Fuel cell unit and fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10505211-B2
Application number	US-201314381767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2012
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to fuel cell unit arranged in an underfloor space of a fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell that has a plurality of cells stacked together; and a cell monitor that is arranged in a side region of the fuel cell, and that monitors a state of each of the cells.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell unit arranged in an underfloor space of the fuel cell vehicle, the fuel cell unit includes:
a fuel cell that has a plurality of cells stacked together in a generally horizontal direction, the plurality of cells each including at least one first connector; and
a cell monitor that is arranged in a side region of the fuel cell, and that monitors a state of each of the plurality of cells, and the cell monitor includes second connectors corresponding to each of the at least one first connector of each of the plurality of cells,
wherein the second connectors of the cell monitor being arranged facing downward on a surface on a vertically lower side of the cell monitor,
wherein the vertically lower side of the cell monitor being positioned vertically lower than other sides of the cell monitor,
wherein the surface on the vertically lower side of the cell monitor extending generally parallel to a stacking direction of the plurality of cells, and
wherein the fuel cell has a through-hole for discharging reaction gas for generating power and at least one of the at least one first connector of each of the plurality of cells is arranged near the through-hole, the through-hole is arranged below the center of the fuel cell in the vertical direction and arranged on the cell monitor side in the horizontal direction of the fuel cell.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with four side surfaces; and the cell monitor is arranged on at least one of the side surfaces of the fuel cell.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the cell monitor is arranged on the side surface that extends parallel to a stacking direction of the cells from among the four side surfaces of the fuel cell; and a first connector of each cell is arranged on the side surface, excluding both end plate-side surfaces, from among the four side surfaces of the fuel cell.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the first connectors of the cells are arranged in a vertically lower region of the fuel cell.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the first connectors of the cells are arranged on a lower surface, from among the surfaces of the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the first connectors of the cells are arranged on an end portion, on a cell monitor side, of the lower surface of the fuel cell.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the cell monitor has at least one surface that extends generally parallel to the stacking direction of the cells, and second connectors of the cell monitor are arranged on the surface that is positioned nearest the first connectors of the cells.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the cell monitor has at least one surface that extends generally parallel to the stacking direction of the cells, and second connectors of the cell monitor are arranged on the surface on a vertically lower side, from among the surfaces of the cell monitor.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the second connectors of the cell monitor are lined up in the same direction as the first connectors of the cells.

10. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising cables that connect the first connectors of the cells to the second connectors of the cell monitor.

11. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the cells are stacked in a vehicle width direction.

12. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the second connectors of the cell monitor are lined up in the same direction as the first connectors of the cells.

13. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 8 , further comprising cables that connect the first connectors of the cells to the second connectors of the cell monitor.

14. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising cables that connect first connectors of the cells to second connectors of the cell monitor,
wherein first connection portions of the cables and the first connectors of the cells are arranged on a lower surface, from among surfaces of the fuel cell.

15. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising cables that connect first connectors of the cells to second connectors of the cell monitor,
wherein second connection portions of the cables and the second connectors of the cell monitor are arranged on a lower surface, from among the surfaces of the cell monitor.

16. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising cables that connect first connectors of the cells to second connectors of the cell monitor,
wherein first connection portions of the cables and the first connectors of the cells are arranged on a lower surface, from among the surfaces of the fuel cell, and

second connection portions of the cables and the second connectors of the cell monitor are arranged on a lower surface, from among surfaces of the cell monitor.

Assignees

• Shirakawa Tsutomu
• Konno Norishige
• Mori Kazuya
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirakawa Tsutomu
• Konno Norishige
• Mori Kazuya

Classifications

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L50/72

  Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L3/0053 Primary

  relating to fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title