Work vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a work vehicle. A work vehicle according to the present disclosure comprises: a vehicle body; an electric motor and a fuel cell module that are mounted on the vehicle body; a bonnet that covers the fuel cell module; hydrogen piping that supplies hydrogen to the inside of the bonnet; and a hydrogen sensor that detects hydrogen, the hydrogen sensor being fixed to an outer surface of the fuel cell module.

Description

Work vehicles

[0001] The present disclosure relates to work vehicles.

[0002] Conventionally, a work vehicle equipped with an electric motor and a battery has been known (see Patent Document 1). The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the battery located inside the hood. The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a tractor.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-060655

[0004] A work vehicle according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a vehicle body, an electric motor and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body, a hood covering the fuel cell module, a hydrogen pipe supplying hydrogen to the inside of the hood, and a hydrogen sensor for detecting hydrogen, the hydrogen sensor being fixed to the outer surface of the fuel cell module.

[0005] The present disclosure allows a hydrogen sensor to be easily installed around a fuel cell module inside the hood of a work vehicle equipped with a fuel cell module and an electric motor, making it possible to detect hydrogen leaks that occur inside the hood.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a right side view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a left side view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a portion of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure in an exploded state. FIG. 9 is a left side view of a work vehicle with a portion removed. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of hydrogen supply piping in a work vehicle. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of a hydrogen sensor and hinges around a fuel cell. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between a hydrogen sensor, a hood, and a cover. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a hydrogen sensor, a hood, and a cover. FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged left side view showing the positional relationship between a hydrogen sensor, a hood, and a cover. Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the hydrogen sensor, bracket, and hinge, and Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the state in which the bonnet is supported by the hinge.

[0007] <Problem to be Solved by the Invention> In recent years, work vehicles that use a fuel cell module that generates electricity using hydrogen as fuel and drive an electric motor with the electricity have been considered. For such work vehicles, it has been considered to place the fuel cell module in the space under the hood where the engine was previously located. For such work vehicles, it is desirable to be able to detect hydrogen leaks that occur under the hood.

[0008] The present disclosure aims to enable detection of hydrogen leaking under the hood of a work vehicle equipped with a fuel cell module and an electric motor.

[0009] Effect of the Invention According to the work vehicle of the present disclosure, a hydrogen sensor can be easily installed around the fuel cell module inside the hood, making it possible to detect hydrogen leaks that occur inside the hood of a work vehicle equipped with a fuel cell module and an electric motor.

[0010] <Outline of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> The following is a list and description of outlines of embodiments of the present disclosure: (1) A work vehicle according to this embodiment includes a vehicle body, an electric motor and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body, a hood that covers the fuel cell module, a hydrogen pipe that supplies hydrogen to the inside of the hood, and a hydrogen sensor that detects hydrogen, and the hydrogen sensor is fixed to the outer surface of the fuel cell module.

[0011] According to the work vehicle of this embodiment, a hydrogen sensor can be easily installed around the fuel cell module inside the hood, making it possible to detect hydrogen leaks that occur inside the hood of a work vehicle equipped with a fuel cell module and an electric motor.

[0012] (2) In the work vehicle of this embodiment, it is preferable that the hydrogen sensor be fixed above the outer surface of the fuel cell module. This allows the hydrogen sensor to reliably detect hydrogen that flows upward in the event of a leak.

[0013] (3) In the work vehicle of this embodiment, it is preferable that the hydrogen sensor be fixed above the outer surface via a bracket that supports the hydrogen sensor. With a work vehicle configured in this way, the hydrogen sensor can be easily installed near the fuel cell module.

[0014] (4) The work vehicle according to this embodiment preferably further includes a hood that covers the fuel cell module and a hinge that supports the hood so that it can be opened and closed, and the hinge is fixed to the bracket. A work vehicle configured in this manner does not require a separate frame to support the hinge, and a frame dedicated to the hinge can be omitted. This reduces the overall length of the work vehicle.

