Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Masato Hosaka

Jiro Suzuki

Kazuhito Hatoh

Teruhisa Kanbara

Akira Maenishi

Makoto Uchida

Yoshitaka Kawasaki

Atsushi Nishino

Hisaaki Gyoten

Junji Niikura

Yoshihiro Hori

Motohiro Suzuki

Hiroki Kusakabe

Satoru Fujii

Akihiko Yoshida

Eiichi Yasumoto

Susumu Kobayashi

Hidenobu Wakita

Yasushi Sugawara

Junji Morita

Osamu Sakai

Tatsuo Fujita

Yasuo Takebe

Yukiyoshi Ono

Takeshi Yonamine

Hikaru Murakami

Haruo Ida

Mikio Takezawa

Takayuki Onishi

Toshihiro Matsumoto

Hideo Ohara

Yukihiro Okada

Nobuhiko Hojo

Shinsuke Takeguchi

Hiroshi Shimoda

Kohji Yuasa

Satoshi Shibutani

Shinya Kosako

Shinji Kinoshita

Nobuhiro Hase

Yoshiaki Yamamoto

Kazufumi Nishida

Yasuhiro Takeuchi

Tetsuo Terashima

Kenji Okamoto

Yutaka Yoshida

Masayo Sugou, Legal Representative

Mitsuyoshi Nakamoto

Aoi Tanaka

Atsushi Mukoyama

Shigehiko Fujita

Yasutaka Noguchi

Hiroaki Matsuoka

Junji Nikura

Yuko Tachibana

Atsushi Nisino

Kyoko Itatani

Isao Inui

Takeshi Shimizu

Jun Takeda

Hiroshi Hamamoto

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention includes a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode sandwiching the hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to the anode, and a cathode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode. Each of the anode-side conductive separator plate and the cathode-side conductive separator plate is rectangle in shape and has an oxidant gas manifold aperture for an inlet arranged on one short side thereof, an oxidant gas manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on the other short side thereof, a fuel gas manifold aperture for an inlet and a fuel gas manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on different longitudinal sides thereof, and a cooling water manifold aperture for an inlet and a cooling water manifold aperture for an outlet arranged on the different longitudinal sides thereof. The respective fuel gas manifold apertures are disposed opposite to the cooling water manifold apertures. The oxidant gas manifold apertures, the fuel gas manifold apertures, and the cooling water manifold apertures have openings of different shapes.

Polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A purification catalyst and a gas-purifying apparatus are provided which are capable of sufficiently purifying a gas subject to treatment at low temperatures. The purification catalyst includes ZrOhaving a specific surface area of 50 m/g or less and a monoclinic crystal system. The gas-purifying apparatus includes the aforementioned purification catalyst as a first purification catalyst, and a second purification catalyst containing Mn as a major component and disposed upstream of the first purification catalyst.

Purification catalyst, preparation process therefor and gas-purifying apparatus

In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes composed of catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers; a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to one of the electrodes; and a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the other electrode, in order to bring a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and a catalyst metal of the catalyst layers containing the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and conductive carbon particles carrying the catalyst metal sufficiently and uniformly into contact with each other, the polymer electrolyte is provided in pores of an agglomerate structure of the conductive carbon particles. Consequently, the reaction area inside the electrodes is increased, and higher performance is exhibited.

It is difficult to realize a small fuel cell capable of being installed in mobile device by merely downsizing a conventional fuel cell without changing the configuration. The present invention provides a small fuel cell employing a polymer electrolyte thin film, by using a semiconductor process. A polymer electrolyte thin film fuel cell in accordance with the present invention comprises: a substrate having a plurality of openings; an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly formed on the substrate so as to cover each of the openings, the assembly comprising a first catalyst electrode layer, a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and a second catalyst electrode layer which are formed successively; and fuel and oxidant supply means for supplying a fuel or an oxidant gas to the first catalyst electrode layer through the openings, and an oxidant gas or a fuel to the second catalyst electrode layer.

Polymer electrolyte thin film fuel cell and method of operating the same

In order to obtain an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly using a thin electrolyte membrane, the present invention provides a production method of an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly comprising: a step of forming a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane on a base material; a treatment step of reducing adhesion force between the base material and the hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; a step of separating and removing the base material; and a step of bonding a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer onto the hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, and, in order to obtain an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly which has a catalyst without clogging and is excellent in electrode characteristics, the present invention provides a production method of an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly comprising: a step of bonding a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer via a coating layer; a step of removing the coating layer; and a step of obtaining an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly by forming a gas diffusion layer on the catalyst layer.

Method for manufacturing fuel cell electrolyte film-electrode bond

In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention, at least one of electrodes comprises conductive carbon carrying a platinum group metal catalyst, conductive carbon carrying no catalyst metal and a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte. The preferable amount of the conductive carbon carrying no catalyst metal is equivalent to 5 to 50 wt % of the conductive carbon carrying the catalyst metal. Incorporation of the conductive carbon carrying no catalyst metal to the catalyst layer enables reduction in potential concentration on part of electron conduction channels in an electrode, whereby an electrode for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an excellent life characteristic can be provided.

