Abstract: Provided are methods of preparing a lithium ion cell including forming the cell by charging the lithium ion cell to at least about 5% or, more specifically, to at least about 20% of the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode electrochemically active material, holding the lithium ion cell in a charged state for at least about 0.5 hours, and discharging the lithium ion cell. Holding the lithium ion cell in a partially charged state is believed to significantly improve its Coulombic efficiency during subsequent cycling.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery pack including a battery cell having a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal and a pair of coupling grooves formed at the top of a battery case, a protection circuit module (PCM) including a protection circuit board (PCB), connection members A and B connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal, respectively, and a safety element, and an electrically insulated top cap having through holes communicating with the respective coupling grooves.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery constructed in a structure in which an electrode assembly having a cathode/separator/anode arrangement is mounted in a battery case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, electrode tabs of the electrode assembly are coupled to corresponding electrode leads, and the electrode assembly is sealed in the battery case while electrode leads are exposed to the outside of the battery case, wherein a protective film is attached to coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads for sealing the coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads. The secondary battery according to the present invention is constructed in a structure in which the coupling regions are sealed by the protective film, unlike a conventional secondary battery constructed in a structure in which the coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads are exposed in the battery case.

Abstract: A kit is provided that provides for remotely locating a smoke detector battery from a surface mounted smoke detector of the type that comprises an internal two wire battery connector. The kit comprises a first connector arranged to mate with the internal two-wire battery connector. The kit also includes a length of surface mountable tape wire comprising at least two, flat, thin, flexible, elongate conductors carried by an insulating tape. A second connector is configured to connect the first pair of electrical wire conductors to the two elongate conductors. A container is provided for containing a smoke detector battery. The container comprises a pair of contacts for electrically connecting to a smoked detector battery. A third connector is provided to connect the container contacts to the elongate conductors. The container is mountable at a location on a wall surface to provide convenient access to the battery.

Abstract: A kit is provided that provides for remotely locating a smoke detector battery from a surface mounted smoke detector of the type that comprises an internal two wire battery connector. The kit comprises a first connector arranged to mate with the internal two-wire battery connector. The kit also includes a length of surface mountable tape wire comprising at least two, flat, thin, flexible, elongate conductors carried by an insulating tape. A second connector is configured to connect the first pair of electrical wire conductors to the two elongate conductors. A container is provided for containing a smoke detector battery. The container comprises a pair of contacts for electrically connecting to a smoked detector battery. A third connector is provided to connect the container contacts to the elongate conductors. The container is mountable at a location on a wall surface to provide convenient access to the battery.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a novel proton conductor comprising a zwitterionic type ionic liquid that can solve a problem of a complicated and enlarged system caused by installing a system of a humidifying device, a recovering device and a resupplying device that are necessary to keep proton transportation stably in an operation environment of a fuel cell. A proton conductor comprising an ionic liquid having a zwitterion wherein an anion and a cation coexist in one molecule, and a proton donor is provided.

Abstract: An electrochemical device capable of improving arrangement efficiency of bonded bodies and securing favorable sealing characteristics is provided. An electrolyte membrane 11 has a reaction region 11A sandwiched between a fuel electrode 12 and an oxygen electrode 13 and a peripheral region 11B exposed from between the fuel electrode 12 and the oxygen electrode 13. A connection member 20 has a bent section 23 between two flat sections 21 and 22. Since an adhesive layer 14 is provided in the peripheral section 11B of the electrolyte membrane 11, and the bent section 23 of the connection member 20 is bonded to the adhesive layer 14, arrangement efficiency of a bonded body 10 is improved, and favorable sealing characteristics are secured. The adhesive layer 14 has a structure in which a first contact layer having high adhesion to the electrolyte membrane 11, a barrier layer, a strength retention layer, and a second contact layer having high adhesion to the connection member 20 are sequentially laminated.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane and a membrane electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell are provided. A catalytically active component is disposed within the membrane electrode assembly. The catalytically active component comprises particles containing a metal oxide such as silica, metal or metalloid ions such as ions that include boron, and a catalyst. A process for increasing peroxide radical resistance in a membrane electrode is also provided that includes the introduction of the catalytically active component described into a membrane electrode assembly.

Abstract: A method for determining membrane humidification by determining the membrane protonic resistance of a fuel cell stack at humidified conditions, and normalizing the base resistance of the fuel cell stack against the base resistance of a reference fuel cell stack.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel cell system including a fuel cell, a hydrogen gas piping system for supplying a hydrogen gas to the fuel cell, an injector which adjusts a gas state on an upstream side of the hydrogen gas piping system to supply the gas to a downstream side, and a control device which drives and controls the injector in a predetermined driving period, wherein a driving characteristic of the injector is learnt, and a driving parameter of the injector can be set based on a result of the learning. In the present invention, during an operation of the fuel cell, a supply pressure of the hydrogen gas can appropriately be changed in accordance with an operation state. In addition, even when the pressure is broadly varied, a satisfactory pressure response property can be secured regardless of fluctuations due to aging and individual difference of the injector.

