JP2010269636A - Cooling device of motor and motor controller for fuel cell vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose a cooling device of a motor and a motor controller for fuel cell vehicles which is provided with an air-cooled fuel cell and cools the motor that drives driving wheels and the motor controller for controlling the operation of the motor highly efficiently while suppressing power loss. <P>SOLUTION: The cooling device of the motor and the motor controller includes: a seat 12 arranged at the upper side of a vehicle body 3; a motor controller 18 arranged below the seat 12; a fuel cell 2 arranged below the seat 12; a swing arm 60, which supports a rear wheel 7 pivotally; a motor 8, which is provided on the swing arm 60 and drives a rear wheel 7 by electric power supplied from the fuel cell 2 via the motor controller 18; a centrifugal fan 66 provided on the motor 8; and a cooling duct 67, which communicate an apparatus mounting area 36 with the suction side of the centrifugal fan 66. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle that travels with electric power generated by a fuel cell.

  A fuel tank that stores fuel, for example hydrogen gas, a fuel cell stack (hereinafter simply referred to as a fuel cell) that generates electricity by a chemical reaction between fuel and air, more specifically oxygen in the air, a secondary battery, and a drive wheel Development of a fuel cell vehicle including a motor for driving the vehicle is underway.

  Here, many conventional fuel cell systems for four-wheeled vehicles generate a relatively large electric power of several tens of kW, and generate an equivalent amount of heat with power generation. Therefore, the conventional fuel cell system for four-wheeled vehicles includes a water-cooled cooling system with high cooling efficiency. Further, in order to generate a large amount of power, a compressor that sends a large amount of air to the fuel cell system is provided.

  A fuel cell motorcycle as an example of a conventional fuel cell vehicle includes a water-cooled fuel cell system capable of generating a relatively large amount of power. Such a fuel cell motorcycle has a radiator for cooling the fuel cell disposed near the front of the vehicle body, and a cooling unit disposed behind the radiator and thermally connecting the radiator, the fuel cell, and various electrical components. And a fuel cell disposed behind the cooling system and below the front end of the seat, and a fuel tank behind the fuel cell and substantially occupying the space below the seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1) .)

  On the other hand, although the air-cooled fuel cell system generates a relatively small amount of power of several kW, the radiator, cooling water pump, reservoir tank, and piping provided in the cooling system of the water-cooled fuel cell system are unnecessary. The heat generated by power generation can be cooled with air as a reaction gas. Further, the air-cooled fuel cell system has a low pressure loss in the air flow path. Thus, the air-cooled fuel cell system has a simple system configuration that requires a blower fan instead of a compressor as an auxiliary machine, and can also reduce the power consumption of the auxiliary machine. Therefore, there are examples in which an air-cooled fuel cell system is used in a fuel cell vehicle such as a fuel cell motorcycle capable of traveling at a lower output than a four-wheeled vehicle or a small electric vehicle such as a motor chair.

JP 2008-213742 A

  The fuel cell vehicle includes a motor that drives driving wheels with electric power generated by the fuel cell, and a motor controller that controls operation of the motor. A motor is an electrical component that generates heat when driven. On the other hand, the motor controller is also an electrical component that generates heat in accordance with motor operation control.

  A fuel cell vehicle equipped with an air-cooled fuel cell system uses air as a reaction gas used for power generation of the fuel cell as cooling air for the fuel cell itself that generates heat upon power generation. On the other hand, the motor and the motor controller also generate heat as the fuel cell vehicle travels, but it is necessary to cool them separately from the fuel cell.

  Although it is conceivable to provide a cooling fan to cool the motor and the motor controller, fuel cell vehicles, particularly fuel cell vehicles equipped with an air-cooled fuel cell system, drive the drive wheels as much as possible. Therefore, it is required to suppress the electric power consumed by the cooling fan so that it can be allocated to.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a motor for a fuel cell vehicle that is equipped with an air-cooled fuel cell and that can cool the motor with high efficiency while suppressing loss of electric power with a motor that drives the drive wheels and a motor controller that controls the operation of the motor. A cooling system for motor controller is proposed.

