JP2009035044A - Saddle riding vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a straddle-type vehicle that can ensure a degree of design freedom even when a reserve tank is disposed above a cooling water channel and a large reserve tank is disposed.
A pair of left and right rear frames 8 having one end connected to a head pipe 3 and extending downward and rearward and extending upward and rearward in the center of a vehicle body, radiators 20L and 20R for radiating cooling water of a fuel cell 18, and fuel In a straddle-type fuel cell vehicle 1 including a cooling water passage for circulating the cooling water between the battery 18 and the radiators 20L and 20R, and a reserve tank 21 connected to the cooling water passage, It is arranged adjacent to the seat 15 so as to be within the width of the rear frame 8, and at least a part thereof is positioned above the cooling water channel. The reserve tank 21 has a longer dimension in the vehicle width direction than in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The fuel cell 18 is provided below the seat 15, and the radiator is disposed adjacent to the left and right of the fuel cell 18 in the vehicle width direction.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle, and more particularly, to a straddle-type vehicle capable of ensuring a degree of design freedom even when a large reserve tank is disposed while a reserve tank is disposed above a cooling water channel. .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a fuel cell vehicle that includes a fuel cell that generates electric power through a chemical reaction between hydrogen as a fuel gas and oxygen contained in a reaction gas (air), and that drives a motor with power supplied from the fuel cell. . In order to operate the fuel cell efficiently, it is necessary to keep the temperature of the fuel cell within a predetermined range. Usually, such a fuel cell vehicle is provided with a cooling system for the fuel cell. .

Patent Document 1 discloses a straddle-type fuel cell vehicle equipped with a water-cooling type cooling system in which cooling water circulated in the fuel cell is radiated by a radiator. The cooling water passage of the radiator is provided with a reserve tank for storing spare cooling water, and the reserve tank is attached above the cooling water passage so that air, fuel gas, etc. mixed in the cooling water passage can be easily removed. .
JP 2007-103082 A

  When the object to be cooled such as the fuel cell or the internal combustion engine is increased in size, the capacity of the cooling water is also increased, so that a relatively large reserve tank is required. Here, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when there is a radiator in front of the vehicle body, there is a vehicle body frame that is connected to the head pipe above the radiator, so there is a restriction on the arrangement of the reserve tank directly above the radiator. is there. Therefore, the reserve tank is disposed on the side or front of the head pipe, and the degree of freedom in designing around the head pipe is limited.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and a saddle type that can secure a degree of design freedom even when a large reserve tank is disposed while a reserve tank is disposed above the cooling water channel. To provide a vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pair of left and right body frames that are connected at one end to a head pipe and extend downward and rearward and extend upward and rearward at the center of the vehicle body, and a radiator that dissipates cooling water of an object to be cooled. A saddle type vehicle comprising: a cooling water passage for circulating the cooling water between the object to be cooled and the radiator; and a reserve tank connected to the cooling water passage, wherein the radiator is a seat on which an occupant is seated The reserve tank is disposed adjacent to the seat so as to fit within the width of the pair of left and right body frames, and at least a part of the reserve tank is positioned above the cooling water channel. There is a first feature.

  The reserve tank has a second feature in that the dimension in the vehicle width direction is longer than the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

  The object to be cooled is a fuel cell that generates power by a chemical reaction between a fuel gas and a reactive gas, the fuel cell is provided below the seat, and the radiator is in the vehicle width direction of the fuel cell. There is a third feature in that it is arranged adjacent to the left and right.

  In addition, there is a fourth feature in that a loading platform for carrying a load is provided, the reserve tank is provided on the rear side of the seat, and the loading platform is disposed on the rear side of the reserve tank.

  A fifth feature is that the cargo bed is provided with an opening through which the reserve tank can be visually recognized from the outside.

  Furthermore, the saddle riding type vehicle has a sixth feature in that it is a three-wheeled vehicle having two rear wheels.

  According to the first feature, the radiator is disposed below the seat on which the occupant is seated, and the reserve tank is disposed adjacent to the seat so as to be within the width of the pair of left and right body frames, and at least a part thereof Is positioned above the cooling water channel, so that it is possible to arrange a large reserve tank while arranging the reserve tank above the cooling water channel, which increases the degree of freedom of the vehicle body layout. it can. Furthermore, since the reserve tank is disposed so as to fit within the left and right vehicle body frame widths, the reserve tank can be protected by the vehicle body frame.

  According to the second feature, the reserve tank is shaped so that the dimension in the vehicle width direction is longer than the dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It is possible to increase the size of the reserve tank by fully utilizing this space.

