Fuel cell watercraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364009-B2
Application number	US-201715783154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell watercraft includes: a hull; an electric motor serving as a power source adapted to generate propulsion of the hull; a fuel cell unit adapted to supply electric power to the electric motor; a hydrogen fuel tank adapted to supply hydrogen fuel to the fuel cell unit; a secondary battery serving as an auxiliary power supply for the fuel cell unit; and power regulation means for regulating the electric power supplied to the electric motor, in which the hull includes first and second storage spaces isolated from each other, the first and second storage spaces include equipment hatches able to be opened and closed by lid members, the fuel cell unit and the hydrogen fuel tank are housed in the first storage space, and the secondary battery and the power regulation means are housed in the second storage space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell watercraft comprising:
a hull;
an electric motor serving as a power source adapted to generate propulsion of the hull;
a fuel cell unit adapted to supply electric power to the electric motor;
a hydrogen fuel tank adapted to supply hydrogen fuel to the fuel cell unit;
a secondary battery serving as an auxiliary power supply for the fuel cell unit; and
power regulation means for regulating the electric power supplied to the electric motor;
an outside-air introduction passage adapted to introduce outside air into the first storage space via a filter;
opening and closing means for opening and closing the outside-air introduction passage;
means for measuring cumulative operating time of the fuel cell unit; and
control means for making the opening and closing means perform an opening and closing action to introduce outside air into the first storage space via the filter when the cumulative operating time reaches a set value, wherein
the hull includes first and second storage spaces isolated from each other,
the first and second storage spaces include equipment hatches able to be opened and closed by lid members,
the fuel cell unit and the hydrogen fuel tank are housed in the first storage space, and the secondary battery and the power regulation means are housed in the second storage space.

2. The fuel cell watercraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an oxygen concentration sensor adapted to detect oxygen concentration in the first storage space; and
control means for performing an opening and closing action of the opening and closing means to introduce outside air into the first storage space via the filter when the oxygen concentration falls to or below a set value.

3. The fuel cell watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein the power regulation means includes at least one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a DC/DC converter, an inverter, and a breaker.

4. The fuel cell watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein the hull further comprises a communicating portion between the first storage portion and the second storage portion such that the fuel cell unit is connected to at least one of the devices housed in the second storage portion via wiring inserted through the communicating portion,
wherein the communicating portion is sealed around the wiring, and
wherein a wiring for supplying electric power to the electric motor is routed through the communicating portion between the first storage portion and the second storage portion.

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Sako Kota

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/2475

  Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H02P29/40

  Regulating or controlling the amount of current drawn or delivered by the motor for controlling the mechanical load · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title