Vehicle comprising an electricity supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018093586-A1
Application number	US-201715720449-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention concerns a vehicle comprising an electricity production unit configured for generating an electrical current, a transformer unit and a fuel storage unit, the production unit comprising at least two fuel cell stacks and a single first electrical connection interface for transmitting the electrical current to the transformer unit. The production unit further comprises a single cooling circuit, an air supply circuit and a single gaseous hydrogen supply circuit for supplying gaseous hydrogen, from the fuel storage unit, to each fuel cell stack. The production unit is separate from the fuel storage unit and connected to the fuel storage unit by a single connection interface, the production unit being removable from the vehicle as an integrated unit independently from the fuel storage unit.

First claim

1 . A vehicle comprising an electricity supply system, the electricity supply system comprising:
an electricity production unit generating a first voltage causing a first electrical current to flow; a transformer unit and a fuel storage unit storing gaseous hydrogen; wherein the electricity production unit comprises:
at least two fuel cell stacks and comprising a single first electrical connection interface transmitting the first electrical current to the transformer unit;
a single common cooling circuit filled with a first fluid for cooling each fuel cell stack,
a common air supply circuit supplying air to each fuel cell stack and a single common gaseous hydrogen supply circuit supplying gaseous hydrogen, from the fuel storage unit, to each fuel cell stack and
wherein the electricity production unit is separate from the fuel storage unit and connected to the fuel storage unit by a single connection interface,
wherein the electricity production unit being removable from the vehicle as an integrated unit independently from the fuel storage unit.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a fluid circulation circuit filled with a second fluid, the fluid circulation circuit being fluidically independent from the cooling circuit and comprising a first thermal exchanger exchanging heat between the first fluid and the second fluid,
wherein the electricity production unit further comprising a separable interface transmitting the second fluid between the first thermal exchanger and the fluid circulation circuit.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the fluid circulation circuit heats a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling circuit further comprises a second thermal exchanger exchanging heat between the first fluid and air.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity production unit comprises a common exhaust circuit collecting exhaust gases of each fuel cell stacks, the exhaust circuit comprising a water condenser extracting liquid water from the exhaust gases.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity production unit comprises a single common heater heating all fuel stacks.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the transformer unit generates, from the first current, at least a second voltage different from the first voltage and a third voltage different from the second voltage and the first voltage, the second voltage causing a second current to flow and the third voltage causing a third current to flow, the electricity production unit being removable from the electric vehicle independently from the transformer unit and comprising a second electrical connection interface transmitting the second current from the transformer unit to the production unit and a third electrical connection interface transmitting the third current from the transformer unit to the production unit.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the second current is an AC current driving at least the cooling circuit and the third current is a DC current.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an electrical vehicle comprising an electrical motor, the electricity supply system further comprising at least an electrical accumulator generating a driving electrical current for driving the motor, the transformer unit generating, from the first current, a charging electrical current charging the accumulator.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling circuit comprises a fluid circulator circulating the first fluid and each fuel cell stack comprises a commuting device electrically connecting the fuel cell stack to the first electrical interface, the production unit further comprising a controller unit controlling the fluid circulator and each commuting device.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Steindorff Konrad
• Schrank Stefan

Classifications

• H01M8/04201

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

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• B60L2240/34

  Cabin temperature · CPC title

• B60K2001/0455

  Removal or replacement of the energy storages · CPC title