hydrogen tanks being arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side rails, the two outer hydrogen tanks being arranged to sandwich the pair of side rails and the two inner hydrogen tanks in the vehicle width direction, the drive unit being located between the pair of side rails and behind the two inner hydrogen tanks, and the two outer hydrogen tanks may be positioned offset behind the two inner hydrogen tanks.

[0012] By positioning the outer hydrogen tank further rearward than the inner hydrogen tank, a larger space can be secured in front of the outer hydrogen tank. Furthermore, by positioning the drive unit in the manner described above, interference between the drive unit and the hydrogen tank is prevented.

[0013] In this case, the vehicle further comprises an entry / exit opening formed on the side of the vehicle, an entry / exit step positioned below the floor surface and adjacent to the entry / exit opening in the vehicle width direction, and an auxiliary battery, wherein the rear wheels are drive wheels, the drive unit is positioned between the left and right rear wheels, each of the two outer hydrogen tanks is positioned adjacent to the front of the rear wheels, the auxiliary battery is positioned adjacent to the front of one of the two outer hydrogen tanks, and the entry / exit step may be positioned adjacent to the front of the auxiliary battery.

[0014] This configuration allows workers to easily access the auxiliary battery from the side of the entry / exit step. Furthermore, positioning the drive unit between the pair of drive wheels eliminates the need for a propeller shaft, improving underfloor space efficiency.

[0015] In this case, the fuel cell may be located in front of the vehicle, relative to the plurality of hydrogen tanks.

[0016] In such a configuration, a fuel cell is disposed at the front of the vehicle, a hydrogen tank is disposed at the center of the vehicle, and a drive unit is disposed at the rear of the vehicle. And by adopting such an arrangement, the weight balance of the entire vehicle is stabilized.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the fuel cell vehicle disclosed in this specification, while securing a wide passenger compartment, a larger amount of hydrogen can be stored.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the layout of components under the vehicle floor. [Figure 2] It is a schematic side view of the rear part of the vehicle. [Figure 3] It is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram around the boarding and alighting steps. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of the area around the power supply unit seen from above.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] This vehicle 10 has a ladder frame structure. The ladder frame structure is a vehicle body structure having a skeletal member configured in a ladder shape. More specifically, the vehicle 10 has a pair of side rails 12 and a plurality of cross members 14a to 14f. Hereinafter, when not distinguishing between the plurality of cross members 14a to 14f, they are referred to as "cross member 14". Also, in FIG. 1, the ladder frame is shaded.

[0022] The side rail 12 is a skeletal member extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The pair of side rails 12 are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction under the floor of the vehicle 10. The cross member 14 is a skeletal member extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of side rails 12. The cross member 14 is at the same height position as the side rail 12. Therefore, the end surface in the vehicle width direction of the cross member 14 is connected to the inner side surface in the vehicle width direction of the side rail 12. The plurality of cross members 14a to 14f are arranged at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0023] A floor panel 60 is arranged above the ladder frame. This floor panel 60 functions as the floor surface of the passenger compartment, and the space above the floor panel 60 becomes the passenger compartment. Below the floor panel 60, wheels 16F, 16R, an FC unit 24, a PCU 26, an auxiliary battery 34, a drive unit 40, and a hydrogen tank 70 are arranged.

[0024] The FC unit 24 is arranged between the pair of side rails 12 and at the front part of the vehicle 10. The FC unit 24 is a device in which a fuel cell and its related components are unitized. The fuel cell is a kind of generator that generates electricity by chemically reacting hydrogen and oxygen. The related components include, for example, a cooling mechanism for cooling the fuel cell and a controller for controlling the chemical reaction of the fuel cell.

[0025] Four hydrogen tanks 70A and 70B are located in the approximate center of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the area between the front wheels 16F and the rear wheels 16R). In the following, when the two types of hydrogen tanks 70A and 70B are not distinguished, they will simply be referred to as "hydrogen tank 70". All hydrogen tanks 70 are elongated in the longitudinal direction and are roughly cylindrical in shape, serving as containers for storing hydrogen. In Figure 2, the outer hydrogen tank 70B is shown as having a larger diameter than the inner hydrogen tank 70A, but in reality, their diameters are equal. The four hydrogen tanks 70 can be broadly divided into two inner hydrogen tanks 70A and two outer hydrogen tanks 70B.

[0026] The two inner hydrogen tanks 70A are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction between a pair of side rails 12. Additionally, the two inner hydrogen tanks 70A are positioned between the third cross member 14c and the fourth cross member 14d.

[0027] Both outer hydrogen tanks 70B are positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the side rails 12. In other words, they are positioned to sandwich the pair of side rails 12 and the two inner hydrogen tanks 70A in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, both outer hydrogen tanks 70B are positioned further rearward than the two inner hydrogen tanks 70A, adjacent to the front of the rear wheels 16R.

