Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Osaka University

Satoru Tamura

Kazuhito Hatoh

Atsuo Okaichi

Takaiki Nomura

Kazuhito Hato

Takahiro Suzuki

Kenichi Tokuhiro

Marine Fayolle

Noboru Taniguchi

Takao Hayashi

Yosuke Kitazawa

Yoshihiro Kozawa

Tomohiro Kuroha

Ryosuke Kikuchi

Nobuhiro Miyata

Takahiro Kurabuchi

Tatsuo Fujita

Motomasa Kobayashi

Naoyuki Kotoku

Masayoshi Arai

Ryousuke Kikuchi

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that includes a cathode and an anode and generates electricity by reducing a mediator at the cathode; a regenerator that oxidizes, with an oxidant, the mediator reduced by the cathode; an oxidant feed path that is connected to the regenerator, wherein through the oxidant feed path, the oxidant to be supplied to the regenerator flows; a reformer; a combustor that heats the reformer; and a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between combustion exhaust discharged from the combustor and the oxidant to be supplied to the regenerator.

Fuel cell system

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that has a cathode and an anode and generates electricity by reducing a mediator at the cathode; a regenerator that oxidizes, with an oxidant, the mediator reduced by the cathode; a reformer; a combustor that heats the reformer; and a heating medium path that heats the regenerator, wherein through the heating medium path, combustion exhaust discharged from the combustor or a heat medium heated through heat exchange with the combustion exhaust flows.

A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that includes an anode and a cathode and generates electricity by reducing a mediator at the cathode; a regenerator that oxidizes the mediator reduced by the cathode; a first path that leads from the cathode to the regenerator and through which the mediator reduced by and discharged from the cathode is guided to the regenerator; a second path that leads from the regenerator to the cathode and through which the mediator oxidized at the regenerator is returned to the cathode; and a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being a fluid flowing in the first path and containing the mediator reduced by cathode, and the second fluid being a fluid flowing in the second path and containing the mediator oxidized at the regenerator.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a regenerator, an oxidant feed path, a gas discharge path, and a heat exchanger. The fuel cell includes an anode and a cathode and reduces a mediator with the cathode. The regenerator oxidizes, with an oxidant, the mediator reduced by the cathode. Through the oxidant feed path, the oxidant is guided to the regenerator. Through the gas discharge path, the gas present inside the regenerator is guided out of the regenerator. The heat exchanger heats the oxidant by exchanging heat between the oxidant flowing in the oxidant feed path and the gas flowing in the gas discharge path.

Provided is a method for generating hydrogen. The method comprising (a) preparing a hydrogen generation device comprising a container, a photo-semiconductor electrode comprising a substrate, a light-blocking first conductive layer, and a first semiconductor photocatalyst layer, a counter electrode, a conductive wire for electrically connecting the first conductive layer to the counter electrode, and a liquid stored in the container, and (b) irradiating the first semiconductor photocatalyst layer with light to generate hydrogen on the counter electrode. The first conductive layer is interposed between the substrate and the first semiconductor photocatalyst layer. At least a part of the first semiconductor photocatalyst layer is in contact with the liquid. At least a part of the counter electrode is in contact with the liquid. The liquid is selected from the group consisting of an electrolyte aqueous solution and water. The substrate is formed of a resin.

Method for generating hydrogen and hydrogen generation device used therefor

The present invention provides a method for generating hydrogen by water splitting at a higher hydrogen generation efficiency. In the present method, used is a photoelectrochemical cell comprising a container, a liquid stored in the container, a semiconductor electrode contained in the container, and a counter electrode contained in the container. The semiconductor electrode comprises a first semiconductor layer, a light-transmissive conductor layer; and a second semiconductor layer.

Method for generating hydrogen by water splitting, and photoelectrochemical cell and semiconductor electrode used therefor

In a hydrogen producing device, an electrolyte flow path between a plurality of hydrogen producing cells is disposed in a hydrogen production side and in an oxygen production side, separately. Further, an electrolyte flow path is formed through which the electrolyte flows downward from the top between the plurality of hydrogen producing cells, and on the other hand the electrolyte flows upward from the bottom within each hydrogen producing cell. Moreover, a contact point with a produced gas or an atmosphere is provided in a pathway of the electrolyte flow path.

Hydrogen producing device and hydrogen producing unit and energy system including the hydrogen producing device and the hydrogen producing unit

Provided is a semiconductor photoelectrode comprising a first conductive layer; a first n-type semiconductor layer disposed on the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer covering the first n-type semiconductor layer. The first n-type semiconductor layer has a first n-type surface region and a second n-type surface region. The first n-type surface region is in contact with the first conductive layer. The second n-type surface region is in contact with the second conductive layer. The first n-type semiconductor layer is formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitride semiconductor and an oxynitride semiconductor. The second conductive layer is light-transmissive. The second conductive layer is formed of a p-type oxide conductor.