  In order to solve the above problems, a motor and a cooling device for a motor controller according to the present invention include a vehicle body, a seat disposed above the vehicle body, a motor controller disposed below the seat, and a lower portion of the seat. A fuel cell disposed on the vehicle body, a frame cover that covers a lower portion of the seat among the side surfaces of the vehicle body, a device mounting region that is partitioned by the seat and the frame cover, and that accommodates the motor controller and the fuel cell A partition member that divides the tire house, a drive wheel disposed in the tire house, a swing arm that pivotally supports the drive wheel, and a swing arm that is provided on the swing arm via the motor controller A motor for driving the driving wheel with electric power supplied from the fuel cell; and a centrifugal fan provided in the motor. And down, characterized by comprising a duct for communicating the suction side of the centrifugal fan and the device placement area.

  According to the present invention, a motor for a fuel cell vehicle that is equipped with an air-cooled fuel cell and that can drive a drive wheel and a motor controller that controls operation of the motor with high efficiency while suppressing power loss, and A motor controller cooling device can be provided.

The left view which showed the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The left view which showed the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fuel cell motorcycle partially cut away as an example of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view partially showing a rear half part of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The left view which showed the second half part of the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The exploded view which showed the swing arm of the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which showed the motor controller of the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which showed the main apparatuses of the fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  1 and 2 are left side views showing a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of a fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the external appearance of the fuel cell motorcycle 1. FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the internal structure of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 with a part of the exterior cut away or removed. It is.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the fuel cell motorcycle partially cut away as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view partially showing a rear half portion of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  For ease of explanation, the front of the fuel cell vehicle, that is, the fuel cell motorcycle, is indicated by “F” as a solid arrow and “R” as a solid arrow indicating the rear.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a fuel cell motorcycle 1 as a fuel cell vehicle according to the present embodiment is a motorcycle that includes a fuel cell 2 and travels using electric power obtained from the fuel cell 2. . The fuel cell motorcycle 1 is a scooter type motorcycle. The fuel cell motorcycle 1 includes a vehicle body 3 (vehicle body), a front wheel 5 that is a steering wheel, a handle 6 that steers the front wheel 5, a rear wheel 7 that is a driving wheel, and a motor 8 that drives the rear wheel 7. .

  The fuel cell 2 is an air-cooled fuel cell system using hydrogen gas as fuel.

  The vehicle body 3 includes a frame 10 that is a main structural member, an exterior 11 that covers the frame 10, and a seat 12 that is disposed above the frame 10. In addition, the vehicle body 3 includes a fuel cell 2, a fuel tank 15 that stores fuel used for power generation by the fuel cell 2, a secondary battery 16 that assists the power of the fuel cell 2, and an output voltage of the fuel cell 2. A power management device 17 that adjusts and performs power distribution control of the fuel cell 2 and the secondary battery 16, and a motor that controls the operation of the motor 8 by converting DC power supplied from the power management device 17 into three-phase AC power A controller 18 and a vehicle controller 19 that manages them comprehensively and performs driving control are provided. That is, the power train of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 is a hybrid system having the fuel cell 2 and the secondary battery 16.

  The frame 10 includes a head pipe 21, a pair of left and right upper down frames 22, a pair of left and right lower down frames 23, a pair of left and right upper frames 24, and a pair of left and right lower frames 25.

  The head pipe 21 pivotally supports a fork-type front fork 27 at the front portion of the vehicle body 3.

  The upper down frame 22 is connected to the upper portion of the head pipe 21 and is inclined rearwardly downward toward the rear of the vehicle body 3.

  The lower down frame 23 extends from the lower part of the head pipe 21 substantially directly below.

  The upper frame 24 extends from the lower end of the lower down frame 23 in the front half of the vehicle main body 3 through the lower end of the upper down frame 22 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle main body 3. It is inclined smoothly to the rear. The seat 12 is disposed above the rear half of the upper frame 24.

  The upper frame 24 includes a pivot 28 in the rear half of the vehicle body 3.

  The lower frame 25 extends from the lower end of the lower down frame 23 toward the lower side of the vehicle main body 3, is bent at a position reaching the lower end of the vehicle main body 3, extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle main body 3, and further extends to the vehicle main body. 3 is bent at a position reaching the central portion of the vehicle 3, extends in the rear upper direction of the vehicle body 3, and is connected to the upper frame 24. Each lower frame 25 includes a footrest 29 for the rider on the front side thereof. The lower frame 25 positioned on the left side of the vehicle body 3 includes a side stand bracket 30. The side stand bracket 30 is swingably provided with a side stand 31 that allows the fuel cell motorcycle 1 to stand on its own in a left-tilt state.

