Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahiko Iijima

Naoki Ito

Satoshi Aoyama

Satoshi Iguchi

Hiromichi Sato

Koichi Numata

Kenji Kimura

Shigeru Ogino

Yasuhiro Izawa

Toshihide Nakata

Hiromichi Satou

Takashi c/o KK Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho Shimazu

Satoshi c/o KK Inter Project Shiokawa

Hiroyuki c/o KK Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho Mitsui

Hiroshi c/o KK Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho Aoki

Fuel cellsof the invention are operable at a temperature of about 500&#xb0; C. The unit cell has a solid oxide electrolyte layer formed on a hydrogen separable metal layer. An anode has a catalyst supported thereon to accelerate a reforming reaction of methane. A fuel gas is produced by reforming a hydrocarbon-containing material in a reformer. Setting a lower reaction temperature enables production of the fuel gas containing both methane and hydrogen. In the fuel cellsreceiving a supply of the fuel gas, the reforming reaction of methane contained in the fuel gas proceeds simultaneously with consumption of hydrogen contained in the fuel gas. This methane reforming reaction is endothermic to absorb heat produced in the process of power generation and thereby equalizes the operation temperature of the fuel cells

Fuel cell system

A proton conductor includes a water-soluble electrolyte membrane with proton conductivity and a proton-conductive ceramic that is provided on at least one surface of the water-soluble electrolyte membrane.

Proton conductor, and fuel cell and fuel cell system including proton conductor

First, a solid-state electrolyte layer that has conductivity for ions of one of hydrogen and oxygen is formed. After that, a dense layer made of an electrode material that has electron conductivity, catalyst activity to accelerate the electrochemical reaction, and a characteristic of allowing permeation of ions and/or atoms of the other one of hydrogen and oxygen is formed on a surface of the electrolyte layer. Then, a fuel cell structure that includes the electrolyte layer and the dense layer is built. After that, the electrochemical reaction is caused to progress by supplying a fuel and oxygen to the fuel cell structure, so that in the dense layer, many micropores extending through the dense layer in the film thickness direction are created due to the generated water that is created between the electrolyte layer and the dense layer.

Fuel cell production method and fuel cell

A fuel cell of the invention has a hydrogen permeable metal layer, which is formed on a plane of an electrolyte layer that has proton conductivity and includes a hydrogen permeable metal. The fuel cell includes a higher temperature zone and a lower temperature zone that has a lower temperature than the higher temperature zone. The hydrogen permeable metal layer includes a lower temperature area A corresponding to the lower temperature zone and a higher temperature area B corresponding to the higher temperature zone. The lower temperature area A and the higher temperature area B have different settings of composition and/or layout of components. This arrangement effectively prevents potential deterioration of cell performance due to an uneven distribution of internal temperature of the fuel cell including the hydrogen permeable metal layer.

Fuel cell

The invention provides an electrolyte membrane that allows an operating temperature of a solid polymer membrane fuel cell to be raised and an operating temperature of a solid oxide fuel cell to be lowered. This electrolyte membrane can be used in a fuel cell that is operable in an intermediate temperature range. The invention also provides a fuel cell using such an electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane has a hydrated electrolyte layer, and dense layers made of a hydrogen permeable material that are formed on both sides of this electrolyte layer. Both sides of the electrolyte membrane are coated with dense layers. Consequently, evaporation of moisture contained in the electrolyte layer is suppressed, and increase in the resistance of the membrane is inhibited. As a result, the range of the operating temperature of the fuel cell can be enlarged.

Electrolyte membrane for fuel cell operable in medium temperature range, fuel cell using the same, and manufacturing methods therefor

This invention prevents reduction of hydrogen permeability and deterioration in hydrogen separation members that use an oxygen-containing gas as a cathode off gas and a purge gas. Described is a hydrogen separation device that includes a reformed gas passage, a purge gas passage, and a hydrogen separation membrane. A supply of reformed gas flows through the reformed gas passage. A cathode off gas discharged from a fuel cell cathode flows through the purge gas passage to carry hydrogen transmitted through the hydrogen separation membrane to a fuel cell anode. A portion of the hydrogen separation membrane near the supply of the cathode off gas has enhanced heat resistance that prevents deterioration of the hydrogen separation membrane even when hydrogen transmitted through the membrane reacts with oxygen remaining in the cathode off gas to raise the temperature in the vicinity of the portion close to the supply of the cathode off gas.

Apparatus for hydrogen separation and fuel cell system

A hydrogen-permeable membrane includes a permeable layer which has a function of making hydrogen permeate therethrough, and a catalyst layer which acts as a catalyst for promoting permeation of the hydrogen in the permeable layer. An area of the catalyst layer which contacts gas is larger than an area of the permeable layer.

Hydrogen-permeable membrane and manufacturing method of the same

A hydrogen-permeable membrane includes a metal base layer containing a Group VA element, two metal middle layers which are formed on both of the two sides of the metal base layer and containg an element selected from Ni and Co, and two metal coating layers formed on the side of the two metal middle layers, on which the metal base layer is not formed, and containing Pd.

Growing community of inventors

Iruma-gun, Japan

Masahiko Iijima