JP2006076325A - Fuel cell automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell automobile capable of properly and sufficiently cooling the inside of a stack case. <P>SOLUTION: This fuel cell automobile 1 is provided with an air conditioner 4 for supplying gas for air conditioning to the inside of a cabin 3. The air conditioner 4 is constituted to supply the gas for air conditioning into an internal space of the stack case 51 for storing a fuel cell stack 10. In the air conditioner 4, an indoor side flow passage 82 communicated with the inside of the cabin 3 as a flow passage of the introduced gas for air conditioning heat-exchanged by a heat exchanger 86 and a stack side flow passage 83 communicated with the internal space of the stack case 51 are switched by a selector valve 84. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle in which a fuel cell stack is accommodated in a stack case.

An in-vehicle fuel cell stack is housed in a dedicated stack case and mounted on a passenger compartment floor or the like in order to protect it from dust and water. As what uses this kind of stack case, the thing of patent document 1 is known, for example. In Patent Document 1, a radiator for cooling the fuel cell stack itself is provided, and a fan is further provided on the downstream side in the air cooling direction of the radiator. Then, the inside of the stack case is ventilated by supplying the outside air sucked by the fan into the stack case.
JP 2004-22190 A (page 4 and FIG. 1)

  Such a conventional configuration is useful in that forced ventilation can be performed in the stack case. However, since the outside air taken in by the fan has passed through the heat radiating surface of the radiator, as a result, heat is exchanged to the high temperature side. For this reason, the ventilation by the fan was insufficient to cool the inside of the stack case. Considering the case where a high voltage component such as a sensor is accommodated in the stack case, a configuration for cooling the inside of the stack case is desired.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell vehicle capable of adequately and sufficiently cooling the inside of a stack case.

  The fuel cell vehicle of the present invention includes an air conditioner that supplies air conditioning gas into the passenger compartment, and the air conditioner is configured to be able to supply air conditioning gas to the internal space of the stack case that houses the fuel cell stack. It is.

According to this configuration, it is possible to effectively supply an air-conditioning gas to the internal space of the stack case by effectively using an air-conditioning device that is generally mounted on an automobile. As a result, the air conditioner supplies the air-conditioning gas during the cooling operation to the internal space of the stack case, so that the internal space of the stack case can be appropriately and sufficiently cooled. In addition, the internal space of the stack case can be ventilated.
Here, the air-conditioning gas includes air obtained by adjusting the air taken from the passenger compartment or the outside of the passenger compartment to a predetermined temperature, humidity, or cleanliness. Further, the internal space of the stack case mainly refers to the inside of the stack case and is not a concept including the internal flow path of the fuel cell stack. Hereinafter, the “internal space of the stack case” is often described as “inside the stack case”.
When the air conditioner supplies air-conditioning gas during heating operation into the stack case when the fuel cell is started, the fuel cell temperature can be set to an appropriate temperature with good power generation efficiency in a short time.

  In this case, it is preferable that the air conditioner is configured to be able to supply the air conditioning gas heat-exchanged by the common heat exchanger to each of the vehicle interior and the internal space of the stack case.

According to this configuration, it is not necessary to provide separate heat exchangers for the passenger compartment and for the stack case, and it is not necessary to make the apparatus configuration more complicated.
Here, as the heat exchanger, various types of partition type, intermediate medium type, and heat storage type can be used.

  In this case, the air conditioner is provided with a flow path for guiding the air-conditioning gas heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to the internal space of the stack case, and the air-conditioning gas from the stack case side to the heat exchanger side. It is preferable to have a check valve that prevents backflow of the gas.

  According to this configuration, the air-conditioning gas flows into the stack case through the check valve, but the air-conditioning gas in the stack case is blocked by the check valve from flowing into the heat exchanger side and thus into the passenger compartment. . Thereby, the gas containing the fuel gas (hydrogen gas) that can leak from the fuel cell stack or the like in the stack case can be suitably prevented from flowing into the vehicle interior.