[0015] (5) In the work vehicle of this embodiment, it is preferable that the hinge be disposed above the fuel cell module. With a work vehicle configured in this manner, the hinge that supports the hood so that it can be opened and closed can be easily provided using the bracket that supports the hydrogen sensor.

[0016] (6) In the work vehicle of this embodiment, it is preferable that the fuel cell module further includes a connection port on the outer surface to which the hydrogen pipe is connected, and the hydrogen sensor is fixed above the connection port on the outer surface. With a work vehicle configured in this way, the hydrogen sensor can be easily installed in an area where hydrogen leakage is likely to occur. This makes it possible to reliably detect hydrogen leakage occurring under the hood.

[0017] <Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0018] [Overall Configuration of Work Vehicle] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. Figs. 2 to 7 are a front view, a rear view, a side view (left side view), a side view (right side view), a plan view, and a bottom view of the work vehicle shown in Fig. 1. The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment is a vehicle that can be used for agricultural work, and the work vehicle 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a tractor. The work vehicle is not limited to a tractor. For example, the work vehicle according to the present invention may be an agricultural machine, a construction machine, a utility vehicle, or the like other than a tractor.

[0019] The directions of the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure are defined below. The direction in which the work vehicle 10 moves forward is defined as "front," the direction in which the work vehicle 10 moves backward is defined as "rear," the left side when facing forward is defined as "left," and the right side when facing forward is defined as "right." The left-right direction perpendicular to the fore-aft direction is defined as the vehicle width direction. The direction perpendicular to both the fore-aft direction and the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) is defined as the up-down direction. The up-down direction is also called the height direction. In each figure, an orthogonal three-dimensional coordinate system is shown, with the forward direction indicated by arrow X1 and the backward direction indicated by arrow X2. The left direction is indicated by arrow Y1 and the right direction is indicated by arrow Y2. The up direction is indicated by arrow Z1 and the down direction is indicated by arrow Z2.

[0020] 1 includes a vehicle body 11, a traveling device 12 that supports the vehicle body 11 so that it can travel, a driver's seat 15, a cabin 16, a tank unit 21 having a tank 13 that stores fuel, and a drive device 14 that is powered by the fuel stored in the tank 13. The fuel is hydrogen, and the tank 13 is a hydrogen tank that stores hydrogen gas. The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment is a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) that travels using electricity generated by a fuel cell (fuel cell module) 24 using hydrogen and oxygen.

[0021] The work vehicle 10 has a drive device 14 that includes a fuel cell 24, a battery unit 30, and an electric motor 31. The battery unit 30 has a battery 300 that stores power generated by the fuel cell 24 and supplies the stored power to the motor 31. The work vehicle 10 has a hydrogen gas piping (hydrogen piping) 22 and a filling unit 25 (see FIG. 3 ). The filling unit 25 has a filling port (receptacle) 26 that connects to a filling nozzle of a hydrogen gas supply device (not shown) that is separate from the work vehicle 10. Hydrogen gas is supplied from the filling port 26 and supplied to the tank 13 through the piping 22 (rear piping 22r). The hydrogen gas in the tank 13 is supplied to the fuel cell 24 through the piping 22 (front piping 22f). The specific configurations of the filling unit 25 and the piping 22 will be described later.

[0022] The work vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1) has a mounting frame 17 and a support structure 37. The mounting frame 17 is a frame for mounting the tank unit 21 (tank 13) on the vehicle body 11. The support structure 37 is a component for supporting the battery unit 30 on the vehicle body 11. The work vehicle 10 (see FIG. 7) has an exhaust path 35. The exhaust path 35 exhausts water or water vapor generated by operation of the fuel cell 24 to the outside. The specific configurations of the mounting frame 17, the support structure 37, and the exhaust path 35 will be described later.

