Electrical component connection mechanism of fuel cell stack and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10818954-B2
Application number	US-201514817211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 6, 2014
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

An electric component connection mechanism of a fuel cell stack includes a fuel cell stack body, terminal plates, end plates, and a housing. A plurality of fuel cells that generate electricity by electrochemical reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas are stacked in the fuel cell stack body. The terminal plates are disposed on both ends of the fuel cell stack body in a stacking direction of the fuel cells. The end plates are stacked on the terminal plates on the sides opposite to the fuel cell stack body. The terminal plates include terminals that penetrate through and protrude out of the end plates. The terminals are connected to high-voltage cables. Moving mechanisms that support the terminal plates while allowing the terminal plates to advance and retreat in the stacking direction with respect to the end plates are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric component connection mechanism of a fuel cell stack, comprising:
a fuel cell stack body in which a plurality of fuel cells that generate electricity by electrochemical reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas are stacked;
terminal plates that are disposed on both ends of the fuel cell stack body in a stacking direction of the fuel cells;
end plates that are stacked on the terminal plates on the sides opposite to the fuel cell stack body; and
a housing that surrounds surfaces of the fuel cell stack body other than surfaces on which the end plates are disposed, the housing being fixed to the end plates such that a constant distance is maintained between a pair of the end plates, wherein
the terminal plates include a first terminal and a second terminal that each penetrate through and protrude out of the end plates, the first terminal and the second terminal being connected to high-voltage cables,
a first length of the first terminal in the stacking direction is smaller than a second length of the second terminal in the stacking direction to increase a space outside of the fuel cell stack which surrounds the first terminal protruding out of one of the end plates and which is defined by the one of the end plates,
a reactant gas pipe through which reactant gas is to flow is attached to the one of the end plates in the space,
moving mechanisms that support the terminal plates while allowing the terminal plates to advance and retreat in the stacking direction with respect to the end plates are provided,
an insulator is interposed between each end plate and the corresponding terminal plate,
the moving mechanisms each include
a cylindrical portion that is provided in the insulator and that encircles an outer periphery of the corresponding terminal,
a piston portion that is connected to the corresponding high-voltage cable, the piston portion being capable of sliding on an inner surface of the corresponding cylindrical portion in an axial direction of the corresponding terminal and penetrating through the corresponding end plate, and
a connection portion that connects the piston portion and the corresponding terminal to each other, and

the piston portion being integrally formed on a cable connector housing provided around the connection portion, the cable connector housing having an opening to allow access to the connection portion, a cover being disposed on the opening, the cover being fixed to the cable connector housing by a fastener fastened to the cable connector housing.

2. The electrical component connection mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the second terminal and a coolant pipe are disposed in the other one of the end plates.

3. The electrical component connection mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the fuel cell stack is configured to be mounted in a vehicle such that the stacking direction of the fuel cells coincides with a vehicle width direction.

4. A fuel cell stack comprising:
a fuel cell stack body including fuel cells stacked in a stacking direction to generate electricity by electrochemical reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas, the fuel cell stack body having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the stacking direction;
a first terminal plate including a first terminal to be connected to a first high-voltage cable, the first terminal plate being disposed on the first end of the fuel cell stack body in the stacking direction;
a second terminal plate including a second terminal to be connected to a second high-voltage cable, the second terminal plate being disposed on the second end of the fuel cell stack body in the stacking direction;
a first end plate stacked on the first terminal plate in the stacking direction, the first terminal of the first terminal plate extending through an opening in the first end plate and protruding from the first end plate in the stacking direction;
a second end plate stacked on the second terminal plate in the stacking direction, the second terminal of the second terminal plate extending through and protruding from the second end plate in the stacking direction;
a housing surrounding the fuel cell stack body and fixed to the first end plate and the second end plate such that a constant distance is maintained between the first end plate and the second end plate in the stacking direction;
a first moving mechanism supporting the first terminal plate so that the first terminal plate is movable in the stacking direction with respect to the first end plate; and
a second moving mechanism supporting the second terminal plate so that the second terminal plate is movable in the stacking direction with respect to the second end plate,
wherein the first moving mechanism includes:
a cylindrical portion of an insulator that encircles an outer periphery of the first terminal and extends within the opening in the first end plate;
a piston portion that is connected to the first high-voltage cable, the piston portion being slidably provided on an inner surface of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction of the first terminal, the piston portion extending within the opening of the first end plate, and
a connection portion that connects the piston portion and the first terminal to each other; and

wherein the piston portion is integrally formed on a cable connector housing provided around the connection portion, the cable connector housing having an opening to allow access to the connection portion, a cover being disposed on the opening of the cable connector housing, the cover being fixed to the cable connector housing by a fastener fastened to the cable connector housing.

5. The fuel cell stack according to claim 4 , wherein
the fuel cell stack is configured to be mounted in a vehicle such that the stacking direction of the fuel cells coincides with a vehicle width direction.

6. The fuel cell stack according to claim 4 , wherein
wherein a first length of the first terminal in the stacking direction is smaller than a second length of the second terminal in the stacking direction to increase a space which surrounds the first terminal and which is defined by the first end plate, and
wherein a reactant gas pipe through which reactant gas is to flow is attached to the first end plate in the space.

7. The fuel cell stack according to claim 6 , wherein
the second terminal and a coolant pipe are disposed in the second end plate.

8. An electric component connection mechanism of a fuel cell stack, comprising:
a fuel cell stack body in which a plurality of fuel cells that generate electricity by electrochemical reaction of a fuel gas and an oxidant gas are stacked;
terminal plates that are disposed on both ends of the fuel cell stack body in a stacking direction of the fuel cells;
end plates that are stacked on the terminal plates on the sides opposite to the fuel cell stack body;
a housing that surrounds surfaces of the fuel cell stack body other than surfaces on which the end plates are disposed, the housing being fixed to the end plates such that a constant distance is maintained between a pair of the end plates; and
moving mechanisms that support the terminal plates while allowing the terminal plates to advance and retreat in the stacking direction with respect to the end plates are provided, wherein
a first terminal plate of the terminal plates includes a first terminal that extends through an opening in a first end plate of the end plates, the first terminal protrudes outward from the first end plate in the stacking direction away from the fuel cell stack body, the first terminal being connected to a high-voltage cable,
the moving mechanisms each include:
a cylindrical portion of an insulator that encircles an outer

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Goto Yusuke
• Yamaguchi Hiroo
• Hanaoka Daisuke

Classifications

• H01M8/2465 Primary

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L50/71

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

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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