Fuel cell ship

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12394809-B2
Application number	US-202217830144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 2, 2021
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A fuel cell ship includes a fuel cell that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction of fuel, a propulsion device that generates propulsive force on a hull by electric power supplied from the fuel cell, a fuel supply pipe through which the fuel is supplied from a fuel tank housing the fuel to the fuel cell, a duct compartment that houses a part of the fuel supply pipe, a vent pipe that communicates with the duct compartment, and a fuel filling port that serves as an inlet for filling the fuel tank with the fuel. The fuel filling port is provided in the duct compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell ship comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate electric power by an electrochemical reaction of fuel;
a propulsion device configured to generate propulsive force on a hull by electric power supplied from the fuel cell;
a fuel supply pipe configured to provide the fuel from a fuel tank housing the fuel to the fuel cell;
a duct compartment that houses a part of the fuel supply pipe;
a vent pipe configured to communicate with the duct compartment; and
a fuel filling port configured as an inlet for filling the fuel tank with the fuel, and
wherein the fuel filling port is provided in the duct compartment.

2. The fuel cell ship according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel discharge pipe provided by branching from the fuel supply pipe; and
a fuel filling pipe configured to connect the fuel filling port and the fuel tank, and
wherein the duct compartment is configured to house the fuel discharge pipe and the fuel filling pipe.

3. The fuel cell ship according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an inert gas filling port configured as an inlet for filling the fuel tank with an inert gas; and
an inert gas pipe connected to the inert gas filling port and the fuel filling pipe, wherein the duct compartment is further configured to house the inert gas pipe.

4. The fuel cell ship according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel cell compartment installed with the fuel cell; and
a communication pipe by which the fuel cell compartment is configured to communicate with the duct compartment.

5. The fuel cell ship according to claim 1 , further comprising a tank compartment installed with the fuel tank, wherein the vent pipe is configured to communicate with both the duct compartment and the tank compartment.

6. The fuel cell ship according to claim 1 , further comprising electrical equipment arranged around the duct compartment.

7. The fuel cell ship according to claim 6 , wherein the electrical equipment includes a duct compartment air supply device configured to supply air to inside of the duct compartment.

8. The fuel cell ship according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to control electric power generation of the fuel cell,
wherein:
a fuel gas detector is configured to detect a fuel gas being the fuel in a gaseous state is installed inside the duct compartment, and
based on detection by the fuel gas detector that a concentration of the fuel gas is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard value, the control unit is configured to stop the electric power generation of the fuel cell.

9. The fuel cell ship according to claim 8 , wherein, based on detection by the fuel gas detector that the concentration of the fuel gas is equal to or greater than the predetermined standard value, the control unit is configured to close a main valve of the fuel tank.

Assignees

• Yanmar Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shinagawa Manabu
• Maruyama Takehiro
• Yamaguchi Yasuyoshi
• Hiraiwa Takuya
• Kimura Yukihiko

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04455

  of cathode reactants at the inlet or inside the fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title