JPH05319114A - Automobile equipped with hydrogen storage alloy tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the weight of a body by installing a hydrogen storage alloy tank at the opposite side of a hydrogen fueled engine via a cross member, and providing a manifold for causing exhaust gas to flow from the cross member to the tank. CONSTITUTION:Exhaust gas from a hydrogen fueled engine is discharged from an exhaust manifold 10 to the first cross member 12 via an exhaust joint 11. The first cross member 12 acts to reduce a noise due to the exhaust gas, and branches and introduces the flow of the exhaust gas from tank connecting pipes 12b and 12b to MH tanks 2 and 2. The MH tanks 2 heat hydrogen storage alloy with the heat of the exhaust gas, thereby generating hydrogen. This hydrogen is supplied to the hydrogen fueled engine as fuel. In this case, the exhaust gas after the MH tanks 2 is discharged to the atmosphere from the back of the MH tanks 2, and an exhaust system 3 can be made shorter than a conventional exhaust device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy tank which stores hydrogen and supplies hydrogen as a fuel to a hydrogen engine.

[0002]

In recent years, from the viewpoint of preventing global warming (environmental protection), the reduction of CO ₂ contained in the exhaust gas is increased (reduced) request, therefore, equipped with a hydrogen engine that does not emit CO ₂ Car development is underway.
As a method of storing hydrogen, which is fuel for automobiles, a method of storing it in a metal hydride tank (hereinafter referred to as MH tank) containing a hydrogen storage alloy (see JP-A-63-246458) is safe. It is excellent in terms of sex and is considered promising.

The above hydrogen storage alloy has a property of absorbing hydrogen by reacting with hydrogen to form a metal hydride. The reaction that absorbs this hydrogen is an exothermic reaction, while the dehydrogenation reaction is an endothermic reaction. Therefore, when taking out hydrogen, it is necessary to control the temperature by heating the hydrogen storage alloy, and the MH tank is provided with a heating device for that purpose. Moreover, since the MH tank contains a hydrogen storage alloy, it is larger than a gasoline tank,
It is very heavy and has a very high rigidity compared to other body components. A method is already known in which heat of exhaust gas of a hydrogen engine is used instead of a heating device and is used as a heat source for taking out hydrogen (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 246459/1988).

On the other hand, in a vehicle equipped with a conventional gasoline engine in the front portion, an exhaust pipe is provided from the front portion to the rear portion in order to exhaust the exhaust gas of the gasoline engine to the rear of the vehicle body, and a silencer or the like is provided in the middle thereof. A structure provided (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-96222) is known.

[0005]

However, for example, when the exhaust pipe connected to the hydrogen engine is connected directly to the hydrogen storage alloy tank,
A dedicated connecting pipe is required, which is not preferable in terms of cost. Further, even though the hydrogen storage alloy tank itself is a heavy object, it is disadvantageous in terms of weight to connect the dedicated connecting pipe to the hydrogen storage alloy tank. ..

On the other hand, for example, when a plurality of hydrogen storage alloy tanks are provided in the vehicle body, the individual hydrogen storage alloy tanks are individually separated in order to use the exhaust gas of the hydrogen engine as a heat source for taking out hydrogen. Although it is possible to guide the exhaust pipe to the, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost and weight to guide the exhaust pipe separately.

Further, in consideration of exhaust noise reduction, according to the above conventional technique, a silencer for noise reduction is provided in the middle of the exhaust pipe. Therefore, at least the silencer needs to be provided separately from the exhaust pipe, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and weight.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy tank which can efficiently form a supply path for the exhaust gas supplied to the hydrogen storage alloy tank and reduce the weight of the vehicle body. It is what

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an automobile provided with a hydrogen storage alloy tank of the present invention is
The following measures are taken in an automobile equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy tank for supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen engine.

That is, in the first aspect of the present invention, vertical members are provided on both sides of the vehicle in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the cross members formed with closed cross sections of the vertical members disposed on the both sides in the vehicle width direction. An exhaust pipe connected to the hydrogen engine arranged on the vehicle front side or the vehicle rear side of the cross member is connected to the cross member, and the side on which the hydrogen engine is arranged is the cross member. A hydrogen storage alloy tank is disposed on the opposite side with the interposing space between and a connecting pipe is provided to allow exhaust gas to flow into the hydrogen storage alloy tank from a cross member.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, at least two hydrogen storage alloy tanks are supported by the cross members in parallel in the vehicle width direction, and the hydrogen storage alloy tanks and the cross members are provided between the hydrogen storage alloy tanks. A connecting pipe is provided.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the hydrogen engine and the hydrogen storage alloy tank are connected via the exhaust pipe and the silencer formed in the cross member.

