Fuel cell unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11450874-B2
Application number	US-201815935125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell stack, an electrical device, a harness connected to the electrical device, and a casing incorporating the fuel cell stack, the electrical device, and the harness. The casing includes a first accommodation portion, a second accommodation portion, and a partition wall provided with a first communication hole through which the harness passes, the first accommodation portion accommodating the fuel cell stack, the second accommodation portion accommodating the electrical device, the partition wall partitioning the first accommodation portion and the second accommodation portion, and the partition wall is provided with at least one second communication hole through which the first accommodation portion and the second accommodation portion communicate with each other, in addition to the first communication hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell unit comprising:
a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells stacked, the plurality of fuel cells generating power upon receiving hydrogen and oxygen supplied;
an electrical device;
a harness connected to the electrical device; and
a casing incorporating the fuel cell stack, the electrical device, and the harness, wherein
the casing includes a first accommodation portion, a second accommodation portion, and a partition wall provided with a first communication hole through which the harness passes, the first accommodation portion accommodating the fuel cell stack, the second accommodation portion accommodating the electrical device, the partition wall partitioning the first accommodation portion and the second accommodation portion, and
the partition wall is provided with a plurality of second communication holes through which the first accommodation portion and the second accommodation portion communicate with each other, in addition to the first communication hole, the fuel cell unit further comprising:
a controller configured to control the electrical device,
wherein the controller is accommodated in the first accommodation portion, and the harness connects the controller and the electrical device with each other; and

wherein
a portion close to a center of the casing in a predetermined direction includes a larger number of the second communication holes than on an end portion of the casing in the predetermined direction, in the partition wall,
a side wall positioned at the end portion of the casing has a pressure receiving portion protruding along the predetermined direction, the pressure receiving portion being configured to receive impact from outside of the fuel cell unit; and
wherein at least one of the second communication holes is provided on an end portion of the partition wall, close to or overlapping the pressure receiving portion.

2. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first communication hole is formed in an end portion of the partition wall.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sumikawa Hiroki
• Sekine Hiroyuki
• Katayama Masahiro
• Morinaga Masahiko

Classifications

• H01M8/04953

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/2475 Primary

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

• H01M8/02

  Details (electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98) · CPC title

• H01M8/04 Primary

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