  According to the third feature, the object to be cooled is a fuel cell that generates electric power by a chemical reaction between the fuel gas and the reaction gas, the fuel cell is provided below the seat, and the radiator is arranged in the vehicle width direction of the fuel cell. Since the fuel cell and the radiator are disposed adjacent to each other, the cooling water channel is shortened, the temperature rise while passing through the cooling water channel can be prevented, and the cooling effect of the fuel cell can be improved. . Further, the fuel cell and the radiator are concentratedly arranged below the seat, so that the weight mass can be collected at the approximate center of the vehicle body. Furthermore, the distance between the reserve tank and the cooling water channel can be shortened, and even when air or the like is mixed in the cooling water channel, the time required for this to reach the reserve tank can be shortened, and air bubbles into the cooling water channel can be reduced. It is possible to prevent the cooling effect from being reduced due to mixing. In addition, since the time for the generated bubbles to reach the reserve tank can be shortened, if a sensor for detecting the fuel gas is provided in the reserve tank, this can be detected quickly when fuel gas enters the cooling water channel. It becomes possible.

According to the fourth feature, the load tank is provided with a loading platform, the reserve tank is provided on the rear side of the seat, and the loading platform is disposed on the rear side of the reserve tank, so that the rear side of the reserve tank is protected by the loading platform. It becomes possible.

  According to the fifth feature, since the opening that allows the reserve tank to be visually recognized from the outside is provided in the loading platform, the cooling water capacity of the reserve tank can be easily confirmed from the outside.

  According to the sixth feature, since the saddle riding type vehicle is a three wheeled vehicle having two rear wheels, it is possible to obtain a saddle riding type three wheeled vehicle in which a large reserve tank is efficiently mounted.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a side view and a top view of a saddle-ride type fuel cell vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The straddle-type fuel cell vehicle (saddle-type vehicle) 1 has one front wheel WF as a steering wheel, while two rear wheels WR driven by a motor are attached in the vehicle width direction. The electric three-wheeled vehicle has a scooter type vehicle body structure in which a low floor type footrest is provided between a steering handle and a seat. The straddle-type fuel cell vehicle 1 includes a cell stack in which a plurality of cells are stacked to form a fuel cell, a fuel (hydrogen) gas supply system that supplies hydrogen gas as fuel to the cell stack, and the cell stack A fuel cell power generation system comprising a reaction gas supply system that supplies a reaction gas (air) containing oxygen to the motor, and the motor is driven by the power generated by the fuel cell or the power supplied from the secondary battery that stores the power Then run.

  A steering stem 4 that supports a bottom link type front suspension 2 is pivotally supported on the head pipe 3 positioned at the front end of the body frame. A front wheel WF as a steering wheel is rotatably supported at the lower end of the front suspension 2. The front wheel WF can be steered by a steering handle 5 coupled to the steering stem 4. The pair of left and right main frames 6 have a shape that is connected to the head pipe 3 and extends downward and rearward, and then bends greatly at the lower part of the vehicle body and extends rearward of the vehicle body. A pair of left and right underframes 7 having a shape along the main frame 6 are disposed below the main frame 6. Similar to the main frame 6, the under frame 7 is connected to the head pipe 3 and extends downward and rearward, and then has a shape that is largely bent at the lower part of the vehicle body and extends rearward of the vehicle body. The rear end portion of the underframe 7 is bent upward and is connected to the main frame 6. The rear end portion of the main frame 6 behind the connection portion is a rear frame 8 that supports the loading platform 22 on the rear side of the vehicle body. It is connected to. A secondary battery 85 that stores electric power generated by the fuel cell 18 is housed inside the loading platform 22.

  The substantially rectangular parallelepiped fuel cell 18 is attached to a position below the seat 15 on which the occupant 100 is seated in a state inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, 30 degrees) toward the rear side of the vehicle body. On the left and right sides of the fuel cell 18 in the vehicle width direction, radiators 20L and 20R for cooling the fuel cell 18 are disposed adjacent to each other. On the back side of the fuel cell 18, an electric pump 19 is disposed as an actuator that pumps cooling water of the radiator. A humidifier 17 is attached to the front side of the fuel cell 18 to humidify the reaction gas supplied to the fuel cell 18. The substantially cylindrical humidifier 17 is disposed below the seat 15 in the center in the vehicle width direction.

