In-vehicle fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12080932-B2
Application number	US-202018266461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

An in-vehicle fuel cell system, including a fuel cell, and an auxiliary machine configured to exchange a gas with the fuel cell, the in-vehicle fuel system including an auxiliary machine structure configured to accommodate the auxiliary machine, wherein the fuel cell includes a first fuel cell fixed to an upper surface of the auxiliary machine structure and a second fuel cell fixed to a lower surface of the auxiliary machine structure, the auxiliary machine structure is disposed at substantially the same position in a height direction as a skeleton member of a vehicle body, and the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell are fixed to the skeleton member via the auxiliary machine structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell system in a vehicle comprising a vehicle body that comprises a skeleton member, the fuel cell system comprising:
a first fuel cell;
a second fuel cell;
an auxiliary machine configured to exchange a gas with the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell; and
an auxiliary machine structure that houses the auxiliary machine, wherein;
the first fuel cell is fixed to an upper surface of the auxiliary machine structure and the second fuel cell is fixed to a lower surface of the auxiliary machine structure,
the auxiliary machine structure is disposed at substantially the same position in a height direction as the skeleton member of the vehicle body, and
the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell are fixed to the skeleton member via the auxiliary machine structure.

2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first fuel cell is disposed in a first internal space of the vehicle body occupying a position higher than the skeleton member,
the second fuel cell is disposed in a second internal space of the vehicle body occupying a position lower than the skeleton member, and
(a) a height dimension of the first internal space is larger than a height dimension of the second internal space, and a height dimension of the first fuel cell is larger than a height dimension of the second fuel cell, or (b) the height dimension of the second internal space is larger than the height dimension of the first internal space, and the height dimension of the second fuel cell is larger than the height dimension of the first fuel cell.

3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein:
the fuel cell system is mounted in a front prime mover chamber of the vehicle body and above a front suspension device configured to support the vehicle body, and
a lower surface of the second fuel cell is disposed above a lower surface of the front suspension device.

4. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein;
an upper surface of the first fuel cell is disposed at a position lower than a plane set at a position lower than a hood, the hood covering the front prime mover chamber.

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second fuel cell, the auxiliary machine structure, and the first fuel cell are stacked in this order as a stacked structure,
an end portion of the stacked structure on a vehicle front side is formed on substantially a single plane, and
a protruding portion of the auxiliary machine structure protrudes rearward relative to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the protruding portion is connected with at least one of a fuel supply pipe configured to supply fuel to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell, an air supply pipe configured to supply air to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell, or an off-gas exhaust pipe configured to exhaust off-gas discharged from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel cell system is mounted on a rear prime mover chamber that is disposed inside the vehicle body and above a rear suspension device configured to support the vehicle body, and
a lower surface of the second fuel cell is disposed above a lower surface of the rear suspension device.

8. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein:
an upper surface of the first fuel cell is disposed at a position lower than a plane set at a position lower than a floor plate at a rear portion of a cabin.

9. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein:
a height of a floor plate of a cabin of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a lower end of a rear window of the vehicle, and
an upper surface of the first fuel cell is disposed at a position lower than a plane set at a position lower than the floor plate of the cabin.

10. The fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein:
the second fuel cell, the auxiliary machine structure, and the first fuel cell are stacked in this order as a stacked structure,
an end portion of the stacked structure on a vehicle rear side is formed on substantially a single plane, and
a protruding portion of the auxiliary machine structure protrudes forward relative to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

11. The fuel cell system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the protruding portion is connected with at least one of a fuel supply pipe configured to supply fuel to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell or an air supply pipe configured to supply air to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

12. The fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein;
the auxiliary machine structure comprises an air flow path connecting a cathode of the first fuel cell and a cathode of the second fuel cell,
the auxiliary machine comprises:
a combustor configured to mix and combust fuel off-gas discharged from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell and air off-gas discharged from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell, and
a heat exchanger configured to heat, by heat of the combustor, air to be supplied to the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell, and

the air flow path is disposed on a vehicle front side relative to the combustor and the heat exchanger in the auxiliary machine structure.

13. The fuel cell system according to claim 12 , wherein:
the auxiliary machine structure comprises a pair of fuel flow paths connecting an anode of the first fuel cell and an anode of the second fuel cell,
the pair of fuel flow paths are disposed on either side of the auxiliary machine structure in a vehicle width direction, and
the air flow path is disposed between the pair of fuel flow paths in the auxiliary machine structure with both ends of a cross-section of the air flow path in the vehicle width direction being adjacent to the fuel flow paths.

14. The fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein:
the heat exchanger is substantially within a footprint of the air flow path when viewed from the vehicle front side of the auxiliary machine structure.

15. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second fuel cell, the auxiliary machine structure, and the first fuel cell are stacked in this order as a stacked structure, and
a center of gravity of the stacked structure is at substantially a same height as the skeleton member.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor
• Ampere Sas

Inventors

• Isoda Hiroyuki
• Chikugo Hayato
• Usuda Masahiro

Classifications

• H01M8/249

  comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies · CPC title

• H01M8/04022

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title