In-vehicle fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023395838-A1
Application number	US-202018266461-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Dec 7, 2023
Grant date	—

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

1 . 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 comprising:
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.

2 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first fuel cell is disposed in a first internal space occupying a position higher than the skeleton member in the vehicle body, the second fuel cell is disposed in a second internal space occupying a position lower than the skeleton member in the vehicle body, when a height dimension of the first internal space is larger than a height dimension of the second internal space, a height dimension of the first fuel cell is set to be larger than a height dimension of the second fuel cell, and when the height dimension of the second internal space is larger than the height dimension of the first internal space, the height dimension of the second fuel cell is set to be larger than the height dimension of the first fuel cell.

3 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
when the in-vehicle fuel cell system is mounted on a front prime mover chamber that is disposed inside the vehicle body and above a front suspension device configured to support the vehicle body, a lower surface of the second fuel cell is disposed above a lower surface of a structural skeleton constituting the front suspension device.

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

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

6 . The in-vehicle 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, and an off-gas exhaust pipe configured to exhaust an off-gas discharged from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

7 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 1 , wherein
when the in-vehicle 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, a lower surface of the second fuel cell is disposed above a lower surface of a structural skeleton constituting the rear suspension device.

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

9 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 7 , wherein
when the in-vehicle fuel cell system is mounted on a vehicle in which a height of a floor plate of a cabin is set to be equal to or lower than a lower end of a rear window, an upper surface of the first fuel cell is disposed at a position lower than a virtual plane set at a position lower than the floor plate of the cabin by a predetermined distance.

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

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

12 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 3 , wherein
the auxiliary machine structure includes
an air flow path connecting a cathode of the first fuel cell and a cathode of the second fuel cell,
the auxiliary machine includes
a combustor configured to mix and combust a fuel off-gas discharged from the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell and an 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 the vehicle front side relative to the combustor and the heat exchanger in the auxiliary machine structure.

13 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 12 , wherein
the auxiliary machine structure includes 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 both end sides in a vehicle width direction in the auxiliary machine structure, and the air flow path is disposed between the pair of fuel flow paths in the auxiliary machine structure, and is widely disposed in a manner that both ends of the air flow path in the width direction are adjacent to the fuel flow paths.

14 . The in-vehicle fuel cell system according to claim 13 , wherein
the air flow path is disposed in a manner of covering the heat exchanger when viewed from the vehicle front side of the auxiliary machine structure.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor
• Renault 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

• H01M8/2404 Primary

  Processes or apparatus for grouping fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

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