Abstract: A fuel cell, which employs power generation units that have an electrolyte membrane and electrodes respectively disposed to either side of the electrolyte membrane, comprises a stack that includes a stacked plurality of the power generation units, a clamping member, and a shear elastic member. The clamping member is used for clamping the stack in the stacking direction. The shear elastic member is interposed between the clamping member and an end face of the stack in the stacking direction, and elastically deform in a shearing direction which lies orthogonal to the stacking direction.

Abstract: Inside a housing, there are provided a motor generator (MG), an IPM, and a smoothing capacitor. Between the MG and the IPM, there is provided a cooler through which a coolant liquid flows, provided in an inclined manner to form contact with the top face of the IPM. Between the MG and the smoothing capacitor, there are provided a first communication channel through which an LLC flows from a region outside the housing into the cooler, brought into contact with a lateral face of the smoothing capacitor, and a second communication channel through which the LLC flows from the interior of the cooler to the region outside the housing.

Abstract: A mounting structure for a vehicle driving apparatus includes a housing fixed to a vehicle body and including a first internal space and a second internal space formed below the first internal space in the state of being separated from the first internal space; a motor generator provided in the first internal space of the housing; an inverter provided in the second internal space of the housing; and a terminal electrically connecting the motor generator and the inverter. Oil used for cooling the motor generator is stored in the bottom of the first internal space. The portion in the terminal located in the first internal space is located above the highest liquid level of the oil stored in the first internal space.

Abstract: A vehicle drive mechanism includes a power transmission mechanism which has a rotary electric motor and a gear mechanism for transmitting mechanical power from the rotary electric motor to a drive shaft disposed coaxially with an output shaft of the rotary electric motor, and a control unit formed of a plurality of elements and controlling an operation of the rotary electric motor. At least one of the elements which constitute the control unit is disposed on a periphery of at least one of the rotary electric motor, the drive shaft, and the gear mechanism.

Abstract: Ribs (41a, 43a) are formed on a cathode plate (41) and an anode plate (43) of a fuel cell (10). The ribs (41a, 43a) protrude toward a contact surface of porous members (26, 27), and provided along an outer periphery of the porous members (26, 27) to surround the outer periphery of the porous members (26, 27). The rib (41a) of the cathode plate (41) and the rib (43a) of the anode plate (43) are arranged to face each other when separator (40) and the porous members (26, 27) are stacked on both sides of a power generating portion (20). The power generating portion (20), the porous members (26, 27), and the separator (40) are stacked such that a seal gasket (30) on the power generating portion (20) is partially sandwiched between the ribs (41a, 43a).

Abstract: A fuel cell including a separator (40), a porous body (27) through which reaction gas flows, and a power generating unit (20) having a built-in seal gasket, in which the porous body (27) has a prevention section (50) formed on its outer perimeter, the porosity of the prevention section (50) being lower than the porosity of the porous body (27).

Abstract: A fuel cell includes: two end plates that sandwich a cell stack from both ends thereof in a stacking direction; a side member that defines a distance between the two end plates; a connecting bolt that connects the end plates and the side member by a bolt axial force acting substantially in the stacking direction; and a stopper portion that is provided in at least one of the end plates, and that contacts a surface of the side member that extends in the stacking direction and that is located substantially opposite from the cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell has a plurality of constituent members that constitute the fuel cell. The constituent members have first positioning portions and a second positioning portion that is provided on an outer peripheral portion, which are used for positioning during stacking.

Abstract: In a seal gasket-integrated MEA (45) in which a frame (450) having a sealing part (459) is integrally formed around a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA section 451), a high-rigidity member (458) having higher rigidity than the frame (450) is provide around a frame (450) having relatively low rigidity.

Abstract: A housing case that houses a fuel cell is provided with mounts for fixing two ends of a lower surface of an end plate that retains stacked unit cells of the fuel cell, and a mount for fixing a central portion of a lower surface of another end plate. Using these three mounts, the fuel cell is fixed to the housing case.

Abstract: A fuel cell apparatus is formed by connecting four stacks via a supply/discharge box. A cooling water supply opening and a cooling water discharge opening are short-circuited by a cable so as to eliminate the electric potential difference therebetween. To avoid hindrance of gas flow due to water droplets, a drain port for discharging water droplets is provided near a fuel gas discharge opening of the supply/discharge box. Each stack is formed by clamping end plates disposed on opposite ends of stacked cells through the use of upper and lower tension plates. The thus-formed fuel cell apparatus is housed in an outer case that has a sealed construction for preventing penetration of foreign substances. Thus, the apparatus achieves a size reduction and an improvement in practicality.