  In these cases, it is preferable to further include a relief mechanism for releasing the gas to the outside when the pressure of the gas in the internal space of the stack case exceeds a predetermined pressure. The predetermined pressure is preferably atmospheric pressure.

According to this configuration, when the gas pressure in the stack case becomes larger than a predetermined pressure (for example, atmospheric pressure), the relief mechanism can function and the excessive gas pressure can be released. Thereby, damage of various parts, such as a fuel cell stack, can be prevented appropriately.
Here, the relief mechanism can be provided in the stack case, or can be provided as a relief valve in the flow path leading to the stack case.

  In these cases, a temperature sensor that detects at least one of the temperature of the internal space of the stack case and the temperature of the fuel cell stack is further provided, and the air conditioner is configured to detect the internal temperature of the stack case based on the detection result of the temperature sensor. It is preferable to adjust the inflow amount of the air-conditioning gas into the space.

According to this configuration, for example, when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature in the stack case is higher than the threshold value, the air conditioner performs cooling operation to increase the inflow amount of the air conditioning gas. The temperature can be lowered. In this way, the temperature inside the stack case can be actively managed according to the situation.
Here, the temperature of the fuel cell stack detected by the temperature sensor may be the temperature of the fuel cell stack itself or the temperature of the refrigerant that cools the fuel cell stack.

  In these cases, a concentration sensor that detects the hydrogen concentration in the internal space of the stack case is further provided, and the air conditioner adjusts the amount of air-conditioning gas flowing into the internal space of the stack case based on the detection result of the concentration sensor. It is preferable.

  According to this configuration, for example, when the concentration sensor detects that the hydrogen concentration in the stack case is higher than the threshold, the air conditioner can decrease the hydrogen concentration by increasing the inflow amount of the air conditioning gas. it can. Thus, the inside of the stack case can be actively ventilated according to the situation.

  In these cases, it is preferable to further include a cooling device that cools the fuel cell stack by allowing the refrigerant to flow through the internal flow path of the fuel cell stack.

  According to this configuration, not only the inside of the stack case can be cooled by the air conditioner, but also the fuel cell stack itself can be suitably cooled by the cooling device separate from the air conditioner. Note that the cooling device is preferably driven in synchronization with the cooling operation of the air conditioning device.

  Another fuel cell vehicle of the present invention includes an air conditioner that supplies air-conditioning gas into the passenger compartment, and the air conditioner is provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the air-conditioning gas, An indoor-side flow path for introducing air-conditioning gas into the passenger compartment, a stack-side flow path provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger, for guiding the air-conditioning gas to the internal space of the stack case containing the fuel cell stack, and a heat exchanger And a switching means capable of switching to at least one of the indoor-side flow path and the stack-side flow path as a flow path through which the air-conditioning gas is guided.

According to this configuration, when the air conditioner is actively used as air conditioning in the vehicle interior, the switching means switches to the indoor flow path. Then, the air-conditioning gas that has been heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger is supplied to the vehicle interior via the indoor-side flow path. In addition, when the air conditioner is actively used as cooling in the stack case, it is switched to the stack-side flow path by the switching means. Then, the air-conditioning gas heat-exchanged to the low temperature side by the heat exchanger is supplied into the stack case via the stack-side flow path.
As described above, by effectively using an air conditioner generally mounted in an automobile, the inside of the stack case can be appropriately and sufficiently cooled by the cooling operation of the air conditioner. Further, the inside of the stack case can be ventilated. Note that the switching means cools both the passenger compartment and the stack case when switching to both the indoor flow path and the stack flow path during the cooling operation of the air conditioner.

  In this case, it is preferable that the switching means is configured to be able to adjust the amount of air-conditioning gas flowing into the vehicle interior and the internal space of the stack case.

  According to this configuration, the temperature in the stack case as well as the passenger compartment can be adjusted to a predetermined state.

