Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.

Abstract: The polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell includes a hydrophilically surface-treated polymer particle filler, and a proton conductive polymer. The polymer electrolyte membrane has improved properties in conductivity, swelling, tensile strength and modulus.

Abstract: A pouch-type secondary battery including: an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator; a negative electrode tab electrically connected to the negative electrode plate and having a first tab tape; and a positive electrode tab electrically connected to the positive electrode plate and having a second tab tape wherein one or two of end portions which the positive electrode tab crosses are located inside a sealing portion.

Abstract: An anode active material is provided. The anode active material includes a silicon thin film containing crystalline silicon having a Raman shift in a Raman spectrum ranging from about 490 to about 500 cm?1 and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) ranging from about 10 to about 30 cm?1. The volume of the anode active material does not change significantly during charging and discharging. Thus, a lithium battery employing the anode active material has an excellent capacity retention rate and a longer cycle lifetime.

Abstract: Provided is a method of preserving a PEFC stack, which is capable of controlling degradation of performance of the PEFC stack during a time period that elapses from when the stack is placed in an uninstalled state until it is placed in an installation position and is practically used. Provided is a preservation assembly of the PEFC stack which is capable of sufficiently inhibiting degradation of performance of the PEFC stack particularly during a time period that elapses from when the stack is placed in the uninstalled state until it is placed in the installation position and is practically used.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secondary battery module which is excellent in vibration resistance. A battery module 20 has assembled battery blocks 11 each constituted by screw-fixing the assembled batteries 2 to the block bases 3, 4 supporting a lower portion thereof and the two block reinforcing plates 5 supporting an upper portion thereof, the six assembled batteries 2 are sandwiched by and fixed firmly to the block bases 3, 4 and the block reinforcing plates 5. The assembled batteries 2 do not move freely even if vibration is added to the battery module 20. Because the elastic sheet 9 is laid between the block bases 3, 4 and the assembled batteries 2, since a space derived due to variance in size accuracy of frames 12 which hold and fix the unit cells 11 and derived due to variance in size accuracy of the block bases 3, 4 can be removed, and vibration resistance can be enhanced.

Abstract: A curable resin composition for fuel cell electrolyte films characterized by comprising (1) 100 parts by mass of a monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group per molecule and having, per molecule, either at least one, tonically conductive group or at least one precursor group capable of giving an tonically conductive group through a chemical reaction, (2) 10-400 parts by mass of an oligomer which has, per molecule, at least two reactive groups copolymerizable with the ethylenically unsaturated group of the ingredient (1) and has a number-average molecular weight of 400 or higher, (3) 10-400 parts by mass of a fluororesin, and (4) 0-2,000 parts by mass of a solvent.

Abstract: A fluid conduit for use in an electrochemical cell, the fluid conduit comprising a support comprising an elastically deformable material and having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough defining a mesh through which fluid communication can be maintained and a peripheral sealing area; a flow plate positioned adjacent the support, the flow plate including an inlet and an outlet; and a separator positioned adjacent the support. The support, flow plate, and separator are sealingly engaged with one another and cooperate to define a plurality of flow paths in fluid communication with and extending axially between the inlet and the outlet. The support, flow plate, and separator can be comprised of a metallic material coated with an electrically conductive joining compound for providing sealing engagement and electrically conductive communication therebetween.

Abstract: A fuel cell system which includes: a fuel cell (1); a supply system (Sc) for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell (1); a recirculation system (Rc) for recirculating unused fuel gas from the fuel cell (1), in which the fuel gas therein may contain nitrogen; a purge valve (8) for purging nitrogen contained in the fuel gas in the recirculation system (Rc); and a controller (100) for adjusting a valve opening of the purge valve (8) so that a nitrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the recirculation system (Rc) is kept constant.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing a cathode for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention is a method of manufacturing a cathode for a fuel cell equipped with a catalyst layer containing a catalyst, and includes a potential providing step of providing a precursor layer containing the catalyst with a potential higher than 1.3 V with reference to a standard hydrogen electrode, so as to form the catalyst layer.

Abstract: A method of estimating a lifespan of a fuel cell including a cathode and an anode which contain catalysts and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode. A cyclic potential with a voltage ranging from a low voltage to a voltage greater than oxidation voltages of the catalysts is applied between the anode and the cathode and fuel cell performance is measured initially and after a predetermined number of cycles. The lifespan of the fuel cell may estimated based on degradation of cell performance after the predetermined number of cycles, based on CV curves obtained during the cycling of the potential and/or a change in particle size of the catalysts after the predetermined number of cycles.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.

