Fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11417897-B2
Application number	US-202117162384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell and a junction box. The fuel cell includes at least one cell stack including a plurality of unit cells in a stacked configuration, heaters disposed at end portions of the at least one cell stack, current collectors disposed at the end portions of the at least one cell stack, a terminal block electrically connecting the current collectors and the heaters to the junction box, a positive bus bar and a negative bus bar electrically connecting the current collectors to the terminal block, and a positive wire and a negative wire electrically connecting the heaters to the terminal block. The junction box includes a first switching unit disposed between the positive wire and the positive bus bar, and a second switching unit disposed between the negative wire and the negative bus bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell; and
a junction box coupled to the fuel cell to receive electric power generated in the fuel cell;
wherein the fuel cell comprises:
at least one cell stack including a plurality of unit cells in a stacked configuration;
heaters disposed at end portions of the at least one cell stack and configured to heat the at least one cell stack;
current collectors disposed at the end portions of the at least one cell stack and configured to collect electric power generated in the at least one cell stack;
a terminal block electrically connecting the current collectors and the heaters to the junction box;
a positive bus bar and a negative bus bar electrically connecting the current collectors to the terminal block; and
a positive wire and a negative wire electrically connecting the heaters to the terminal block; and

wherein the junction box comprises:
a first switching unit disposed between the positive wire and the positive bus bar; and
a second switching unit disposed between the negative wire and the negative bus bar.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal block comprises:
a positive bus terminal connecting the positive bus bar to a first end portion of the first switching unit;
a positive heater terminal connecting the positive wire to a second end portion of the first switching unit, the second end portion being opposite the first end portion;
a negative bus terminal connecting the negative bus bar to a third end portion of the second switching unit; and
a negative heater terminal connecting the negative wire to a fourth end portion of the second switching unit, the fourth end portion being opposite the third end portion.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first switching unit comprises:
a first fuse having a first side connected to the first end portion; and
a first switch disposed between a second, opposite side of the first fuse and the second end portion.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the second switching unit comprises:
a second fuse having a first side connected to the third end portion; and
a second switch disposed between a second, opposite side of the second fuse and the fourth end portion.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the positive bus terminal and the negative bus terminal are aligned in a first direction; and
the positive heater terminal and the negative heater terminal are aligned in a direction parallel to the first direction.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
one of the positive bus terminal and the negative bus terminal and one of the positive heater terminal and the negative heater terminal are aligned in a first direction; and
a remaining one of the positive bus terminal and the negative bus terminal and a remaining one of the positive heater terminal and the negative heater terminal are aligned in a direction parallel to the first direction.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the heaters comprise:
a first heater disposed at one of the end portions of the cell stack so as to be connected to one of the positive wire and the negative wire; and
a second heater disposed at an opposite one of the end portions of the cell stack so as to be connected to a remaining one of the positive wire and the negative wire.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the fuel cell further comprises an intermediate wire disposed between the first heater and the second heater and configured to connect the first heater and the second heater.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the fuel cell further comprises a third switching unit disposed in a path of the intermediate wire between the first heater and the second heater.

10. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the third switching unit comprises:
a third fuse having a first side connected to one of the first heater and the second heater; and
a third switch disposed between a second, opposite side of the third fuse and a remaining one of the first heater and the second heater.

11. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell; and
a junction box configured to receive electric power generated in the fuel cell;
wherein the fuel cell comprises:
a plurality of cell stacks electrically connected to each other, each cell stack including a plurality of unit cells in a stacked configuration;
heaters disposed at end portions of each of the plurality of cell stacks and configured to heat each of the plurality of cell stacks, respectively;
current collectors disposed at the end portions of each of the plurality of cell stacks and configured to collect electric power generated in each of the plurality of cell stacks, respectively;
a terminal block electrically connecting the current collectors and the heaters to the junction box;
a positive bus bar and a negative bus bar electrically connecting the current collectors to the terminal block; and
a positive wire and a negative wire electrically connecting the heaters to the terminal block; and

wherein the junction box comprises:
a first switching unit disposed between the positive wire and the positive bus bar; and
a second switching unit disposed between the negative wire and the negative bus bar.

12. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the fuel cell further comprises:
an intermediate bus bar disposed between the plurality of cell stacks to electrically connect the plurality of cell stacks to each other; and
an intermediate wire disposed between the plurality of cell stacks to electrically connect the heaters of the plurality of cell stacks to each other.

13. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the heaters comprise:
a third heater connected to the positive wire;
a fourth heater connected to the negative wire; and
a plurality of fifth heaters disposed between the third heater and the fourth heater.

14. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the intermediate wire comprises:
a first intermediate wire connecting the third heater and a 5-1 st heater, the 5-1 st heater being one of the plurality of fifth heaters;
a second intermediate wire connecting the fourth heater and a 5-2 nd heater, the 5-2 nd heater being another one of the plurality of fifth heaters; and
a third intermediate wire connecting the plurality of fifth heaters to each other.

15. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the fuel cell further comprises:
a fourth switching unit disposed in a path of the first intermediate wire;
a fifth switching unit disposed in a path of the second intermediate wire; and
a sixth switching unit disposed in a path of the third intermediate wire.

16. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the fourth switching unit comprises:
a fourth fuse having a first side connected to the 5-1 st heater; and
a fourth switch disposed between a second, opposite side of the fourth fuse and the third heater.

17. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the fifth switching unit comprises:
a fifth fuse having a first side connected to the fourth heater; and
a fifth switch disposed between a second, opposite side of the fifth fuse and the 5-2 nd heater.

18. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the sixth switching unit comprises:
a sixth fuse having a first side connected to one of the 5-1 st heater and the 5-2 nd heater; and
a sixth swit

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lee Jong Jun
• Ohm Ki Wook

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L3/0053 Primary

  relating to fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L50/72

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

• H01M8/04037 Primary

  Electrical heating · CPC title

• B60L3/0092

  with use of redundant elements for safety purposes · CPC title