[0023] [Vehicle Body 11] The vehicle body 11 has a chassis 41, a hood 34, a cover 111, and a fender 47 that covers the rear wheels 122 from above. The chassis 41 supports the traveling device 12, the drive device 14, and the cabin 16. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the work vehicle 10 shown in Figure 1. The chassis 41 is located in the center in the vehicle width direction and has a shape that is long in the vehicle front-to-rear direction. The chassis 41 has a front frame 32 that forms the front portion of the chassis 41, and a gear case 33 that forms the rear portion of the chassis 41. The front frame 32 is formed by combining metal frame materials and the like. The gear case 33 has a metal box body. The gear case 33 is connected to the rear portion of the front frame 32, and the gear case 33 and the front frame 32 form the framework of the vehicle body 11.

[0024] The front frame 32 carries the motor 31. The gear case 33 has therein a power transmission mechanism 333 such as a transmission, a clutch, a differential gear, etc. The power transmission mechanism 333 reduces or increases the rotation speed of the output shaft of the motor 31 and outputs the rotation to the traveling device 12 (one or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122).

[0025] The power transmission mechanism 333 outputs a portion of the power of the motor 31 to a PTO shaft 334 (see FIG. 3 ). The PTO shaft 334 is an output shaft provided at the rear of the gear case 33. The work vehicle 10 has a coupling device 43 for coupling another device to the rear of the vehicle body 11. The PTO shaft 334 transmits the power of the motor 31 to the other device coupled to the coupling device 43. The other device is a work device (not shown), also called an implement. The work device is operated by the power of the motor 31. The work device is, for example, a tiller.

[0026] Figure 9 is a left side view of the work vehicle 10, showing the hood 34, cover 111, and a portion of the tank case 211 of the tank unit 21 removed. Starting from the front of the vehicle, the first radiator 48, fuel cell 24, and second radiator 49 are mounted on the chassis 41 in this order. As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the hood 34 and cover 111 cover the mounted components located near the front of the vehicle body 11. The hood 34 covers the fuel cell 24 and first radiator 48 from above and on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The cover 111 covers the second radiator 49 located behind the fuel cell 24 from above and on both sides in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] The upper surface 48a of the first radiator 48 is lower than the upper surface 24a of the fuel cell 24. The upper surface 24a of the fuel cell 24 is lower than the upper surface 49a of the second radiator 49. The upper surface 111a of the cover 111 is higher than the upper surface 34a of the hood 34, but lower than the upper end of the steering wheel 151 that is operated by an operator sitting in the driver's seat 15 to steer the vehicle. The upper surface 34a of the hood 34 becomes lower toward the front. This makes it less likely that the field of vision of the operator sitting in the driver's seat 15 will be obstructed.

[0028] [Driver's Seat 15 and Cabin 16] The driver's seat 15 and the cabin 16 are provided on the chassis 41 at a rearward position (see FIG. 1). The cabin 16 has the driver's seat 15 inside. The cabin 16 has front pillars 162 located in front of the driver's seat 15, rear pillars 163 located behind the driver's seat 15, and a roof 164 located above the driver's seat 15. The front pillars 162 are provided on the left front and right front of the driver's seat 15. The rear pillars 163 are provided on the left rear and right rear of the driver's seat 15. The roof 164 is supported by the front pillars 162 and rear pillars 163.

[0029] The cabin 16 has a windshield 165 located in front of the driver's seat 15. The windshield 165 is provided between the left and right front pillars 162. The cabin 16 has openable and closable doors 166 on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The doors 166 are provided between the front pillars 162 and the rear pillars 163.

[0030] A step 167 is provided on one side (left side) of the cabin 16 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 5). The step 167 is a member on which an operator places their feet when getting in and out of the cabin 16. A cover 111 and a bonnet 34 are provided in front of the cabin 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the dimensions of the cover 111 and the bonnet 34 in the vehicle width direction are each smaller than the dimension of the cabin 16 in the vehicle width direction. The dimension of the bonnet 34 in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the dimension of the cover 111 in the vehicle width direction.