Abstract: An oxygen reduction electrode and a fuel cell including the same are provided. A catalyst layer of the oxygen reduction electrode includes a metalloporphyrin derivative as an additive. Accordingly, the oxygen reduction electrode can increase oxygen concentration and can easily form a triple phase boundary by reducing a flooding phenomenon caused by an electrolyte. A fuel cell including the same is also provided.

Abstract: An SOFC system is started-up efficiently in a short time while letting a hydrogen concentration in a reformed gas high.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode containing an active material, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, the negative electrode including a current collector and a negative electrode active material supported by the current collector, the negative electrode active material having a Li insertion potential not lower than 0.2V (vs. Li/Li+) and an average primary particle diameter not larger than 1 ?m, and a specific surface area of the negative electrode, excluding a weight of the current collector, as determined by the BET method falls within a range of 3 to 50 m2/g.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell body that generates electricity through electrochemical reaction of a first reactive gas and a second reactive gas, a first gas supply passage and a second gas supply passage supplying the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas to the fuel cell body, a first gas discharge passage and a second gas discharge passage discharging an off-gas of the first reactive gas and an off-gas of the second reactive gas from the fuel cell body, and a branch passage branching out from one of the first gas discharge passage or the second gas discharge passage. The off-gas discharged by the other one of the first gas discharge passage or the second gas discharge passage is arranged to flow through the branch passage.

Abstract: The invention provides a positive electrode for lithium secondary batteries, comprising a conductive layer overlaid on the surface of a positive electrode collector, and an active material layer overlaid on the conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer comprises at least one water-insoluble polymer, as a binder, that is soluble in organic solvents, and a conductive material; the active material layer comprises at least one aqueous polymer, as a binder, that is soluble or dispersible in water, a positive electrode active material, and a conductive material; and the average particle size (DA) of the conductive material in the conductive layer is smaller than the average particle size (DB) of the conductive material in the active material layer.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including a positive electrode including a positive current collector, a positive active material on the positive current collector in a positive coating region, and a positive uncoated region in which the positive active material is not on the positive current collector at a first side of the electrode assembly; a negative electrode including a negative current collector, a negative active material on the negative current collector in a negative coating region, a first negative uncoated region in which the negative active material is not on the negative current collector at the first side of the electrode assembly, and a second negative uncoated region in which the negative active material is not on the negative current collector at a second side of the electrode assembly opposite the first side; and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

Abstract: The present invention aims to realize a battery having high output voltage, high energy density and excellent charge and discharge cycle characteristics through a constitution different from those of conventional batteries.

Abstract: A kit is provided that provides for remotely locating a smoke detector battery from a surface mounted smoke detector of the type that comprises an internal two wire battery connector. The kit comprises a first connector arranged to mate with the internal two-wire battery connector. The kit also includes a length of surface mountable tape wire comprising at least two, flat, thin, flexible, elongate conductors carried by an insulating tape. One surface of the tape carries an adhesive layer or material bonded to the insulating tape. The tape wire is mountable to a flat surface or to adjacent flat surfaces such that said flat electrical conductors are mountable onto an interior wall surface, said wall surface being one of the same wall surface upon which said smoke detector is surface mounted or a wall surface adjacent to the surface upon which said smoke detector is surface mounted. A second connector is configured to connect the first pair of electrical wire conductors to the two elongate conductors.

Abstract: This invention provides a highly electrically conductive sheet molding compound (SMC) composition and a fuel cell flow field plate or bipolar plate made from such a composition. The composition comprises a top sheet, a bottom sheet, and a resin mixture sandwiched between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. At least one of the top sheet and bottom sheet comprises a flexible graphite sheet, which has a substantially planar outer surface having formed therein a fluid flow channel. Further, the resin mixture comprises a thermoset resin and a conductive filler present in a sufficient quantity to render the flow field plate electrically conductive enough to be a current collector (preferably with a conductivity no less than 100 S/cm). Preferably, both the top and bottom surfaces are flexible graphite sheets, each having a substantially planar outer surface having therein a fluid flow channel formed by embossing.

Abstract: During a process of shutting down a fuel cell power plant (11) the exits (28) of the anodes (14) are vented (76-77) under liquid (57). The liquid may be that of a coolant accumulator (57) of a fuel cell stack (12) cooled by conduction and convection of sensible heat into liquid coolant (FIG. 1) or evaporatively cooled (FIG. 4). The vent (77) may be under liquid all of the time (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) or only after the stack has been drained of coolant (FIG. 2). The vent (77) may be the only vent for the anode exits (FIG. 3), or there may also be a purge vent valve (31) (FIGS. 1 and 4).