Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Societe Bic & Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Panasonic Holdings Corporation

Intelligent Energy Inc.

Goro Fujita

Takashi Yasuo

Tetsuji Omura

Hiroki Kabumoto

Shinichiro Imura

Takeshi Minamiura

Shingo Kume

Mitsutoshi Tajima

Shota Norimine

Kenji Kibune

Katsunori Yanagida

Hiroshi Kurokawa

Keisuke Shimizu

Paul Sobejko

Kouhei Tsuzuki

Masahiro Makino

Yoshitaka Minamida

Takeshi Nagao

David Lo

Erin Cooney

James Sawada

Robert J Porter

Alexey Demykin

Masaya Yano

A power storage module includes at least one power storage device, and a buffer member arranged with the power storage device in a first direction X. The buffer member includes a hard part having a predetermined hardness and a soft part softer than the hard part, the hard part and the soft part receiving a load in first direction X from the power storage device. The hard part changes its shape by receiving a load of a predetermined magnitude or more. The buffer member changes its state, by the hard part changing its shape, from a first state in which the load is received by the hard part to a second state in which the load is received by the soft part.

Buffer member and power storage module

An electrical storage module includes at least one electrical storage device, and a buffer member that is arrayed in first direction X together with the electrical storage device and receives a load in first direction X from the electrical storage device. The buffer member has a soft part and a hard part, which is positioned closer to an outer edge part of the buffer member than the soft part, and the soft part is more easily deformed than the hard part.

Buffer member and electrical storage module

Battery pack () having a substantially sealed structure includes a plurality of cells (-) each having an opened portion provided in order to discharge an internal gas when an internal pressure rises. Non-resettable pressure switch () that is connected to controller () by a signal line. The pressure switch changes irreversibly from a significant state to a non-significant state when a pressure in battery pack () is greater than a predetermined pressure threshold value.

Battery pack and power supply system

An advantage of the present invention is to suppress an increase in resistance during high-rate charge and discharge and a reduction in capacity during a charge and discharge cycle. An electrical storage module of the present embodiment includes: an electrical storage device, and an elastic body that is placed with the electrical storage device and receives a load from the electrical storage device in a placement direction. The electrical storage device includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The negative electrode includes a negative-electrode active material layer. The negative-electrode active material layer includes a first layer formed on the negative-electrode current collector, and a second layer that is formed on the first layer and has a higher compression modulus than the first layer. The separator has a lower compression modulus than the first layer, and the elastic body has a lower compression modulus than the separator.

Electrical storage device and electrical storage module

A bus bar includes a first joint that is joined to an output terminal of a first battery, a second joint that is joined to an output terminal of a second battery, a heat absorber that is disposed between the first joint and the second joint and has a heat capacity larger than heat capacities of the first joint and the second joint, and a displacement absorber that is disposed between the first joint and the second joint and deforms in response to a relative displacement of the first battery and the second battery.

Bus bar and battery stack

A bus bar includes a first heat absorber that is joined to an output terminal of a first battery, a second heat absorber that is joined to an output terminal of a second battery, and a main body that electrically connects the first heat absorber to the second heat absorber. The first heat absorber and the second heat absorber have a heat capacity larger than a heat capacity of the main body. The main body has a first connecting part that is electrically connected to the first heat absorber, a second connecting part that is electrically connected to the second heat absorber, and a displacement absorber that is disposed between the first connecting part and the second connecting part and deforms in response to a relative displacement of the first battery and the second battery.

Busbar and battery stack

A terminal connection structure includes: an output terminal protruding from a surface of an exterior can of a battery and having an inclined surface, in a state that battery and a connection object are aligned, the inclined surface being inclined so as to be away from or close to the surface toward the connection object; and a bus bar having connection surface parallel to the inclined surface on one end side, surface contact between the connection surface and the inclined surface causing the one end side to be electrically connected to the output terminal, another end side being electrically connected to the connection object.

