Motor vehicles – Power – Electric
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2003-11-18
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
Electric
C180S068500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648085
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel-cell-powered four-wheel automobile having a chassis with a rectangular shape as viewed in plan with four wheels positioned at respective four corners thereof, a riding seat disposed substantially centrally on the chassis, a flat floor mounted on the chassis in front of the riding seat, and an electric motor for moving the four-wheel automobile.
2. Description of the Background Art
One fuel-cell-powered four-wheel automobile is known from Japanese patent Laid-open No. Hei 3-109126 entitled “Fuel-cell electric automobile”. According to FIG. 1 of the above publication, the disclosed arrangement is an electric automobile having a fuel cell 13 (the reference numeral is from the publication) as an energy source, which is disposed below a central region of a chassis 2.
To use the fuel cell 13, there are required a fuel tank for storing methanol, a reforming unit for generating hydrogen, and a secondary battery for storing generated electricity, in addition to the fuel cell 13, as described later on. The layout of the fuel cell
13
, the reforming unit, and the secondary battery is an important concern in installing them on a four-wheel automobile. One example of a fuel cell system based on the principles of electric power generation by a fuel cell will be described below.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
are views illustrative of the principles of electric power generation by a fuel cell.
FIG. 6A
shows the principles of an electrolysis of water, and
FIG. 6B
shows the principles of electric power generation by a fuel cell.
In
FIG. 6A
, water (H
2
O) with an electrolyte such as sulfuric acid (H
2
SO
4
) dissolved therein is placed in a water tank
101
, and electrodes
102
,
103
of platinum or the like are put in the water tank
101
. The electrodes
102
,
103
are covered with respective cases
104
,
105
, and a D.C. power supply
106
is connected between the electrodes
102
,
103
. According to the well known principles of an electrolysis of water, an oxygen gas (O
2
) is generated at the electrode
103
which serves as a negative electrode, and a hydrogen gas (H
2
) is generated at the electrode
102
which serves as a positive electrode. The arrows (e
−
) indicate a flow of charges, and the arrows (H
+
) indicate a flow of hydrogen ions.
In
FIG. 6B
, which shows a process that is a reversal of the process shown in
FIG. 6A
, an oxygen gas (O
2
) is placed in one case
104
, and a hydrogen gas (H
2
) is placed in the other case
105
, and a load
107
is connected between the electrodes
102
,
103
. When the oxygen gas (O
2
) and the hydrogen gas (H
2
) are subjected to an electrochemical reaction in water (H
2
O) with an electrolyte such as sulfuric acid (H
2
SO
4
) dissolved therein, a current flows through the load
107
. The oxygen gas (O
2
) and the hydrogen gas (H
2
) are combined into water (H
2
O).
The reversal of the electrolysis of water shown in
FIG. 6A
represents the principles of electric power generation by a fuel cell. A fuel cell system will be described below.
FIG. 7
is a block diagram showing a fuel cell system by way of example. A fuel cell system
110
comprises a fuel tank
111
for storing methanol, a reforming unit
112
for generating hydrogen from methanol and water, a fuel cell
113
for causing an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen generated by the reforming unit
112
and oxygen in air, a first pump
115
for delivering air in the atmosphere through an air cleaner
114
into the fuel cell
113
, a second pump
116
for delivering hydrogen from the reforming unit
112
into the fuel cell
113
, a catalyzer (catalyst)
117
for receiving a water vapor discharged from the fuel cell
113
and a carbon dioxide gas produced by the reforming unit
112
and fed through the fuel cell
113
and reducing the amount of the carbon dioxide gas, a water tank
118
for receiving water discharged from the catalyzer
117
, a secondary battery
119
for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell
113
, and a motor
122
connected to the secondary battery
119
through a controller
121
. The secondary battery
119
also stores electricity generated by the motor
122
.
In
FIG. 7
, the blank arrow (CH
3
OH) represents a flow of methanol, the blank arrow (H
2
) a flow of hydrogen gas, the blank arrow (O
2
) a flow of oxygen gas, the blank arrow (H
2
O+CO
2
) a flow of water vapor and carbon dioxide gas, and the blank arrow (H
2
O) a flow of water.
As described above, to the fuel cell
113
as an energy source of a four-wheel automobile (not shown), the fuel tank
111
for storing methanol, the reforming unit
112
for generating hydrogen, and the secondary battery
119
for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell
113
are required. For installing the fuel tank
111
, the reforming unit
112
, and the fuel cell
113
on the four-wheel automobile, it is necessary to take into account weight balancing, maintenance services, design details or the like, and a variety of layout proposals need to be analyzed for the fuel cell system
110
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a technology for optimally placing a fuel cell, a reforming unit, or a secondary battery in installing a fuel cell on a four-wheel automobile.
To achieve the above object, a fuel-cell-powered four-wheel automobile has a chassis which is of a rectangular shape as viewed in plan with four wheels positioned at respective four corners thereof, a riding seat disposed substantially centrally on the chassis, a flat floor mounted on the chassis in front of the riding seat, and an electric motor for moving the four-wheel automobile. A tank is disposed beneath the floor for storing methanol and water. A reforming unit is disposed beneath the floor for generating hydrogen from methanol and water supplied from the tank. A fuel cell is disposed beneath the floor for generating electricity from an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen generated by the reforming unit and oxygen in air. Finally, a secondary battery is disposed beneath the floor for storing electricity generated by the fuel cell.
Methanol and water are supplied from the tank to the reforming unit, which generates hydrogen from the methanol and the water. The generated hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell, which generates electricity. The generated electricity is supplied to the electric motor to rotate the electric motor, thus moving the four-wheel automobile.
Since the tank, the reforming unit, the fuel cell, and the secondary battery are disposed beneath the floor, mechanisms for generating electricity from air, methanol, and water are centralized. As a result, a function to generate electricity from air, methanol, and water can be accommodated in one unit, and the components including the tank, the reforming unit, the fuel cell, and the secondary battery can be made compact.
The fuel-cell-powered four-wheel automobile is characterized in that the fuel cell and the electric motor are disposed respectively on the left and right sides or the right and left sides of a central line which divides the chassis into left and right portions.
It is important to keep the weight of the chassis of the four-wheel automobile in balance. The weight of the chassis is kept in good balance by positioning the fuel cell and the electric motor respectively on the left and right sides or the right and left sides of the central line which divides the chassis into the left and right portions.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4339015 (1982-07-01), Fowkes et a
Komuro Nobuaki
Nagura Hidenori
Yamashita Noboru
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Restifo Jeffrey
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