Sony Corporation

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Kazuaki Fukushima

Jusuke Shimura

Koichiro Hinokuma

Masafumi Ata

Shuji Goto

Yongming Li

Bjoern Pietzak

Constance Gertrud Rost

Kazuhiro Noda

Atsushi Sato

Shuichi Takizawa

Yoshiaki Inoue

Atsushi Nishimoto

Yuto Takagi

Takuro Hirakimoto

Sayaka Nanjo

Tetsuro Kusamoto

Tadahiko Kubota

Kazumasa Takeshi

Kenji Kishimoto

A battery includes a positive electrode containing sulfur, a negative electrode containing a material for occluding and releasing a lithium ion, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution contains at least one of a liquid complex and a liquid salt in which a polysulfide is insoluble or almost insoluble, and a solvent in which a polysulfide is soluble. The electrolytic solution has a LiSsaturation sulfur concentration of 10 mM or more and 400 mM or less.

Electrolytic solution, battery, battery pack, electronic device, electric vehicle, electricity storage device and electric power system

An ion-conducting composite electrolyte membrane with strength improved without impairing ionic conductivity, and a fuel cell using the same are provided. The proton conductive composite electrolyte membrane includes an electrolyte which includes an ion-dissociating functional group and is made of a fullerene derivative or sulfonated pitch within a range of 5 wt % to 85 wt % both inclusive, and a binder which has a weight-average molecular weight of 550000 or over and a logarithmic viscosity of 2 dL/g or over, and is made of a fluorine-based polymer such as polyvinylidene fluoride and a copolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene within a range of 15 wt % to 95 wt % both inclusive.

Ion-conducting composite electrolyte membrane and fuel cell using the same

A fuel cartridge with which liquid leakage through an air induction hole from a fuel tank is able to be prevented and safety is able to be improved is provided. Switching drive for opening and closing an air induction holeis performed by a valvecapable of controlling the switching drive according to a control signal. Thereby, air introduction to a fuel tankcontaining a fuel is able to be controlled. Thus, for example, at the time of high temperature or fuel disorder, by closing the air induction holeby the valve, fuel leakage from the fuel tank through the air induction hole of an existing check valve is able to be prevented, and safety is able to be improved.

Fuel cartridge, fuel cell, and power generation method

A fuel cell capable of being thinned while maintaining a stable electric power supply is provided. A fuel cell includes a power generation section, a fuel tank, a fuel supply section (pump), and a fuel vaporization section. The power generation section has a structure in which a combined body is sandwiched between a cell plate and a cell plate. The combined body has a structure in which an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are oppositely arranged with an electrolyte film in between. In particular, the fuel supply section and the fuel vaporization section are integrally provided, and are connected by a nozzle section buried therein. A fuel contained in the fuel tank is pumped by the fuel supply section according to the state of the power generation section, and then is vaporized by the fuel vaporization section, and is supplied to the power generation section side.

Fuel cell and electronic device

A fuel cell is provided that prevents destabilization of power generation due to heat generated in an electrochemical device portion. In a fuel cell having a membrane-electrode assembly which performs power generation by chemical reaction, a membrane-electrode assembly is disposed with a space from another membrane-electrode assembly or two membrane-electrode assemblies are provided adjacent to each other so that the pair is disposed with a space from another membrane-electrode assembly or another pair, and one of the main surfaces of a membrane-electrode assembly is in contact with outside air. Conductive plates are disposed in contact with the membrane-electrode assembly in order to exchange a current generated in the membrane-electrode assembly with the outside, and radiation fins are provided on the conductive plate on the main surface side in contact with outside air so that the conductive plate serves as a radiation member.

Fuel cell having enhanced heat dissipation

An electrochemical device capable of improving arrangement efficiency of bonded bodies and securing favorable sealing characteristics is provided. An electrolyte membranehas a reaction regionA sandwiched between a fuel electrodeand an oxygen electrodeand a peripheral regionB exposed from between the fuel electrodeand the oxygen electrode. A connection memberhas a bent sectionbetween two flat sectionsand. Since an adhesive layeris provided in the peripheral sectionB of the electrolyte membrane, and the bent sectionof the connection memberis bonded to the adhesive layer, arrangement efficiency of a bonded bodyis improved, and favorable sealing characteristics are secured. The adhesive layerhas a structure in which a first contact layer having high adhesion to the electrolyte membrane, a barrier layer, a strength retention layer, and a second contact layer having high adhesion to the connection memberare sequentially laminated. Since a connection-member-side adhesive layer is provided on the bent sectionof the connection member, adhesion strength can be further improved.