  A low floor type footrest portion 14 is provided between the seat 15 and the steering handle 5. The footrest portion 14 is configured by a resin floor or the like on a flat floor surface on which both feet of an occupant are placed during traveling. In this embodiment, the footrest portion 14 has a symmetrical shape in the vehicle width direction. A stay 27 for supporting the resin plate of the footrest portion 14 is attached to the upper surface of the main frame 6 before and after the vehicle body of the humidifier 17. A supercharger 16 serving as an actuator that pumps the reaction gas to the fuel cell 18 is disposed in a space surrounded by the main frame 6 and the underframe 7 at a position below the front portion 14. Yes.

  The vehicle body of the saddle type fuel cell vehicle 1 includes a front vehicle body 1a including a vehicle body frame and a front wheel WR, and a rear vehicle body 1b connected to the front vehicle body 1a. The rear vehicle body 1b including the rear wheel WR and the front vehicle body 1a are coupled by a coupling mechanism 23. The shock unit 31 is attached to a part of the coupling mechanism 23 and an attachment frame (not shown) provided between the pair of left and right rear frames 8, and absorbs shocks in the vertical direction. The coupling mechanism 23 is applied with a night hart swing mechanism using a rubber damper, which makes it possible to turn the front vehicle body 1a while turning the two rear wheels in contact with the road surface. A power unit 24 that integrally houses a drive motor that applies driving force to the rear wheel WR and a speed reduction mechanism is attached between the left and right rear wheels WR near the rear of the base member 25 of the rear vehicle body 1b. The driving force output from the power unit 24 is transmitted to the rear wheel WR by the axle 26. Between the rear wheels WR of the rear vehicle body 1b, a plurality of drive system electrical components 45 including a motor control unit or the like are attached. A drive system electrical component 45 comprising substantially rectangular parallelepiped components includes a motor driver 50 as a motor control unit that controls the drive motor, a DC-DC converter 51 that converts a DC current voltage value to a predetermined value, and a fuel cell 18. A voltage converter (VCU) 52 for boosting or lowering the supply voltage of the motor, a main CPU 53 as a motor control unit, a control driver 54 for driving the supercharger 16, and a control driver 55 for driving the electric pump 19 And a fuse box 56 for storing a plurality of fuses.

  A pair of left and right hydrogen cylinders 10L and 10R are attached to the left and right of the head pipe 3 in the vehicle width direction so as to sandwich the main frame 6 and the under frame 7 from the left and right. The front and sides of the hydrogen cylinders 10 </ b> L and 10 </ b> R as fuel tanks are surrounded by a guard pipe 9 connected to the main frame 6. In addition, an air cleaner box 12 for filtering outside air (air) serving as a reaction gas is disposed in front of the left hydrogen cylinder 10L. The front side of the vehicle is covered with a cowling 11 as an exterior part formed of a resin thin plate or the like. The protective pad 13 attached to the front side of the guard pipe 9 is disposed so that a part thereof faces outward from an opening formed in the cowling 11.

  The left and right radiators 20L and 20R are attached to the lower side of the seat 15 so that the upper part is inclined forward in a side view of the vehicle body. In addition, when viewed from the top of the vehicle body, the plane portion that receives the traveling wind is attached to be inclined toward the inside of the vehicle body so that the traveling wind from the front of the vehicle body can be easily received. Note that at least a portion of the radiators 20L and 20R is disposed so as to be within the longitudinal length of the seat 15 in a side view of the vehicle body. A cooling water reserve tank 21 is disposed adjacent to the seat 15 at the upper rear portion of the fuel cell 18. The reserve tank 21 is disposed so as to be within the width of the rear frame 8 as a pair of left and right vehicle body frames, whereby the reserve tank 21 is protected from the outside by the rear frame 8. A hydrogen sensor 41 is disposed on the reserve tank 21.

  In a space between the left and right hydrogen cylinders 10L and 10R and surrounded by the left and right main frames 6 and underframes 7, a hydrogen supply unit 28 including a control unit for the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell 18 is disposed. Has been. In addition, the fuel cell 18 includes a suction side manifold 29 for supplying the reaction gas humidified by the humidifier 17 from the upper part of the fuel cell 18, and an unreacted gas that has not been chemically reacted inside the fuel cell 18. A discharge side manifold 30 for exhausting from the lower part of 18 is attached.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fuel cell and its peripheral devices as viewed from the rear left side of the vehicle body. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cooling system. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the components of the fuel cell cooling system including the radiators 20 </ b> L and 20 </ b> R and the electric pump 19 are disposed in the vicinity of the fuel cell 18, and the cooling water channel is formed around the fuel cell 18. It is configured to complete. Thereby, a cooling water channel is shortened and the cooling efficiency of a fuel cell can be improved. Further, since the components of the cooling system are intensively arranged around the fuel cell 18, the length of the piping is shortened in the entire cooling system, and the pressure loss in the piping can be reduced. Furthermore, since the cooling system is disposed closer to the center of the vehicle body, the mass can be concentrated.