  According to the fuel cell vehicle of the present invention, the inside of the stack case in which the fuel cell stack is accommodated can be appropriately and sufficiently cooled.

  Hereinafter, a fuel cell vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This fuel cell vehicle cools the inside of a stack case that contains a fuel cell stack by effectively using an air conditioner that performs air conditioning in the passenger compartment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel cell vehicle 1 includes a fuel cell system 2 that serves as a power source for vehicle travel, an air conditioner 4 that air-conditions a vehicle interior 3, and a control device 5 that performs overall control of these components. Are provided. The fuel cell stack 10 of the fuel cell system 2 is connected to a drive motor (not shown) via an inverter (not shown), and the drive motor rotates an axle (not shown). This type of fuel cell vehicle with a vehicle compartment may be not only a four-wheel fuel cell vehicle 1 as shown in FIG.

  The piping line of the fuel cell system 2 includes an oxidizing gas supply line 12 for supplying an oxidizing gas (oxidant, oxygen gas, air) to the fuel cell stack 10, and an oxidizing gas for discharging the oxidizing off gas from the fuel cell stack 10. A discharge line 13, a fuel gas supply line 14 for supplying hydrogen gas as fuel gas to the fuel cell stack 10, and a fuel gas discharge line 15 for discharging hydrogen off-gas from the fuel cell stack 10 are provided. ing. The piping line is provided with a cooling line 16 that circulates and supplies cooling water as a coolant to the fuel cell stack 10.

  The oxidizing gas supply line 12 is provided with a compressor that takes in air through a filter, and air as oxidizing gas is pumped to the fuel cell stack 10 by the compressor. A temperature sensor 21 that detects the temperature of the oxidizing gas is provided on the gas inlet side of the fuel cell stack 10 of the oxidizing gas supply line 12. A pressure sensor 22 for detecting the pressure of the oxidizing off gas is provided on the gas outlet side of the fuel cell stack 10 of the oxidizing gas discharge line 13, and the pressure of the oxidizing gas in the fuel cell stack 10 is provided on the downstream side thereof. A pressure regulating valve (not shown) for adjustment, a silencer for silencing the oxidizing off gas discharged outside the vehicle, and the like are provided.

  In the uppermost stream of the fuel gas supply line 14, for example, a high pressure tank storing hydrogen gas is provided, and the hydrogen gas in the high pressure tank is supplied to the fuel cell stack 10 via a regulator or the like. Of course, instead of this configuration, it is also possible to use a system in which raw fuel such as compressed natural gas (CNG) is stored in a high-pressure tank, reformed into hydrogen gas on the vehicle, and supplied to the fuel cell stack 10.

  On the gas inlet side of the fuel cell stack 10 in the fuel gas supply line 14, a pressure sensor 32 that detects the pressure of hydrogen gas is provided in addition to a shut-off valve 31 that can shut off the gas flow path. On the gas outlet side of the fuel cell stack 10 of the fuel gas discharge line 15, a temperature sensor 34 that detects the temperature of the hydrogen off-gas, and a shutoff valve 35 that can shut off the gas flow path are provided.

  In the cooling line 16, a radiator 41 that radiates heat of the cooling water discharged from the fuel cell stack 10 to the outside, a pump 42 that is located downstream of the radiator 41 and pumps the cooling water to the fuel cell stack 10, Is provided. Further, temperature sensors 43 and 44 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water are respectively provided on the refrigerant inlet side and the refrigerant outlet side of the fuel cell stack 10 in the cooling line 16. The cooling line 16, the radiator 41, and the pump 42 constitute a main part of a cooling device that allows cooling water to flow through the internal flow path of the fuel cell stack 10. The fuel cell stack 10 itself can be cooled by the cooling device.

