Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly (1) comprising a pair of separators (11, 12) each for defining a recess (10) serving as a conduit for a fuel fluid or an oxidizer fluid, a feedthrough conductive path for connecting top and under surfaces of each separator is achieved by a second electroconductive film (36) formed on a side wall of a through-hole (33) extending through each separator (11, 12) in such a manner that the second electroconductive film (36) connects a first electroconductive film (35) constituting a top surface of a protrusion (30) provided in the recess (10) to a third electroconductive film (37) formed on a surface opposite to that formed with the recess (10).

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly (1) comprising an electrolyte layer (2) having a frame (21) and an electrolyte (22) retained in the frame, a pair of separators (5, 6) are bonded to the electrolyte layer by that a metallic material (27) is deposited on one of the frame and each separator and a laser beam is irradiated onto the metallic material through the frame or the separator in a state that the frame and each separator contact each other whereby the metallic material forms a eutectic with the other of the frame and each separator.

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly (1) comprising an electrolyte layer (2) having a frame (21) and an electrolyte (22) retained in the frame, a pair of separators (5, 6) are bonded to the electrolyte layer by that a metallic material (27) is deposited on one of the frame and each separator and a laser beam is irradiated onto the metallic material through the frame or the separator in a state that the frame and each separator contact each other whereby the metallic material forms a eutectic with the other of the frame and each separator.

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly (100, 200), a diffusion layer (113, 114, 201) comprises an electroconductive film (133, 133a, 133b) formed integrally with a separator (115, 116, 115a) so as to form a unitary separator-diffusion layer assembly (130, 131, 130a, 203). The electroconductive film of the diffusion layer can be formed on the separator by a process comprising physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, spin coating, sputtering or screen printing.

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly (1) comprising a pair of separators (11, 12) each for defining a recess (10) serving as a conduit for a fuel fluid or an oxidizer fluid, a feedthrough conductive path for connecting top and under surfaces of each separator is achieved by a second electroconductive film (36) formed on a side wall of a through-hole (33) extending through each separator (11, 12) in such a manner that the second electroconductive film (36) connects a first electroconductive film (35) constituting a top surface of a projection (30) provided in the recess (10) to a third electroconductive film (37) formed on a surface opposite to that formed with the recess (10).

Abstract: A difluorophosphate effective as an additive for a nonaqueous electrolyte for secondary battery is produced by a simple method from inexpensive common materials. The difluorophosphate is produced by reacting lithium hexafluorophosphate with a carbonate in a nonaqueous solvent. The liquid reaction mixture resulting from this reaction is supplied for providing the difluorophosphate in a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising a nonaqueous solvent which contains at least a hexafluorophosphate as an electrolyte lithium salt and further contains a difluorophosphate. Also provided is a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery employing this nonaqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: A bistable minivalve includes a movable component, an actuator that is electrostatically, magnetically, or mechanically coupled to the movable component for controllably switching the movable component between open and closed states, and a casing providing structural support. The movable component has an actuation surface [300] movably positioned in the valve conduit and a bistable element attached to the actuation surface providing mechanical stability to the open and closed states of the movable component. The bistable element may be realized as a pair of elastic buckling beams [302, 304] attached at their midpoints to opposite sides of the actuation surface. Optionally, there may also be elastic support beams [306, 308] attached at their endpoints to the actuation surface and attached at their midpoints to the elastic buckling beams.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a force sensor including: a force sensor chip; and an attenuator, in which the force sensor chip and the attenuator are joined at joint portions with a glass layer sandwiched therebetween. The method includes: a film forming step in which a glass film as the glass layer is formed on regions of the attenuator containing the joint portions or on regions of the force sensor chip containing the joint portions; and an anodic bonding step in which the force sensor chip and the attenuator are stacked as a stacked body in close contact with each other at the joint portions, and the glass film and the force sensor chip, or the glass film and the attenuator, are joined.

Abstract: A method and device for fuel cell heat and water management is provided. A thermally and electrically conductive hydrophilic heat and mass transport element is provided to the fuel cell spanning from inside to outside the cell. The transport element is deposited between current collector and gas diffusion layers, where heat is transported along the transport element from an interior portion of the element inside the cell to an exterior portion of the element outside the cell. Liquid water is transported along the element into or out of the cell, and heat is removed from the exterior portion by any combination of radiation, free convection and forced convection, and where the liquid water is removed from the exterior portion by any combination of convection driven evaporation and advection. The water is added to the cell from the exterior to the interior by any combination of advection and capillary wicking.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell water management device is provided. The device includes a hydrophilic water transport element spanning from inside the fuel cell to outside the fuel cell and disposed between a gas diffusion layer and a current collector layer in the cell. The transport element includes an intermediate wick outside the fuel cell that is hydraulically coupled to the transport element, and has a transport element structure integrated with a flow field structure within the fuel cell. The device further includes an electroosmotic pump, where the pump is located outside the fuel cell and is hydraulically coupled to the intermediate wick. The hydraulically coupled pump actively removes excess water from the flow field structure and the gas diffusion layer through the transport element, where a key aspect of the invention is the decoupling of water removal from oxidant delivery and reduced parasitic loads.

Abstract: In a fuel cell comprising a tubular casing, an electrolyte layer received in the tubular casing, and a pair of gas diffusion electrodes interposing the electrolyte layer and defining a fuel gas passage and an oxidizing gas passage, respectively, each gas diffusion electrode is formed by stacking a plurality of layers of material therefor, for instance in the axial direction of the casing. Because the gas diffusion layers are formed layer by layer, components can be formed in highly fine patterns so that a highly compact tubular fuel cell can be achieved. Similarly, the dimensions of the various elements of the fuel cell can be controlled in a highly accurate manner. Also, the geometric arrangement can be changed at will in intermediate parts of each gas passage.

Abstract: In a fuel cell assembly with at least one cell including an electrolyte layer, a pair of gas diffusion electrode layers interposing said electrolyte layer between them, and a pair of flow distribution plates (5) for defining passages (10, 11) for fuel and oxidizer gases that contact said gas diffusion electrode layers, a heater 62 and various sensors (61a, 61b and 61c) are formed on at least one of the flow distribution plates so that the work needed for installing the heater and sensors is simplified. By embedding them in a substrate, the need for a complex sealing arrangement can be eliminated. In particular, if each flow distribution plate is formed by performing an etching process on a substrate, and forming the heater and sensors in succession to the step of forming each flow distribution plate, the installation of sensors and fabrication of the fuel call are simplified.

Abstract: In a fuel cell comprising a tubular casing, an electrolyte layer received in the tubular casing, and a pair of gas diffusion electrodes interposing the electrolyte layer and defining a fuel gas passage and an oxidizing gas passage, respectively, each gas diffusion electrode is formed by stacking a plurality of layers of material therefor, for instance in the axial direction of the casing. Because the gas diffusion layers are formed layer by layer, components can be formed in highly fine patterns so that a highly compact tubular fuel cell can be achieved. Similarly, the dimensions of the various elements of the fuel cell can be controlled in a highly accurate manner. Also, the geometric arrangement can be changed at will in intermediate parts of each gas passage.