[0013]

According to the structure of claim 1, the exhaust pipe connected to the hydrogen engine is connected to the cross member, and the connecting pipe is provided between the cross member and the hydrogen storage alloy tank. Compared with the case where the engine and the hydrogen storage alloy tank are directly connected by the exhaust pipe, the length of the exhaust pipe can be shortened by the pipe length replaced by the cross member. Therefore, cost reduction and vehicle weight reduction can be achieved at the same time.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cross member is originally arranged in the vehicle width direction, supports the hydrogen storage alloy tank by using the cross member, and stores the exhaust gas in the vehicle width direction. Since it can be supplied to the alloy tank, a plurality of hydrogen storage alloy tanks will share the exhaust pipe, which will not increase the weight of the vehicle and makes it easier to handle the exhaust pipe.
Layout flexibility is also improved at the same time.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the silencer for forming the exhaust noise is formed in the cross member, the silencer layout space conventionally required can be eliminated and the layout flexibility is improved. It is possible to reduce the weight of the silencer. In addition to this, since the silencer is formed in the closed cross section of the cross member, a node is formed in the cross member, and the rigidity of the vehicle body is improved at the same time.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following will describe one embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automobile of this embodiment has a hydrogen engine 1 mounted on the front portion thereof, and the hydrogen engine 1 is used as a fuel below the frame 4 under the floor of the passenger compartment. A hydrogen storage alloy tank (hereinafter referred to as an MH tank) 2.2 for supplying hydrogen is mounted dividedly in the vehicle width direction. Further, an exhaust system 3 is connected to the hydrogen engine 1, and the exhaust system 3 is also mounted below the frame 4. The MH tank 2 is connected to the downstream side of the exhaust system 3.

The MH tank 2 contains a hydrogen storage alloy having a property of absorbing hydrogen by reacting with hydrogen to form a metal hydride. The reaction that absorbs this hydrogen is an exothermic reaction, while the dehydrogenation reaction is an endothermic reaction. Therefore, when taking out hydrogen, it is necessary to heat the hydrogen storage alloy, but the optimum temperature at which this dehydrogenation reaction actively occurs can be changed by changing the composition of the hydrogen storage alloy. Therefore, the MH tank 2 contains, for example, a hydrogen storage alloy having a composition such that a dehydrogenation reaction actively occurs when heated by exhaust gas. Further, the above-mentioned automobile is also provided with a not-shown MH tank for supplying hydrogen to the hydrogen engine 1 when starting. The MH tank for starting contains, for example, a hydrogen storage alloy having a composition such that the dehydrogenation reaction actively occurs even at room temperature.
Since the MH tank 2 contains the hydrogen storage alloy, it has a very high rigidity and is heavier than other frame components such as the frame 4.

Further, the MH tank 2 contains a hydrogen storage alloy and allows passage of exhaust gas exhausted from the hydrogen engine 1. This makes M
The H tank 2 uses the heat of the exhaust gas exhausted from the hydrogen engine 1 as a heat source for heating the hydrogen storage alloy.

Below the frame 4, a second cross member 13 is arranged in front of the MH tank 2. The second cross member 13 has a high rigidity and a closed cross section, is provided in the vehicle width direction, and has a side sill frame 7 as a vertical member.
Supported by. The second cross member 13 supports the MH tank 2 via the tank connecting pipe 12b (connecting pipe) of the first cross member 12 penetrating both ends.

The side sill frame 7 has a door 8 ...
Is provided inside the side sill panel 6 provided below the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and as shown in FIG.
Upper side sill frame 7a, lower side sill frame 7b
And a plurality of columns 7c ... Both side sill frames 7a and 7b have a structure having a closed cross section with high rigidity, and as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. The cross member 13 and the MH tank 2 are sandwiched.