  The fuel cell stack 10 has a stack structure in which a large number of single cells serving as a basic unit of a fuel cell are stacked, and current collecting plates, insulating plates, and the like are disposed at both ends thereof. As the internal flow path of the fuel cell stack 10, an oxidation gas flow path, a hydrogen gas flow path, and a cooling water flow path are formed. These flow paths correspond to various flow paths corresponding to the above-described piping lines. It is connected to the road (12-16). There are a plurality of types of fuel cells such as a phosphoric acid type. Here, the fuel cell is constituted by a solid polymer electrolyte type suitable for in-vehicle use. The fuel cell stack 10 is accommodated in the stack case 51 together with the peripheral detection devices.

  The stack case 51 is formed, for example, in a box shape as shown in FIG. The stack case 51 can be formed of metal or hard resin, but here is formed of aluminum in consideration of weight reduction and heat dissipation. For example, the stack case 51 having an upper and lower split structure includes an upper case that functions as a lid and a lower case joined to the upper case, and the fuel cell stack 10 is fixed to, for example, the center bottom of the lower case. The stack case 51 is fixed to the under floor of the passenger compartment via a bracket or the like.

  The stack case 51 is connected to a part of a stack-side flow path 83 of the air conditioner 4 to be described later, so that air-conditioning gas can be supplied to the internal space of the stack case 51. In the stack case 51, some of the various flow paths (12 to 16) of the piping line connected to the fuel cell stack 10 are arranged. For this reason, in the stack case 51, openings having pipe diameters corresponding to the stack-side channel 83 and various channels (12 to 16) of the piping line are dispersed and formed.

  In the stack case 51, in addition to the shut-off valves 31 and 35 on the piping line described above, high voltages such as detection devices (temperature sensors 21, 34, 43 and 44, pressure sensors 22 and 32) and service plugs (not shown) are provided. Parts are accommodated. Also, in the stack case 51, a temperature sensor 52 that detects the temperature of the internal space of the stack case 51 and a concentration sensor 53 that detects the hydrogen concentration of the internal space of the stack case 51 are separated from the fuel cell stack 10. Housed in position. The temperature sensor 52 and the concentration sensor 53 are connected to the control device 5. The temperature sensor 52 and the concentration sensor 53 are shown outside the stack case 51 for convenience of explanation in FIG.

  As described above, since various high-voltage components such as detection devices are accommodated in the stack case 51, the high-voltage components can be appropriately protected from external dust, water, and the like. Further, the valves such as the shutoff valves 31 and 35 can be appropriately protected from external dust, water, and the like. In addition, the components on the piping line accommodated in the stack case 51 are an example, and how the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor are arranged can be appropriately changed in design. Further, for example, the shut-off valves 31 and 35 can be arranged outside the stack case 51 so that the stack case 51 can be made compact.

  Here, the internal space of the stack case 51 refers to a gap formed between the stack case 51 and an internally disposed device such as the fuel cell stack 10 and mainly means the inside of the stack case 51. Therefore, the internal space of the stack case 51 does not include the internal flow path of the fuel cell stack 10. Hereinafter, as an abbreviation of “internal space of the stack case 51”, it is often expressed as “inside the stack case 51”.

  The stack case 51 is provided with two relief mechanisms 54 for releasing the gas to the outside when the pressure of the gas in the internal space becomes larger than the atmospheric pressure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the relief mechanism 54. As shown in the figure, the relief mechanism 54 is formed in an attachment opening 55 formed in the stack case 51 and is located on the outer surface of the attachment opening 55.

  The relief mechanism 54 has a filter 71 that faces the mounting opening 55 widely, a filter holding frame 72 that holds the peripheral edge of the filter 71 and is fixed to the outer peripheral edge of the mounting opening 55, and an upper part of the filter holding frame 72. And a flat plate-shaped movable cantilever door 73 that is rotatably supported. The filter 71 is breathable and configured to capture foreign matter such as dust and water. This type of filter 71 can be configured by, for example, a membrane made by Gore-Tex (registered trademark: Japan Gore-Tex Co., Ltd.) or Poeflon (registered trademark: Sumitomo Electric Co., Ltd.).

