Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Jx Nippon Oil Energy Corporation

Takaaki Matsubayashi

Akira Hamada

Yasunori Yoshimoto

Mitsuo Karakane

Yasuo Miyake

Ikuo Yonezu

Nobuyoshi Nishizawa

Shin Fujitani

Toshihiko Saito

Kenji Nasako

Akio Furukawa

Masaru Tsutsumi

Koichi Satoh

Tsukasa Itoh

Koji Nishio

Takahiro Isono

Akira Watanabe

Takahiro Yonesaki

Takashi Oda

Yukinori Akiyama

Takashi Kawanabe

Shigeru Sakamoto

Isao Furukawa

Toru Nakaoka

Toshikazu Nakajima

Katsuya Oda

Takehiro Yonesaki

Hiroshi Mukai

A fuel cell, a method for operating a fuel cell and a fuel cell system, which ensure no dew condensation for a wet reaction gas in the inlet area of gas channels in plates in a fuel cell stack, are provided. Gas channelsand heat medium channels are disposed on one surface and the other surface of one plate, respectively. Gas channels are disposed on the other plate such that they face the gas channelsin the plate. A gas inlet headeris disposed at the upper part of the gas channelin the plateand a heat medium inlet header is disposed at the upper part of the heat medium channels such that they face the gas inlet header on the other side. Cooling water such as heat medium is supplied from the heat medium supply manifold holeto the heat medium inlet header, thereby warming up the same. The water vapor in the reaction gas (wet fuel gas) is prevented from being condensed in the inlet area of the gas channelsby heating up the gas inlet header by the heat conduction.

Fuel cell, method for operating fuel cell and fuel cell system

A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell having plural membrane-electrode assemblies and plates, fuel and oxidant humidifiers and heater exchanger. Heat exchange between a supply inlet and discharge outlet is carried out between first and second heat exchange mediums. Fuel gas and oxidant gas are directed to flow parallel to each other in the fuel cell. A circulation path is established through the fuel and oxidant humidifiers and the heat exchanger by interconnection among discharge outlet, heat exchanger, fuel and oxidant humidifiers, and inlet.

In a fuel cell stack, gas channels and heat medium channels are disposed on one surface and the other surface of one plate, respectively. Gas channels are disposed on the other plate such that they face the gas channels in the one plate. A gas inlet header is disposed at the upper part of the gas channel in the plate and a heat medium inlet header is disposed at the upper part of the heat medium channels such that they face the gas inlet header on the other side. Cooling water as a heat medium is supplied from a heat medium supply manifold hole to a heat medium inlet header. Water vapor in the reaction gas (wet fuel gas) is prevented from being condensed in the inlet area of the gas channels by heating the gas inlet header by heat conduction.

A fuel cell, a method for operating a fuel cell and a fuel cell system, which ensure no dew condensation for a wet reaction gas in the inlet area of gas channels in plates in a fuel cell stack. Gas channels and heat medium channels are disposed on one surface and the other surface of one plate, respectively. Gas channels are disposed on the other plate such that they face the gas channels in the plate. A gas inlet header is disposed at the upper part of the gas channel in the plate and a heat medium inlet header is disposed at the upper part of the heat medium channels such that they face the gas inlet header on the other side. Cooling water such as heat medium is supplied from the heat medium supply manifold hole to the heat medium inlet header, thereby warming up the same.

A fuel cell system which provides stable cell outputs at startup. The fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell stack including a laminate formed by combining a membrane electrode assembly composed of an electrolyte membrane, an anode jointed to one side of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode joined to the other side of the electrolyte membrane, with a fuel channel plate having a fuel channel for supplying a fuel to the anode, an oxidant channel plate having an oxidant channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode, and a coolant channel plate having a coolant channel for a coolant to flow through; piping and a circulation pump necessary for cooling the coolant exhausted from the fuel cell stack before putting the coolant into the fuel cell stack for circulation; a fuel humidifier which humidifies the fuel by heat exchange with the coolant; an air humidifier which humidifies the air by heat exchange with the coolant; and a control unit which continues the circulation of the coolant in a system stopping process until a predetermined cooling stop condition holds, and stops power generation of the fuel cell when the predetermined cooling stop condition holds.