  The configuration of the cooling system will be described below. In this embodiment, a cooling water channel refers to the whole water channel which circulates cooling water between radiator 20L, 20R and the fuel cell 18 as a cooling target object. The cooling water pumped by the electric pump 19 is sent to the radiators 20L and 20R via the distribution pipe 98. The cooling water radiated by the radiators 20L and 20R is sent to the thermostat 42 through the pipes 93 and 94. The valve 42a in the thermostat 42 is opened when the cooling water temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Thus, the cooling water cooled by the radiators 20L and 20R is sent to the fuel cell 18 via the pipe 91 and also sent to the ion exchanger 40 via the pipe 95. The cooling water that has passed through the ion exchanger 40 is returned to the electric pump 19 through the pipe 96. Further, the cooling water heated through the inside of the fuel cell 18 is returned to the electric pump 19 through the pipe 97.

  When the cooling water temperature is lower than a predetermined value, the valve 42a is closed to prevent overcooling of the fuel cell 18, and the cooling water pumped by the electric pump 19 is bypassed at the side of the radiator 20R. It will be returned to the thermostat 42 via the tube 92. Further, the ion exchanger 40 through which the cooling water always passes during the operation of the electric pump 19 is a device that removes predetermined ions and keeps the electric conductivity of the cooling water low.

  The cooling water reserve tank 21 is disposed at the upper part on the rear surface side of the fuel cell 18, and is connected to the radiator 20 </ b> R and is also connected to the thermostat 42 by an air venting thin tube 90. In the cooling system according to the present embodiment, the uppermost position of the cooling water channel is the position of the distribution pipe 98 disposed in the upper rear part of the fuel cell 18. In the present embodiment, the upper end portion of the fuel cell 18 corresponds to the position of the front end portion of the upper surface of the fuel cell 18 that is a rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, in the illustrated state in which the reserve tank 21 is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the fuel cell 18 and a part thereof is disposed above the upper end of the fuel cell 18, the reserve tank 21 is positioned at the uppermost position of the cooling water channel. Will be.

  Further, the reserve tank 21 is disposed adjacent to the seat 15 so as to be within the width of the pair of left and right rear frames 8, and at least a part of the reserve tank 21 is located above the cooling water channel, so that the reserve tank 21 is placed above the cooling water channel. While arranging, it is possible to increase the size of the reserve tank 21 and increase the degree of freedom of the vehicle body layout. Furthermore, the reserve tank 21 is formed so that the dimension in the vehicle width direction is larger than the dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction, so that the space between the left and right rear frames 8 is reduced while suppressing the dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The reserve tank 21 can be increased in size by making effective use.

  According to the arrangement of the reserve tank 21 as described above, it is possible to shorten the distance between the reserve tank 21 and the cooling water channel while arranging the reserve tank 21 at the upper position in the cooling water channel. As a result, even when air or the like is mixed in the cooling water channel, the time for the air to reach the reserve tank 21 can be shortened, and the cooling effect can be prevented from being lowered due to air bubbles mixed into the cooling water channel. Further, in this embodiment, a hydrogen sensor 41 for detecting hydrogen is attached to the upper part of the reserve tank 21, and even when fuel gas is mixed into the cooling water channel, the bubbles quickly reach the reserve tank 21, and this is quickly detected. Can be detected.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the saddle type fuel cell vehicle 1 as viewed from the left rear. This figure shows a state in which the left rear wheel WR is removed. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. The left and right hydrogen cylinders 10L and 10R have block-shaped plug members 67 attached to the lower ends thereof, and hydrogen gas is pumped to the hydrogen supply unit 28 by a hydrogen gas supply pipe 69 attached to the plug members 67. The The hydrogen supply unit 28 is disposed at a position facing the humidifier 17 with the occupant's footrest 14 interposed therebetween so as to be hidden between the left and right hydrogen cylinders 10L and 10R and the main frame 6. An electric fan 39 capable of forcibly blowing air to dissipate heat even when the vehicle is stopped is attached to the radiators 20L and 20R adjacently disposed so as to sandwich the fuel cell 18 from the left and right.

  Below the electric pump 19 disposed on the back surface of the fuel cell 18, the ion exchanger 40, a shock unit 31 attached between the coupling mechanism 23 and the mounting frame 43, and a thermostat 42 are disposed. . An air vent pipe 90 for discharging air mixed in the cooling water or the like to the reserve tank 21 is attached to the upper portion of the thermostat 42.