  The filter holding frame 72 and the movable cantilever door 73 are configured to be attracted to each other by magnetic force. For example, both the filter holding frame 72 and the movable cantilever door 73 can be configured by embedding magnets, or one can be configured by embedding a magnet and the other can be configured by a magnetic material adsorbed by the magnet. For example, the movable cantilever door 73 can be formed of a magnetic material by embedding a magnet in the filter holding frame 72 formed of hard resin. Examples of the magnetic material include various metals such as iron, ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, alloys, and the like.

  When the fuel cell system 2 is stopped, the movable cantilever door 73 is attracted to the filter holding frame 72 by a magnetic force and faces the filter 71 so as to be in a closed position. In this case, even when the vehicle is inclined, the movable cantilever door 73 is adsorbed to the filter holding frame 72 by a magnetic force so as not to open freely. When the pressure of the gas in the stack case 51 becomes larger than the atmospheric pressure, the movable cantilever door 73 rotates so as to be separated from the filter 71 against the adsorption force due to the magnetic force, and becomes an open position. (Refer to the phantom line in FIG. 3).

  In other words, when the gas pressure in the stack case 51 is greater than the atmospheric pressure, the movable cantilever door 73 is pushed open. Thereby, the gas in the stack case 51 is discharged out of the stack case 51 through the filter 71, and the pressure of the excessive gas in the stack case 51 can be released. Therefore, damage to the fuel cell stack 10 in the stack case 51 and various components such as the above-described high-voltage parts can be prevented appropriately and in advance. When the pressure in the stack case 51 drops below atmospheric pressure, the movable cantilever door 73 automatically rotates due to gravity and magnetic force, and is attracted to the filter holding frame 72 to be in the original closed position.

  Thus, the filter 71 incorporated as a part of the relief mechanism 54 is configured to be exposed to the outside only when the pressure in the stack case 51 is required to be greater than the atmospheric pressure. For this reason, the filter 71 can avoid suitably the damage by the direct hit of a pebble or water.

  Note that various modifications can be applied to the relief mechanism 54. For example, the number of relief mechanisms 54 is not limited to two. For example, the relief mechanisms 54 can be distributed and formed in four places of the stack case 51. Further, the reference pressure at which the relief mechanism 54 functions is the atmospheric pressure, but it is not limited to this, and a predetermined pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure may be used as the reference pressure. Further, instead of the above-described configuration of the relief mechanism 54, the filter 71 is fixed so as to be directly fitted into the mounting opening 55, and the movable cantilever door 73 is rotatably supported on the stack case 51. You may make it reduce a score. In this case, since the stack case 51 is made of aluminum as described above, a magnet may be embedded in the movable cantilever door 73.

  Further, instead of a configuration in which the movable cantilever door 73 is attracted to the filter holding frame 72 and the stack case 51 by magnetic force, biasing means such as a spring is used, and the movable cantilever door 73 is closed to the filter holding frame 72 and the like. You may make it urge toward a position side. For example, a torsion coil spring may be provided in a rotation support portion such as the filter holding frame 72 that supports the movable cantilever door 73. Further, the relief mechanism 54 may not be directly formed in the stack case 51, but a relief valve may be provided in the stack-side flow path 83 of the air conditioner 4 so that the relief valve performs the above-described relief action.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air conditioner 4 is configured to be able to supply air-conditioning gas to the vehicle interior 3 and the internal space of the stack case 51. The air conditioner 4 takes in air in the passenger compartment 3 (inside air) or outside the passenger compartment (outside air), and adjusts the taken air to a predetermined temperature, humidity, or cleanliness according to the demand of the fuel cell vehicle 1. Then, the air is blown into the vehicle interior 3 and the stack case 51.