[0031] The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment has a cabin 16, but it does not have to have the cabin 16. The work vehicle 10 may have a canopy or ropes instead of the cabin 16. If the work vehicle 10 does not have a cabin 16, the tank unit 21 is supported by the mounting frame 17 and is located above the driver's seat 15.

[0032] [Traveling device 12] The traveling device 12 has front wheels 121 and rear wheels 122 (see FIG. 6). The front wheels 121 are provided on the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle body 11. The rear wheels 122 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear part of the vehicle body 11. The maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right rear wheels 122 is greater than the maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right front wheels 121. The maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right rear wheels 122 is the maximum vehicle width dimension of the work vehicle 10. One or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122 rotate by the power of the motor 31. One or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122 (drive wheels) that rotate by the power of the motor 31 may be crawlers (crawlers).

[0033] [Drive unit 14] As described above, the drive unit 14 is configured to include the fuel cell 24, the battery unit 30, and the motor 31. The fuel cell 24 is located on the chassis 41 near the front of the vehicle body 11 (see FIG. 9). The motor 31 is located behind the fuel cell 24 (see FIG. 8). The battery unit 30 is located near the outer side of the vehicle body 11 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 1). The battery unit 30 is attached to the chassis 41 by a support structure 37.

[0034] The fuel cell 24 generates electricity using hydrogen gas to obtain the power to rotate the motor 31. The fuel cell 24 (see FIG. 9 ) has a battery casing 241 in the shape of a substantially rectangular box and a fuel cell stack 242 provided inside the battery casing 241. The fuel cell stack 242 has a plurality of battery cells. Each battery cell has a positive electrode and a negative electrode. A plurality of unit cells are stacked. The power generated by each battery cell is collected and output to the battery unit 30.

[0035] The motor 31 has a rotating rotor and a stator having a plurality of coils. The output shaft of the motor 31 is connected to a power transmission mechanism 333 in a gear case 33 (see FIG. 8). The motor 31 is located behind the fuel cell 24 and below the second radiator 49.

[0036] [Tank Unit 21] The tank unit 21 (see FIG. 9 ) has a tank 13 and a tank case 211 that houses the tank 13. The tank 13 is a substantially cylindrical high-pressure vessel. The tank 13 is made of fiber-reinforced resin reinforced with carbon fiber or glass fiber, or the like. In this embodiment, three tanks 13 are fixed to the tank case 211 with the axial direction of their cylindrical portions parallel to the vehicle width direction. The number of tanks 13 is not limited to three.

[0037] The tank case 211 is a box that can accommodate one or more tanks 13. The tank case 211 has a box shape that completely covers the tanks 13 that it accommodates. The tank case 211 has an opening / closing door 213 (see FIG. 1 ) on one or both sides in the vehicle width direction, and is open in the vehicle width direction. The tank case 211 is installed above the roof 164 with a gap between it and the roof 164 in the vertical direction. The tank case 211 is fixed to the upper frame portion 171 of the mounting frame 17. The tank case 211 is made of metal such as aluminum or steel, and protects the tanks 13 from external thermal and physical influences.

[0038] The tank 13 is located above the cabin 16 (driver's seat 15). This allows for a high degree of freedom in the placement of the fuel cell 24, filling section 25, motor 31, and battery unit 30 in the vehicle body 11. When a conventional work vehicle with an internal combustion engine is modified to have a work vehicle 10 equipped with a fuel cell 24 and motor 31 as in this embodiment, there is no need to significantly change the placement and configuration of the various devices.

