Fuel-cell vehicle

• US 20060040154A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Makuta, Yohei, Horii, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.200
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/12 with the engine beside or within the driven wheel

Abstract

To inhibit an electric pump from generating heat with a simple structure when the electric pump is used in a cooling system. A two-wheeled fuel-cell vehicle is provided with a cooling system to cool a fuel cell. A first radiator and a second radiator are provided to cool the cooling water warmed by the fuel cell with a flow of air. A cooling fan functions so as to ventilate the cooling fins of the first radiator and the cooling fans function so as to ventilate the cooling fins of the second radiator. An electric pump is disposed in the middle of a pipe line for the circulation of the cooling water. The electric pump is disposed at a position where the electric pump can catch the flow of air created by the cooling fan.

Claims

1. A fuel-cell vehicle for traveling by electric power generated by supplying a reactive gas and a fuel gas to a fuel cell comprising:

a liquid cooling system for cooling said fuel cell;

a first radiator and a second radiator for dissipating heat and cooling a coolant warmed by said fuel cell;

cooling fans for ventilating the cooling fins of said first and second radiators, respectively; and

an electric pump, disposed along a pipe line of said cooling system for circulating the coolant;

wherein said electric pump is disposed at a position where said electric pump can catch the flow of air created by at least one of said cooling fans.

2. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said electric pump is located so that the projection thereof is in the projecting area of said second radiator on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said fuel-cell vehicle.

3. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said fuel-cell vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with down frames being connected to a head tube at front portions and descending in a rearward direction of a vehicle body;

and

said second radiator is located in the vicinity of said down frames.

4. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said fuel-cell vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with down frames being connected to a head tube at front portions and descending in a rearward direction of a vehicle body;

and

said second radiator is located in the vicinity of said down frames.

5. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first radiator includes a first cooling fan operatively mounted relative thereto and said second radiator includes at least one cooling fan operatively mounted relative thereto and said at least one cooling fan being disposed adjacent to said electric pump for providing a flow of air thereto.

6. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said first cooling fan and said at least one cooling fan suck air to flow through the first and second radiators to create an air flow wherein the air flow from the at least one cooling fan is designated to blow against said electric pump.

7. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first radiator is disposed in front of the vehicle and the second radiator is larger relative to the first radiator and is disposed adjacent to the electric pump.

8. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said second radiator includes two cooling fans for sucking air to flow through the second radiator.

9. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and second radiators do not overlap each other on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. The fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the flow of air created by at least one of the cooling fans that is directed to the electric pump is thereafter directed to the fuel cell for cooling the fuel cell.

11. A cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle comprising:

a liquid cooling system for cooling a fuel cell;

a first radiator and a second radiator for dissipating heat and cooling a coolant warmed by said fuel cell;

cooling fans for ventilating cooling fins of said first and second radiators, respectively; and

an electric pump, disposed along a pipe line of said cooling system for circulating the coolant;

wherein said electric pump is disposed at a position where said electric pump can catch the flow of air created by at least one of said cooling fans.

12. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said electric pump is located so that the projection thereof is in the projecting area of said second radiator on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said fuel-cell vehicle.

13. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said fuel-cell vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with down frames being connected to a head tube at front portions and descending in a rearward direction of a vehicle body;

and

said second radiator is located in the vicinity of said down frames.

14. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said fuel-cell vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with down frames being connected to a head tube at front portions and descending in a rearward direction of a vehicle body;

and

said second radiator is located in the vicinity of said down frames.

15. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said first radiator includes a first cooling fan operatively mounted relative thereto and said second radiator includes at least one cooling fan operatively mounted relative thereto and said at least one cooling fan being disposed adjacent to said electric pump for providing a flow of air thereto.

16. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said first cooling fan and said at least one cooling fan suck air to flow through the first and second radiators to create an air flow wherein the air flow from the at least one cooling fan is designated to blow against said electric pump.

17. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said first radiator is disposed in front of the vehicle and the second radiator is larger relative to the first radiator and is disposed adjacent to the electric pump.

18. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said second radiator includes two cooling fans for sucking air to flow through the second radiator.

19. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the first and second radiators do not overlap each other on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

20. The cooling system for use with a fuel-cell vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the flow of air created by at least one of the cooling fans that is directed to the electric pump is thereafter directed to the fuel cell for cooling the fuel cell.