  The air conditioner 4 includes a heat pump 81 for exchanging heat of the air-conditioning gas, an indoor flow path 82 for guiding the air-conditioning gas heat-exchanged by the heat pump 81 to the vehicle interior 3, and an air-conditioner for heat-exchanged by the heat pump 81. The stack side flow path 83 guides the gas into the stack case 51, and the switching valve 84 having a three-way valve structure provided at a branch position between the indoor side flow path 82 and the stack side flow path 83. The heat pump 81 and the switching valve 84 are connected to the control device 5.

  The heat pump 81 is, for example, an absorption refrigerator cycle, and is configured to be able to switch between a cooling operation and a heating operation. The heat pump 81 has a common heat exchanger 86 for the vehicle interior 3 and the stack case 51. The heat exchanger 86 is disposed in the air flow path 87 connected to the inlet port of the switching valve 84. The air-conditioning gas that has passed through the heat exchanger 86 is pumped by a blower (not shown), etc., and reaches the switching valve 84 through an air flow path 87 via a filter (not shown).

  The indoor-side flow path 82 has an upstream end connected to the first outlet port of the switching valve 84 and a downstream end opened in the vehicle interior 3. The upstream end of the stack side channel 83 is connected to the second outlet port of the switching valve 84, and the downstream end thereof is opened in the stack case 51. The stack-side flow path 83 is provided with a check valve 88 that allows the air-conditioning gas to flow only in the direction from the switching valve 84 into the stack case 51. The check valve 88 can prevent the gas in the stack case 51 from flowing back from the stack case 51 side to the switching valve 84 side.

  Specifically, hydrogen gas can leak from the fuel cell stack 10 into the internal space of the stack case 51. The stack case 51 can be filled with a gas including the leaked hydrogen gas or air-conditioning gas. By providing the check valve 88 in the stack-side flow path 83, it is possible to suitably prevent this gas from flowing into the vehicle interior 3.

  The switching valve 84 (switching means) is configured to be able to switch to one or both of the indoor channel 82 and the stack channel 83 as a channel through which the air-conditioning gas is guided. For example, when the switching valve 84 is completely switched to the indoor channel 82 side, the air-conditioning gas is blocked from flowing to the stack channel 83 and flows only in the indoor channel 82 side. It will flow into the room 3.

  The switching valve 84 is configured to be able to adjust the opening of the valve, and can adjust the amount of air-conditioning gas flowing into the indoor channel 82 and the stack channel 83. The switching valve 84 is controlled in its switching operation and the opening degree of the valve by an output signal from the control device 5. This type of switching valve 84 can be constituted by an electromagnetic valve type driven by a solenoid or an electric valve type driven by a motor.

  The control device 5 (ECU) controls the entire fuel cell vehicle 1 including the fuel cell system 2 and the air conditioner 4. The control device 5 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like that are not shown. The control device 5 inputs detection signals from various sensors such as the temperature sensor 52 and the concentration sensor 53 and drives the heat pump 81, the switching valve 84, and the like by outputting control signals to various drivers. The entire vehicle 1 is controlled.

  For example, the control device 5 determines from the output signal of the temperature sensor 52 whether or not the condition whether the temperature in the stack case 51 is equal to or higher than a threshold is satisfied. This temperature condition can be, for example, a condition in which the fuel cell stack 10 is in a high load state. When the condition is satisfied, the control device 5 outputs a control signal for switching to the stack-side flow path 83 and a control signal for a predetermined valve opening degree to the switching valve 84. Upon receiving these control signals, the switching valve 84 performs a switching operation. At this time, when the heat pump 81 is in the heating operation, a control signal indicating that the cooling operation is performed is output to the heat pump 81.

  When the air conditioner 4 supplies cooling air-conditioning gas to the vehicle interior 3 from the beginning, for example, the switching valve 84 guides the air-conditioning gas to both the vehicle interior 3 and the stack case 51. The switching operation is executed. However, it is possible to set so that the cooling air-conditioning gas is not supplied to the passenger compartment 3 side when the air-conditioning gas is supplied into the stack case 51.

