Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Showa Denko K.k.

Toshiaki Shimada

Yoshio Nuiya

Takahiro Kuriiwa

Yasuji Kawamata

Ryoji Takenawa

A pressure vessel arranging and integrating a plurality of vessel structures each including a cylindrical liner opened at both ends and a fiber reinforced resin layer covering the outer periphery of the peripheral wall of the liner. Dome-shaped communicating members bulging outward are fixed across both respective ends of the liners of the vessel structures, thereby making the interiors of these liners communicate with each other and closing the open ends of these liners. This pressure vessel can be installed with no wasted space, and also allows an increase in capacity.

Pressure vessel

A hydrogen supplying apparatus mounted on an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is driven by electricity generated at a fuel cell by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen stored in a hydrogen storage tank and oxygen. The hydrogen supplying apparatus includes: a hydrogen supply passage for supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell; a bypass passage arranged in parallel with the hydrogen supply passage and for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell; a purifier provided in the bypass passage, the purifier purifying hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a switch valve selectively switching the hydrogen supply passage and the bypass passage.

Hydrogen supplying apparatus for fuel cell

A hydrogen replenishing device is provided with a plurality of hydrogen storage devices which are provided with hydrogen absorbing alloys of which storage pressure are different, a reformer which supplies a hydrogen to the hydrogen storage device which is provided the hydrogen absorbing alloy of which has low storage pressure, paths for replenishing a hydrogen to the compressed hydrogen tank which serves for the hydrogen absorbing alloy which has high storage pressure to absorb the highly compressed hydrogen via the path for replenishing the hydrogen storage devices, and valves which are disposed in the paths. By doing this, it is possible to reduce an installation space for the hydrogen replenishing device which can reduce a consumed energy.

Method for replenishing hydrogen to compressed hydrogen tank and hydrogen replenishing device

In a hydrogen concentration detecting method of detecting whether the hydrogen concentration is equal to or higher than a reference concentration; using a hydrogen detecting apparatuscomprising a detecting elementmade of a hydrogen absorbing alloy, a microheater, a substrate, and a strain gauge, where the operation of the microheateris halted during a normal state; however, once the strain gaugedetects a volume change of the detecting element, the microheaterstarts heating the detecting element

Method of detecting a hydrogen concentration and apparatus for detecting hydrogen

A fuel cell hydrogen recovery system comprises a primary hydrogen absorbing tank adapted for storing hydrogen discharged from a fuel cell and a secondary hydrogen absorbing tank adapted for storing part of hydrogen that is supplied to the fuel cell. The primary hydrogen absorbing tank and the secondary hydrogen absorbing tank are provided so that heat can be exchanged therebetween. Part of hydrogen that is supplied to the fuel cell is supplied to the secondary hydrogen absorbing tank, so that the primary hydrogen absorbing tank is heated by hydrogen absorbing heat generated when hydrogen is absorbed therein, whereby hydrogen absorbed in the primary hydrogen absorbing tank can be re-supplied to the fuel cell.

Fuel cell hydrogen recovery system

A hydrogen sensorincludes detection elementsA,B,C formed from hydrogen-absorbing alloys which exhibit different hydrogen-absorbing pressures at a given temperature; a strain gaugewhich detects changes in volume upon absorbing of hydrogen by the detection elementsA,B,C; a micro-heaterwhich controls the temperatures of all the detection elementsA,B,C to approximate equal values; and a substrate

Hydrogen sensor

A boil-off gas processing system for reliably burning a boil-off gas. The system processes a boil-off gas produced from a liquid hydrogen tank which is built in a hydrogen fueled vehicle. The system includes a mixing device for introducing air into a discharge passage through which the boil-off gas from the liquid hydrogen tank passes and for mixing the air and the boil-off gas and outputting a mixed gas; a catalytic combustor for burning the mixed gas which was mixed by the mixing device, the catalytic combustor having an inlet through which the mixed gas is introduced and an outlet for discharging combustion gas; an electric heater provided at the inlet side of the catalytic combustor; and a control section for controlling energizing of the electric heater.

Boil-off gas processing system using electric heater

A hydrogen-occlusion alloy regenerating apparatus includes a deterioration detecting means for detecting that a hydrogen-occlusion alloy capable of occluding hydrogen in a reformed gas produced by a reformer and of releasing the hydrogen has been deteriorated due to the deposition of impurities in the reformed gas, and a regenerating section for regenerating the deteriorated hydrogen-occlusion alloy based on a detection signal from the deterioration detecting means.