[0028] Brackets 72U, 72L, and 72B (not shown in Figure 2) that support the hydrogen tank 70 are attached to the side rail 12. As shown in Figure 3, the upper bracket 72U is positioned above the inner hydrogen tank 70A, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are connected to the pair of side rails 12. The lower bracket 72L is positioned below the inner hydrogen tank 70A, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are connected to the pair of side rails 12. The inner hydrogen tank 70A is sandwiched and fixed from above and below by the lower bracket 72L and the upper bracket 72U.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the outer bracket 72B extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the side rail 12. The outer hydrogen tank 70B is mounted on the outer bracket 72B and fixed to the outer bracket 72B by fastening members such as bands (not shown).

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the drive unit 40 is located behind the internal hydrogen tank 70A. More specifically, the drive unit 40 is located between the pair of rear wheels 16R. The drive unit 40 is a device that outputs power for driving to the rear wheels 16R. The drive unit 40 includes a rotating electric motor 42 and a transaxle 44. The rotating electric motor 42 is driven by electricity supplied from the main battery 50, which will be described later, and functions as an electric motor that outputs power. The rotating electric motor 42 also functions as a generator that converts the braking torque of the vehicle 10 into electricity. The electricity generated by the rotating electric motor 42 is stored in the main battery 50. The transaxle 44 is a transmission mechanism that transmits the power output from the rotating electric motor 42 to the rear wheels 16R. The transaxle 44 includes, for example, a transmission and a differential gear.

[0031] Various electronic components are also placed between the FC unit 24 and the inner hydrogen tank 70A. For example, an electric heater 28, a junction box 30, and an air conditioning unit 32 are placed between the FC unit 24 and the inner hydrogen tank 70A. The PCU 26 has an inverter and controls the rotation and torque of the rotating electric machine 42.

[0032] An access opening 18 for passengers to enter and exit is formed on the left side of the vehicle 10. The access opening 18 is located behind the front wheel 16F and in front of the outer hydrogen tank 70B. The access opening 18 is opened and closed by an access door 20. An access step 22 is located inside the access door 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the area around the boarding / alighting step 22. As shown in Figure 4, the boarding / alighting step 22 is a stepped member connected to the floor panel 60. The lowest step of the boarding / alighting step 22 is located below the floor panel 60. An auxiliary battery 34 is located between the boarding / alighting step 22 and the left-side outer hydrogen tank 70B. The auxiliary battery 34 is a battery that supplies power to auxiliary equipment (such as the air conditioning unit 32) mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main battery 50 is located at the rear of the vehicle 10 and above the floor panel 60. The main battery 50 is a battery that stores the electricity generated by the fuel cell. The main battery 50 also supplies the power necessary for the vehicle 10 to run to the rotating electric machine 42 and stores the electricity generated by the rotating electric machine 42. In addition, the power from the main battery 50 is supplied to external equipment via an external power supply unit 52, which will be described later.

[0035] For example, in the event of a disaster, the main battery 50 has a relatively large electrical capacity so that it can supply electricity to disaster victims for their evacuation. In this case, the size of the main battery 50 will also be relatively large. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the width dimension of the main battery 50 is larger than the spacing between the pair of side rails 12.

[0036] The external power supply unit 52 is located adjacent to the front of the main battery 50. In other words, the external power supply unit 52 is located above the drive unit 40 and between the pair of rear wheels 16R. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the area around the external power supply unit 52. The external power supply unit 52 is a device that converts the power from the main battery 50 into power usable by general electrical appliances and outputs it. The external power supply unit 52 includes, for example, an inverter 54 for external power supply. Here, as shown in Figure 5, a raised portion 61 is formed at the vehicle width end of the floor panel 60. The raised portion 61 is a part of the floor panel 60 that is partially raised to avoid interference with the rear wheels 16R. The external power supply unit 52 is located adjacent to this raised portion 61.

[0037] An exhaust pipe 56 is attached to the external power supply unit 52. The exhaust pipe 56 is a pipe through which the cooling air, i.e., exhaust, flows after the external power supply unit 52 has been cooled. As shown in Figure 5, the exhaust pipe 56 extends from the electronic components (e.g., inverter 54, etc.) of the external power supply unit 52 toward the vehicle width end. An exhaust port 58 for discharging exhaust is formed at the end of the exhaust pipe 56. This exhaust port 58 faces toward the side of the vehicle.