  After the switching operation of the switching valve 84, the cooled air-conditioning gas having a predetermined flow rate is introduced into the stack case 51, and the stack case 51 is cooled. Thereby, high voltage components, such as a detection apparatus in the stack case 51, can be cooled. In this way, the high-voltage components can be actively cooled, so it is not necessary to increase the size of the high-voltage components in consideration of heat resistance. Can do. If this effect is viewed from the fuel cell vehicle 1 side, the size of the stack case 51 can be reduced, so that the area occupied by the installation space by the fuel cell stack 10 can be reduced. When the pressure of the gas in the stack case 51 becomes greater than the atmospheric pressure, the relief mechanism 54 operates, so that the gas in the stack case 51 is discharged out of the stack case 51 as described above.

  Further, the control device 5 determines from the output signal of the concentration sensor 53 whether or not the condition whether the hydrogen concentration in the stack case 51 is equal to or higher than the threshold is satisfied. When the condition is satisfied, the control device 5 outputs a control signal for switching to the stack-side flow path 83 and a control signal for a predetermined valve opening degree to the switching valve 84. When the switching valve 84 performs the switching operation, a predetermined flow rate of air-conditioning gas is introduced into the stack case 51. Thereby, the hydrogen concentration in the stack case 51 decreases. At this time, the air-conditioning gas introduced into the stack case 51 may be during heating operation, but is preferably cooled during cooling operation in order to also serve as cooling in the stack case 51. .

  Similarly, when the gas pressure in the stack case 51 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure, the relief mechanism 54 operates, so that the ventilation in the stack case 51 is further improved. Thus, even if the hydrogen concentration in the stack case 51 is increased, the inside of the stack case 51 can be actively ventilated according to the situation, so that safety can be appropriately ensured. .

  As described above, according to the fuel cell vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, the air conditioner 4 that is generally mounted on the vehicle is effectively used, and a predetermined amount of the air conditioner 4 is added to the stack case 51 according to the state of the internal space. A cooled air-conditioning gas can be supplied. Therefore, the internal space of the stack case 51 can be appropriately and sufficiently cooled, and can be sufficiently ventilated. Further, the fuel cell stack 10 itself can be appropriately cooled by a cooling device (such as the cooling line 16) different from the device that cools the stack case 51.

  In the embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 52 is provided, and the inflow amount of the air-conditioning gas into the stack case 51 by the air conditioner 4 is adjusted based on the temperature of the internal space of the stack case 51 detected by the temperature sensor 52. However, another temperature sensor may be provided. For example, the temperature sensor 52 may be omitted, or a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the fuel cell stack 10 may be provided together with the temperature sensor 52.

  Here, the temperature of the fuel cell stack 10 detected by the new temperature sensor may be the temperature of the fuel cell stack 10 itself, or the temperature of the cooling water for cooling the fuel cell stack 10 may be detected. Good. The latter temperature can be detected by the temperature sensor 43 or the temperature sensor 44 provided in the cooling line 16. Therefore, the inflow amount of the air conditioning gas into the stack case 51 by the air conditioner 4 is adjusted based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 43 or the temperature sensor 44.

  Further, the cooling in the stack case 51 by the air conditioner 4 and the cooling of the fuel cell stack 10 itself by the cooling water can be performed independently or in cooperation with each other. In the latter case, the control device 5 drives the pump 42 of the cooling device in synchronization with the operation of the air conditioner 4. For example, when the request for cooling the passenger compartment 3 is high according to an instruction from the user and the air conditioning device 4 cannot sufficiently cool the stack case 51, the circulating amount of cooling water by the pump 42 per unit time is set. It may be increased. By doing so, the cooling of the stack case 51 by the air conditioner 4 can be assisted by the cooling water.

