Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Ministry of International Trade & Industry

Director General Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Kashima-kita, Electric Power Corporation

Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Ebara Corporation

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology Ministry of International

Japan Metals & Chemical Co. Inc.

Ken Nozaki

Hiroko Kaneko

Akira Negishi

Takeo Ozawa

Hiroshi Gotoh

Masato Nakajima

Ikuo Nagashima

Takitaro Morikawa

Kanji Sato

Takashi Shimanuki

Koichi Oku

Yuichi Akai

Jun Fukui

Toru Kato

Izumi Tsuda

Hirotake Kamei

Yoshinori Koga

Masatsugu Amano

Ichiro Nakahara

Kenji Sato

Ken Kato

Osamu Hamamoto

Keiiti Watanabe

Kosuke Kurokawa

In a reforming method for a high temperature type fuel cell in which dimethyl ether is used as fuel gas, and a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by reacting dimethyl ether with carbon dioxide is fed into the anode, the carbon deposition at the time of reforming is prevented. The feeding amounts of dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide from a pipe hinto the reforming reactor are regulated in such a way that the relation between temperature inside the reforming reactor and the molar ratio of carbon dioxide to dimethyl ether in the reforming reactor falls within the region C.

Reforming apparatus for fuel cell, fuel cell and operation method of fuel cell

A process for producing a carbon sensor for measuring a composition, includes (a) providing first and second carbon electrodes each comprised of a bundle of linear, thin carbon members; (b) surrounding the first carbon electrode by dipping the first carbon electrode in a solution comprised of a reactive substance which reacts chemically with the composition to be measured; (c) disposing the first carbon electrode and the solution in a cylindrical ion permeable membrane to hold the solution in the first carbon electrode as well as between the first carbon electrode and the cylindrical ion permeable membrane; (d) positioning the cylindrical ion permeable membrane including the first carbon electrode and the solution in an insulating tubular member; and (e) disposing the second carbon electrode between the insulating tubular member and the cylindrical ion permeable membrane. Alternatively, the solution may be poured into a cylindrical ion permeable membrane and the first carbon electrode may be inserted into the cylindrical ion permeable membrane to hold the solution between the first carbon electrode and the ion permeable membrane and thereby surround the bundle.

Method of making a carbon sensor electrode

A carbon electrode is dipped in a solution containing a reactive substance, and the carbon electrode impregnated with the solution is covered with an insulating tubular member; or a solution containing a reactant is poured into an insulating tube, and a carbon electrode is inserted into the tube; whereby the reactant is made coexistent in the periphery of the carbon electrode. Alternatively, a reactive substance such as an active enzyme and graphite particles or activated carbon particles are mixed with a liquid and dispersed therein to prepare a thoroughly wetted paste. The paste is introduced by means of an extruding mechanism such as a syringe into an insulating tubular member in which a bundle of many thin carbon rods as a lead is inserted. Thus, a carbon sensor electrode is produced. Alternatively, a first carbon electrode that has been dipped in an active enzyme or an enzyme-like reactive substance solution is disposed in a wet condition in a cylindrical ion permeable membrane. To prevent the enzyme or enzyme-like reactive substance in the electrode from becoming deactivated with the passage of time, a preliminary electrode is further inserted into the insulating tubular member, whereby the potential can be kept to be oxidation or reduction potential so as to ensure a constant sensor life. A fresh electrode surface having the active enzyme or enzyme-like reactive substance can be easily obtained by cutting or snapping off a tip portion of the sensor including the insulating tubular member.

Carbon sensor electrode and process for producing the same

A flow battery comprises a plurality of unit cells each constituted of stacked unit cells each consisting of a prescribed number of stacked diaphragms and positive electrode chambers and negative electrode chambers separated by the diaphragms, a positive electrode fluid tank associated with each unit cell to have its outlet connected with an inlet of the positive electrode chamber of the unit cell and its inlet connected with an outlet of the positive chamber of a immediately preceding unit cell, a negative electrode fluid tank associated with each unit cell to have it outlet connected with an inlet of the negative chamber of the unit cell and its inlet connected with outlet of the negative chamber of an immediately preceding unit cell, a pump for supplying positive electrode fluid from the positive electrode fluid tanks to the positive electrode chambers, a pump for supplying negative electrode fluid from the negative electrode fluid tanks to the negative electrode chambers, and means for electrically connecting the plurality of unit cells in series. The flow battery of this configuration achieves improved charge/discharge coulomb efficiency and voltage efficiency, without reducing pump efficiency, and, by increasing the length, and thus the resistance, of the leakage current path reduces the amount of leakage current.

