Abstract: There is provided a glass-ceramic composite electrolyte including a medium containing glass-ceramic powder impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolytic solution. There is also provided a lithium secondary cell having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator in which the separator includes the above described composite electrolyte. The glass-ceramic powder consists of grains having an average grain diameter of 20 &mgr;m or below (calculated on the basis of volume), a maximum grain diameter of 44 &mgr;m or below and lithium ion conductivity of 1×10−4S·cm−1 or over. The glass-ceramic composite electrolyte has thickness of 100 &mgr;m or below and lithium ion conductivity of 1×10−5S·cm−1 or over.

Abstract: A primary electrochemical cell with an anode comprising zinc-based particles suspended in a fluid medium is disclosed. The zinc-based particles include at least about 1 percent, by weight, of fines (particles of −200 mesh size) or dust (particles of −325 mesh size). The zinc-based particles can have a relatively small average particle size. The zinc-based particles can be alloyed with, for example, indium and/or bismuth and be of spherical, acicular or flake shape. The anode can have a low resistivity at low zinc loadings, and the cell can demonstrate good mechanical stability and overall performance.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery, a positive active material contains oxyhydroxide of nickel and aluminum. The positive active material may further contain oxyhydroxide of cobalt.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly is provided comprising a pair of electrodes and an ion exchange membrane positioned between the electrodes, at least one of the electrodes being formed of a sheet of a compressed mass of expanded graphite particles having a plurality of transverse fluid channels passing through the sheet between first and second opposed surfaces of the sheet, one of opposed surfaces abutting said ion exchange membrane, said transverse fluid channels being formed by mechanically impacting an opposed surface of the sheet to displace graphite within the sheet at predetermined locations.

Abstract: A metal-air cell housing structure provides a generally L-shaped peripheral grid comprising an upper leg ultrasonically welded to the top edge of a peripheral wall of a lower housing section, and a downwardly extending leg positioned to hold an air electrode against the central panel of the lower housing section. An upper housing section encloses the lower housing section with a top panel and an outer peripheral wall that extends downwardly adjacent to and is adhered to the peripheral grid and the lower housing peripheral wall.

Abstract: The difficulties encountered with attaching tabs to very thin metal layer. e. g., a layer of gold from 0.3 &mgr;m to 50 &mgr;m thick are severe. Typically, in the uses envisioned for the thin metal layer, which is for a compact battery, a plastic sheet such as polyimide underlies the thin metal layer. Polyimide has a relatively low melting point. The thin polyimide substrate melts when resistance welding is used. Ultrasonic welding doesn't work because the sound wave energy is absorbed by the polyimide. This invention solves the attachment problem by using wire bonding to the thin metal sheet and to its tab. The tab attachment for a thin metal layer comprises a thin metal layer, a metal tab, and a wire and the wire is bonded to the thin metal layer and the wire is bonded to the metal tab. The thin metal layer may be gold; the thickness of the gold is between 0.3 &mgr;m and 50.0 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises first and second fuel cell stacks in which directions of a positive electrode and a negative electrode of adjoining terminal electrodes are set to be opposite to one another. First and second conductive plates are incorporated at ends on an identical side of the first and second fuel cell stacks. First and second connecting plate sections are provided to extend from the first and second conductive plates closely to one another under the first and second fuel cell stacks. The first and second connecting plate sections are electrically connected by strand wires having flexibility. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably avoid any action of stress which would be otherwise caused by vibration or the like at a connecting portion for electrically connecting the first and second fuel cell stacks to one another which are arranged in parallel to one another.

Abstract: A method for equalizing the measured voltage of each cluster in a fuel cell stack wherein at least one of the clusters has a different number of cells than the identical number of cells in the remaining clusters by creating a pseudo voltage for the different cell numbered cluster. The average cell voltage of the all of the cells in the fuel cell stack is calculated and multiplied by a constant equal to the difference in the number of cells in the identical cell clusters and the number of cells in the different numbered cell cluster. The resultant product is added to the actual voltage measured across the different numbered cell cluster to create a pseudo voltage which is equivalent in cell number to the number of cells in the other identical numbered cell clusters.

Abstract: A lithium-ion battery having at least an anode that includes phenol formaldehyde in a range of 0.1% to 10% by weight as a binder material. The phenol formaldehyde, or a mixture of phenol formaldehyde with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), is used as a binding material in a Li-ion battery negative electrode to decrease the exothermic reaction of the battery during charging and discharging, which accordingly lessens the risk of thermal runaway and rupture of the battery.

Abstract: In a fuel cell comprising two electrodes, an electrolyte disposed between the electrodes and fluid conducting means for supplying an operating fluid to the electrodes and removing the depleted operating fluid from the electrodes, the flow conducting means include fluid supply passages supplying the operating fluid to the electrodes in a direction normal to the electrode surface and depleted fluid discharge passages for removing the depleted operating fluid from the electrode surfaces also in a direction normal to the electrode surfaces.

