Fuel cell unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9847540-B2
Application number	US-201414786224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell unit has a structure that enables the maximum use of a cell monitor in the height direction (vertical direction). In order to achieve this, the fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell stack ( 3 ) including a cell stack body in which unit cells are stacked; and a cell monitor ( 6 ) for monitoring a voltage of the unit cells, wherein the cell monitor ( 6 ) is arranged so as to be inclined relative to a vertical direction. The cell monitor is inclined by providing a part of the cell monitor in the vicinity of a heat-generating part in a fuel cell on an opposite side of the heat-generating part relative to a central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor and providing a part of the cell monitor in an area other than the heat-generating part in the fuel cell on a heat-generating part side relative to the central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell unit comprising:
a fuel cell stack including a cell stack body in which unit cells are stacked; and
a cell monitor for monitoring a voltage of the unit cells, wherein:
the cell monitor is connected to a voltage detector to which a voltage detection wire is connected;
the voltage detector is constituted by cell monitor terminals that detect cell voltages of the respective unit cells;
the cell monitor has an area of at least a certain size that is required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals;
the cell monitor is arranged in a state in which a surface having the area of at least the certain size required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals is inclined with respect to a vertical direction; and
the cell monitor is inclined by providing a part of the cell monitor in the vicinity of a heat-generating part in a fuel cell on an opposite side of the heat-generating part relative to a central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor and providing a part of the cell monitor in an area other than the heat-generating part in the fuel cell on a heat-generating part side relative to the central part in the vertical direction of the cell monitor.

2. The fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a bracket for fixing the cell monitor, the bracket being arranged on lateral surfaces located on both sides in a horizontal direction of the surface of the cell monitor having the area of at least the certain size required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals.

3. The fuel cell unit according to claim 2 , further comprising a clamp for restricting wiring of a communication cable that extends from the cell monitor, wherein the bracket is further provided with a clamp seat that allows the clamp to be seated thereon, and a seating surface of the clamp seat is inclined to a degree that allows the seating surface to be visible from a visual observation direction of an operator.

4. The fuel cell unit according to claim 3 , wherein the clamp is further provided with a through-hole that allows the communication cable to pass through the clamp, the through-hole being arranged in a direction in which the communication cable wired from the cell monitor to outside projects from the cell monitor to the outside.

5. A fuel cell unit comprising:
a fuel cell stack including a cell stack body in which unit cells are stacked; and
a cell monitor for monitoring a voltage of the unit cells;
a bracket for fixing the cell monitor; and
a clamp for restricting wiring of a communication cable that extends from the cell monitor, wherein:
the cell monitor is connected to a voltage detector to which a voltage detection wire is connected;
the voltage detector is constituted by cell monitor terminals that detect cell voltages of the respective unit cells;
the cell monitor has an area of at least a certain size that is required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals;
the cell monitor is arranged in a state in which a surface having the area of at least the certain size required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals is inclined with respect to a vertical direction;
the bracket is arranged on lateral surfaces located on both sides in a horizontal direction of the surface of the cell monitor having the area of at least the certain size required for mounting all of the cell monitor terminals; and
the bracket is further provided with a clamp seat that allows the clamp to be seated thereon, and a seating surface of the clamp seat is inclined to a degree that allows the seating surface to be visible from a visual observation direction of an operator.

6. The fuel cell unit according to claim 5 , wherein the clamp is further provided with a through-hole that allows the communication cable to pass through the clamp, the through-hole being arranged in a direction in which the communication cable wired from the cell monitor to outside projects from the cell monitor to the outside.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirakawa Tsutomu
• Imanishi Hiroyuki
• Usami Noboru

Classifications

• H01M8/04552 Primary

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M8/04671

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/24

  Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells · CPC title