[0038] Next, I will explain the reasons for adopting the layout described above. In the vehicle 10 disclosed herein, all of the hydrogen tanks 70 are located under the floor of the vehicle 10. As a result, a larger passenger compartment can be secured compared to when the hydrogen tanks 70 are located inside the passenger compartment. Furthermore, with this configuration, even if hydrogen leaks from the hydrogen tanks 70 under the floor, it is less likely that the hydrogen will flow into the passenger compartment.

[0039] Furthermore, the inner hydrogen tank 70A is positioned between a pair of side rails 12. This configuration allows for the storage of a larger amount of hydrogen compared to the vehicle described in Patent Document 1. In other words, in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the hydrogen tank 70 was positioned only on the outer side of the vehicle width relative to the side rails 12. However, since the wheels 16F and 16R are positioned on the outer side of the vehicle width relative to the side rails 12, the space available for the hydrogen tank 70 was limited in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1. On the other hand, in the vehicle 10 disclosed herein, the space between the pair of side rails 12 is also utilized as space for the hydrogen tank 70. This makes it possible to store a larger amount of hydrogen.

[0040] Here, the inner hydrogen tank 70A is positioned between the third cross member 14c and the fourth cross member 14d. In other words, the inner hydrogen tank 70A does not straddle the cross members 14c and 14d. Therefore, the inner hydrogen tank 70A can be positioned at approximately the same height as the cross member 14 and the side rail 12. In this case, the upper height of the inner hydrogen tank 70A is kept lower compared to the case where the inner hydrogen tank 70A straddles the cross members 14c and 14d. As a result, the ground contact height of the floor panel 60 is kept low, and a spacious passenger compartment can be secured.

[0041] Naturally, there are no cross members 14c and 14d outside the side rail 12 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the outer hydrogen tank 70B is positioned independently of the positions of the cross members 14c and 14d. Specifically, the outer hydrogen tank 70B is positioned adjacent to the front of the rear wheel 16R. This configuration ensures that there is space for various components to be positioned in front of the outer hydrogen tank 70B. For example, by positioning the left outer hydrogen tank 70B adjacent to the rear wheel 16R, space can be secured between the outer hydrogen tank 70B and the boarding step 22 for the auxiliary battery 34. In this case, the worker can easily access the auxiliary battery 34, which is located under the floor panel 60, from the side of the boarding step 22. In addition, a relatively large space can be secured between the right outer hydrogen tank 70B and the right front wheel 16F, allowing for the placement of various components.

[0042] Furthermore, because the outer hydrogen tank 70B is positioned offset from the inner hydrogen tank 70A in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the brackets 72U, 72L, and 72B that support them can also be offset in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. That is, as shown in Figure 1, the lower bracket 72L, upper bracket 72U, outer bracket 72B, lower bracket 72L, and outer bracket 72B are positioned in order from the front of the vehicle, spaced apart in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. By offsetting the multiple brackets 72L, 72U, and 72B in the vehicle's longitudinal direction in this way, the work of assembling these brackets 72L, 72U, and 72B to the side rail 12 can be made easier, and the load on the side rail 12 can be distributed.

[0043] Furthermore, as is clear from the above explanation, in the case of the vehicle 10 disclosed herein, the FC unit 24 is located at the front of the vehicle 10, the hydrogen tank 70 is located in the center of the vehicle 10, and the drive unit 40 and main battery 50 are located at the rear of the vehicle 10. This arrangement ensures a stable weight balance for the entire vehicle 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the drive unit 40 is positioned between the pair of rear wheels 16R, that is, between the pair of drive wheels. This configuration eliminates the need for a propeller shaft, thereby improving space efficiency under the vehicle 10.

[0045] As described above, the power from the main battery 50 can be supplied to external devices (for example, general electrical appliances) via the external power supply unit 52. In order to provide such external power stably, the power capacity of the main battery 50 is relatively large. As a result, the size of the main battery 50 is also large, and the width dimension of the main battery 50 in the vehicle width direction is larger than the distance between the pair of side rails 12. In this case, it is difficult to place the main battery 50 under the floor. Therefore, in the vehicle 10 disclosed herein, the main battery 50 is located on the upper side of the floor panel 60 of the vehicle 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the occupants can electrically connect or disconnect the external power supply unit 52 to external equipment as needed. Therefore, the external power supply unit 52 needs to be located in a place that is easily accessible to the occupants. For this reason, the external power supply unit 52 is located on the upper side of the floor panel 60, specifically in front of the main battery 50.

[0047] Here, cooling air is introduced into the external power supply unit 52 in order to cool it. The cooling air (i.e., exhaust) that has passed through the cooling unit is released to the outside through the exhaust pipe 56, as described above. The exhaust port 58, located at the end of this exhaust pipe 56, faces the side of the vehicle. In other words, the exhaust port 58 does not face the underside of the vehicle 10. Therefore, even if hydrogen leaks from the hydrogen tank 70 to the underside of the vehicle, it is difficult for the hydrogen to flow into the exhaust port 58. As a result, by facing the exhaust port 58 to the side of the vehicle, it is possible to effectively prevent hydrogen from flowing into the passenger compartment.

