Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Societe Bic

Intelligent Energy Inc.

Takashi Yasuo

Shinichiro Imura

Yasuo Miyake

Goro Fujita

Takeshi Minamiura

Yasunori Yoshimoto

Hiroki Kabumoto

Akira Hamada

Koji Nishio

Ikuo Yonezu

Mitsuo Karakane

Hiroaki Suzuki

Gerard Francis McLean

Jeremy Schrooten

Hiroshi Kurokawa

Paul Sobejko

Tsutomu Kawashima

Yoshito Chikano

Miyuki Yoshimoto

Takahiro Isono

Kunihiro Nakato

Toshihiko Saitoh

Masahiro Makino

Yukinori Akiyama

Hideo Hagino

Shuzo Murakami

Hirokazu Izaki

Yuko Nowatari

Shigeru Sakamoto

Ryoko Kubo

Kenji Kibune

David Lo

Kiyoshi Hori

Toru Nakaoka

Noboru Ishida

Robert J Porter

Makoto Fukushima

Katsura Kawata

Daisuke Takahashi

Hiroko Kanai

Alexey Demykin

Shuuichi Suzuki

A fuel cell includes a pair of separators for clamping a laminate including a membrane electrode assembly, an anode gas diffusion layer, and a cathode gas diffusion layer, and a frame formed from thermosetting resin and disposed between the separators to surround a periphery of the laminate. At least one of the anode and the cathode gas diffusion layers is formed from a composite of thermoplastic resin and conductive particles, and includes a protrusion protruding beyond a level of a surface of the frame which faces one of the separators in a state that the laminate is not clamped between the separators under a predetermined pressure. The one of the separators presses the protrusion and gets the one of the gas diffusion layers to be deformed and put into contact with the frame in a state that the laminate is clamped between the separators under the predetermined pressure.

Fuel cell and method for manufacturing fuel cell

A fuel cell module includes a first fuel cell layer and second fuel cell layer. Each fuel cell layer includes a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies arranged in a planar shape. Each membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode disposed on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode disposed on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane. Each fuel cell layer also includes interconnectors each of which electrically connects the anode of one of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies to the cathode of the other. The first fuel cell layer and second fuel cell layer are arranged so that one polarity of each membrane electrode assembly of the first fuel cell layer is opposed to the same polarity of each membrane electrode assembly of the second fuel cell layer.

Fuel cell module and fuel cell stack

Methods, systems, and articles relating to enhanced bonding of layers in a planar fuel cell. A planar fuel cell having a composite layer is bonded to an outer layer (e.g., a fuel or fluid manifold) using intrusions that extend through an electrolyte layer and into an underlying layer (e.g., a substrate component or a current-collector component).

Enhanced bonding in fuel cells

In a planar-array cell structure, an area required by interconnectors is reduced and a fuel cell is made further compact. A connection part which connects adjacent cells in series is provided within a sealing member provided in a peripheral edge part of an electrolyte membrane where multiple cells are formed in a planar arrangement. For each cell, an anode terminal of a current collector is disposed counter to a cathode terminal of the current collector via the electrolyte membrane. The connection part penetrates the electrolyte membrane and connects the anode terminal of one of the adjacent cells to the cathode terminal of the other of the adjacent cells.

Fuel cell and method for connecting current connectors thereto

Provided is a fuel cell having improved ion conductivity in the catalyst layer. The catalyst layer includes a catalytic metal, a carbon particle, and an ion exchanger. The catalytic metal is carried on the carbon particle. The ion exchanger includes a first functional group capable of being adsorbed or bound to the catalytic metal, and a second functional group providing the ion conductivity. The ion exchanger is adsorbed or bound to the catalytic metal via the first functional group. The bond between the catalytic metal and the ion exchanger includes a covalent bond, a coordinate bond or an ion bond.

Catalyst layer for fuel cells and fuel cell using the same

A fuel cell includes membrane electrode assemblies disposed in a planar arrangement. Each membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer disposed counter to the cathode catalyst via the electrolyte membrane. Interconnectors (conductive members) are provided on the lateral faces of the electrolyte membranes disposed counter to each another in the neighboring direction of the membrane electrode assemblies. Each interconnector includes a support portion protruding toward the central region of the electrolyte member on the cathode side of the electrolyte membrane. The support portion is in contact with the cathode-side surface of an edge of the electrolyte membrane, and the electrolyte membrane is held by the support portion.

