Airport and vehicle

Abstract

An airport according to the present disclosure is an airport where a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes external supply means for supplying power to outside, and the airport includes power receiving equipment capable of receiving power from the vehicle via the external supply means. The present disclosure provides an airport capable of receiving power from a vehicle provided in the airport in the event of a power failure due to a disaster.

Claims

1. An airport in which a plurality of vehicles are provided, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles comprises: external supply means for supplying external power and are autonomous vehicles that can automatically travel, the airport comprises: a plurality of power receiving equipments capable of receiving power from the plurality of autonomous vehicles via the external supply means; and a vehicle controller that controls the plurality of autonomous vehicles to automatically travel and supply power to the nearest power receiving equipment based on power failure occurrence information; and wherein each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles includes a fuel cell, and each of the plurality of power receiving equipments includes a water storage tank configured to collect water generated in the fuel cell and store the water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an airport according to a first embodiment;

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which power is received from a fuel cell automobile 10 via a power receiving spot 30; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which power is received from a fuel cell automobile 10 via a power receiving spot 30 at an airport according to a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(4) Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. For the purpose of clear explanation, the following description and the drawings are appropriately simplified.

First Embodiment

(5) First, a configuration of an airport according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an airport according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the airport according to the first embodiment includes fuel cell (FC) automobiles 10, vehicle control means 20, and power receiving spots 30. In FIG. 1, the power receiving spots 30 are displayed in dots for easy understanding.

(6) The fuel cell automobiles 10 are vehicles provided in the airport. As will be described in detail later, the fuel cell automobile 10 includes a fuel cell and external supply means for supplying power generated by the fuel cell to the outside. The fuel cell automobile 10 can supply power to the power receiving spot 30 via the external supply means. The fuel cell automobile 10 can travel automatically, although it is not limited to this in particular.

(7) In the example of FIG. 1, the plurality of fuel cell automobiles 10 are provided in the airport. However, the fuel cell automobiles 10 may be a single automobile.

(8) Vehicle control means 20 controls the fuel cell automobiles 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, one vehicle control means 20 wirelessly communicates with the plurality of fuel cell automobiles 10 to control each fuel cell automobile 10. More specifically, the vehicle control means 20 controls the fuel cell automobiles 10 to automatically travel to the power receiving spots 30 based on power failure occurrence information of the airport. The vehicle control means 20 is provided, for example, in an airport control tower, although it is not limited to this.

(9) Note that the vehicle control means 20 is not essential when the fuel cell automobile 10 is not an automatic traveling vehicle. Further, each fuel cell automobile 10 may include the vehicle control means 20. That is, each fuel cell automobile 10 including the vehicle control means 20 may automatically travel to the power receiving spot 30 and supply power to the power receiving spot 30 based on the power failure occurrence information of the airport.

(10) The power receiving spot (power receiving equipment) 30 is power receiving equipment capable of receiving power from the fuel cell automobile 10 via the external supply means, and is provided in the airport. Thus, the airport according to this embodiment can receive power from the fuel cell automobiles 10 at the power receiving spot 30 even when a power failure occurs in the event of an occurrence of a disaster. The location of the power receiving spot 30 is not particularly limited as long as the fuel cell automobiles 10 can access it.

(11) In the example of FIG. 1, the plurality of power receiving spots 30 are provided in the airport. Thus, the vehicle control means 20 controls each fuel cell automobile 10 to automatically travel to the nearest power receiving spot 30 based on the power failure occurrence information. For example, when the vehicle control means receives the power failure occurrence information, the vehicle control means 20 searches for a route from each fuel cell automobile 10 to each power receiving spot 30, and selects the power receiving spot 30 nearest to (the shortest distance from) the target fuel cell automobile 10. The vehicle control means 20 transmits information about the route to the nearest power receiving spot 30 to the target fuel cell automobile 10.

(12) Each fuel cell automobile 10 automatically travels to the nearest power receiving spot 30 based on the received route information as indicated by the hollow arrow in FIG. 1. Thus, when a power failure occurs, power can be promptly received from the fuel cell automobile 10 at each power receiving spot 30.

(13) Note that the power receiving spot 30 may be a single spot.