  The loading platform 22 supported by the rear frame 8 has a configuration in which an upright portion 36 is provided on the front side of a flat floor portion on which a load is loaded to hold the load toward the front side and fix the load. The loading platform 22 is located behind the reserve tank 21, and thus the rear portion of the reserve tank 21 can be protected from a force applied from the outside. In the center of the lower portion of the standing portion 36 in the vehicle width direction, there is provided an opening 38 through which a part of the reserve tank 21 can be seen, so that the cooling water capacity can be confirmed from the outside of the vehicle body. It becomes. Further, the front side of the reserve tank 21 is protected by the seat 15 and the fuel cell 18. The position and shape of the opening portion 38 of the standing portion 36 can be variously modified in accordance with the position and shape of the reserve tank 21. Further, the reserve tank 21 may be disposed at a position deviated left and right from the center in the vehicle width direction. Further, a taillight device 37 integrally formed with a brake light and a direction indicator is attached to the rear end portion of the loading platform 22. The standing portion 36 of the loading platform 22 may function as a back support for the occupant 100.

  The base member 25 of the rear vehicle body 1b that is connected to the front vehicle body 1a by the connection mechanism 23 is provided above the base frame 32 that constitutes the lower frame serving as the main skeleton, and the subframe 34 that increases the rigidity of the frame by the base frame 32. A rear frame 47 constituted by standing up is connected. The sub frame 34 functions as a protective member that protects various devices attached to the base member 25. In the space surrounded by the base frame 32 and the subframe 34, the power unit 24 having the drive motor 24a built therein, the motor driver 50 as a motor control unit for controlling the drive motor 24a, and the supply voltage from the fuel cell 18 are supplied. In addition to the voltage converter (VCU) 52 that steps up or down, various drive system electrical components are centrally arranged. A pair of left and right plate-shaped axle holders 33 for supporting the axle 26 of the rear wheel WR are attached to the base frame 32.

  As described above, according to the saddle type fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention, the radiator is disposed below the seat on which the occupant is seated, and the reserve tank is placed on the seat so as to be within the width of the pair of left and right rear frames. Since it is arranged adjacent to each other and at least a part thereof is located above the cooling water channel, it is possible to arrange a large reserve tank while arranging the reserve tank above the cooling water channel. , The degree of freedom of body layout can be increased.

  The configuration of the cooling water channel of the cooling system, the shape and arrangement position of the reserve tank, the shape of the radiator and the loading platform, and the like are not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made. In the above embodiment, the cooling structure of the fuel cell has been described. However, it goes without saying that the cooling structure according to the present invention is applicable to an internal combustion engine or the like.

1 is a side view of a saddle type fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a top view of a saddle type fuel cell vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the fuel cell and its peripheral device from the vehicle body left rear. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a cooling system. It is the perspective view which looked at the saddle type fuel cell vehicle from the left rear.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Saddle type fuel cell vehicle (saddle type vehicle), 3 ... Head pipe, 8 ... Rear frame, 15 ... Seat, 17 ... Humidifier, 18 ... Fuel cell, 19 ... Electric pump, 20L, 20R ... Radiator, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Reserve tank, 22 ... Loading platform, 36 ... Standing part, 38 ... Opening part, 41 ... Hydrogen sensor, 42 ... Thermostat, 85 ... Secondary battery, 98 ... Distribution pipe

Claims (6)

A pair of left and right body frames that are connected at one end to the head pipe and extend downward and rearward and extend upward and rearward at the center of the vehicle body;
A radiator that dissipates the cooling water of the object to be cooled;
A cooling water passage for circulating the cooling water between the object to be cooled and the radiator;
In a straddle-type vehicle comprising a reserve tank connected to the cooling water channel,
The radiator is disposed below a seat on which an occupant is seated,
The reserve tank is disposed adjacent to the seat so as to be within the width of the pair of left and right body frames, and at least a part of the reserve tank is configured to be positioned above the cooling water channel. A straddle-type vehicle.   The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reserve tank has a shape that is longer in the vehicle width direction than in the vehicle body longitudinal direction. The object to be cooled is a fuel cell that generates power by a chemical reaction between a fuel gas and a reactive gas,
The fuel cell is provided below the seat,
The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radiator is disposed adjacent to the left and right in the vehicle width direction of the fuel cell. It is equipped with a loading platform for carrying luggage,
The reserve tank is provided on the rear side of the seat,
The straddle-type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the loading platform is disposed on a rear side of the reserve tank.   The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the loading platform is provided with an opening through which the reserve tank can be viewed from the outside.   The straddle-type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the straddle-type vehicle is a three-wheeled vehicle having two rear wheels.

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