Abstract: A liquid resin composition (26) comprising A) an addition-polymerizable oligomer which has, as the backbone thereof, a linear polyisobutylene or perfluoropolyether structure and has an alkenyl group at least at each end, B) a hardener containing, in its molecule thereof, at least two hydrogen atoms each bonded to a silicon atom, and C) a hydrosilylation catalyst is three-dimensionally crosslinked to form a sealing layer in a unit cell (20) of a fuel cell assembly to thereby seal separators (24) and (25), a pair of electrodes (22) and (23), and an ion-exchange resin (21) as a solid electrolyte. Thus, each cell can be reduced in thickness and size to enable the fuel cell assembly to have a high output.

Abstract: An electrode for a battery in which a collector and an electrode tab are connected with a novel connection structure without impairing electrical connection, and a method of manufacturing the electrode quite simply are provided. Further, a battery having this electrode for the battery is provided. A collector (2) and a tab (3) are connected via a graphite layer (4). The graphite layer is formed on the surface of the collector to be connected with the tab and/or the surface of the tab to be connected with the collector, the portions to be connected of the collector and the tab are overlapped on each other with the graphite layer interposed between the collector and the tab, and a pressure is applied to the overlapped portions to connect the collector (2) with the tab (3). It is preferable that the collector (2) is made of a conductive thin film formed on a resin film (5).

Abstract: An evaporation control method for liquid fuel in a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system comprising: a fuel reforming apparatus formed of an evaporator for evaporating liquid fuel, a reforming device for making gas evaporated by the evaporator react by a solid catalyst to form fuel gas, and a CO removing device for removing carbon monoxide from the fuel gas generated by the reforming device; a fuel cell for making hydrogen in the fuel gas provided from the fuel reforming apparatus react with oxygen provided from an oxidizing agent providing means to generate electric power; and a burner for burning off-gas of an anode of the fuel cell to generate combustion gas to be a heating source of the evaporator, in which a temperature detector 8 for detecting temperature is provided at a bottom of an evaporation chamber of the evaporator 1 and a supply amount of the liquid fuel to the evaporator 1 is reduced and controlled from a supply amount (command value) corresponding to a required load amount of the fuel cell 10

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell in the form of stacked unit cells each having a power generating section composed of a fuel electrode, an oxidant electrode, and an electrolyte plate held therebetween, which are placed on top of the other. In this fuel cell, a liquid fuel is introduced into each unit cell by the capillary action and evaporated in each unit cell in a fuel evaporating portion, so that the fuel electrode is supplied with the evaporated fuel.

Abstract: A battery housing including a cover that has one or more semi-rigid legs depending outwardly therefrom, and the battery housing also including a battery tray for selectively receiving one or more batteries and one or more flexible circuits. The battery tray has one or more fixtures that provide access to at least one battery and at least one flexible circuit such that the flexible circuit can be spot-welded to the battery, and each fixture is placed about the battery tray whereby each of the one or more legs of the cover snap-fits into a fixture and such action preferably affixes the cover to the battery tray to form the battery housing.

Abstract: A battery, such as an alkaline battery, that can provide a high energy output at a high rate and that has a relatively high ratio of manganese dioxide to cathode volume is disclosed. The battery can provide high energy output at a high rate when the battery is intermittently subjected to a high energy load.

Abstract: Even when an ambient temperature of a battery housed in a battery pack is detrimentally low, the battery is capable of performing its normal discharge operation, and thereby preventing the available period of time of an electronic device powered by the battery from decreasing due to such detrimentally low ambient temperature.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte comprising (i) a non-aqueous solvent and (ii) an electrolyte salt dissolved therein and (iii) a disulfonate ester derivative having the formula (I): wherein R indicates a C1 to C6 alkyl group and X indicates a straight-chain alkylene group having a C2-C6 principal chain or a branched alkylene group having a C2-C6 principal chain with at least one side-chain composed of a. C1-C4 alkyl group, and also a lithium secondary battery using the same are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for controlling the power and temperature and fuel source of a combustor in a fuel cell apparatus to supply heat to a fuel processor where the combustor has dual fuel inlet streams including a first fuel stream, and a second fuel stream of anode effluent from the fuel cell and reformate from the fuel processor. In all operating modes, an enthalpy balance is determined by regulating the amount of the first and/or second fuel streams and the quantity of the first air flow stream to support fuel processor power requirements.

Abstract: The battery pack of the present invention connects a terminal holder to a cell. The cell is sealed air-tight at its connection between a sheathing case and a sealing plate. The sealing plate has a terminal protruding from its surface. The terminal holder is made of an insulating material and provides a storage space adjacent to the sealing plate for storing a protective component. The protective component is provided in the storage space between the terminal holder and the sealing plate. The protective component is placed in the storage space provided between the terminal holder and the sealing plate except for the terminal location, and its bottom surface level is positioned under the top surface level of the terminal.