JP7543864B2 - Fuel cell motorcycle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fuel cell motorcycle, in particular an air-cooled fuel cell motorcycle.

Air-cooled fuel cell systems include open cathode fuel cell systems that use the reaction air as cooling air, and closed cathode fuel cell systems that pressurize the reaction air with a compressor separately from the cooling air and supply it. However, for motorcycles, which have limited mounting space, open cathode fuel cell systems with a simpler equipment configuration have been considered (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-100574 A

Open cathode fuel cell systems are designed to use a cooling fan to supply reaction air from the outside, which also serves as cooling, making it difficult to control humidity, and in solid polymer fuel cells, there is an issue of reduced output when the electrolyte membrane dries out.

On the other hand, in closed cathode fuel cell systems, the reaction air heats up due to adiabatic compression, so it is necessary to cool the reaction air using an intercooler (and intercooler fan). This means that the systems tend to be larger than open cathode systems, making them difficult to install on motorcycles.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a fuel cell motorcycle that is equipped with a closed cathode fuel cell system by revising the cooling structure and layout, thereby avoiding the problems associated with the open cathode system.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A fuel cell motorcycle including a vehicle body, a fuel cell mounted inside the vehicle body, and a compressor that compresses and supplies reaction air to the fuel cell,
The compressor is supported by the vehicle body on a side of the rear wheels in a vehicle width direction,
the fuel cell is disposed forward of the compressor in a vehicle length direction,
The present invention is characterized in that reaction air is supplied to the fuel cell through a cooling pipe extending forward from the compressor.

As described above, the fuel cell motorcycle of the present invention is configured so that reaction air is supplied to the fuel cell through cooling piping extending forward from a compressor located at the rear of the vehicle body, to the side of the rear wheel. This allows the reaction air to be cooled by directing the wind from driving against the piping, eliminating the need for cooling equipment such as an intercooler and intercooler fan. Furthermore, since the compressor is located outside the vehicle body, equipment such as a fuel cell and fuel tank can be installed in the space available in the center of the vehicle body, which is advantageous for constructing a closed cathode type fuel cell motorcycle.

1 is a partially cutaway side view showing a fuel cell motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a fuel cell motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2 . FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway side view showing a fuel cell motorcycle according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a fuel cell motorcycle according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
Figures 1 and 2 show a fuel cell two-wheeled vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, the fuel cell two-wheeled vehicle 1 is equipped with a fuel cell system inside a body composed of a body frame 2 and a body exterior 4 covering it, and is equipped with a front wheel 5 which is a steered wheel, and a rear wheel 6 which is a driven wheel.

The front wheel 5 is supported rotatably on the lower end of the front fork 51, and as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, a steering stem 52 fixed to the upper center of the front fork 51 via a bracket is supported rotatably on the head pipe 21 at the front end of the body frame 2, and is configured to be steerable with a handle 53 fixed to the steering stem 52.

The rear wheel 6 is rotatably supported at the rear end of a swing arm 61, the front end of which is journalled to the body frame 2 so that it can swing up and down, and a rear suspension unit 62 is interposed between the rear end of the swing arm 61 and the body frame 2. A motor 15 for driving the rear wheel 6 is incorporated in the swing arm 61, and an inverter 14 for controlling the motor 15 is mounted on the swing arm 61.

The fuel cell system is composed of a fuel cell 11, a fuel tank 12 that stores hydrogen as fuel, a secondary battery 13 as an auxiliary power source, and a power management device (not shown) that adjusts the output voltage of the fuel cell 11 and controls the distribution of power between the fuel cell 11 and the secondary battery 13. Power is supplied from the power management device to a motor 15 via an inverter 14.

The fuel cell 11 is mounted on the front lower part of the body frame 2, which is covered by the body exterior 4, in front of the seat 45, and is configured to take in the running wind as cooling air from the front lower part (external air intake part) of the body exterior 4 located behind the front wheels 4, and exhaust it to the rear.

The fuel cell 11 is a solid polymer fuel cell of the closed cathode type that compresses and supplies reaction air separately from cooling air, and is equipped with a compressor 31 and cooling piping 32 for compressing and supplying reaction air to the fuel cell 11.