Fuel cell

Fuel cell, method for operating full cell and fuel cell system

This cathode-side humidification tankalso functions as a coolant tank. The water in the cathode-side humidification tankcools the fuel celland returns to the cathode-side humidification tank. In the foregoing situations where the fuel cellis low in temperature, such as during the startup of the fuel cell system, the coolant warmed by the heat exchanger HEXcan also be supplied to the fuel cellto warm up the fuel cell. Moreover, a coolant channelfor supplying a coolant to a cooling plateprovided in the fuel cellis in connection with a heat exchanger HEXwhich is formed in an anode-side humidification tank. Consequently, the coolant even plays the role of maintaining the cathode-side humidification tankand the anode-side humidification tankin almost the same temperatures.

Fuel cell system

An objective of this invention is to provide a separator for a fuel cell whereby a fuel, air or cooling water can be evenly and efficiently fed. In a separator for a fuel cell comprising fuel channelsin one side and cooling water channelsin the other side, the regions where the fuel channelsand the cooling water channelsare formed rectangular. The fuel gas is fed from a first fuel-feeding manifoldand discharged from a first fuel-discharging manifoldto the outside of the cell. The cooling water is fed from a first cooling-water-feeding manifoldand discharged from a first cooling-water-discharging manifoldto the outside of the cell.

Separator for fuel cell and fuel cell therewith

The invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell device comprising at least one fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane provided between the anode and cathode, a combustion unit , a fuel gas pipe for introducing therethrough the unreacted portion of a fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell into the combustion unit , and an oxidizer gas supply manifold for supplying oxidizer gas discharged from the combustion unit to the cathode. By partly consuming the oxygen contained in an oxidizer gas supplied from outside, the combustion unit burns the unreacted fuel gas and burns the impurities contained in the oxidizer gas. This feature prevents the polymer electrolyte membrane from drying, affords a high cell voltage without impairment and enables the device to achieve a higher overall efficiency than in the prior art.

Polymer electrolyte fuel cell device

A hydrogen production apparatus is disclosed which operates based on a steam reforming method and operates without supply of steam from outside. The hydrogen production apparatus humidifies air by allowing air to contact with warm water to generate a mixture of air and steam, mixes the mixture with a hydrocarbon fuel. Alternatively, the hydrogen production apparatus humidifies a mixture of a hydrocarbon fuel and air by allowing the mixture to contact with warm water to generate a mixed gas of the hydrocarbon fuel, air, and steam. The hydrogen production apparatus then allows air to partially oxidize the hydrocarbon fuel and allows the steam to reform the hydrocarbon fuel, resulting in the production of hydrogen.

Hydrogen production apparatus and method operable without supply of

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell system with a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is made up of a cell main body, a mixture generator for generating a gas-liquid mixture by mixing fuel gas which has been supplied from a fuel gas supply with water, and a means for supplying the gas-liquid mixture to the anode-side channels. The gas-liquid mixture allows the solid-polymer film to be moistened without humidifying fuel gas and oxidant gas with a humidifier, and the cell main body to be cooled down without providing a cooling channel therein.

Polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a polymer electrolyte 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 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.

The present invention provides a portable power source comprising a fuel cell generating electricity using hydrogen as fuel, a hydrogen storage unit filled with hydrogen absorbing alloy for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell, a case enclosing the fuel cell and hydrogen storage unit, and a lid for sealing a part of the case when the portable power source is not in use, wherein the lid seals a surface of the case on which at least one air inlet for taking in the air necessary for the fuel cell to generate electricity and a reactant gas outlet for exhausting reactant gas produced by the generation of electricity are formed.

Portable power source

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.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takaaki Matsubayashi