[0039] The tank 13 is connected to a rear pipe 22r and a front pipe 22f via a valve unit 212 (see FIG. 9). The rear pipe 22r (see FIG. 3) is a gas inlet pipe connecting the hydrogen gas fill port 26 and the valve unit 212, and guides hydrogen gas introduced into the fill port 26 to the tank 13. The front pipe 22f (see FIG. 2) is a gas outlet pipe connecting the fuel cell 24 and the valve unit 212, and guides hydrogen gas stored in the tank 13 to the fuel cell 24. The tank 13 stores hydrogen gas introduced into the fill port 26 from outside the vehicle and supplies it to the fuel cell 24. The valve unit 212 has an on-off valve, a pressure reducing valve, etc., and adjusts the hydrogen gas stored in the tank 13 to a predetermined flow rate and guides it to the fuel cell 24 through the front pipe 22f.

[0040] [Mounting Frame 17] The mounting frame 17 (see FIG. 1) is a frame structure for mounting the tank 13 on the vehicle body 11. The mounting frame 17 of this embodiment has an upper frame portion 171 that supports the tank 13, and a first front frame portion 172, a second front frame portion 175, and a rear frame portion 173 that serve as frames for supporting the upper frame portion 171. A tank case 211 is attached to the upper frame portion 171. In other words, the upper frame portion 171 supports the tank 13 via the tank case 211. The specific configuration of the mounting frame 17 will be described later.

[0041] A filling section 25 (see FIG. 3) is provided on the rear frame section 173. The filling section 25 has a filling port 26 to which a gas filling nozzle of a hydrogen gas supply device (not shown) installed outside the vehicle is connected when filling the tank 13 with hydrogen gas.

[0042] [Radiator] The work vehicle 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) has a cooling system that uses coolant to cool the fuel cell 24, motor 31, boost circuit 80, inverter 81, DC / DC converters 82, 83, etc. As part of the cooling system, the work vehicle 10 has a first radiator 48 and a second radiator 49. As shown in FIG. 9, the first radiator 48 is located in front of the fuel cell 24, and the second radiator 49 is located behind the fuel cell 24.

[0043] The first radiator 48 is a radiator for cooling devices other than the fuel cell 24. The second radiator 49 is a radiator for cooling the fuel cell 24. The first radiator 48 is connected to electrical components (heat-generating components) that require cooling, such as the motor 31, the boost circuit 80, the inverter 81, and the DC / DC converters 82 and 83, via a first cooling flow path (not shown) having a circulation pump. The first radiator 48 cools the coolant supplied through the first cooling flow path by heat exchange with external air. The second radiator 49 is connected to the fuel cell 24 via a second cooling flow path (not shown) having a circulation pump. The second radiator 49 cools the coolant supplied through the second cooling flow path by heat exchange with external air.

[0044] The first radiator 48 has a first fan 481. The second radiator 49 has a second fan 491. The first fan 481 and the second fan 491 rotate to pass air through the first radiator 48 and the second radiator 49, facilitating heat exchange with the coolant.

[0045] [Battery Unit 30] The battery unit 30 stores power to be supplied to the motor 31. The battery unit 30 (see FIG. 9 ) has a battery (battery pack) 300 and a housing 307 that houses the battery 300. The battery 300 temporarily stores the power generated by the fuel cell 24 and outputs the stored power to electrical devices such as the motor 31. The battery 300 is composed of multiple battery cells. The battery 300 is a charge-discharge type secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a lead-acid battery.

[0046] [Electrical System] The work vehicle 10 has a junction box 75. The junction box 75 is an electrical connection box for relaying and distributing the power output from the battery unit 30. The fuel cell 24 is connected to an inverter 81 (see FIG. 5 ) via a boost circuit. The battery unit 30 is connected to the inverter 81 through the junction box 75. The inverter 81 is electrically connected to the motor 31. The inverter 81 converts the DC power output from the boost circuit into three-phase AC power and outputs it to the motor 31.

[0047] The work vehicle 10 has low-voltage electrical equipment that operates at a lower voltage than the motor 31. Power that has been stepped down by a step-down circuit is supplied to the low-voltage electrical equipment through a junction box 75. In the work vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the low-voltage electrical equipment is the battery unit 30, radiators 48, 49, and air conditioning unit 74. The work vehicle 10 has a first DC / DC converter 82 and a second DC / DC converter 83 as the step-down circuit.