Composite membrane, fuel cell and method of making composite membrane

A fuel cell which can utilize the fuel in its fuel reservoir to the fullest possible extent. The fuel cell includes: an electrolyte layer; a first electrode which is provided on one surface of the electrolyte layer and to which a liquid fuel is supplied; and a second electrode which is provided on the other surface of the electrolyte layer and to which an oxidant is supplied. The fuel cell further includes: a fuel chamber which is provided next to the first electrode and stores the liquid fuel; a fuel reservoir which is provided next to the fuel chamber and stores the liquid fuel to be refilled into the fuel chamber; a selectively permeable unit which is provided between the fuel chamber and the fuel reservoir and is permeable to the liquid fuel; and an osmotic pressure generating source which dissolves in a liquid stored in the fuel chamber and does not permeate the selectively permeable unit.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell provided with an anode and a cathode, a first container for storing a liquid fuel to be supplied to the anode, a second container provided in the first container to contain liquid and gas, a joint which is provided in the first container and discharges the liquid fuel outside the first container, an outlet pipe connecting the joint to the second container, and a remaining indicator window provided to make the interior of the outlet pipe is viewable. Further, an alert color is applied to an area that becomes viewable when the gas is flowing through the outlet pipe, the color being applied on the area opposite to the remaining indicator window across the outlet pipe.

Liquid tank and fuel cell system with fuel monitoring

A membrane electrode assembly is used for a planer type fuel cell. The membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, anodes and cathodes disposed counter to the anodes. Ends of current collectors are connected to one side of the anodes, respectively. Ends of current collectors are connected to one side of the cathodes, respectively. On a cathode side, the current collectors are provided in positions opposed respectively to the insulators provided on an anode side with the electrolyte membrane interposed in between. A cathode-side current collection and an anode-side current collector are connected by an interconnector, and adjacent cells are electrically connected in series with each other.

Side-by-side fuel cells

Corrosion of a metal portion such as a pipe connected to a fuel cell stack is suppressed. The fuel cell stack has a plurality of single cells which generate electrical power using an aqueous methanol solution and air and are stacked in a vertical direction. An inlet of a fuel supply manifold for distributing the aqueous methanol solution to each cell and an outlet of a fuel discharge manifold for collecting the fuel discharged from the single cells are provided in a common conductive end plate. Hence, when the discharge fuel discharged from the fuel cell stack is circulated and resupplied to the stack, the potential of the discharged fuel becomes equal to that of the liquid fuel to be supplied to the stack, whereby the corrosion of the metal portion such as a pipe, a tank, a pump, or a heat exchanger is suppressed.

Fuel cell stack

A power source system to be mounted in electrical devices is provided. The power source system includes a fuel cell which supplies electric power generated by consuming fuel, a fuel storage portion which stores the fuel and supplies the fuel to the fuel cell, a container which contains the fuel cell and the fuel storage portion, and a case which is provided so as to surround the container. A space for allowing air used for the reaction in the fuel cell to circulate therethrough is provided between the container and the case.

Power source system

A membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode disposed on one face of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode disposed on the other face of the electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane has a non-electrode-forming region where the cathode is not disposed on the surface of the non-electrode-forming region and an electrode-forming region where the cathode is disposed on the surface of the electrode-forming region. The non-electrode-forming region has a thin membrane region where the membrane is thinner than that in the electrode-forming region. The drop in power generation efficiency by water generated at the cathodes is prevented.

Membrane electrode assembly, method for manufacturing the same, and fuel cell including the same

There is disclosed a power source system capable of lengthening life and realizing a highly efficient operation while meeting user's needs. The power source system includes a fuel cell which generates power by an electrochemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidizing agent, and a secondary battery which is charged and discharged, wherein the secondary battery is charged by the fuel cell, and the power is taken from the secondary battery. The power source system further comprises a charge control unit which charges the secondary battery with the power generated by the fuel cell, and this charge control unit has a function of switching a mode to charge the secondary battery by the fuel cell in accordance with a frequency with which the power is taken from the secondary battery.

Power source system utilizing time detection means to provide optimum charge to secondary battery from fuel cell

A fuel cell system is provided in which the amount of a reaction product discharged outside the system can be reduced, the reaction product, such as water, being formed by the electrochemical reaction of a fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell power generation apparatus and a fuel cartridge which is detachable from a fuel cell. The fuel cell power generation apparatus includes a case containing a fuel cell therein, an air intake port provided in the case, and an emitted material discharge port provided in the case. The air intake port and the emitted material discharge port are arranged in different positions of the case. The fuel cartridge includes a fuel storage unit storing fuel, a fuel supply port supplying the fuel to the fuel cell, and a removal unit which removes water discharged from the fuel cell.

Fuel cell power generation apparatus, fuel cartridge, and fuel cell system using the same

A mixture ratio detecting apparatus comprises: a light source which emits light including light of an infrared region; a first light detecting unit which detects the light of the infrared region from the light source; a second light detecting unit which detects light of a region having a range different from that of the first light detecting unit; and a control unit which outputs a signal pertaining to a mixture ratio based on signals from the first light detecting unit and the second light detecting unit, and controls the light source, the first light detecting unit, and the second light detecting unit.

Mixing ration detecting apparatus, method of controlling mixing ration detecting apparatus, and fuel cell system incorporating mixing ratio detecting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Takashi Yasuo