[0048] Furthermore, by adopting the above-described layout, the amount of design changes from the existing vehicle can be kept to a minimum. In this case, the existing vehicle is a front-engine / rear-drive engine vehicle. That is, the vehicle 10 disclosed herein has an arrangement in which the engine, propeller shaft, and differential gear of the existing vehicle are replaced with an FC unit 24, a hydrogen tank 70, and a drive unit 40, respectively. Therefore, the skeletal structure can be reused from the existing vehicle. In addition, the arrangement of many parts can be the same as that of the existing vehicle. As a result, the amount of design changes from the existing vehicle can be kept to a minimum. Also, since the same parts as the existing vehicle can be reused, the cost of vehicle 10 can be kept low.

[0049] The above description is merely an example, and other configurations may be modified as appropriate, as long as the configuration is as described in claim 1. For example, the number of hydrogen tanks 70 may be changed as appropriate. For example, three or more inner hydrogen tanks 70A may be arranged in parallel between a pair of side rails 12. The arrangement of the FC unit 24 and the drive unit 40 may also be changed as appropriate. The external power supply unit 52 may also be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Vehicle, 10 Fuel cell vehicle, 12 Side rail, 14 Cross member, 16F Front wheel, 16R Rear wheel, 18 Entrance opening, 20 Entrance door, 22 Entrance step, 24 FC unit, 28 Electric heater, 30 Junction box, 32 Air conditioning unit, 34 Auxiliary battery, 40 Drive unit, 42 Rotating electric machine, 44 Transaxle, 50 Main battery, 52 External power supply unit, 54 Inverter, 56 Exhaust pipe, 58 Exhaust port, 60 Floor panel, 61 Raised section, 70A Inner hydrogen tank, 70B Outer hydrogen tank, 72L Lower bracket, 72B Outer bracket, 72U Upper bracket.

Claims

1. Fuel cells and Under the vehicle floor, a pair of side rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, Multiple hydrogen tanks are located under the vehicle floor, behind the front wheels, and in front of the rear wheels, A main battery for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell, Equipped with, The plurality of hydrogen tanks include two or more hydrogen tanks arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side rails, The main battery is located on the floor of the vehicle and at the rear of the vehicle. moreover, An external power supply unit including an inverter that supplies power from the main battery to external devices, An exhaust pipe that guides the exhaust, which is the cooling air after the external power supply unit has been cooled, to the outside, Includes The external power supply unit is located on the floor of the vehicle and adjacent to the front of the main battery. The exhaust pipe includes an exhaust port for releasing the exhaust gas, The aforementioned exhaust port is located on the floor of the vehicle and faces to the side of the vehicle. A fuel cell vehicle characterized by the following features.

2. A fuel cell, Under the vehicle floor, a pair of side rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, Multiple hydrogen tanks are located under the vehicle floor, behind the front wheels, and in front of the rear wheels, A main battery for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell, Equipped with, The plurality of hydrogen tanks include two or more hydrogen tanks arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side rails, The main battery is located on the floor of the vehicle and at the rear of the vehicle. moreover, It includes a rotating electric motor and a drive unit that rotates the wheels, The aforementioned plurality of hydrogen tanks include two inner hydrogen tanks and two outer hydrogen tanks, The two inner hydrogen tanks are arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side rails. The two outer hydrogen tanks are positioned to sandwich the pair of side rails and the two inner hydrogen tanks in the vehicle width direction. The drive unit is positioned between the pair of side rails and behind the two inner hydrogen tanks of the vehicle. The two outer hydrogen tanks are positioned further rearward than the two inner hydrogen tanks. A fuel cell vehicle characterized by the following features.

3. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2, further, An opening for boarding and alighting is formed on the side of the vehicle, Below the floor surface, an entry / exit step is positioned adjacent to the vehicle width direction of the entry / exit opening, Auxiliary battery and Equipped with, The aforementioned rear wheels are drive wheels, The drive unit is positioned between the left and right rear wheels, Each of the two external hydrogen tanks is positioned adjacent to the front of the rear wheel. The auxiliary battery is located adjacent to the front of one of the two outer hydrogen tanks. The aforementioned boarding / alighting step is located adjacent to the front side of the auxiliary battery. A fuel cell vehicle characterized by the following features.

4. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3, A fuel cell vehicle characterized in that the fuel cell is located in front of the vehicle, relative to the plurality of hydrogen tanks.

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