The MH tank 2 is detachably mounted so that hydrogen can be easily filled therein. When the MH tank 2 is mounted on a vehicle body, a plurality of MH tanks 2 are provided on a side wall on the center side of the vehicle body as shown in FIG. It is fixed to the frame 4 by the fixing members 5 ... And is supported by the side sill frame 7. The fixing member 5 is composed of, for example, bolts and nuts so that the MH tank 2 can be easily attached and detached.
Further, the MH tank 2 is also supported by the second cross member 13 by being connected to the tank connecting pipe 12b of the first cross member 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust system 3 is provided with an exhaust joint 11 (exhaust pipe), a first cross member 12, a second cross member 13, and an exhaust gas from an upstream side to a downstream side of the exhaust gas. The MH tanks 2.2 are provided in this order. Exhaust joint 11 above
Is connected to an exhaust manifold 10 (exhaust pipe) connected to each cylinder (not shown) of the hydrogen engine 1 on the upstream side, and is connected to the first cross member 1 on the downstream side.
It is connected to the second joint connecting portion 12a (exhaust pipe). This exhaust joint 11 is made in a flexible manner, and the exhaust manifold 10
And the first cross member 12 can be connected without difficulty.

The first cross member 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape that extends in the vehicle width direction and is closed at both ends. In order to reduce noise due to exhaust gas, a plurality of partition plates (Fig. (Not shown). The first cross member 12 branches the exhaust gas introduced from the joint connecting portion 12a in two directions, passes through the gaps between the plurality of partition plates, and then exhausts the gas from the tank connecting pipes 12b and 12b. ing. As a result, the first cross member 1
2 reduces the noise of the exhaust gas exhausted from the hydrogen engine 1 and introduces the exhaust gas into the MH tank 2.2. Further, the tank connecting pipes 12b and 12b of the first cross member 12 are connected to the second cross member 1
The first cross member 12 is supported in front of the second cross member 13 by these tank connecting pipes 12b and 12b.

In the above structure, when the automobile of this embodiment is driven, the exhaust gas of the hydrogen engine 1 is exhausted from the exhaust manifold 10 through the exhaust joint 11 to the first cross member 12. The first cross member 12 reduces noise due to exhaust gas, and branches the exhaust gas into the tank connecting pipe 12b.
-Introduce from 12b to MH tank 2.2. The MH tank 2 heats the hydrogen storage alloy with the heat of the exhaust gas to generate hydrogen, and supplies this hydrogen to the hydrogen engine 1 as fuel.
After passing through the MH tank 2, the exhaust gas is exhausted into the atmosphere from the rear portion of the MH tank 2.

As described above, since the exhaust system 3 is shorter than the conventional exhaust system, it can be compactly housed in the vehicle body.

Since the vehicle of this embodiment is equipped with the hydrogen engine 1 that uses hydrogen as fuel, the exhaust gas does not contain nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) or sulfur oxides (SO _x ). Therefore, the automobile of this example does not require a catalyst device for removing these oxides. Moreover, since the exhaust gas is mainly composed of water vapor, the exhaust system 3 is not internally corroded by the exhaust gas.

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those of the members shown in the drawings of the above-described embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the vehicle of this embodiment, instead of the first cross member 12 and the second cross member 13, as shown in FIG. 7, a cross member 2 having a silencer built therein.
1 is provided.

That is, the cross member 21 is arranged below the frame 4 under the floor of the passenger compartment. The cross member 21 has high rigidity, is provided in the vehicle width direction, and is supported by the side sill frame 7. The cross member 21 supports the MH tank 2.2 by tank connecting pipes 21b, 21b provided near both ends. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of partition plates 21c for reducing noise due to exhaust gas are provided inside the cross member 21, and the exhaust gas introduced from the joint connection portion 21a is bidirectionally supplied. After branching through the gaps between the plurality of partition plates 21c, the tank connecting pipes 21b and 21b are exhausted. As a result, the cross member 21 reduces the noise of the exhaust gas exhausted from the hydrogen engine 1 and introduces the exhaust gas into the MH tank 2.2. The configuration other than the cross member 21 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment.