The compressor 31 is a turbo-type electric compressor equipped with a driving motor 33, and is housed in a case 34 that forms a heat sink and is supported on the vehicle frame 2 on the side of the rear wheel 6. The compressor 31 is configured to supply reaction air to the fuel cell 11, which is located forward in the vehicle length direction, through a cooling pipe 32 that extends forward from the compressor 31.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an outside air intake 40 that opens forward is provided on the right side of the lower front of the vehicle exterior 4, and a duct 41 is formed from the bottom of this outside air intake 40, penetrating the inside of the vehicle exterior 4 (below the footrest 43) and extending rearward toward the compressor 31, and the front part of the cooling pipe 32 is arranged inside the duct 41.

The front end of the cooling pipe 32 is connected to the fuel cell 11 via a bent portion 32b that faces the center of the vehicle body. Although not shown, it is preferable to provide a humidifier for humidifying the reaction air at the connection portion with the bent portion 32b of the fuel cell 11.

The rear of the duct 41 is inclined toward the rear and has a cross-section that expands toward the rear, and the compressor 31 is located on the rear extension of the rear end opening 42 of the duct 41.

Inside the duct 41, the wind from the vehicle traveling taken in from the outside air intake 40 flows rearward, and the air from the vehicle traveling flows along the cooling pipe 32 inside the duct 41, thereby cooling the reaction air supplied to the fuel cell 11 through the cooling pipe 32. Furthermore, since the compressor 31 is disposed on the rear extension of the rear end opening 42 of the duct 41, the air that has passed through the duct 41 is blown against the compressor 31 (case 34) together with the outside air (wind from the vehicle traveling), thereby cooling the compressor 31 and the motor 33 as well.

The compressor 31 has its intake port 30 oriented rearward in the vehicle length direction so that the intake pressure is not affected by the wind while driving. As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable to provide a filter 30f at the rear opening 34b of the extension part 34e, which is extended rearward to cover the intake port 30, so that the reaction air is drawn into the compressor 31 through this filter 30f. In addition, it is preferable that the heat sink formed in the case 34 is composed of multiple fins oriented parallel to the rotation axis direction of the compressor 31, which is oriented approximately in the vehicle length direction.

In the fuel cell two-wheeled vehicle 1 configured as described above, the compressor 31 is placed to the side of the rear wheel 6 outside the vehicle body, and reaction air is supplied to the fuel cell 11 mounted on the lower front part of the vehicle body through the cooling pipe 32 extending forward from this compressor 31. This ensures the length of the cooling pipe 32, which serves as the cooling section for the reaction air, and eliminates the need for forced cooling means such as an intercooler or intercooler fan, thereby reducing power consumption.

Moreover, the compressor 31 and cooling pipes 32 arranged as described above have the same layout as a muffler for a motorcycle equipped with a gasoline engine, and can be arranged on the outside of the vehicle body in an attractive manner to resemble a muffler, and also have the advantage that a support structure similar to that of a muffler can be used.

In addition, because the rear of the duct 41 is configured with a slope that rises from the bottom of the outside air intake section 40 toward the rear, it is expected that the turbulence generated inside the duct 41 will promote heat exchange between the running wind and the cooling pipes 32.

Second Embodiment
4 and 5 show a fuel cell motorcycle 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The fuel cell motorcycle 201 of the second embodiment differs from the fuel cell motorcycle 1 of the first embodiment only in the structure of the duct 241, and the rest is similar, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and only the changes will be explained below.

The duct 241 of the fuel cell motorcycle 201 of the second embodiment has a basic configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, in that it extends from the lower part of the outside air intake part 240, which opens on the right front of the lower front part of the vehicle body exterior 4, through the inside of the vehicle body exterior 204 (below the footrest 43), and rearward toward the compressor 31. However, the rear part of the duct 241 is a groove part 243 that opens to the side of the vehicle body exterior 204, and only the front end part including the front bent part 32b of the cooling pipe 32 is disposed inside the cylindrical part of the duct 241, and the remaining part of the front part of the cooling pipe 32 is disposed within the groove part 243.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the groove 243 of the duct 241 formed in the vehicle body exterior 204 and the cooling pipe 32 arranged in this portion. As shown in the figure, the cooling pipe 32 is arranged in the center of the groove 243, which has a cross section in a substantially arc shape.