  In addition, the frame 10 includes a guard frame 33 provided on a bent portion on the rear side of the lower frame 25. A center stand 34 for allowing the fuel cell motorcycle 1 to stand on its own is swingably provided on the guard frame 33.

  The vehicle body 3 includes the fuel tank 15 in the center tunnel region 35 surrounded by the pair of left and right upper frames 24 and the pair of left and right lower frames 25 by the frame 10 thus configured. 11 and the device mounting area 36 (device mounting space) surrounded by the seat 12 includes the fuel cell 2, the secondary battery 16, the power management device 17, and the motor controller 18. In the device mounting area 36, the secondary battery 16, the power management device 17, and the fuel cell 2 are arranged in this order from the front side of the vehicle body 3. The motor controller 18 is provided on the side of the power management device 17, for example, on the left side of the vehicle body 3. In addition, the rear wheel 7 is disposed in a tire house region 37 behind the center tunnel region 35 of the frame 10 and below the device mounting region 36. A partition wall member 39 is provided between the device mounting area 36 and the tire house area 37 to partition each area.

  The exterior 11 includes a front leg shield cover 41 that covers the front half of the vehicle main body 3, a front frame cover 42 that is positioned at the upper center of the vehicle main body 3 and covers the upper frame 24, and a rear half of the vehicle main body 3. And a frame cover 43 that covers the lower part of the seat 12 among the side surfaces of the vehicle body 3. The frame cover 43 divides the device mounting area 36 in which the fuel cell 2, the secondary battery 16, the power management device 17, and the motor controller 18 are accommodated together with the seat 12. Therefore, the device mounting area 36 is a sealed space surrounded by the seat 12, the frame cover 43, and the partition wall member 39, and vent holes (not shown) are provided at appropriate positions on the frame cover 43 or the partition wall member 39. By providing, the flow of air as the reaction gas supplied to the fuel cell 2 can be easily and reliably controlled, and the flow of air as the cooling air can be easily and reliably controlled for the electrical components that require cooling. . The device mounting area 36 does not have to be a complete airtight space.

  The seat 12 is positioned in the upper half of the rear half of the vehicle body 3. The seat 12 is a tandem type, and a front portion 12a on which a driver is seated and a rear portion 12b on which a passenger is seated are integrally formed.

  The fuel cell 2 is arranged so as to be biased to the rear side of the device mounting area 36 defined below the seat 12. More specifically, the fuel cell 2 is disposed below the rear portion 12b of the seat 12 on which the passenger sits. The fuel cell 2 is formed in a flat cubic shape, and the intake surface 2a having a reaction gas inlet is directed forward and upward of the vehicle body 3 and tilted forward. Specifically, the intake surface 2 a of the fuel cell 2 is directed to a stepped portion between the front portion 12 a and the rear portion 12 b of the seat 12. Thereby, the fuel cell 2 can secure a relatively large gap between the intake surface 2a and the seat 12, and can sufficiently suck the atmosphere (air) of the device mounting region 36, which is a reactive gas.

  The fuel cell 2 has a fan 45 and sucks the atmosphere (air) in the device mounting area 36 as a reaction gas from the intake surface 2a. The fuel cell 2 generates power by a chemical reaction between the hydrogen gas supplied from the fuel tank 15 and oxygen contained in the air, and then discharges the wet surplus gas from the exhaust port 46. In this process, the fuel cell 2 is cooled by air as a reaction gas. The exhaust port 46 of the fuel cell 2 communicates with the exhaust duct 47.

  The exhaust duct 47 is disposed behind the fuel cell 2 and guides the exhaust of the fuel cell 2 to an exhaust port 48 opened at the rear end of the vehicle body 3. The exhaust duct 47 communicates with the exhaust port 46 of the fuel cell 2 at the front lower end thereof, and at the rear end thereof above the communication position of the exhaust port 46 of the fuel cell 2, preferably at the rear upper end. An exhaust port 48 is provided. The exhaust duct 47 has the exhaust port 48 disposed above the communication position of the exhaust port 46 of the fuel cell 2, so that wet surplus gas including unreacted hydrogen gas can be reliably exhausted from the vehicle body 3. .

