Fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794596-B2
Application number	US-201916686366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2019
Priority date	May 20, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A fuel cell vehicle provides improved space utilization and a desired intensity of voltage. The fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, a junction box disposed on the fuel cell, and a power controller disposed between the fuel cell and the passenger compartment. The power controller boosts the output voltage of the fuel cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a fuel cell;
a junction box disposed above the fuel cell; and
a power controller disposed between the fuel cell and a passenger compartment and configured to boost an output voltage of the fuel cell,
wherein the fuel cell includes:
current-collecting terminals disposed on opposite end portions of the fuel cell in a width direction of the vehicle; and
terminal blocks that protrude in a height direction of the vehicle, the terminal blocks electrically connecting the current-collecting terminals and the junction box to each other.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an accommodation space in which the fuel cell, the junction box, and the power controller are housed, is disposed in at least one of a region in front of the passenger compartment or a region behind the passenger compartment.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
side members disposed on both sides of the fuel cell in a width direction of the vehicle; and
a system frame at least partially mounted to the side members, the system frame supporting at least a portion of the fuel cell and the power controller.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the fuel cell has a first width in the width direction, the junction box has a second width in the width direction, the power controller has a third width in the width direction, and the first width is greater than the second width, and the second width is greater than the third width.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a brake booster disposed in a space between the fuel cell and the passenger compartment,
wherein the fuel cell is spaced apart from the brake booster by a first distance in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the first distance is greater than a first length by which the side members are deformed in the longitudinal direction during a collision.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the fuel cell is disposed to be spaced apart from the brake booster in the longitudinal direction, with an impact-absorbing space interposed therebetween.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein one of opposite side surfaces of the power controller is spaced apart from the impact-absorbing space in the width direction.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the power controller and the junction box are provided separately, and the fuel cell and the junction box are coupled to each other independently of the power controller.

10. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the power controller is detachably coupled to the fuel cell and the system frame.

11. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the power controller includes:
a front surface facing the fuel cell;
a back surface facing the passenger compartment, the back surface being disposed opposite the front surface;
a bottom surface disposed between the front surface and the back surface, the bottom surface facing the system frame; and
a top surface disposed opposite the bottom surface, and
wherein the junction box includes:
a back surface facing the passenger compartment; and
a front surface disposed opposite the back surface.

12. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the front surface of the power controller is coupled to the fuel cell, and the bottom surface of the power controller is coupled to the system frame.

13. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein one of opposite side surfaces of the power controller is spaced apart from the brake booster in the width direction of the vehicle.

14. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the top surface of the power controller is disposed below the top surface of the junction box.

15. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a cowl panel,
wherein the top surface of the power controller is disposed below the cowl panel.

16. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the back surface of the power controller is spaced apart from a dash panel of the vehicle by a second distance in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the second distance is greater than a first length by which the side members are deformed in the longitudinal direction during a collision.

17. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each of the terminal blocks includes:
a body formed of an insulating material;
a first bus bar at least partially embedded in the body, the first bus bar including a first end portion that protrudes from a first side of the body and a second end portion that protrudes from a second side of the body;
a first connecting part electrically connecting a corresponding one of the current-collecting terminals to the first end portion; and
a second connecting part electrically connecting the junction box to the second end portion.

18. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein the junction box includes a third connecting part that protrudes from the back surface in the longitudinal direction, and the power controller includes a fourth connecting part that protrudes from the top surface in a height direction of the vehicle to be connected to the third connecting part.

19. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the power controller is disposed closer to the passenger compartment than the junction box.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Yeon Seung Jun
• Kim Duck Whan

Classifications

• B60L50/71 Primary

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

• B60L50/72

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

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M8/0488

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/0494

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title