Fuel cell-powered motorcycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016056482-A1
Application number	US-201514819468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2014
Publication date	Feb 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air-cooled fuel cell-powered motorcycle allowing early detection of a malfunction in a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell-powered motorcycle includes a vehicle body; an electric motor for driving a driving wheel, an air-cooled fuel cell for supplying electric power to the electric motor and a hydrogen tank for storing a fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, respectively housed in the vehicle body; a fan for supplying air as a reactant and a coolant to the fuel cell; and an exhaust duct for discharging the air having cooled the fuel cell out of a rear end of the vehicle body, the exhaust duct having an inlet connected to a rear end portion of the fuel cell.

First claim

1 . A fuel cell-powered motorcycle, comprising:
a vehicle body; an electric motor for driving a driving wheel, an air-cooled fuel cell for supplying electric power to the electric motor and a hydrogen tank for storing a fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, respectively housed in the vehicle body; a fan for supplying air as a reactant and a coolant to the fuel cell; and an exhaust duct for discharging the air having cooled the fuel cell out of a rear end of the vehicle body, the exhaust duct having an inlet connected to a rear end portion of the fuel cell; wherein the motorcycle further includes an in-body hydrogen sensor for detecting hydrogen leaked out of the hydrogen tank, the fuel cell, and a pipe connecting between, and valves attached to, the hydrogen tank and the fuel cell in a region in the vehicle body and outside the exhaust dust, and an in-duct hydrogen sensor for detecting hydrogen in the exhaust duct.

2 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 1 , wherein said in-duct hydrogen sensor is disposed at a relatively high position in the exhaust duct where the exhaust gas mixture from the fuel cell has been fully mixed to allow the detection of a hydrogen concentration therein.

3 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 2 , wherein said in-duct hydrogen sensor is disposed on an inner ceiling surface of the exhaust duct at a position which is higher than an exit of the fuel cell and close to an exit of the exhaust duct.

4 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 3 , wherein said exhaust duct includes an inlet connected to the rear end portion of the fuel cell and branches into an upper exhaust passage and a lower exhaust passage so as to by-pass a rear combination lamp disposed on a back of the vehicle, the upper exhaust passage having an opening exit above the rear combination lamp and the lower exhaust passage having an opening exit in a lower face of a rear body cover disposed below the rear combination lamp, and
wherein said in-duct hydrogen sensor is disposed on an inner ceiling surface defining the exhaust passage at a position which is close to the exit of the exhaust duct.

5 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 2 ,
wherein an exhaust hose is inserted into the exhaust duct so as to have one opening end communicative within the exhaust dust and another end opening toward the in-body hydrogen sensor so that the in-body hydrogen sensor has also the function of the in-duct hydrogen sensor.

6 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 1 , wherein said in-body hydrogen sensor includes a first in-body hydrogen sensor disposed above the fuel tank disposed at a center of the vehicle body, and a second in-body hydrogen sensor disposed above the fuel cell.

7 . The fuel cell-powered motorcycle of claim 5 , wherein said in-body hydrogen sensor includes a first in-body hydrogen sensor disposed above the fuel tank disposed at a center of the vehicle body, and a second in-body hydrogen sensor disposed above the fuel cell and a position biased toward the rear of the vehicle body outside the exhaust duct, whereby the second in-body hydrogen sensor has also the function of the in-duct hydrogen sensor.

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Otsuka Ryuji
• Takai Yoshifumi

Classifications

• B62J35/00

  Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof (fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K {; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406}) · CPC title

• H01M8/0438

  Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• B62K11/00

  Motorcycles, engine-assisted cycles or motor scooters with one or two wheels (fairings or streamlining parts not forming part of the frame B62J; transmission of drive from engines to wheels B62M) · CPC title