Fuel cell-equipped vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322647-B2
Application number	US-201815915187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell-equipped vehicle includes a fuel cell stack disposed in a front space of a vehicle body by a partition member, and an air conditioner disposed in a rear space of the vehicle body separated by the partition member, wherein external air is introduced into the air conditioner through an external air intake port formed at a portion of the partition member located on a first side with respect to a center in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, downstream end of the exhaust duct configured to discharge a reaction gas in the casing communicates with an outside of the vehicle body at a portion located on a second side with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell-equipped vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell stack disposed in a front space of a vehicle body separated by a partition member and configured to accommodate a stacked cell body, in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, in a casing; and
an air conditioner disposed in a rear space of the vehicle body separated by the partition member,
wherein external air is introduced from an internal room of the vehicle body into the air conditioner through an external air intake port formed at a portion of the partition member located on a first side with respect to a center in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body,
an upstream end of an exhaust duct configured to discharge a reaction gas in the casing is connected to a communication port formed in the casing to allow communication between an inside and outside of the fuel cell stack,
a downstream end of the exhaust duct communicates with an outside of the vehicle body at a portion located on a second side with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction, and
a wall of the partition member on which the external air intake port is formed is disposed inside the vehicle body.

2. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising a hood configured to close the front space from an upper side thereof and to extend upward as it goes rearward,
wherein the exhaust duct has a manifold configured to extend upward as it goes rearward along the hood, and a connecting portion connected to an uppermost portion of the manifold and configured to extend to the second side in the vehicle width direction.

3. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the external air intake port is disposed below a front glass.

4. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wall on which the air intake port is formed is a part of a surrounding unit that surrounds the internal room extending in at least the vehicle width direction, and
the downstream end of the exhaust duct is connected to the surrounding unit.

5. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the internal room has an extending length in the vehicle width direction that is greater than a length of the casing in the width direction.

6. A fuel cell-equipped vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell stack having a stacked cell body and a casing, the stacked cell body including a stacked plurality of fuel cells, the casing being configured to accommodate the stacked cell body;
an air conditioner disposed in a rear space of the vehicle body with respect to the fuel cell stack;
a partition member disposed between the fuel cell stack and the rear space;
a first duct that is connected to the casing and via which a reaction gas from the fuel cell stack discharges; and
a second duct to which the first duct is connected, the second duct being provided surrounding an internal room that extends in at least a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, wherein the second duct has:
a first port provided, as an air intake port for the air conditioner, at a first side of the vehicle body with respect to a center in the vehicle width direction, and
a second port, via which the first duct is fluidically connected to the second duct, provided at a second side of the vehicle body with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction.

7. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the first opening is provided on a wall disposed inside the vehicle body, the first opening being disposed between the casing and an outermost side wall of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction.

8. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the internal room has an extending length in the vehicle width direction that is greater than a length of the casing in the width direction.

9. The fuel cell-equipped vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the second duct is disposed above the casing.

10. A fuel cell-equipped vehicle comprising:
a fuel cell stack disposed in a front space of a vehicle body separated by a partition member and configured to accommodate a stacked cell body, in which a plurality of fuel cells are stacked, in a casing; and
an air conditioner disposed in a rear space of the vehicle body separated by the partition member,
wherein external air is introduced into the air conditioner through an external air intake port formed at a portion of the partition member located on a first side with respect to a center in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body,
an upstream end of an exhaust duct configured to discharge a reaction gas in the casing is connected to a communication port formed in the casing to allow communication between an inside and outside of the fuel cell stack,
a downstream end of the exhaust duct communicates with an outside of the vehicle body at a portion located on a second side with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction,
the fuel cell-equipped vehicle further comprises a hood configured to close the front space from an upper side thereof and to extend upward as it goes rearward, and
the exhaust duct has a manifold configured to extend upward as it goes rearward along the hood, and a connecting portion connected to an uppermost portion of the manifold and configured to extend to the second side in the vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Naito Hideharu

Classifications

• B60K2001/0411

  Arrangement in the front part of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60L50/71 Primary

  Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title