Hydrogen manufacturing and supplying apparatus and electric motorcar

A hydrogen generator supplier that feeds a supply of hydrogen to an electric vehicle, said electric vehicle having a fuel storage unit, which enables storage of gaseous hydrogen, and fuel cells, which use the stored gaseous hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon, said hydrogen generator supplier comprising:

• a reformer that reforms a crude fuel to produce a hydrogen rich gas;
• a hydrogen purifier that separates gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen rich gas produced by said reformer;
• a hydrogen storage unit that stores the gaseous hydrogen separated by said hydrogen purifier;
• a hydrogen supply unit that feeds the gaseous hydrogen stored in said hydrogen storage unit to said fuel storage unit;
• a hydrogen load detection unit that measures a quantity of the gaseous hydrogen stored in said hydrogen storage unit;
• and
• a hydrogen load regulation unit that controls operations of said reformer and said hydrogen purifier based on the quantity of hydrogen observed by said hydrogen load detection unit and regulates the quantity of hydrogen stored in said hydrogen storage unit to a predetermined level.

A hydrogen generator supplier that feeds a supply of hydrogen to an electric vehicle, said electric vehicle having a fuel storage unit, which enables storage of gaseous hydrogen, and fuel cells, which use the stored gaseous hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon, said hydrogen generator supplier comprising:

• a reformer that reforms a crude fuel to produce a hydrogen rich gas;
• a hydrogen purifier that separates gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen rich gas produced by said reformer:
• a hydrogen supply unit that feeds the gaseous hydrogen separated by said hydrogen purifier to said fuel storage unit;
• an input unit that inputs information relating to a remaining quantity of hydrogen in said fuel storage unit mounted on said electric vehicle;
• and
• a hydrogen supply regulation unit that controls operations of said reformer and said hydrogen purifier based on the information relating to the remaining quantity of hydrogen input by said input unit, in order to produce a predetermined quantity of hydrogen, and supplies the predetermined quantity of hydrogen to said fuel storage unit via said hydrogen supply unit.

An electric vehicle with fuel cells, which use hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon, wherein electric power obtained from said fuel cells is utilized for a driving force of said electric vehicle, said electric vehicle comprising:

• a fuel storage unit that comprises a hydrogen storage alloy, in which hydrogen is absorbed and thereby stored as the gaseous fuel;
• a fluid heating unit that heats a predetermined fluid with heat evolved in said fuel storage unit in the course of absorption of hydrogen into the hydrogen storage alloy when a supply of hydrogen is fed to said fuel storage unit;
• and
• a heat release unit that leads the fluid heated by said fluid heating unit to outside of said electric vehicle.

An electric vehicle with fuel cells, which use hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon, wherein electric power obtained from said fuel cells is utilized for a driving force of said electric vehicle, said electric vehicle comprising:

• a fuel storage unit that stores hydrogen as the gaseous fuel;
• a remaining hydrogen quantity detection unit that measures a remaining quantity of hydrogen in said fuel storage unit;
• and
• a remaining hydrogen quantity transmission unit that transmits information relating to the remaining quantity of hydrogen observed by said remaining hydrogen quantity detection unit to a preset hydrogen supplier, which feeds a supply of hydrogen to said fuel storage unit.

An electric vehicle system comprising an electric vehicle and a hydrogen generator supplier, said electric vehicle having fuel cells, which use hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon and utilizing electric power obtained from said fuel cells for a driving force of said electric vehicle, said hydrogen generator supplier reforming a crude fuel to produce gaseous hydrogen and feeding the gaseous hydrogen as the gaseous fuel to said electric vehicle,

• wherein said electric vehicle comprises:
• a fuel storage unit that comprises a hydrogen storage alloy, in which hydrogen is absorbed and thereby stored as the gaseous fuel;
• and
• a heat discharge unit that discharges heat, which is evolved in said fuel storage unit in the course of absorption of hydrogen into the hydrogen storage alloy when a supply of hydrogen is fed to said fuel storage unit, to outside of said electric vehicle via a specific fluid, and
• wherein said hydrogen generator supplier comprises:
• a reformer that reforms the crude fuel by taking advantage of the heat discharged via the specific fluid by said heat discharge unit of said electric vehicle when a supply of hydrogen is fed from said hydrogen generator supplier to said electric vehicle.

A hydrogen generator supplier that feeds a supply of hydrogen to an electric vehicle, said electric vehicle having a fuel storage unit, which enables storage of gaseous hydrogen, and fuel cells, which use the stored gaseous hydrogen as a gaseous fuel, mounted thereon, said hydrogen generator supplier comprising:

• a reformer that reforms a crude fuel to produce a hydrogen rich gas;
• a hydrogen purifier that separates gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen rich gas produced by said reformer;
• and
• a hydrogen supply unit that feeds the gaseous hydrogen separated by said hydrogen purifier to said fuel storage unit,
• wherein said hydrogen generator supplier is constructed as a separate body from said electric vehicle.