Abstract: A mounting structure of a vehicle body and a fuel cell assembly installed on the vehicle body, wherein a fuel-cell stack is disposed in a front portion of the vehicle body such that the direction of lamination of fuel-cells of the stack is parallel to the lateral direction of the vehicle and such that the power output portion of the stack faces generally in the lateral direction. Terminals of electrodes of the stack partially extend outwardly of the stack, through openings formed through an end plate of the stack, and the terminals are connected through a flexible bus bar to a relay attached to the end plate.

Abstract: A housing case that houses a fuel cell is provided with mounts for fixing two ends of a lower surface of an end plate that retains stacked unit cells of the fuel cell, and a mount for fixing a central portion of a lower surface of another end plate. Using these three mounts, the fuel cell is fixed to the housing case.

Abstract: A drive unit includes an electric motor as a power source, and a simplified coolant circuit for cooling the electric motor. The drive unit further includes, in the drive unit case, a circulation passage L for coolant for cooling the motor M. A circulation passage F for a second coolant is provided separate from the circulation passage L for coolant. A heat exchange portion C within the circulation passage L for the first coolant is provided in the drive unit case for heat exchange with the second coolant in the circulation passage F, and the first coolant for cooling the electric motor is cooled by heat transfer to the second coolant in that heat exchange portion C. Accordingly, the coolant circuit in the drive unit case is simplified.

Abstract: A drive unit which uses an electric motor as a power source and has an integrated inverter, with a cooling circuit for the electric motor and the inverter. The drive unit includes a drive unit case, the electric motor housed within the case, and the inverter fixed to the case. A coolant flow passage is provided between the drive unit case and the inverter. The inverter is fixed to the drive unit case through a panel wall, and a partition divides the coolant flow passage into chambers which are coextensive in parallel. As a result, the coolant which flows through the coolant flow passage acts as a two-stage heat shield, barring the heat generated by the electric motor from being transmitted to the inverter.

Abstract: In a drive unit for a hybrid vehicle, a generator-motor is arranged on a first axis and a drive motor is arranged on a second axis in parallel with the first axis. A drive unit casing houses the generator-motor, the drive motor, an inverter unit for the generator-motor and the drive motor and a smoothing condenser for smoothing power source voltage of the inverter unit. The inverter unit is attached to the drive unit casing and is diametrically disposed relative to the generator-motor and the drive motor. The smoothing condenser is attached to the inside of the drive unit casing from which an end portion thereof projects. The inverter unit can be attached to the drive unit casing as a subassembly. By the invention, the drive unit can be made more compact, and the wiring can be simplified.

Abstract: A current instruct value generating section including a motor speed range determining unit for detecting a locked state of a motor; a time calculating unit for, if the locked state of the motor is detected, calculating a time required for the transistor junction temperature to reach a preset upper limit; a timer unit for setting the timer to the calculated time and counting the set time; and a current limiting unit for limiting the current instruct value when the timer times out. When the locked state of the motor is detected, the time calculating unit calculates a time required for the transistor junction temperature to reach the upper limit. When the timer counts up that time, the current limiting unit limits the current instruct value, thereby preventing concentration of excessively large loads on the transistors even when the motor is locked while the motor is being supplied with phase current.

Abstract: A motor drive device including a substrate, a control unit packaged over the substrate for generating a pulse width modulation signal; insulation means packaged over the substrate, a gate drive circuit packaged over the substrate and connected through the insulation means with the control unit for generating a transistor drive signal in response to the pulse width modulation signal coming from the control unit, and an inverter including a plurality of transistors for generating a phase current by turning ON/OFF the transistors in response to the transistor drive signal coming from the gate driver circuit. A wiring pattern and a substrate ground are formed at the side of the substrate closer to the control unit. Only the wiring pattern is formed at the side of the substrate closer to the gate drive circuit.

Abstract: An abnormality detecting system, for detecting an abnormality in a rotor position detector for detecting a magnetic pole position of a motor, includes a speed calculator for calculating the speed of the motor, and an abnormality detector for detecting an abnormality in the rotor position detector. A method for detecting an abnormality in rotor position includes calculating a instantaneous speed and average speed of the motor, judging whether or not the absolute value of a difference between the instantaneous speed and the average speed is greater than a set value, and, when it has been judged that the absolute value of the difference therebetween is greater than the set value, detecting an abnormality in the rotor position detecting means. A motor control system includes the rotor position detector, torque instruction value detector, a PWM signal control device, an inverter, the speed calculator, the abnormality detector, and a PW signal interrupter.

Abstract: A motor control system for an electric car includes a detector for determining when an input voltage or an output voltage of a DC power circuit falls below a respective predetermined value to operate a switching signal stopper circuit which interrupts or prevents the application of pulse width modulated (PWM) signals to current control elements switching DC currents to generate three-phase AC currents in coils of the motor. The detection of an abnormal drop in the input voltage or the output voltage indicates a malfunction causing excessive currents which could burn out the control elements and/or the power circuit in the absence of prompt interruption of the PWM switching signals.