  The fuel tank 15 stores hydrogen gas as fuel for the fuel cell 2. The fuel tank 15 is, for example, an about 35 MPa high-pressure compressed hydrogen storage system. The fuel tank 15 extends in the center tunnel region 35 substantially at the lower center of the vehicle body 3 such that its longitudinal axis is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 3. Therefore, the fuel tank 15 is surrounded by the pair of upper frames 24 and the pair of lower frames 25, and is securely protected against accidents such as a collision of the fuel cell motorcycle 1. The fuel tank 15 is sandwiched between footrests 29 provided on the lower frame 25.

  The fuel tank 15 is disposed on an upper frame 24 disposed on one side of the vehicle body 3, for example, an upper frame 24 disposed on the right side of the vehicle body 3, and on the other side of the vehicle body 3. The lower frame 25 is fixed to the center tunnel region 35 by a clamp band 49 laid between the lower frame 25, for example, the lower frame 25 disposed on the left side of the vehicle body 3. The clamp band 49 may be installed between the upper frame 24 disposed on the left side of the vehicle body 3 and the lower frame 25 disposed on the right side of the vehicle body 3.

  Further, the fuel tank 15 includes a pressure vessel 51 composed of a composite vessel made of aluminum liner, a valve portion 52 (fuel supply) integrally including a main valve (not shown) using a solenoid valve and a regulator (not shown). And a fuel filling joint 54 having a fuel filling port 53. The pressure vessel 51 is a cylindrical vessel having hemispherical end plates at both ends.

  The fuel filling joint 54 communicates with the pressure vessel 51 and guides hydrogen gas as fuel into the pressure vessel 51 from the fuel filling port 53. The fuel filling port 53 is disposed sufficiently spaced from the secondary battery 16. Specifically, the fuel filling port 53 is disposed outside the device mounting area 36 in which a large number of devices are accommodated, in the vicinity of the upper down frame 22, and covered with the front frame cover 42. More specifically, the fuel filling port 53 is disposed near the upper part of the front end plate of the pressure vessel 51.

  Further, the fuel filling port 53 is directed upward of the vehicle body 3. When the fuel tank 15 is filled with fuel, the upper portion of the fuel filling port 53 is an open space in a state where the front frame cover 42 is opened. Therefore, even if the fuel leaks during the fuel filling operation, the leaked fuel does not stay. Furthermore, since the fuel filling port 53 has the same arrangement as the fuel filling port in a scooter type motorcycle equipped with a normal gasoline engine, there is no sense of incongruity.

  The secondary battery 16 is a box-shaped lithium ion battery. The secondary battery 16 is disposed to be biased to the front side of the device mounting area 36 defined below the seat 12 and is disposed above the rear end plate of the pressure vessel 51 of the fuel tank 15. More specifically, the secondary battery 16 is disposed below the front portion 12 a of the seat 12 on which the rider sits, and is substantially upright on a virtual horizontal plane of the fuel cell motorcycle 1.

  In addition to the secondary battery 16, the fuel cell motorcycle 1 includes a secondary battery 56 capable of supplying 12V power as a power source for meters (not shown) and lamps (not shown). The secondary battery 56 is disposed on the side of the pressure vessel 51 of the fuel tank 15, for example, on the right side of the vehicle body 3. The secondary battery 56 is disposed below the fuel filling port 53 and at the front of the vehicle body 3 relative to the valve portion 52 of the fuel tank 15. Even if hydrogen gas, which is fuel, leaks from the fuel filling port 53, the hydrogen gas rises toward the upper side of the fuel cell motorcycle 1, and thus diffuses outside the vehicle without staying in the vehicle. Even if hydrogen gas, which is fuel, leaks from the valve portion 52, the hydrogen gas moves toward the tire house region 37, and therefore diffuses outside the vehicle without staying in the vehicle.

  The power management device 17 is disposed between the secondary battery 16 and the fuel cell 2. Further, the power management device 17 is tilted and held in the gap between the secondary battery 16 and the fuel cell 2. Similarly to the power management device 17, the motor controller 18 arranged in parallel with the power management device 17 is sandwiched between the secondary battery 16 and the fuel cell 2, and is tilted backward in the gap between the secondary battery 16 and the fuel cell 2. Being held.