[0048] [Regarding the placement of the hydrogen sensor] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the placement of hydrogen supply piping in a work vehicle. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the placement of the hydrogen sensor and hinges around the fuel cell. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the hydrogen sensor, the hood, and the cover. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the hydrogen sensor, the hood, and the cover. FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged left side view showing the positional relationship between the hydrogen sensor, the hood, and the cover. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure is equipped with a rear piping 22r that introduces hydrogen from the filling port 26 of the filling section 25 to the tank 13 via the valve unit 212, and a front piping 22f that extends from the tank 13 to the fuel cell 24 via the valve unit 212. The fuel cell 24 is equipped with a connection port 28 to which the front piping 22f is connected. The connection port 28 is provided on the rear surface 24b, which is the rear outer surface of the fuel cell 24.

[0049] The work vehicle 10 is equipped with a hydrogen sensor 27 that detects leakage of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell 24 through the front pipe 22f. The hydrogen sensor 27 is fixed above the connection port 28 on the rear surface 24b of the fuel cell 24. In the work vehicle 10, the hydrogen sensor 27 is provided above the connection port 28, where hydrogen can be easily detected in the event of a hydrogen leak from the connection port 28. Note that the hydrogen sensor 27 may also be fixed to an outer surface of the fuel cell 24 other than the rear surface 24b.

[0050] As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the work vehicle 10 has a cover 111 that covers the fuel cell 24, the rear portion of the hood 34, and the second radiator 49 (see Figure 5). The cover 111 has an upper surface 111a, a left side surface 111b, and a right side surface 111c. The upper surface 111a is located above the hood 34. The left side surface 111b is located on the left side of the hood 34. The right side surface 111c is located on the right side of the hood 34. Portions of the left and right sides of the fuel cell 24 are covered by side covers 112 made of a mesh body.

[0051] 12 , the upper surface 111a of the cover 111 is positioned in a plan view so as to cover the connection port 28 and the upper portion of the hydrogen sensor 27. With this configuration, if hydrogen were to leak from the connection port 28, the leaked hydrogen would flow upward from the connection port 28 through the space between the rear surface 24b of the fuel cell 24 and the second radiator 49, and then upward from within the cover 111.

[0052] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in the work vehicle 10, the hydrogen sensor 27 is surrounded by the upper surface 111a, left side surface 111b, and right side surface 111c of the cover 111. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, a portion of the hydrogen sensor 27 is located between the rear end of the hood 34 and the cover 111 (in the space) in a side view. The hydrogen sensor 27 may be surrounded by the upper surface 111a, left side surface 111b, and right side surface 111c of the cover 111, or it may be surrounded by the hood 34. By arranging the hydrogen sensor 27, the work vehicle 10 can detect hydrogen leaking from the connection port 28. Furthermore, because the hydrogen sensor 27 is located at the top of the space surrounded by the cover 111 in the work vehicle 10, it can reliably detect hydrogen flowing upward from within the cover 111.

[0053] In the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, the hydrogen sensor 27 is fixed to the fuel cell 24. With a work vehicle 10 configured in this manner, the hydrogen sensor 27 can be easily installed in the vicinity of the fuel cell 24. This makes it possible to save space inside the hood 34 of a work vehicle 10 equipped with a fuel cell 24 and a motor 31.