With this configuration, the traveling wind that passes through the cylindrical portion of the duct 41 is guided by the groove portion 243 and flows along the cooling pipe 32, thereby cooling the reaction air supplied to the fuel cell 11 through the cooling pipe 32. At this time, the flow speed on the inside of the cooling pipe 32 is faster than on the outside and inside of the vehicle body, so the inside of the cooling pipe 32 can be cooled as efficiently as the outside. Also, since the compressor 31 is located on the rear extension of the rear end portion 242 of the duct 241, the air that passes through the duct 41 is blown against the compressor 31 (case 34) together with the outside air, and the compressor 31 and motor 33 are also cooled, as in the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment of the fuel cell motorcycle 1, the cooling pipe 32 may be disposed in the center of the cross section of the duct 4, as in the above embodiment. This configuration allows the cooling air to be blown evenly around the entire circumference of the cooling pipe 32, which is advantageous in ensuring cooling performance.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the compressor 31 is described as being arranged on the rear extension of the rear end opening 42, 242 with its rotation axis direction aligned with the extension direction of the duct 41, 241. However, the compressor 31 (case 34) may be arranged so that it is in contact with an imaginary line extending rearward from the upper surface of the duct 41, 241 and an imaginary line extending rearward from the lower surface of the duct 41, 241, for example, by arranging the rotation axis direction of the compressor 31 to intersect with the extension direction of the duct 41, 241.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the outside air intake sections 40, 240 of the ducts 41, 241 are provided separately adjacent to the side of the outside air intake section for cooling the fuel cell 11, but the outside air intake sections 40, 240 of the ducts 41, 241 can also be configured to branch off to the side inside a common outside air intake section.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the cooling pipe 32 extends linearly parallel to the duct 41, 241 between the rear end bent portion 32a connected to the delivery portion of the compressor 31 and the front end bent portion 32b connected to the fuel cell 11, but the cooling pipe 32 may include a curved portion in the middle of the cooling pipe 32. The middle of the cooling pipe 32 may be composed of multiple branch pipes, or may be connected to the fuel cell 11 in the form of a branch pipe (manifold).

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the present invention has been described as being implemented as a scooter-type motorcycle equipped with the duct 41, 241 and the exterior body 4, but the present invention can also be implemented as a motorcycle equipped only with the front cowl 44 by omitting the duct 41, 241, or as a naked-type motorcycle without the exterior body 4. Furthermore, in addition to motorcycles, the present invention can also be implemented as a tricycle equipped with two front wheels.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention.

1,201 Fuel cell motorcycle 2 Body frame 4 Body exterior 5 Front wheel 6 Rear wheel 11 Fuel cell 30 Intake port 31 Compressor 32 Cooling pipe 33 Motor 34 Case (heat sink)
40, 240 Outside air intake section 41, 241 Duct 243 Groove section

Claims (11)

A fuel cell motorcycle including a vehicle body, a fuel cell mounted inside the vehicle body, and a compressor that compresses and supplies reaction air to the fuel cell,
The compressor is supported by the vehicle body on a side of the rear wheels in a vehicle width direction,
the fuel cell is disposed forward of the compressor in a vehicle length direction,
A fuel cell motorcycle, characterized in that reaction air is supplied to the fuel cell through a cooling pipe extending forward from the compressor. The fuel cell motorcycle according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuel cell is equipped with a humidifier in the reaction air supply path from the compressor. The fuel cell motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fuel cell is disposed in the front lower part of the vehicle body. The fuel cell motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a duct that penetrates the inside of the vehicle body from an outside air intake opening at the front of the vehicle body and extends rearward toward the compressor, and at least a portion of the cooling piping is disposed inside the duct. The fuel cell motorcycle according to claim 4, characterized in that the rear of the duct is a groove that opens to the side of the vehicle body, and at least a portion of the cooling pipe is disposed within the groove. The fuel cell motorcycle according to any one of claims 4 to 5, characterized in that the compressor is disposed so as to be in contact with an imaginary line extending rearward from an upper surface of the duct and an imaginary line extending rearward from a lower surface of the duct. The fuel cell two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the duct extends rearward from the outside air introduction portion through a lower portion of the vehicle body, has a cross-section that expands rearward, and has an inclination that becomes higher rearward. The fuel cell motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the compressor's intake port opens rearward in the vehicle length direction. The fuel cell motorcycle described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cooling pipe has a branch pipe in the middle. The fuel cell motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the compressor is provided with a heat sink oriented in the approximate vehicle length direction on its case. The fuel cell motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the compressor is a turbo compressor.