  As described above, by disposing the secondary battery 16, the power management device 17, the motor controller 18, and the fuel cell 2, it is possible to dispose devices adjacent to each other as close as possible. The wiring length between the devices can be shortened, and the weight related to the wiring can be reduced.

  The motor controller 18 is provided in parallel with the power management device 17. Specifically, the motor controller 18 is disposed on the left side of the vehicle body 3, and the power management device 17 is disposed on the right side of the vehicle body 3. The motor controller 18 has cooling fins 57 facing downward of the vehicle body 3.

  The vehicle controller 19 is disposed in front of the lower frame 25 and is opposed to the front end plate of the fuel tank 15.

  The front wheel 5 is rotatably supported on the front fork 27. The front fork 27 is configured to have an elastically telescopic structure, and supports the front fender 58 above the front wheel 5. The handle 6 is connected to the upper end portion of the front fork 27. The front wheel 5, the front fork 27, and the handle 6 are pivotally supported around the head pipe 21 to constitute a steering mechanism 59 of the fuel cell motorcycle 1.

  The rear wheel 7 is pivotally supported by a swing arm 60 pivotably attached to the pivot 28. The swing arm 60 is elastically supported by the frame 10 via the rear suspension 62.

  The motor 8 is a prime mover of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 that drives the rear wheel 7. The motor 8 is integrally attached to the swing arm 60 and constitutes a unit swing type swing arm.

  The vehicle body 3 also includes fuel leak detectors 63 and 64 that detect leakage of hydrogen gas, which is fuel. The fuel leakage detectors 63 and 64 are configured using a hydrogen gas detector capable of detecting hydrogen gas. The fuel leak detector 63 is disposed on the upper side of the device mounting area 36, that is, the internal space of the seat 12. The fuel leak detector 64 is disposed in the center tunnel region 35 at a position close to the tire house region 37 in the vicinity of the space near the valve portion 52 of the fuel tank 15. The hydrogen gas is lighter than the air that is the atmosphere of the equipment mounting area 36 and the center tunnel area 35, and is easy when hydrogen gas leaks from the fuel cell 2, the fuel tank 15, or the intermediate pipe between the fuel tank 15 and the fuel cell 2. Can be detected. In particular, the device mounting area 36 is a sealed space, and when hydrogen gas as fuel leaks from the fuel cell 2 or a piping system (not shown) in the vicinity thereof, the fuel leakage detector 63 promptly fuels the fuel. Can be detected. Further, the fuel leak detector 64 ensures that even when the hydrogen gas as the fuel leaks from the vicinity of the valve portion 52 of the fuel tank 15, the leaked fuel easily flows out into the tire house region 37 due to traveling wind or the like. Fuel leakage can be detected.

  FIG. 5 is a left side view showing a rear half of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view in which the cooling duct 67 and the partition wall member 39 are cut out.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the fuel cell motorcycle 1 includes a centrifugal fan 66 provided in the motor 8 as a cooling device for the motor 8 and the motor controller 18, a device mounting area 36 in which the motor controller 18 is accommodated, and a swing arm. And a cooling duct 67 that communicates with the motor 8 disposed at 60.

  The centrifugal fan 66 sucks air from the cooling duct 67 as the motor 8 is driven, and discharges it from the exhaust port 68 formed in the swing arm 60. The exhaust port 68 is provided in the exhaust pipe 69 discharged to the front of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 and opens toward the left side surface of the vehicle body 3. Note that the exhaust pipe 69 may protrude in another direction of the vehicle body 3, for example, upward, downward, or rearward. Further, the exhaust port 68 may be opened in another direction of the vehicle body 3, for example, upward, downward, or rearward. However, it is preferable that the exhaust air is not disturbed by the traveling wind.

  The cooling duct 67 includes a bellows portion 71 that deforms following the swing of the swing arm 60 that pivotally supports the rear wheel 7.

  One end of the cooling duct 67 opens toward the corner located below the motor controller 18 that is arranged to be inclined backward in the device mounting area 36 so that the air around the motor controller 18 can be efficiently sucked. And connected to the partition wall member 39. Further, one end of the cooling duct 67 is positioned so as to generate a flow along the cooling fins 57 of the motor controller 18.

  The other end of the cooling duct 67 is connected to the motor 8 disposed on the swing arm 60.

