JP2005158567A - Fuel cell vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell vehicle capable of keeping on running and securing safety even in case a fuel cylinder gets short of fuel during running and fuel can not be filled at a fuel supply station readily in view of an actual situation where there are not many supply stations of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell vehicle available. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel cell vehicle is provided with a fuel cell 1 generating power from fuel of a main hydrogen cylinder 4, a battery 9 charging the power generated at the fuel cell 1 and at the same time discharging the power, and a motor 2 driving the vehicle with the power supplied from the fuel cell 1 and the battery 9. The main hydrogen cylinder 4 has a pressure gauge 6 connected to it for measuring pressure inside the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and at the same time has a sub hydrogen cylinder 5 as well as a control device 10 switching connection from the sub hydrogen cylinder 5 to the fuel cell 1 when pressure inside the hydrogen cylinder 4 detected by the pressure gauge falls under a given value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle using hydrogen gas as fuel.

  Conventionally, petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline and light oil have been used as fuels for automobiles. However, future oil supply instability, health effects caused by emissions of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide Hydrogen automobiles that use hydrogen as a new clean energy that has no risk of pollution are attracting attention because of concerns such as the impact of emissions on global warming.

  In order to generate hydrogen to be supplied to fuel cell vehicles (FC vehicles) such as hydrogen automobiles, conventionally, liquid or gaseous fuel is brought to a high temperature state of several hundred degrees or more, and hydrogen gas is extracted from the vapor generated at this time. I have to. Then, the hydrogen gas thus generated is stored in a fuel filling device installed in the fuel supply station, and is filled from here into a fuel cylinder mounted on the fuel vehicle.

  As described above, the fuel cell vehicle is equipped with a fuel cylinder storing gaseous fuel such as hydrogen and a fuel cell connected thereto, and reacts hydrogen from the fuel cell with oxygen, and generates electric power generated at this time as a driving source. It is said.

  The prior art has been conventionally performed by those skilled in the art, and does not relate to a known literature.

  By the way, the fuel filling device installed in the fuel supply station is composed of a hydrogen generator, a compressor, a pressure accumulator, a filling device, and the like. Installation is not easy because it is necessary. For this reason, there are few refueling bases compared to the current gasoline station, and if there is a fuel shortage while running on a fuel vehicle, it is often impossible to refuel immediately. But problems arise.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the disadvantages of the conventional example, and in view of the current situation that the number of hydrogen gas supply stations to the fuel cell vehicle is small, the fuel cylinder runs out of fuel while running on the fuel cell vehicle. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell vehicle that can continue traveling and ensure safety even when fuel cannot be charged at the fuel supply station immediately.

  In order to eliminate the inconvenience of the conventional example, the invention according to claim 1 is a fuel cell that generates electric power from the fuel of the main hydrogen cylinder, and the electric power generated in the fuel cell is charged and the electric power is discharged. And a fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell and a motor that drives the vehicle with electric power supplied from the battery, and a pressure gauge that measures the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder is connected to the main hydrogen cylinder, The gist of the present invention is to provide a control device that is equipped with a sub-hydrogen cylinder and that switches the sub-hydrogen cylinder to the fuel cell when the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder detected by the pressure gauge drops below a predetermined value. Is.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the pressure drop is detected by the pressure gauge when the hydrogen in the main hydrogen cylinder is reduced during traveling, the output from the pressure gauge is received by the output from the pressure gauge. A sub-hydrogen cylinder is connected to the fuel cell. Therefore, the fuel cell can continue to travel by receiving the supply of hydrogen from the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is of a cassette type that can be attached to and detached from a vehicle, and the filling port connected to the fuel filling device communicates only with the main hydrogen cylinder, and the main hydrogen cylinder and the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder are The gist is to selectively connect each to a fuel cell via a valve.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the hydrogen in the main hydrogen cylinder is reduced, the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is connected to the fuel cell by switching the valve. The auxiliary hydrogen cylinder can be set or exchanged when the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is empty, even if it is not a fixed place such as a fuel supply station.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is fixedly built in the vehicle, and the filling port to which the fuel filling device is connected and the fuel cell are selectively connected to the main hydrogen cylinder and the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder through valves, respectively. The gist is to be connected.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the hydrogen in the main hydrogen cylinder is reduced, the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is connected to the fuel cell by switching the valve. Further, it is only necessary to fill the sub hydrogen cylinder at the time of gas filling of the main hydrogen cylinder at the fuel supply station, and it is not necessary to replace the sub hydrogen cylinder as in the case of the cassette type.