Polymer electrolyte type fuel cell

A method for producing a membrane electrode assemblyfor solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the membrane electrode assemblyincluding a solid polymer electrolyte membranecomprising an ion exchange membrane, a first electrodehaving a first catalyst layer, and a second electrodehaving a second catalyst layer, the first electrodeand the second electrodebeing disposed so as to be opposed to each other via the ion exchange membrane, the method including: applying a coating solution containing a catalyst onto a base filmto form a first catalyst layer; applying a coating solution containing an ion exchange resin dissolved or dispersed in a liquid onto the first catalyst layerto form an ion exchange membrane; then applying a coating solution containing a catalyst onto the ion exchange membrane to form a second catalyst layer; and finally, peeling off the base filmfrom a resulting laminate. According to this method, it is possible to produce membrane electrode assemblyfor high-performance solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell having catalyst layers each having a uniform thickness efficiently and continuously.

Method for producing film electrode jointed product and method for producing solid polymer type fuel cell

An electrolyte membrane-gasket assembly for a fuel cell, including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a gasket, made of a seal material, covering the peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane, in which the electrolyte membrane has a sequence of a plurality of through-holes in the peripheral portion, and a portion of the gasket covering one surface of the electrolyte membrane and a portion covering the other surface are connected to each other through the through-holes of the electrolyte membrane. This assembly provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell free from gas cross leakage caused by a detachment of the gasket from the polymer electrolyte membrane. It is preferable to further include catalyst layers carried on both surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively, and protective films covering, respectively, sections spanning from the peripheral portion of each of the catalyst layers to the peripheral portion of the polymer electrolyte membrane.

High polymer electrolyte fuel cell and electrolyte film-gasket assembly for the fuel cell

The present specification discloses a polymer electrolyte fuel cell characterized in that each of the cathode and the anode comprises catalyst particles, a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrode, a conductive porous base material and a water repellent agent, and water repellency of at least one of the cathode and the anode varies in a direction of thickness or in a plane direction. As such, by varying the degree of the water repellency of the cathode and the anode on the basis of a position, an excellent polymer electrolyte fuel cell having a high discharge characteristic or more specifically a high current-voltage characteristic in a high current density range.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which neither cross leakage nor outward leakage occurs with the application of low clamping pressures. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) including a polymer electrolyte membrane, a gasket covering the periphery of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode and cathode attached to the electrolyte membrane; and conductive separator plates sandwiching the MEA therebetween. The gasket has seal ribs surrounding each of the manifold apertures, the anode and the cathode, as well as seal ribs formed on both sides of each of gas passages connecting the fuel gas manifold apertures with the anode and gas passages connecting the oxidant gas manifold apertures with the cathode. These seal ribs, except for in the gas passages, are pressed against the separator plates by clamping pressure of the cell stack to form gas sealing sections.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a hydrogen-ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the membrane, a conductive separator plate having a gas passage for supplying a fuel to one of the electrodes, and a conductive separator plate having a gas passage for supplying an oxidant to the other electrode. The metallic conductive separator plate is a type in which a conductive coat including conductive particles and glass is formed on a surface having a gas passage. As a result, the corrosion of the metallic plate is suppressed and the degradation of the power generation efficiency after extended use is also suppressed.

Polymer electrolytic fuel cell

The present invention, relating to a method for removing dimethyl sulfide and tertiary butyl mercaptan present in city gas as the odorants, is aimed at removal of the sulfur compounds from city gas. The present invention removes dimethyl sulfide and tertiary butyl mercaptan in city gas in the presence of a sulfur compound adsorbent containing one of faujasite, &bgr;, L and MFI type zeolite. The adsorbent, being composed of zeolite and an inorganic binder, can be regenerated under heating.

Method for removing sulfur compound present in city gas

In order to realize a catalytic combustion apparatus capable of effectively utilizing radiation from a surface of a catalytic element, providing a higher efficiency of heat exchange, and characterized in superior characteristics of an exhaust gas, a catalytic combustion apparatus according to the invention comprises a catalytic element in the shape of a plate consisting of multiple through-holes for combusting a mixed gas of a fuel gas and air and a combustion chamber accommodating the catalytic element , and incorporating a radiated heat receiving plate that is positioned in opposition to either one of two surfaces of the catalytic element as a part of its side walls.

Catalytic combustion apparatus

Catalytic combustor

According to a combustion apparatus comprising a mixing unit 3 for preparing a fuel-air mixture by mixing a fuel with combustion air, a first catalytic combustion chamber 4 incorporating a first catalyzer 7 for catalytically burning the mixture and a fin 5 for collecting a thermal energy generated by the catalytic combustion and a second catalytic combustion chamber 12 incorporating a second catalyzer 14 for catalytically burning the mixture that is not catalytically burnt by the first catalyzer 7, an operation of catalytic combustion at a high load can be achieved. An operation for improving characteristics of an exhaust discharged at the time of ignition can be also obtained, as a result, a combustion apparatus reduced in emission of NOx is provided.

Combustion apparatus

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Osaka, Japan

Masato Hosaka