Fuel cell vehicle

• US 7,363,997 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hiruta, Yukio, Sato, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): RESTIFO, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US11/288,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20060113128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 180/277, 180/282, 180/284, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 903/908, 903/944
• US Class Current: 180/65.31
• 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 15/07 of gas tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/71 Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/944 Characterized by control of fuel cell

Abstract

The fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and a hydrogen tank which stores pressurized hydrogen to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell, the fuel cell and the hydrogen tank being arranged at an underfloor region of the vehicle. Based on the detection results in a side G sensor arranged on the side of the fuel cell and a rear G sensor arranged on the side of the hydrogen tank, a side air bag device is made expandable and a cut-off valve and a contactor are operated to cut off.

Claims

1. A fuel cell vehicle comprising:

a fuel cell for generating electric power through electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen;

a hydrogen tank for storing pressurized hydrogen to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell;

a first collision detecting sensor arranged on the side of the fuel cell, the first collision detecting sensor being located at a position corresponding to the side of a passenger in a front row;

a second collision detecting sensor arranged on the side of the hydrogen tank, the second collision detecting sensor being located at a position corresponding to the side of a passenger in a rear row; and

a protecting device for performing a predetermined protection operation in accordance with the detection results of the first collision detecting sensor and the second collision detecting sensor, the protecting device including a passenger protecting device for protecting the passenger, and a fuel cell protecting device for protecting the fuel cell.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second collision detecting sensors are given different threshold values according to the respective protecting devices.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value set for the passenger protecting device is lower than the threshold value set for the fuel cell protecting device.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a control unit receiving a collision detection value, the control unit being programmed to:

activate the passenger protecting device if the collision detection value is higher than the threshold value set for the passenger protecting device but lower than the threshold value set for the fuel cell protecting device; and

activate the passenger protecting device and the fuel cell protecting device if the collision detection value is higher than the threshold value set for the passenger protecting device and the threshold value set for the fuel cell protecting device.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell protecting device cuts off at least one of the pressurized hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank and the output of the electric power generated by the fuel cell.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accumulating device for accumulating at least one of the electric power generated by the fuel cell and regenerative electric power generated by a drive motor driving the fuel cell vehicle,

wherein the fuel cell protecting device cuts off electric output from the accumulating device.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell and the hydrogen tank are disposed between left and right main frames which are extended in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle on a inner side of sills.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first collision sensor faces a lateral direction of the vehicle and detects a side collision against the fuel cell, and the second collision sensor faces the lateral direction of the vehicle and detects a side collision against the hydrogen tank.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the protecting device gives priority to an operation of a passenger protecting operation over a protection operation of the fuel cell protecting device.