  In view of the present situation that the number of hydrogen gas supply stations to the fuel cell vehicle is small, the fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention has a shortage of fuel in the fuel cylinder while the fuel cell vehicle is running and immediately supplies the fuel. Even if the fuel cannot be charged at the station, the auxiliary cylinder is installed separately from the main cylinder, so even if the fuel in the main cylinder is low, switching to the auxiliary cylinder immediately can continue driving and ensure safety. Is.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a drive control block diagram showing a first embodiment of a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention. The fuel cell vehicle (FC vehicle) includes a fuel cell 1 storing hydrogen gas as a drive source and the hydrogen according to the present invention. The fuel cell 1 is equipped with a motor 2 that is driven by the generated electricity. The fuel cell 1 is provided with a main hydrogen cylinder 4 via a first valve 3a and a secondary hydrogen via a second valve 3b. The cylinders 5 are connected in parallel.

  In the first embodiment, the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder 5 is detachably attached to the fuel cell vehicle as a cassette type.

  A pressure gauge 6 for measuring the pressure in the cylinder is connected to the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and a filling port 7 connected to a fuel filling apparatus installed in the fuel supply station is connected. In the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes a connection sensor for detecting whether the filling nozzle of the fuel filling device is correctly connected to the filling port 7.

  The fuel cell 1 is connected with a battery 9 for storing surplus electricity therefrom, and this battery 9 is further connected to a control device 10 for controlling charging and driving.

  In addition to the battery 9, the control device 10 is connected to the fuel cell 1, a start switch 11 for starting the fuel cell vehicle, and a notification device 12 for notifying out of fuel.

  Next, a traveling method of the fuel cell vehicle will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. To drive the fuel cell vehicle, if the start switch 11 is turned on (step 1), the first valve 3a is opened by the output from the control device 10 in response to the on signal from the start switch 11 (step 2). The hydrogen gas stored in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is supplied to the fuel cell 1 through communication between the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and the fuel cell 1.

  As a result, electric power is generated and the motor 2 is driven to travel. During traveling, the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is detected by the pressure gauge 6 and input to the control device 10. When the pressure value falls below a predetermined value, the control device 10 determines that the hydrogen gas in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 has decreased (step 3), and outputs it to the alarm device 12, thereby the alarm device 12. Will inform you of running out of fuel.

  At the same time, the first valve 3a is closed by the output from the control device 10, the second valve 3b is opened, and the connection between the fuel cell 1 and the emptied main hydrogen cylinder 4 is interrupted, and at the same time, the auxiliary sub-hydrogen cylinder. 5 is connected to the fuel cell 1 (step 4). As a result, even if the main hydrogen cylinder 4 becomes empty during traveling, the fuel is supplied from the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder 5, and thus traveling continues.

  If the start switch 11 is turned off (step 5) and the vehicle is stopped, the second valve 3b is closed (step 6), and the supply of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 1 is stopped. The auxiliary auxiliary hydrogen cylinder 5 may be appropriately replaced with a new one at a fuel supply station or the like.

  The surplus electricity generated by the fuel cell 1 is stored in the battery 9 and is used at the time of starting or overloading.

  FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment, and the configuration in which the auxiliary sub-hydrogen cylinder 5 is connected in parallel to the fuel cell 1 separately from the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment. A form makes the subhydrogen cylinder 5 into a built-in type, and this subhydrogen cylinder 5 is fixedly installed in a motor vehicle.

  The main hydrogen cylinder 4 to which the first valve 3a is connected and the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder 5 to which the second valve 3b is connected are connected in parallel, and this parallel-connected pipe is connected via the third valve 3c. Connected to the fuel cell 1. In the figure, reference numeral 6 a denotes a pressure gauge connected to the sub hydrogen cylinder 5.

  A pipe communicating with the filling port 7 is connected between the third valve 3c, the first valve 3a and the second valve 3b, and the filling port 7 is connected to the first valve 3a or the second valve 3b. The main hydrogen cylinder 4 or the sub hydrogen cylinder 5 is selectively connected via the valve 3b.

  Next, the traveling operation of the second embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. To run the fuel cell vehicle, if the start switch 11 is turned on (step 11), the first valve 3a and the third valve 3c are received by the output from the control device 10 in response to the on signal from the start switch 11. (Step 12), the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and the fuel cell 1 communicate with each other, and hydrogen gas stored in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is supplied to the fuel cell 1.

  As a result, electric power is generated and the motor 2 is driven to travel. During traveling, the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is detected by the pressure gauge 6 and input to the control device 10. When the pressure value falls below a predetermined value, the control device 10 determines that the hydrogen gas in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 has decreased (step 13), and outputs it to the alarm device 12, whereby the alarm device 12 Will inform you of running out of fuel.