  With such a configuration, the air that is the atmosphere of the device mounting area 36 travels from the device mounting area 36 when the fuel cell motorcycle 1 travels and the centrifugal fan 66 is driven as the motor 8 is driven. 67, the motor 8 and the motor controller 18 are cooled as cooling air (indicated by a solid arrow A in FIG. 5). Thereafter, air as cooling air is discharged from the exhaust port 68 (solid line arrow B in FIG. 5).

  Air, which is the atmosphere of the device mounting area 36, is supplied to the device mounting area 36 from outside the vehicle body 3 through a gap (not shown) appropriately provided in the device mounting area 36. At this time, the air that is the atmosphere of the device mounting area 36 is almost free from the influence of the traveling wind and is provided as cooling air in a relatively clean state.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing a swing arm of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the swing arm 60 includes a motor 8, a speed reducing device 72 that is connected to the motor 8 and drives the rear wheel 7, a centrifugal fan 66 provided on the rotor 8 a of the motor 8, the motor 8, and A motor cover 74 covering the centrifugal fan 66, an air intake pipe 75 provided on the motor cover 74, and an exhaust pipe 69 provided on the motor cover 74 and having an exhaust port 68 are provided.

  The motor 8 includes a stator 8b fixed to the swing arm 60 with a fastening member 76, and a rotor 8a connected to the speed reducer 72.

  The reduction gear 72 includes an axle gear 78 connected to the motor 8, and a drive gear 79 connected to the axle gear 78 and having a shaft that pivotally supports the rear wheel 7.

  The centrifugal fan 66 includes an annular plate-like base plate 80 and a plurality of fins 81 that are arranged radially from the central portion of the base plate 80. The centrifugal fan 66 rotates integrally with the rotor 8a of the motor 8, sucks air as cooling air from its central portion, and discharges it from the outer peripheral edge. The cooling air discharged from the centrifugal fan 66 is exhausted from the exhaust port 68 while cooling the motor 8.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a motor controller of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the motor controller 18 of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 generates heat in accordance with the operation control of the motor 8, and thus has cooling fins 57 for radiating this heat. The cooling fins 57 are configured with a plurality of plate-like bodies 57 a protruding downward from the vehicle body 3. The quantity and shape of the plate-like body 57a are appropriately determined in accordance with the amount of heat generated by the motor controller 18.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing main devices of a fuel cell motorcycle as an example of the fuel cell vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the fuel cell motorcycle 1 includes a fuel cell 2, a motor 8, a fuel tank 15, a secondary battery 16, a power management device 17, a motor controller 18, a vehicle controller 19, , A throttle sensor 86 to which the rider's intention to accelerate is input, a pressure sensor 87 for detecting the pressure of the fuel supplied from the fuel tank 15 to the fuel cell 2, and the fuel tank 15 supplied to the fuel cell 2. A temperature sensor 88 that detects the temperature of the fuel and a shutoff valve 89 that shuts off the fuel supplied from the fuel tank 15 to the fuel cell 2 when the fuel leaks are provided. In FIG. 8, solid arrows indicate the flow of hydrogen, which is fuel, and air, which is the reaction gas, broken lines or broken arrows indicate the flow of power, and alternate long and short dash lines or alternate long and short dash arrows indicate control signals. Show the flow. What is drawn with line segments flows in both directions.

  The power management device 17 controls the power generated by the fuel cell 2, converts the power sent from the fuel cell 2 and the secondary battery 16 into a 12V power source, and stores the power in the secondary battery 56.

  In addition to drive control of the motor 8, the motor controller 18 performs regenerative control that converts negative torque generated in the motor 8 into electric power when the fuel cell motorcycle 1 decelerates or travels downhill.

  The vehicle controller 19 receives as input the accelerator operation amount by the rider detected by the throttle sensor 86, and the detected values of the pressure sensor 87 and the temperature sensor 88, as well as the fuel cell 2, the secondary battery 16, the power management device 17, and the motor. A state quantity and a control signal are input bi-directionally with the controller 18 to control the operation of the fuel cell motorcycle 1.

  Specifically, the vehicle controller 19 generates power generated by the fuel cell 2 from the power management device 17 to the motor during cruising or traveling on a flat road where the energy required for traveling the fuel cell motorcycle 1 is relatively small. The power is supplied to the motor 8 via the controller 18 and is supplied from the power management device 17 to the secondary battery 16, and surplus power unnecessary for driving the motor 8 is stored in the secondary battery 16.