Terminal connection structure, battery stack body, and method for forming terminal connection structure

An electrolyte membraneconstituting a membrane electrode assembly includes thick portionshaving a relatively large thickness. The thick portionshave a strip shape and are disposed at a predetermined distance from each other along the electric conduction direction. The thick portionsextend from one side Lof the electrolyte membraneextending in a direction perpendicular to the electric conduction direction to the other side Lof the electrolyte membraneextending in the direction perpendicular to the electric conduction direction. The thick portionshave a convex shape with respect to the anode side surface and the cathode side surface of the electrolyte membrane

Fuel cell

Methods, systems, and articles relating to enhanced bonding of layers in a planar fuel cell. A planar fuel cell having a composite layer is bonded to an outer layer (e.g., a fuel or fluid manifold) using intrusions that extend through an electrolyte layer and into an underlying layer (e.g., a substrate component or a current-collector component).

Enhanced bonding in fuel cells

MEAs are formed in regions corresponding to openings provided in a substrate. Each MEA includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer. The substrate has a first gas-impermeable region and a second gas-impermeable region between adjacent MEAs. A third gas-impermeable region is provided between the first gas-impermeable region and the second gas-impermeable region. The third gas-impermeable region having conductive property constitutes a part of interconnector.

Fuel cell layer

Provided is a technology where a voltage capable of driving a mobile device, to which a power supply apparatus is connected, is automatically detected. The power supply apparatus, for supplying power to the device connected, includes a power supply, a voltage conversion unit which varies a voltage inputted from the power supply to a predetermined voltage and outputs the varied voltage to the device, an ammeter which measures an output current value of the power supply apparatus, and a control unit which controls the voltage varied by the voltage conversion unit. The control unit boosts the voltage outputted from the power supply in stages and detects, by detecting a change in the output current value, that the output voltage of the power supply apparatus boosted by the voltage conversion unit has reached a voltage capable of driving the device.

Power supply apparatus

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell provided with an anode and a cathode, a first container for storing a liquid fuel to be supplied to the anode, a second container provided in the first container to contain liquid and gas, a joint which is provided in the first container and discharges the liquid fuel outside the first container, an outlet pipe connecting the joint to the second container, and a remaining indicator window provided to make the interior of the outlet pipe is viewable. Further, an alert color is applied to an area that becomes viewable when the gas is flowing through the outlet pipe, the color being applied on the area opposite to the remaining indicator window across the outlet pipe.

Liquid tank and fuel cell system with fuel monitoring

Corrosion of a metal portion such as a pipe connected to a fuel cell stack is suppressed. The fuel cell stack has a plurality of single cells which generate electrical power using an aqueous methanol solution and air and are stacked in a vertical direction. An inlet of a fuel supply manifold for distributing the aqueous methanol solution to each cell and an outlet of a fuel discharge manifold for collecting the fuel discharged from the single cells are provided in a common conductive end plate. Hence, when the discharge fuel discharged from the fuel cell stack is circulated and resupplied to the stack, the potential of the discharged fuel becomes equal to that of the liquid fuel to be supplied to the stack, whereby the corrosion of the metal portion such as a pipe, a tank, a pump, or a heat exchanger is suppressed.

Fuel cell stack

A fuel cell power generation system which adjusts the amount of fuel, in a fuel cell power generation apparatus, into a predefined range is provided. A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell power generation apparatus, a control means which has the fuel cell power generation apparatus output a preset electric power value, and a power supply unit which charges and supplies an electric power to an external. The control means changes the electric power value outputted from the fuel cell power generation apparatus, based on the status of liquid fuel detected by a fuel state detecting means.

Fuel cell system, fuel cell power generation apparatus and method therefor

There is disclosed a power source system capable of lengthening life and realizing a highly efficient operation while meeting user's needs. The power source system includes a fuel cell which generates power by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidizing agent, and a secondary battery which is charged and discharged, wherein the secondary battery is charged by the fuel cell, and the power is taken from the secondary battery. The power source system further comprises a charge control unit which charges the secondary battery with the power generated by the fuel cell, and this charge control unit has a function of switching a mode to charge the secondary battery by the fuel cell in accordance with a frequency with which the power is taken from the secondary battery.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Goro Fujita