Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Masaru Tsutsumi

Nobuyoshi Nishizawa

Hideo Hagino

Osamu Fujiwara

Shin Fujitani

Ikuo Yonezu

Akira Hamada

Toshihiko Saito

Takaaki Matsubayashi

Akio Furukawa

Kenji Nasako

Hitoshi Goto

Koichi Satoh

Tsukasa Itoh

Yasunori Yoshimoto

Osamu Tajima

Kunihiro Nakato

Takahiro Yonesaki

Masato Nishioka

Keigo Miyai

Kiyoshi Hori

Takehiro Yonesaki

Eiji Tateyama, Deceased

Junji Tanaka, Deceased

Tomotoshi Ikenaga

The present invention discloses a cell structure and a fuel cell that includes at least one cell structure. The cell structure comprises a cell including an electrolyte plate, an anode, and a cathode, the anode being formed on one surface of the electrolyte plate, the cathode being formed on the other surface of the electrolyte plate, an anode terminal electrode connected to the anode electrically, the anode terminal electrode being placed along an edge of the cell structure to be perpendicular with respect to a layered direction in which the cathode, the electrolyte plate, and the anode are layered, a cathode terminal electrode connected to the cathode electrically, the cathode terminal electrode being placed along another edge of the cell structure to be perpendicular with respect to the layered direction, a first gas channel for supplying a reactant gas to the anode in the layered direction, and a second gas channel for supplying the reactant gas to the cathode in the layered direction.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell comprising a stack including a stack including a plurality of cell units and a plurality of gas separators and at least one cooling plate, one of the gas separator and the cooling plate being interposed between adjacent cell units, the fuel cell being characterized in that; each gas separator and the cooling plate, respectively, have oxidant gas channels on one of surfaces that opposes to have contact with one of electrode surfaces of the cell unit to as to flow an oxidant gas in a direction vertical to a direction of a cooling air flowing through the cooling plate; each gas separator and the cooling plate, respectively, have fuel gas channels, a fuel-gas-supply inner manifold for taking in a fuel gas, and a fuel-gas-exhaust inner manifold for releasing the fuel gas having passed through the fuel gas channels on the other surface that opposes to have contact with the other electrode surface of the cell unit so as to flow the fuel gas in a direction parallel to the direction of the cooling air flowing through the cooling plates; and an inlet of the fuel-gas-supply inner manifold and an outlet of the fuel-gas-exhaust inner manifold are formed so as to supply and release the fuel gas in a same direction of the oxidant gas flowing through the oxidant gas channels.

Fuel cell using a separate gas cooling method

A fuel cell system for directly converting chemical energy of a fuel into electric energy electrochemically. A fuel cell has a cathode and an anode. A main hydrogen absorbing alloy supplies hydrogen gas to the anode of the fuel cell during steady-state operation of the system. An auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy originally having a higher hydrogen gas absorbing/desorbing equilibrium pressure than the main hydrogen absorbing alloy at an equal temperature supplies hydrogen gas to the anode until the equilibrium pressure of the main hydrogen absorbing alloy, which is supplied an exhaust gas from the fuel cell is equal to a hydrogen gas absorbing/desorbing equilibrium pressure of the auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy, the auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy receiving the hydrogen gas from the main hydrogen absorbing alloy during steady-state operation.

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system for directly converting chemical energy of a fuel into electric energy electrochemically. A fuel cell has a cathode and an anode. A main hydrogen absorbing alloy supplies a hydrogen gas to the anode of the fuel cell during steady-state operation of the system. An auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy originally having a higher hydrogen gas absorbing/desorbing equilibrium pressure than the main hydrogen absorbing alloy at an equal temperature supplies a hydrogen gas to the anode until the equilibrium pressure of the main hydrogen absorbing alloy, which is supplied an exhaust gas from the fuel cell is equal to a hydrogen gas absorbing/desorbing equilibrium pressure of the auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy, the auxiliary hydrogen absorbing alloy receiving the hydrogen gas from the main hydrogen absorbing alloy during steady-state operation.

A current collecting equipment for a fuel cell assembly of the kind wherein a current collector, a heat resisting insulator and an end plate are in turn being mounted on each end of a fuel cell stack is characterized in that the current collector comprises a plurality of current collecting sections arranged with spaces between sides of the adjacent sections, and that terminals are respectively connected to the current collecting sections and brought out through the end plate. The current collecting equipment may comprises four current collecting sections, a conductor frame provided with four through holes at its corners and four inner terminals being connected to each section and connected to the conductor frame, and an output terminal mounted on the frame and brought out through the end plate.

Fuel cell stack assembly

A manifold device for a fuel cell system comprises a body shell having at least one opening, a closure plate having a protrusive portion and being mounted on the shell to form a manifold box, and a distribution unit arranged in the shell to partition an interior space of the shell into the first and second chambers. The unit comprises a pair of partitioning members and a partitioning plate mounted thereon in a spaced relationship to form slit-like gaps between them. The protrusive portion of the closure plate is provided with slit-like blowholes to supply process gas to a fuel cell stack. The partitioning plate is provided with a distributor and a deflector. The distributor is positioned in front of the opening so as to divide the gas flow from the opening into an upward flow and a downward flow, while the deflector is mounted on the exterior surface of partitioning plate and extends vertically in parallel to a center line of the protrusive portion to allow the process gas to converge to the protrusive portion of the closure plate.

Manifold device for fuel cell system

Means for forming a seal between a fuel cell stack and manifolds to be fixed to respective sides of the fuel cell stack that comprises rigid frames adapted to be fixed on each side of the fuel cell stack and provided at its peripheries with grooves extending in the stacked direction of the fuel cell components and fastening means for uniting said frames. Each of fastening means comprises a pair of angle members each having a hook at its one end and being preassembled together with elastic washers by a clamping bolt and a nut. The hooks of the angle members of each pair is adapted to be engaged with the grooves of the adjacent frames.

A fuel cell system of the kind wherein a fuel cell stack is housed in a pressure vessel, comprises a vibration-proof device arranged between the top of the fuel cell stack and the pressure vessel. The vibration-proof device comprises a forcing means mounted on an interior wall of the top of the pressure vessel, and a counter member mounted on the top of the fuel cell stack and provided with at its top with a projection or recess in a spherical or conical form, the forcing means comprising a pressure member provided at its bottom with a recess or projection in a spherical or conical form and forced downward to engage with the top of the counter member.

Fuel cell system and its vibration-proof device

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Masaru Tsutsumi