Abstract: The fuel cell of the present invention includes: a MEA (membrane-electrode assembly); resin frames which are deposited at the front and the rear surface of the MEA and which sandwich the peripheral edge portion of the MEA and fix it; and electrically conductive separators, which are disposed on the front and the rear surfaces of the MEA which is sandwich and fixed by the resin frames, which contact against the MEA, and on which collector portions are formed which collect electricity from the MEA; and these resin frames sandwich and fix a portion of the peripheral edge portion of the MEA, while, on the electrically conductive separators, there formed collector portions at another peripheral edge portion of the MEA which is not sandwiched by the resin frames.

Abstract: Monolayer ion-exchange membrane structured in the thickness comprising ion-exchange sites covalently bonded to a support polymer, the membrane comprising two surface zones located on either side of a mid-zone, each surface zone having a thickness of not more than 15% of the total thickness of the membrane, in which the surface zones have a mean ion-exchange site density Dsurface calculated on the thickness of the surface zones of at least Dtotal.

Abstract: A prismatic battery according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a flat electrode group 10 stacked or rolled by mutually positive and negative electrodes with a separator therebetween, a pressing plate 13A, a current collecting body 18A or 18B and a plurality of exposed sections 16, at least one end of the positive and negative electrodes substrates in a width direction being uncoated with a positive or negative electrode mixture. The pressing plate 13A is welded to the exposed sections 16. The pressing plate 13A includes opposing surfaces with a space therebetween provided by folding back a metal plate, and includes a slit 15 along a folded back section at least to one of the opposing surface's side. The exposed sections 16 are inserted into a gap of the pressing plate 13A, and the exposed sections 16 and the pressing plate 13A are welded by a high energy beam from a transverse direction through the slit 15.

Abstract: A polymer battery pack includes: a bare cell having main walls and sub-walls; a protection circuit member which is electrically connected to the bare cell; a resin sheath which encloses the sub-walls of the bare cell in such a way that the main walls are exposed to the outside; and finishing tape attached to the main walls of the bare cell. A frame case may be interposed between the bare cell and the resin sheath. In the battery pack, a strong resin sheath and finishing tape or a frame case are engaged with the bare cell, thereby reinforcing the strength of the bare cell and improving the reliability of the bare cell. Also, the battery pack does not require a separate space for the supersonic welding, and thus can receive a bare cell of high capacitance.

Abstract: A method for revising a reference polarization curve of a fuel cell stack that identifies the relationship between the voltage and the current of the stack over time. When the stack is operating at a low load where kinetic voltage losses of the stack dominate, a first adaptation value is revised as the difference between the actual stack voltage and the stack voltage of the reference polarization curve. When the stack is operating at higher loads where ohmic voltage losses of the stack dominate, a second adaptation value is revised as the difference between the actual stack voltage and the stack voltage of the reference polarization curve.

Abstract: The anode catalyst for a fuel cell, the anode catalyst containing a Pd—Au—Sn alloy. The anode catalyst has an equivalent catalyst performance to that of platinum-based catalysts but costs significantly less.

Abstract: The electric double-layer capacitor has a portion where a thickness of a sealing member from a surface of an outer package to a surface of a lead in a laminating direction of electrode bodies on one side of the lead differs from that on the other side of the lead such that two leads connected to each electrode body are arranged within the same plane perpendicular to the laminating direction of the electrode bodies. The electrode bodies are laminated in the outer package such as to yield portions where only one of the planar leads of a first electrode body overlaps one of the planar leads of a second electrode body in the laminating direction of the electrode bodies in the opening part of the outer package.

Abstract: The present invention relates to lithium ion secondary batteries that have an enclosure with an electrode core compartment for holding the electrode core and a separate protection circuit compartment for holding the protection circuits, and terminal leads connecting the electrodes in the electrode core with the circuits in the protection circuit. The enclosure is made of non-conducting material such as plastic. The lithium batteries of this invention are light, not only because of the weight of the material of their enclosure, but also because its non-conducting character eliminates the necessity of additional protective features that are commonly necessary for enclosures with metal components.