Hydrogen-occlusion alloy regenerating apparatus

The present invention is to provide a hydrogen supply device having a simple constitution which can be made small and light. In the present invention, a hydrogen occlusion tank is provided in a duct. A heat exchange tube is provided upstream from the hydrogen occlusion tank inside the duct. A first fan leads outside air into the duct, and cooling water, which has cooled a fuel cell, is led into the heat exchange tube. A hydrogen occluding alloy is accommodated in the hydrogen occlusion tank, and hydrogen released from the hydrogen occluding alloy is supplied via hydrogen supply pipes and a flow control valve to the fuel cell. Outside air passes through the heat exchange tube and is thereby heated; the heated outside air passes around the perimeter of the hydrogen occlusion tank, thereby heating the hydrogen occlusion tank.

Hydrogen supply device

A hydrogen supplying device for a fuel cell includes a hydrogen occlusion tank in which a hydrogen occlusion alloy is contained, the hydrogen occlusion alloy being capable of occluding and discharging hydrogen which is used as fuel for a fuel cell; a hydrogen tank in which hydrogen to be supplied to the fuel cell can be stored in a compressed state; a heating unit which supplies heat to the hydrogen occlusion tank; a hydrogen supply line through which a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and a flow of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank can be merged to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a flow rate controlling device which controls a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen occlusion tank and/or a flow rate of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank.

Hydrogen supplying device for fuel cell

In a fuel cell system in which electricity is generated by a fuel cell supplied with the hydrogen gas created from a reforming reaction and the electricity is supplied to an external load , an electric buffer CAPA for storing surplus electricity or supplementing insufficient electricity is located between the fuel cell and the external load , and a hydrogen buffer MHB for accommodating surplus hydrogen gas and supplementing insufficient hydrogen gas is located between a reforming device and the fuel cell. Where electricity consumption in the load increases abruptly, necessary electricity is supplied with the assistance of the electric buffer CAPA and hydrogen buffer HMB.

Fuel cell system and method for operating the same

A hydrogen storage apparatus M stores a liquid hydrogen tank , hydrogen filling passage that fills liquid hydrogen in to the liquid hydrogen tank, a degassing passage provided with a relief valve V that opens when the pressure of hydrogen gasified in the liquid hydrogen tank reaches a predetermined level, and a hydrogen occlusive tank that accommodates a hydrogen occlusive alloy for storing the gasified hydrogen. When liquid hydrogen is being filled into the liquid hydrogen tank , the pressure in the hydrogen occlusive tank is lowered using a duct , a cooling fan , and a conduit for cooling the hydrogen occlusive tank . Accordingly, the filling time is shortened and the fuel efficiency is improved.

Hydrogen storage apparatus

In order to achieve optimal weight and volume of a hydrogen storage apparatus, there is provided a method of charging hydrogen to a hydrogen storage apparatus. The hydrogen storage apparatus includes a hydrogen storage means accommodating a hydrogen occlusive alloy (MH tank assembly) and a hydrogen tank (high-pressure hydrogen tank) that is provided separately from the hydrogen storage means and stores hydrogen in gaseous form. Hydrogen is filled so that a pressure in the hydrogen tank is higher than that in the hydrogen storage means. A decompressing means (charger regulator) is provided for reducing a pressure of hydrogen fed to the hydrogen storage apparatus to maintain the pressure in a predetermined pressure range. The hydrogen storage apparatus may include more than one of the hydrogen occlusive alloy tank (MH tank)

Hydrogen storage apparatus and charging method therefor

The object of the invention is to provide a high performance metal hydride tank apparatus, which is capable of discharging the hydrogen gas stored in the metal hydride in the tank from throughout the metal hydride efficiently and rapidly. In the process of the hydrogen gas discharge, the metal hydride contained near the inner circumferential surface of the tank absorbs the heats by the temperature raised tank and starts discharging the hydrogen gas. The discharged hydrogen gas absorbs the heat from the inner circumferential wall efficiently, flowing along the inner circumferential wall rapidly guided by the cylinder-like baffle. Further, the discharged hydrogen gas flows through the hydrogen gas flow channel, which is formed into sections by the cylinder-like baffle in the tank, and travels throughout the metal hydride, thus heating up the metal hydride rapidly and discharging the hydrogen gas efficiently from throughout the alloy.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Toshiaki Shimada