Inergy Automotive Systems Research (societe Anonyme)

Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation and Research

Jean-Francois Berard

Bjorn Criel

Joel Op De Beeck

Paul Wouters

Eric Deparis

Bernard Gautherin

Damien Boquel

It is an object of the invention is a fuel cell system architecture provides a good weight distribution, improved trunk space without reducing the security against front-end and rear end collision. The above objective is accomplished by a fuel cell vehicle comprising:&#x2014;A rear vessel for hydrogen gas located in the rear part of the vehicle,&#x2014;A front vessel for hydrogen gas located in the front part of the vehicle,&#x2014;A hydrogen dosing unit,&#x2014;A hydrogen control unit connected to the hydrogen dosing unit, to the rear vessel and to the front vessel, the hydrogen control unit being provided with first means for equalizing the pressure between the first rear vessel and the front vessel, the hydrogen control unit being provided with second means for transferring hydrogen at a predetermined pressure level to the hydrogen dosing unit from the two vessels,&#x2014;An air supply,&#x2014;A fuel cell connected to the hydrogen dosing unit and the air supply, the air supply being provided with means for providing the fuel cell with air, the hydrogen dosing unit providing the fuel cell with hydrogen,&#x2014;A battery,&#x2014;A DC/DC-converter,&#x2014;The fuel cell being connected to the battery so as to provide the battery with energy, the battery and the DC/DC-converter being interconnected so as to exchange energy, the fuel cell and the battery, being located at the bottom of the vehicle.

Fuel cell architecture

A method of controlling pressure of a fuel system of a hybrid vehicle including an engine fed with fuel stored in a tank made of plastics material, and an electric motor, the method including, when the engine is stopped, relaxing pressure inside the fuel tank in full or in part after a given safety duration and as a function of at least one stress accumulation parameter, each stress accumulation parameter being associated with an element of the fuel system and being defined by information concerning temperature, information concerning exposure duration, and information concerning a level of stress on the element.

Method of controlling the pressure of a fuel system of a hybrid vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Boulogne Billancourt, France

Jean-Francois Berard