Open Cabin Vehicle Fuel Cell Unit Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Equipping an open cabin vehicle with a fuel cell unit having a hydrogen tank poses challenges in managing accidental hydrogen leakage while maintaining a simple structure, as existing solutions require distributed arrangements that complicate the vehicle's design.
Innovation Solution
The hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack, and hydrogen supply pipe are disposed collectively behind the vehicle's floor, forming a dedicated arrangement space that minimizes structural modifications and simplifies the vehicle's design, with the upper ends of these components located further back than the floor, allowing for efficient hydrogen diffusion in case of leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack, and hydrogen supply pipe are disposed in a distributed manner to prevent hydrogen accumulation, then safety against hydrogen leakage is improved, but the vehicle structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body inner space is segmented into a first space for occupants/luggage and a second space for the fuel cell unit. This spatial segmentation allows the fuel cell components to be isolated in a dedicated area while maintaining overall vehicle simplicity, resolving the contradiction between safety through distribution and structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning the fuel cell unit in a second space that is spatially separated from the occupant area. This dimensional arrangement enables effective hydrogen leakage management without requiring complex horizontal distribution of components throughout the vehicle
2Device complexity
If the fuel cell unit components are arranged collectively to simplify vehicle structure, then device complexity is reduced, but hydrogen leakage management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel cell unit (including hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack, and hydrogen supply pipe) is extracted as a separate, self-contained system and positioned in a dedicated second space. This extraction allows collective arrangement of components for structural simplicity while isolating them in a controlled environment that facilitates hydrogen leakage management
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall acts as an intermediary structure that separates the first space (occupant area) from the second space (fuel cell unit area). This intermediary element enables collective component arrangement while providing a physical barrier that aids in containing and managing potential hydrogen leaks
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively addresses hydrogen leakage concerns while maintaining the vehicle's simplicity, ensuring safe and efficient operation by allowing hydrogen to diffuse outward through the vehicle's inner space, thus preventing accumulation and simplifying the structural integration of the fuel cell unit.
Implementation Method 1
the fuel-cell-unit arrangement space is connected to the vehicle-body inner space, which is communicated with the vehicle-body outer space... allowing hydrogen to diffuse outward through the vehicle's inner space, thus preventing accumulation
Data Source
AI summary
An open cabin vehicle is equipped with a fuel cell unit having a hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen to be used as fuel and has a simple structure. An upper end of each of a hydrogen tank, a fuel cell stack, and a hydrogen supply pipe is located farther upward than a floor in a state in which the hydrogen tank, the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen supply pipe are disposed in a fuel-cell-unit arrangement space which is provided below a space being present farther backward than at least a part of the floor in a vehicle-body inner space, and which borders the vehicle-body inner space, thereby being connected to a vehicle-body outer space which is a space around the open cabin vehicle, via the vehicle-body inner space.