Semiconductor photoelectrode, photoelectrochemical cell, hydrogen generation method, and energy system

A hydrogen producing cell of the present invention is provided with an electrolyte supply hole, an electrolyte discharge hole, a first hydrogen circulation hole and a second hydrogen circulation hole respectively penetrating a housing. In disposing the hydrogen producing cell, the electrolyte supply hole is arranged on a vertically upper side than the electrolyte discharge hole, the first hydrogen circulation hole is arranged on a vertically upper side than the electrolyte supply hole, and the second hydrogen circulation hole is arranged on a vertically upper side than the electrolyte discharge hole. By this configuration, it is possible to considerably reduce the length of a pipe and the number of manifolds concerning the electrolyte and hydrogen, and to link the hydrogen producing cells with one another simply and rationally.

Hydrogen producing cell, hydrogen producing device, and energy system including the hydrogen producing device

A photoelectrochemical cell () includes: a semiconductor electrode () including a conductor () and semiconductor layers () disposed on the conductor (); a counter electrode () connected electrically to the conductor (); an electrolyte () in contact with surfaces of the semiconductor layer () and the counter electrode (); and a container () accommodating the semiconductor electrode (), the counter electrode () and the electrolyte (). A band edge level Eof a conduction band, a band edge level Eof a valence band, and a Fermi level Ein a surface near-field region of the semiconductor layer, and a band edge level Eof a conduction band, a band edge level Eof a valence band, and a Fermi level Ein a junction plane near-field region of the semiconductor layer with the conductor satisfy, relative to a vacuum level, E&#x2212;E&#x3e;E&#x2212;E, E&#x2212;E&#x3c;E&#x2212;E, E&#x3e;&#x2212;4.44 eV, and E&#x3c;&#x2212;5.67 eV. The Fermi level Ein the surface near-field region of the semiconductor layer and the Fermi level Ein the junction plane near-field region of the semiconductor layer with the conductor satisfy, relative to the vacuum level, &#x2212;5.67 eV&#x3c;E&#x3c;&#x2212;4.44 eV and &#x2212;5.67 eV&#x3c;E&#x3c;&#x2212;4.44 eV, respectively.

Photoelectrochemical cell and energy system using same

The present invention is a niobium nitride which has a composition represented by the composition formula NbNand in which a constituent element Nb has a valence of substantially +5. The method for producing the niobium nitride of the present invention includes the step of nitriding an organic niobium compound by reacting the organic niobium compound with a nitrogen compound gas.

Niobium nitride and method for producing same, niobium nitride-containing film and method for producing same, semiconductor, semiconductor device, photocatalyst, hydrogen generation device, and energy system

The hydrogen production device of the present invention includes: a first electrode including a conductive substrate and a photocatalytic semiconductor layer; a second electrode that is electrically connected to the first electrode and disposed in a second region opposite to a first region relative to the first electrode; the first region is defined as a region on a side of a surface of the first electrode in which the photocatalytic semiconductor layer is provided; a water-containing electrolyte solution; and a housing containing these. The first electrode is provided with first through-holes and the second electrode is provided with second through-holes; and the first through-holes and second through-holes form a communicating hole for allowing the first region and the second region to communicate with each other. An ion exchange membrane having substantially the same shape as the communicating hole is disposed in the communicating hole to close the communicating hole.

Hydrogen production device

A compound represented by the general formula (M): 

Cortistatin A analog and use thereof

The method for producing the optical semiconductor of the present disclosure includes a mixing step of producing a mixture containing a reduction inhibitor and a niobium compound that contains at least oxygen in its composition; a nitriding step of nitriding the mixture by the reaction between the mixture and a nitrogen compound gas; and a washing step of isolating niobium oxynitride from the material obtained through the nitriding step by dissolving chemical species other than niobium oxynitride with a washing liquid. The optical semiconductor of the present disclosure substantially consists of niobium oxynitride having a crystal structure of baddeleyite and having a composition represented by the composition formula, NbON.

Optical semiconductor and method for producing the same, optical semiconductor device, photocatalyst, hydrogen producing device, and energy system

It is provided with a light source unit that can be thinner. Further, it is provided with a lighting apparatus and a notice bearing apparatus utilizing the light source unit. A light source unitis configured with a plurality of LED modulesand a constant current supplying sectionconsisting of electric components for holding constant of current supplied to the plurality of LED modules. The plurality of LED modulesand the electric components are aligned on a rectangular plateof a module casing. Thus, it is possible to manufacture the light source unitto be thinner. The electric components are arranged between the plurality of LED modules. Thus, it is possible to reduce cable length installed in the light source unitand to facilitate the installing works of the cable.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Satoru Tamura