  On the other hand, the vehicle controller 19 converts the power generated by the fuel cell 2 from the power management device 17 to the motor controller 18 during acceleration of a relatively large energy required for traveling of the fuel cell motorcycle 1 or when traveling uphill. And the electric power stored in the secondary battery 16 is also supplied from the power management device 17 to the motor 8 via the motor controller 18.

  Further, the vehicle controller 19 uses the motor 8 as a power generator when decelerating or traveling downhill, and supplies the regenerative power generated by the motor 8 from the power management device 17 to the secondary battery 16 and stores it.

  The cooling device for the motor 8 and the motor controller 18 configured as described above makes it easy to control the flow of air sucked into the cooling duct 67. In particular, the flow around the motor controller 18 is appropriately configured. Can be cooled efficiently.

  The cooling device for the motor 8 and the motor controller 18 includes a centrifugal fan 66 that is driven as the fuel cell motorcycle 1 travels, and it is necessary to provide an independent cooling fan for cooling the motor 8 and the motor controller 18. And no extra power generated by the fuel cell 2 is required.

  Further, since the cooling device of the motor 8 and the motor controller 18 drives the centrifugal fan 66 to generate cooling air when the motor 8 is driven to generate heat, there is no waste of electric power for driving the centrifugal fan 66.

  Therefore, according to the cooling device for the motor 8 and the motor controller 18 according to the present invention, the motor 8 that includes the air-cooled fuel cell 2 and that drives the rear wheel 7 that is the driving wheel, and the motor that controls the operation of the motor 8. The controller 18 can be cooled with high efficiency while suppressing power loss.

  The fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to the fuel cell motorcycle 1 but may be a small electric vehicle such as a motor chair provided with an air-cooled fuel cell 2.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel cell motorcycle 2 Fuel cell 3 Vehicle main body 5 Front wheel 6 Handle 7 Rear wheel 8 Motor 8a Rotor 8b Stator 10 Frame 11 Exterior 12 Seat 15 Fuel tank 16 Secondary battery 17 Power management device 18 Motor controller 19 Vehicle controller 21 Head pipe 22 Upper down frame 23 Lower down frame 24 Upper frame 25 Lower frame 27 Front fork 28 Pivot 29 Footrest 30 Side stand bracket 31 Side stand 33 Guard frame 34 Center stand 35 Center tunnel area 36 Equipment mounting area 37 Tire house area 39 Bulkhead member 41 Front leg shield cover 42 Front frame cover 43 Frame cover 12a Front part 12b Rear part 2a Intake surface 45 Fan 46 Exhaust port 47 Exhaust 48 exhaust port 49 clamp band 51 pressure vessel 52 valve portion 53 fuel filling port 54 fuel filling joint 56 secondary battery 57 cooling fin 57a plate body 58 front fender 59 steering mechanism 60 swing arm 62 rear suspension 63 fuel leakage detector 64 Fuel leak detector 66 Centrifugal fan 67 Cooling duct 68 Exhaust port 69 Exhaust pipe 71 Exhaust pipe 71 Deceleration device 74 Motor cover 75 Intake pipe 76 Fastening member 78 Axle gear 79 Drive gear 80 Base plate 81 Fin 86 Throttle sensor 87 Pressure sensor 88 Temperature sensor 89 shut-off valve

Claims (2)

The car body,
A seat disposed above the vehicle body;
A motor controller disposed below the seat;
A fuel cell disposed below the seat;
A frame cover that covers a lower portion of the seat among the side surfaces of the vehicle body;
A partition member defined by the seat and the frame cover, and partitioning the motor controller and a device mounting area in which the fuel cell is accommodated and a tire house,
Driving wheels disposed in the tire house;
A swing arm that pivotally supports the drive wheel;
A motor that is provided on the swing arm and that drives the drive wheels with electric power supplied from the fuel cell via the motor controller;
A centrifugal fan provided in the motor;
A cooling device for a motor of a fuel cell vehicle and a motor controller, comprising: a duct that allows communication between the device mounting area and the suction side of the centrifugal fan. The motor controller has a cooling fin on a surface facing the partition member,
The said duct is opened toward the said motor controller, and the flow along the said cooling fin is produced, The motor of the fuel cell vehicle of Claim 1, and the cooling device of a motor controller.

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