Flow battery

In a redox battery including an electrolytic cell which has a circulating type electrolytic solution and an intermittent circulating type electrolytic solution which has a membrane and which employs an electrolytic solution permeable porous electrode, a solution of vanadium (II/III) dissolved in sulfuric acid is used as an active material on the negative electrode of a redox couple, and an oxidizing substance in a gas (such as oxygen) or in electrolytic solution is used as an active material on the positive electrode of the redox couple. The redox battery of the invention shows high energy density, and has a small size and a high output, thus it can be used for an electric vehicle or as a portable battery.

Redox battery

A method of making a probe electrode includes the steps of kneading a mixture of 75-80% by weight of a carbon material, 10-14% by weight of an organic binder and 7-9% by weight of mineral oil, forming the kneaded mixture into a predetermined shape, heating the shaped mixture in air the temperature of up to 300.degree. C. and raising the temperature in an atmosphere of inert gas up to 1000.degree. C.

Probe electrode

A vanadium electrolytic solution containing highly concentrated and dissolved vanadium is produced by a method wherein a vanadium compound selected from the group consisting of ammonium metavanadate and vanadium pentaoxide is subjected to a reduction operation in the presence of inorganic acids. At this time, by repeating the addition of the concentrated inorganic acids and the vanadium compound, a tetravalent and pentavalent vanadium solution of 3.4 mol/l is obtained. In addition, the resulting vanadium electrolytic solution is electrolyzed, whereby tetravalent vanadium is reduced to be trivalent on the negative electrode and is oxidized into pentavalent vanadium on the positive electrode, and then pentavalent vanadium is reduced into tetravalent vanadium by a reducing agent to form a discharged couple of trivalent and tetravalent vanadium, and an electrolytic solution is obtained which is capable of being charge-discharged. This electrolytic solution can be used as the electrolytic solution for redox batteries using vanadium as the active material in both positive and negative electrodes.

Method for producing vanadium electrolytic solution

An electrolyte for a Redox flow battery contains from 1 to 4 normal hydrochloric acid and at least 0.5 mole/liter of an active material, and further contains from 0.1 to 4 normalities of an acid comprising an anion which does not inhibit the electrode reactions in addition to the hydrochloric acid. This electrolyte reduces the cell resistivity and improves the solubility of active materials.

Electrolytes for redox flow batteries

An electric energy storing apparatus comprising lead-acid storage battery means and flowing type battery means. The lead-acid storage battery means is connectable to power lines interconnecting electric power generating means and a load, and the flowing type battery is connectable to the lead-acid storage battery means in order to charge the storage battery means, execute an equalization charge, or act as an end cell for the storage battery means.

Energy storing apparatus

A process for producing an anolyte and a catholyte for redox cells which comprises the steps of heating chromium ore together with carbonaceous substances to produce a pre-reduced chromium product produced a part of iron and chromium in chromium ore, dissolving the pre-reduced chromium product in hydrochloric acid and/or sulfuric acid iron and chromium. Thus, the dissolving step can be simplified, the predetermined concentration can be simply regulated.

Process for producing electrolyte for redox cell

A carbon catalyst is activated by subjecting the carbon catalyst to a treatment of dry etching utilizing the activity of low-temperature plasma generated by electric discharge under vacuum.

Method for surface treatment of carbon catalyst

In a redox battery using a titanium redox system or chromium redox system as an active material for the negative electrode or a manganese redox system as an active material for the positive electrode, the electromotive force of the battery and the stability of electrolyte solutions are enhanced by addition of a chelating agent such as citric acid or a complexing agent such as phosphoric acid to the redox system used therein.

A fuel cell using hydrogen sulfide as the fuel therefor, wherein the electrolytic cell is divided by a diaphragm into a positive electrode chamber and a negative electrode chamber, which fuel cell is operated by feeding a redox solution as the negative electrolyte to the negative electrode chamber, withdrawing from the electrolytic cell the redox solution which has been oxidized by reaction with the negative electrode, removing from the negative electrode chamber the sulfur produced by contact with hydrogen sulfide, and circulating to the negative electrode chamber only the redox solution which has been reduced by contact with hydrogen sulfide.

Fuel cell

Method for producing electrical energy by means of a liquid crystal device having opposite electrode plates between which a liquid crystal is inserted and at least one of which is transparent. The opposite electrode plates include asymmetrical electrodes thereon, at least the electrodes on the transparent plate being transparent. When a voltage is applied across any electrodes of the opposite plates an optical display is provided and when a light is directed to any selected transparent electrodes a voltage is induced between the transparent electrode and the corresponding electrodes on the other plate, to thereby provide a photo-electric converting property which can be used for display, position determination and logic operations etc. When a liquid crystal material which is a mixture of the compounds .rho.-methoxybenzal-.rho.-amino-.alpha.-methyl-cinnamic acid n-propyl-ester, .rho.-methoxybenzal-.rho.-acetoxyaniline, .rho.,.rho.'-di-n-hexyloxyazoxybenzene and anisole is used in the device it can be operated at relatively low temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Ken Nozaki