Hitachi, Ltd.

Tsutomu Okusawa

Shigeo Hatamiya

Kazuhito Koyama

Masahiko Yamagishi

Yukio Ishigaki

Taiko Ajiro

Megumi Sunou

Kenji Tokunaga

Kuniyoshi Tsubouchi

Nobuo Hamano

Hidekazu Fujimura

Takaaki Mizukami

Masaya Kozakai

Shohei Yoshida

Shin Takahashi

Osamu Yokomizo

Toshiki Kahara

Kenji Yamaga

Akira Arai

Kiyoshi Namura

Yusuke Takagi

Ko Takahashi

Yoichi Yoshinaga

Yoshio Kojima

Kenji Mitani

Kouichi Chino

A fuel cell power generation system of the invention includes a hydrogen supply unit for reforming hydrocarbon fuel to generate reformed gas including hydrogen or generating reaction gas including the hydrogen from a hydrogen material, an oxygen supply unit, a fuel cell for receiving the hydrogen from the hydrogen supply unit and oxygen from the oxygen supply unit, for power generation, temperature sensors each for detecting a temperature of the hydrogen supply unit, and a temperature control unit for adjusting generated power, thereby controlling the temperature of the hydrogen supply unit, based on the detected temperature. The temperature control unit includes a target power setting unit for setting first and second target powers as generated power target values, and a target power switching unit for performing target value switching between the first and second target powers according to a predetermined change in the detected temperature.

Power generation system of fuel cell and control method thereof

A fuel cell according to the present invention comprises a membrane electrode assembly, a bipolar plate for guiding a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly, two layers of coolant flow fields formed on the bipolar plane opposite to another plane on which a reaction gas flow field is formed, and an interlayer separation plate; wherein the interlayer separation plate separates the two layers of coolant flow fields and has permeability or jet orifices so as to allow a coolant to pass through.

Fuel cell

Excellent gas sealing properties were difficult to achieve with a structure that uses a meal material to control material cost and does not increase the number of components. A cell is configured by using a metal separator having at least one protruding structure between a manifold and an electrode channel, and having a communicating channel structure that forms a fluid circulating space by being folded back at the side containing a connection so that the tip of the protruding structure is in contact with a surface of the separator. Accordingly, a gas channel from the manifold to an electrode surface can be easily formed integrally. This can be applied to a metal material easily. Further, the present invention can provide excellent gas sealing properties.

During a time zone where a power demand is smaller than an average value of the entire power demands of homes, an excess portion obtained by subtracting a power demand from a base power portion supplied by PEFC () is charged in a capacitor () and a lead storage battery () in advance; and during a time zone where a power demand is larger than the average value, a peak power portion exceeding this average value is discharged from the capacitor () and the lead storage battery (); thereby enabling the system to sufficiently meet daily home-use demand with requisite minimum equipment while effectively using surplus power. Thus, energy efficiency can be enhanced without wasting energy, and also cost efficiency can be improved.

Home-use fuel cell system

A waste-to-energy incineration system, in which the amount and heat value of exhaust gas largely changes in long and short periods, comprises an incinerator for burning waste, a boiler in the incinerator for generating steam with exhaust heat generated by the incinerator, a superheater for superheating steam generated in the boiler, a steam turbine driven by steam superheated by the superheater, a generator driven by the steam turbine, a fuel reformer for reforming source fuel, and a combustor burning fuel gas reformed by the fuel reformer and at least a part of exhaust gas led from the incinerator which is able to stably decompose generated dioxin in waste incineration exhaust gas.

Waste processing system and fuel reformer used in the waste processing system

A waste-to-energy incineration system, in which the amount and the heat value of exhaust gas largely changes in long and a short periods, comprises an incinerator for burning waste, a boiler in the incinerator for generating steam with exhaust heat generated by the incinerator, a superheater for superheating steam generated in the boiler, a steam turbine driven by steam superheated by the superheater, a generator driven by the steam turbine, a fuel reformer for reforming source fuel, and a combustor burning fuel gas reformed by the fuel reformer and at least a part of exhaust gas led from the incinerator which is able to stably decompose generated dioxin in waste incineration exhaust gas.

A waste-to-energy incineration system, in which the amount and the heat value of exhaust gas changes during operation, includes an incinerator for burning waste, a boiler in the incinerator for generating steam with exhaust heat generated by the incinerator, and a superheater for superheating steam generated in the boiler. A steam turbine is provided which is driven by steam superheated by the superheater and a generator is driven by the steam turbine. A fuel reformer is provided for reforming source fuel. A combustor burning fuel gas reformed by the fuel reformer and at least a part of exhaust gas fed from the incinerator is provided which decomposes generated dioxin in waste incineration exhaust gas.

Waste processing system and fuel reformer used in the waste processing

A gas-liquid separation method for electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flow and the device therefor wherein electrodes are disposed in the vicinity of inlet and outlet portions of the gas-liquid separation region in the flow passage of electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flow so as to flow an electric current thereto. A magnet is disposed in the gas-liquid separation region of the flow passage so as to generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the current and to generate an electromagnetic force acting along the flow passage wall on the electroconductive liquid by taking advantage of the Flemming's left hand law, thereby separating the electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flow into gas phase and liquid phase. A hydrophobic porous material having water permeability is employed as the flow passage wall in the gas-liquid separation region; the gas-liquid separation region is disposed in a reduced pressure region; and the separated gas phase is effectively removed out of the flow passage.

Gas-liquid separation device for electroconductive gas-liquid two phase

Method of opening and closing a fluid passage comprises the steps of freezing fluid in the fluid passage by first cooling the fluid to a temperature below the freezing point of the fluid to close the fluid passage and after the fluid passage is closed, raising the temperature of the fluid close (or just below) to the freezing point of the fluid, whereby the fluid passage is maintained in a closed state with a small power supply and the responsiveness in opening the fluid passage is enhanced.

Shut off apparatus for a fluid passage, method for controlling the same,

An apparatus for transferring a small amount of fluid has at least one series of vibration pump units each having a fluid transfer pipe designed to perform a respirating action by the operation of a vibrator which vibrates in response to application of a high-frequency voltage. The fluid transfer pipes are connected in series via fluid diodes which serve to enable the fluid to flow only in one direction, while resisting reversing of the fluid, so that the fluid is transferred in one direction through the successive fluid transfer pipes. In order to minimize the pulsation of the fluid pressure at the downstream end of the apparatus, the vibrators of the pump unit are excited with predetermined phase differentials. Additional fluid diode is connected to the outlet end of the most downstream pump unit. The pressure differential across at least one of the fluid diodes is measured and the rate of transfer of the fluid performed by the fluid transfer apparatus is controlled in accordance with the measured pressure differential. In a specific form of the invention, a plurality of rows to of the vibration pump units are disposed in parallel, and the pressure differentials are measured across orifices provided on the downstream ends of the respective rows of the pump unit serieses deviations of the measured pressure differentials are detected. A control is preformed in accordance with the measured pressure differential deviations so as to equalize the flow rates of the fluid in all the parallel rows of vibration pump units.

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Hitachi, Japan

Tsutomu Okusawa