[0054] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram of the hydrogen sensor, bracket, and hinge. As shown in Figures 10 to 15, the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure is equipped with a bracket 245. The bracket 245 is made of steel and is fixed to the rear surface 24b of the fuel cell 24. In the work vehicle 10, the hydrogen sensor 27 is fixed to the rear surface 24b of the fuel cell 24 via the bracket 245.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 15 , the bracket 245 is composed of two first members 245a extending in the vertical direction and one second member 245b extending in the horizontal direction. The bracket 245 is integrally formed by connecting the upper ends of the two first members 245a with the second member 245b. The bracket 245 is fixed to the fuel cell 24 by inserting bolts 246 into multiple bolt holes provided in the first member 245a and threading the bolts 246 into bolt holes (not shown) formed in the rear surface 24b of the fuel cell 24. The bracket 245 is fixed to the fuel cell 24 using bolt holes (not shown) originally provided in the fuel cell 24. Therefore, there is no need to modify the shape and structure of the frame and casing of the fuel cell 24.

[0056] The second member 245b further includes an extension 248 extending rearward from its left end. The extension 248 is a portion where the hydrogen sensor 27 is fixed to the bracket 245. The hydrogen sensor 27 is fixed to the extension 248 with a threaded member (bolt and nut) 29. The second member 245b is used as a portion where a hinge (a hinge 250, described later) for supporting the hood 34 (see FIG. 1) is fixed to the bracket 245. With a work vehicle 10 configured in this manner, the hydrogen sensor 27 can be easily provided on the outer surface (rear surface 24b) of the fuel cell 24 without changing the structure of the fuel cell 24.

[0057] [Regarding the hinge] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of how the hood is supported by the hinge. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 16 , the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure is equipped with a hinge 250 attached to the upper end of a bracket 245. The hinge 250 is a member that supports the hood 34 of the work vehicle 10, and includes a hinge body 251 and a shaft 252. The hinge 250 is fixed to the upper side of the bracket 245 by fastening the hinge body 251 to the second member 245b with a bolt 253 (and a nut). In the work vehicle 10, the shaft 252 is held by the hinge body 251 in an orientation in which the axial direction faces the left-right direction. In the work vehicle 10, the hinge 250 is disposed above the hood 34. As shown in FIG. 16 , the hood 34 is supported by the shaft 252 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the shaft 252. In FIG. 16, the upper hood 34 indicated by the two-dot chain line indicates the open state of the hood 34, and the lower hood 34 indicated by the two-dot chain line indicates the closed state of the hood 34.

[0058] In the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, the hood 34 is supported so that it can be opened and closed by a hinge 250 attached to a bracket 245. In other words, in the work vehicle 10, the hood 34 is rotatably supported by the fuel cell 24 via the hinge 250 and the bracket 245.

[0059] A work vehicle 10 configured in this manner does not need to provide a separate dedicated frame inside the hood 34 to support the hood 34. This allows the work vehicle 1 to omit the dedicated frame, thereby saving space around the fuel cell 24. This makes it possible to prevent the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure from increasing in overall length. Furthermore, with this configuration, the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure can maintain maneuverability and a minimum turning radius that are almost the same as those of a conventional (engine-equipped) work vehicle, even though it is a work vehicle 10 equipped with a fuel cell 24.

[0060] The above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Work vehicle 11 Vehicle body 22 Pipe (hydrogen pipe) 24 Fuel cell (fuel cell module) 24b Rear surface (outer surface) 27 Hydrogen sensor 28 Connection port 31 Motor (electric motor) 34 Hood 245 Bracket 250 Hinge

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; an electric motor and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body; a bonnet covering the fuel cell module; hydrogen piping that supplies hydrogen to the inside of the bonnet; and a hydrogen sensor that detects hydrogen, wherein the hydrogen sensor is fixed to the outer surface of the fuel cell module.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen sensor is fixed above an outer surface of the fuel cell module.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the hydrogen sensor is fixed above the outer surface via a bracket that supports the hydrogen sensor.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a hinge for supporting the bonnet so that the bonnet can be opened and closed, the hinge being fixed to the bracket.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the hinge is disposed above the fuel cell module.

6. A work vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fuel cell module further comprises a connection port on the outer surface to which the hydrogen piping is connected, and the hydrogen sensor is fixed above the connection port on the outer surface.