(14) FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which power is received from the fuel cell automobile 10 via the power receiving spot 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell automobile 10 includes a fuel cell FC and can supply power to the outside. In the example of FIG. 2, the fuel cell automobile 10 includes a plug PL as the external supply means. For example, the plug PL is inserted into the power receiving spot 30.

(15) Although not shown, the plug PL is electrically connected to the fuel cell FC. The external supply means is not limited to the plug PL, and instead may be a component or the like that can be electrically connected to the power receiving spot 30.

(16) With this configuration, the plug PL is electrically connected to the power receiving spot 30, and power can be supplied from the fuel cell automobile 10 to the power receiving spot 30.

(17) The vehicle that supplies power to the power receiving spot 30 may be, for example, an electric vehicle including a secondary battery instead of the fuel cell automobile 10 including the fuel cell FC.

(18) As described above, the airport according to this embodiment includes the power receiving spot 30 capable of receiving power from the fuel cell automobile 10 including the external supply means via the external supply means. Thus, power can be received from the fuel cell automobile 10 provided in the airport in the event of a power failure due to a disaster.

(19) Further, since the fuel cell automobile 10 automatically travels to the power receiving spot 30 based on the power failure occurrence information, the airport according to this embodiment can promptly receive power when a power failure occurs.

(20) Furthermore, each of the plurality of fuel cell automobiles 10 automatically travels to the nearest power receiving spot 30, so that the airport according to this embodiment can receive power more promptly when a power failure occurs.

Second Embodiment

(21) Next, an airport according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which power is received from a fuel cell automobile 10 via a power receiving spot 30 at the airport according to the second embodiment.

(22) The fuel cell FC, which is mounted on the fuel cell automobile 10 and is, for example, a solid polymer electrolyte type fuel cell, includes a cell stack in which a number of unit cells are stacked. Each unit cell includes a Membrane/Electrode Assembly (MEA) in which a polymer electrolyte membrane is interposed between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode and a pair of separators between which the MEA is interposed.

(23) The fuel cell FC generates power through an oxidation-reduction reaction of oxygen gas in air supplied via the separator on the cathode side and hydrogen gas supplied via the separator on the anode side.

(24) Specifically, the oxidation reaction shown in Expression (1) occurs in the anode electrode, and the reduction reaction shown in Expression (2) occurs in the cathode electrode. Further, the chemical reaction shown in Expression (3) occurs in the entire fuel cell FC.
H.sub.2.fwdarw.2H.sup.++2e.sup.−  (1)
(½)O.sub.2+2H.sup.++2e.sup.−.fwdarw.H.sub.2O  (2)
H.sub.2+(½)O.sub.2.fwdarw.H.sub.2O  (3)

(25) Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, in the airport according to this embodiment, a water storage tank 31 for collecting water (generated water) generated in the fuel cell FC and storing the water is provided in the power receiving spot 30. The fuel cell automobile 10 includes a water tank WT for storing the generated water generated in the fuel cell FC.

(26) In the example of FIG. 3, the water storage tank 31 is provided underground, although it is not limited thereto. For example, a lid provided at the upper part of the water storage tank 31 is automatically opened and closed. For example, a plug provided at the bottom of the water tank WT is automatically opened and closed.

(27) At the power receiving spot 30, generated water stored in the water tank WT of the fuel cell automobile 10 can also be collected in the water storage tank 31 when power is received from the fuel cell automobile 10. In other words, the fuel cell automobile 10 can supply water from the water tank WT to the water storage tank 31 when supplying power to the power receiving spot 30. For example, when the fuel cell automobile 10 is electrically connected to the power receiving spot 30, the lid provided on the upper part of the water storage tank 31 is automatically opened, and the plug of the water tank WT is automatically opened to collect the generated water of the water tank WT in the water storage tank 31.

(28) In the airport according to this embodiment, the generated water can be collected and used while power is being received from the fuel cell automobile 10, for example, when a power failure and a water outage occur due to a disaster. For example, the collected water can be used by disaster victims waiting at airports as water for domestic use.

(29) Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

(30) From the disclosure thus described, it will be obvious that the embodiments of the disclosure may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended for inclusion within the scope of the following claims.