Electrochemical device comprising linked bonded bodies

A liquid tank and a tubular structure for liquid tank capable of suctioning an internal liquid to the last drop even when the tank is tilted to any angle are provided. The tubular structurehas a duct lineextending from a specific positionA in the tank bodyin a direction toward apexes, sides, or faces of the tank body. Ends of the duct lineare contacted with the apexes, the sides, or the faces of the tank body, and have a liquid inletB. Since the inletB is limited to the ends of the duct line, flow of the liquid in the tank bodyhas a certain directivity that the liquid enters through only the inletB into the duct line, is transported to the specific positionA, and is suctioned outside. In the tubular structure, an inner structurehaving voids thorough which the liquid passes such as a porous body is provided. The voids have an average pore diameter with which the liquid is able to be suctioned by capillary force from the inletB to the specific positionA, and thereby increase of flow path resistance is suppressed.

Liquid tank, tubular structure for liquid tank, fuel cell, and electronic device

Disclosed herein are an ion-dissociative functional compound, a method for production thereof, an ionic conductor, and an electrochemical device, the ion-dissociative functional compound being thermally and chemically stable under the condition required of fuel cells and being suitable for use as a material such as protonic conductor in fuel cells. The proton-dissociative functional compound shown in FIG.A is composed of a fullerene Cmolecule and about 10 sulfonic acid groups &#x2014;SOH as proton-dissociative groups each attached to the fullerene through a difluoromethane group &#x2014;CF&#x2014;. The proton-dissociative functional compound shown in FIG.B is composed of fullerene molecules three-dimensionally connected to each other through a linking group &#x2014;CFSONHSOCF&#x2014;. It contains, as the proton-dissociative group, sulfoneimide groups &#x2014;SONHSO&#x2014; and sulfoneamide groups &#x2014;SOHin addition to sulfonic acid groups. These compounds are prepared by introduction of difluoro(fluorosulfonyl)methyl groups into fullerene molecules, and ensuing imidization and hydrolysis.

Ion-dissociative functional compound, method for production thereof, ionic conductor, and electrochemical device

A fuel cartridge is provided. The fuel cartridge capable of reliably suppressing fuel leakage and realizing improved safety. The fuel cartridge includes a cartridge body having a fuel supply port, and a seal member for directly closing the fuel supply port. The cartridge body has an atmosphere communication port, and the seal member directly closes the fuel supply port and the atmosphere communication port.

Fuel cartridge

A mixture, cation conductor and electrochemical device using same are provided. The mixture and a cation conductor, in which cations can be moved without humidification even in a range of temperatures less than or equal to the boiling point of water, or an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell using them. A fuel electrode and an oxygen electrode, which are oppositely arranged with an electrolyte film in between, is provided. The electrolyte film contains a first compound formed of an imidazole derivative containing N having an unshared electron pair and a second compound of at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds having structures shown below.

Mixture, cation conductor and electrochemical device using those

Disclosed herein are an ionic conductor including a proton conductor, a process for production thereof, and an electrochemical device (such as fuel cell) with said ionic conductor, said ionic conductor being superior in ionic conductivity, water resistance, and film forming properties. The ionic conductor is formed from a polymer in which carbon clusters having ion dissociating functional groups are bonded to each other through connecting groups. The polymer is less water-soluble and more chemically stable than a derivative composed solely of carbon clusters; therefore, it permits many ion dissociating functional group to be introduced thereinto. Moreover, if ion dissociating functional groups are introduced into also the connecting group, it is possible to prevent the concentration of ion dissociating functional groups from decreasing as the result of polymerization. The polymer can be easily synthesized by simple condensation, substitution, and hydrolysis. Therefore, the process is suitable for mass production in high yields.

Ionic conductor, process for production thereof, and electrochemical device

An ionic conductor, such as a proton conductor, a process for production thereof, and an electrochemical device, such as fuel cell, that includes the ionic conductor is provided. The ionic conductor of the present invention is formed from a polymer in which carbon clusters having ion dissociating functional groups are bonded to each other through connecting groups which can also include one or more ion dissociating functional groups. In this regard, the polymer is less water-soluble and more chemically stable than a derivative composed solely of carbon clusters, thus displaying enhanced ionic conduction properties.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Kazuaki Fukushima