When the vehicle of the present embodiment is driven with the above-described structure, the exhaust gas of the hydrogen engine 1 is exhausted from the exhaust manifold 10 through the exhaust joint 11 to the cross member 21. The cross member 21 reduces noise caused by the exhaust gas and branches the exhaust gas into the MH tank 2.2 through the tank connecting pipes 21b and 21b. The MH tank 2 heats the hydrogen storage alloy with the heat of the exhaust gas to generate hydrogen, and supplies this hydrogen to the hydrogen engine 1 as fuel. After passing through the MH tank 2, the exhaust gas is exhausted into the atmosphere from the rear portion of the MH tank 2.

As described above, the exhaust system 3 is shorter than the conventional exhaust system, and the cross member and the silencer are integrated as compared with the above-described embodiment, so that the vehicle body is more compact. Can be housed in Further, since the vehicle of this embodiment does not need to separately provide the silencer, the weight of the vehicle body can be reduced.

[0033]

As described above, the automobile provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided with the vertical members in the vehicle front-rear direction on both sides of the vehicle, and the longitudinal members are arranged on both sides. A vertical member having a closed cross section is connected to a cross member in the vehicle width direction, and an exhaust pipe connected to the hydrogen engine arranged on the vehicle front side or the vehicle rear side of the cross member and the cross member. A hydrogen storage alloy tank is disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the hydrogen engine is disposed with the cross member interposed therebetween, and a connecting pipe is provided to allow exhaust gas to flow into the hydrogen storage alloy tank from the cross member. It is a configured structure.

As a result, the exhaust pipe can be shortened by the length of the pipe replaced by the cross member, as compared with the case where the hydrogen engine and the hydrogen storage alloy tank are directly connected by the exhaust pipe. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the cost reduction and the vehicle weight reduction at the same time.

A vehicle provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 2 is the vehicle provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 1, wherein at least two cross members are provided.
A plurality of hydrogen storage alloy tanks are supported in parallel in the vehicle width direction, and the connecting pipe is provided between each hydrogen storage alloy tank and the cross member.

As a result, the cross member is originally arranged in the vehicle width direction and can be used to support the hydrogen storage alloy tank and to supply exhaust gas to each hydrogen storage alloy tank in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the plurality of hydrogen storage alloy tanks share the exhaust pipe, the weight of the vehicle is not increased, the exhaust pipe is easily handled, and the layout flexibility is improved at the same time.

Further, a vehicle provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 3 is the vehicle provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe and the silencer formed in the cross member are interposed. Thus, the hydrogen engine and the hydrogen storage alloy tank are connected.

As a result, the layout space of the silencer, which has been conventionally required, can be eliminated, the layout flexibility can be improved, and the weight of the silencer can be reduced. In addition to this, since the silencer is formed in the cross section of the cross member, a node is formed in the cross member, and the rigidity of the vehicle body is improved at the same time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the automobile.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an exhaust system.

FIG. 4 is a view on arrow A in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a side sill frame.

FIG. 6 is a view in the direction of arrow B in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an exhaust system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cross member of the exhaust system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 hydrogen engine 2 hydrogen storage alloy tank 3 exhaust system 4 frame 6 side sill panel 7 side sill frame (vertical member) 10 exhaust manifold (exhaust pipe) 11 exhaust joint (exhaust pipe) 12 (first) cross member 12a joint connection Part 12b Tank connection pipe (connection pipe) 13 (Second) cross member 21 Cross member 21b Tank connection pipe (connection pipe)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In an automobile having a hydrogen storage alloy tank for supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen engine, vertical members are provided on both sides of the vehicle in a vehicle front-rear direction, and the vertical members arranged on the both sides have a closed cross section. The cross member formed in the vehicle width direction is connected, and the exhaust pipe connected to the hydrogen engine disposed on the vehicle front side or the vehicle rear side of the cross member is connected to the cross member, and the hydrogen engine is connected. The hydrogen storage alloy tank is disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the cross member is disposed with the cross member interposed therebetween, and a connecting pipe is provided to allow exhaust gas to flow into the hydrogen storage alloy tank from the cross member. An automobile equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy tank. 2. At least two hydrogen storage alloy tanks are supported in parallel in the vehicle width direction on the cross member, and the connecting pipe is provided between each hydrogen storage alloy tank and the cross member. An automobile provided with the hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 1. 3. The hydrogen storage alloy tank according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen engine and the hydrogen storage alloy tank are connected through an exhaust pipe and a silencer formed in the cross member. Equipped car.