  At the same time, the first valve 3a is closed by the output from the control device 10, the second valve 3b is opened, and the connection between the fuel cell 1 and the emptied main hydrogen cylinder 4 is interrupted, and at the same time, the auxiliary sub-hydrogen cylinder. 5 is connected to the fuel cell 1 (step 14). As a result, even if the main hydrogen cylinder 4 becomes empty during traveling, the fuel is supplied from the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder 5, and thus traveling continues.

  If the start switch 11 is turned off (step 15) and the vehicle is stopped, the second valve 3b and the third valve 3c are closed (step 16), and the supply of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 1 is stopped.

  By using the hydrogen gas in the sub-hydrogen cylinder 5 in this way, not only the main hydrogen cylinder 4 but also the sub-hydrogen cylinder 5 has less fuel, but the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and the sub-hydrogen cylinder 5 are filled with hydrogen gas. A method for this will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The vehicle is driven to the fuel supply station, and the filling nozzle of the fuel filling device installed here is connected to the filling port 7 of the vehicle (step 17). This connection is detected by a certain connection sensor 8 provided in the filling port 7, and the connection is confirmed.

  If the filling nozzle is correctly connected to the filling port 7, the first valve 3a on the main hydrogen cylinder 4 side opens (step 18), and the hydrogen gas supplied from the filling port 7 passes through the first valve 3a. To the main hydrogen cylinder 4. The pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is measured by the pressure gauge 6, and when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure, it is determined that the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is fully filled (step 19), the first valve 3a is closed, and filling of the main hydrogen cylinder 4 is completed. .

  At the same time, the second valve 3b is opened to start filling the sub hydrogen cylinder 5 (step 20). The pressure in the secondary hydrogen cylinder 5 is measured by the pressure gauge 6a. When the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure, it is determined that the secondary hydrogen cylinder 5 is fully filled (step 21), the second valve 3b is closed (step 22), and the secondary hydrogen cylinder 5 is closed. Filling is completed.

  In this manner, the main hydrogen cylinder 4 and the sub hydrogen cylinder 5 are filled with hydrogen gas from the fuel filling apparatus installed here at the fuel supply station.

  This fuel filling device may be installed in a fixed fuel supply station dedicated to hydrogen gas filling, but it may be installed in a gasoline station that refuels the current gasoline fuel. As a portable type, for example, a measuring mechanism storage chamber is formed with a cover on a fuel storage tank with a caster attached to the lower part, and each measuring mechanism is provided in the storage chamber before the cover covers the front of the storage chamber. It is divided into a front cover and a rear cover that covers the rear, the front cover is fixed to the fuel storage tank, and the rear cover is slidably and detachably attached to the fuel storage tank by a slide mechanism.

  Therefore, with such a portable fuel filling device, even if it is installed at an existing gas station as a remedy until a new dedicated fuel supply station for hydrogen gas filling is installed, conventional gasoline etc. There is no hindrance to refueling.

1 is a block diagram of drive control showing a first embodiment of a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention. FIG. It is a flowchart of the driving | running operation | movement which shows 1st Embodiment of the fuel cell vehicle of this invention. It is a block diagram of the drive control which shows 2nd Embodiment of the fuel cell vehicle of this invention. It is a flowchart of the driving | running operation | movement which shows 2nd Embodiment of the fuel cell vehicle of this invention. It is a flowchart of the fuel filling operation | movement which shows 2nd Embodiment of the fuel cell vehicle of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fuel cell 2 ... Motor 3a ... 1st valve 3b ... 2nd valve 3c ... 3rd valve 4 ... Main hydrogen cylinder 5 ... Sub hydrogen cylinder 6, 6a ... Pressure gauge 7 ... Filling port 8 ... Connection sensor 9 ... Battery 10 ... Control device 11 ... Start switch 12 ... Notifier

Claims (3)

  A fuel cell that generates power from the fuel of the main hydrogen cylinder, a battery that charges and discharges the power generated by the fuel cell, and a motor that drives the vehicle with the power supplied from the fuel cell and the battery In the fuel cell vehicle provided, a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder is connected to the main hydrogen cylinder, and a sub-hydrogen cylinder is mounted, and the pressure in the main hydrogen cylinder detected by the pressure gauge is A fuel cell vehicle comprising a control device that switches a sub hydrogen cylinder to connect to a fuel cell when the fuel cell voltage drops below a predetermined value.   The auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is of a cassette type that can be attached to and detached from the vehicle. The filling port connected to the fuel filling device communicates only with the main hydrogen cylinder, and the main hydrogen cylinder and the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder are connected to the fuel cell via valves, respectively. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell vehicle is selectively connected.   The auxiliary hydrogen cylinder is fixedly built in the vehicle, and the filling port to which the fuel filling device is connected and the fuel cell are selectively connected to the main hydrogen cylinder and the auxiliary hydrogen cylinder through valves, respectively. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1.

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