  In the above description, the case where the air conditioner 4 mainly performs the cooling operation has been described. However, the air conditioner 4 may of course be associated with the fuel cell system 2 to perform the heating operation. For example, when the fuel cell stack 10 is activated, the air conditioner 4 may supply the air conditioning gas during the heating operation into the stack case 51. By doing so, the fuel cell temperature can be set to an appropriate temperature with good power generation efficiency in a short time.

  Further, although the downstream side of the stack-side flow path 83 is connected (inserted) to the internal space of the stack case 51, the number of insertion positions may be two or more. For example, the downstream side of the check valve 88 of the stack side channel 83 is bifurcated, one downstream end is connected to the upper right side of the stack case 51, and the other downstream end is connected to the lower left side of the stack case 51. You may make it connect. By doing so, cooling and ventilation in the stack case 51 can be efficiently performed, and local temperature variations in the stack case 51 can be suppressed.

  Moreover, although the vehicle which has a compartment, such as the fuel cell vehicle 1, was demonstrated to the example, it does not restrict to this. The fuel cell stack 10 can be used as a stationary device, and the fuel cell system 2 can be incorporated into a cogeneration system such as a home for home use. In this case, the air conditioner 4 supplies the air-conditioning gas that passes through the common heat exchanger to each of the room of the home and the stack case 51.

It is a figure showing typically the fuel cell automobile of an embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the principal part of the fuel cell vehicle of embodiment. It is sectional drawing explaining a stack case and a relief mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel cell vehicle, 2 Fuel cell system, 3 Vehicle interior, 4 Air conditioner, 5 Control apparatus, 10 Fuel cell stack, 16 Cooling line, 51 Stack case, 52 Temperature sensor, 53 Concentration sensor, 54 Relief mechanism, 71 Filter, 72 filter holding frame, 73 movable cantilever door, 81 heat pump, 82 indoor side flow path, 83 stack side flow path, 84 switching valve (switching means), 86 heat exchanger, 88 check valve

Claims (10)

It is equipped with an air conditioner that supplies air conditioning gas into the passenger compartment,
The air conditioner is a fuel cell automobile configured to be able to supply air conditioning gas to an internal space of a stack case containing a fuel cell stack.   2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is configured to be able to supply air conditioning gas heat-exchanged by a common heat exchanger to each of the vehicle interior and the internal space of the stack case. Car. The air conditioner
A flow path for guiding the air-conditioning gas heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to the internal space of the stack case;
The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a check valve provided in the flow path and configured to prevent a backflow of air-conditioning gas from the stack case side to the heat exchanger side.   The fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a relief mechanism for releasing the gas to the outside when the pressure of the gas in the internal space of the stack case exceeds a predetermined pressure. Battery car.   The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined pressure is atmospheric pressure. A temperature sensor that detects at least one of the temperature of the internal space of the stack case and the temperature of the fuel cell stack;
6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner adjusts an inflow amount of the air-conditioning gas into the internal space of the stack case based on a detection result of the temperature sensor. A concentration sensor for detecting a hydrogen concentration in the internal space of the stack case;
The fuel cell vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the air conditioner adjusts an inflow amount of air conditioning gas into the internal space of the stack case based on a detection result of the concentration sensor.   The fuel cell automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a cooling device that cools the fuel cell stack by allowing a refrigerant to flow through an internal flow path of the fuel cell stack. It is equipped with an air conditioner that supplies air conditioning gas into the passenger compartment,
The air conditioner
A heat exchanger for exchanging heat for the air-conditioning gas;
Provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger, an indoor flow path for introducing air-conditioning gas into the vehicle interior;
A stack-side flow path that is provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger and guides the air-conditioning gas to the internal space of the stack case containing the fuel cell stack;
A switching means provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger and capable of switching to at least one of the indoor side flow path and the stack side flow path as a flow path through which air conditioning gas is guided;
A fuel cell vehicle having: The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the switching unit is configured to be capable of adjusting an inflow amount of air-conditioning gas into the vehicle interior and an internal space of the stack case.

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