This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-238636 filed on Dec. 13, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including the specification, drawings and abstract.

The disclosure relates to an air cleaner for a fuel cell vehicle, the air cleaner being provided in an intake system for supplying air to a fuel cell stack.

A fuel cell stack provided in a fuel cell vehicle is generally formed such that a plurality of cells in each of which an electrode assembly is sandwiched between separators is laminated. The electrode assembly is configured such that a hydrogen electrode catalyst and an oxygen electrode catalyst are applied to the opposite surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively. However, when a catalyst using noble metals such as platinum makes contact with impurities such as dust, PM2.5 (minute particulate matter), and a molecular harmful chemical substance in air, its activity decreases. Therefore, when the air to be used as a cathode gas is supplied to the fuel cell stack without removing the impurities, the activity of the catalyst decreases. This causes such a possibility that an electrochemical reaction becomes weak and an output decreases (a power generation voltage decreases).