Fuel cell vehicle

• US 20070154757A1
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Koji
• Application Number:
  US10/584,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154757A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1007 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2457 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/247 Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A stack of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is immersed in a stack container case, in a liquid coolant such as an organic solvent, and the stack is operated in this state. The stack whose temperature has risen by heat energy produced by the operation is cooled by the liquid coolant. The liquid coolant which has cooled the stack vaporizes, and is condensed by a condenser. Then, the liquid coolant returns to the stack container. The condenser is cooled when the outside air is supplied into supply louvers, and contacts the condenser. The outside air is efficiently discharged by exhaust fans through exhaust louvers.

Claims

1. A fuel cell vehicle having a vehicle body and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell mounted in said vehicle body, said fuel cell including a stack (12) formed by stacking a plurality of unit power generation cells, a stack container case containing said stack, and a condenser provided in said stack container case wherein

in said polymer electrolyte fuel cell, each of said unit power generation cells includes an electrolyte electrode assembly and a first separator and a second separator sandwiching said electrolyte electrode assembly, said electrolyte electrode assembly including an anode electrodes, a cathode electrode, and a solid polymer electrolyte interposed between said anode electrode and said cathode electrode;

said stack is immersed in an electrically insulating liquid coolant inside said stack container case to cool said stack;

said stack container case is provided under a passenger compartment of said vehicle body; and

an air supplied from an air inlet of said vehicle body contacts said condenser to condense the liquid coolant vaporized at said stack container case when cooling said stack.

2. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein coating is applied to at least one of a surface of said condenser and an inner surface of said stack container case.

3. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the coating comprises fluorine resin.

4. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the coating comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said stack includes a cooling plate having at least one groove for supplying the liquid coolant into said stack.

6. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of protrusions protruding toward said stack are provided on an inner surface of said stack container case, and said protrusions are exposed from the liquid surface of the liquid coolant.

7. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a trapping section for trapping the condensed liquid coolant at said condenser, and a circulation mechanism for allowing the liquid coolant to flow from said trapping section back to said stack container case.

8. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the liquid coolant is a liquid which can be boiled into vapor in the nucleate boiling state.

9. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the boiling temperature of the liquid coolant is lower than an operating temperature of said stack by 10°

C. to 25°

C.

10. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the liquid coolant is a lower alcohol or a solvent of fluorine compound.

11. A fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an air discharge assistance mechanism for assistance to discharge the air supplied from said air inlet to the outside of said vehicle body.