Abstract: The wire 30 forming the stator winding 20 includes the in-slot portions 40 to be disposed in the slots 14 and 15 of the stator core 12 and the turned portions 42 connecting the in-slot portions 40 disposed in the circumferentially different slots 14 and 15. The turned portions 42 formed on axial opposite end sides of the stator core 12. The crank portion 44 which does not twist is formed at substantially the center of the turned portion 42. Steps are formed at sections of the turned portion 42 which protrude outside the stator core 12 from the slots 14 and 15. Further, the turned portion 42 of the wire 30 also has two steps 48 formed between the substantially central crank portion 44 and each of the steps 46 formed at the protruding sections of the turned portion 42.

Abstract: A method for operating a direct methanol fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body having a fuel electrode and an air electrode disposed in opposing positions on either side of an electrolyte film. In this method, an aqueous methanol solution is supplied directly to the fuel electrode. A quantity of the aqueous methanol solution supplied is controlled in accordance with an electric current value drawn from the fuel cell main body so as to minimize a quantity of unused methanol within a discharge fluid discharged from the fuel electrode.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an image-pickup lens; a shutter partitioned into a plurality of sections along a first direction and allowed to open and close for each of the plurality of sections; a stop adjusting an amount of light; and a drive section driving the shutter and the stop. The drive section controls the shutter in such a manner that any one of the sections of the shutter is opened and the remaining sections are closed, and drives the stop in such a manner that passage of a flux of light through the open section is limited to a larger extent in a second direction than in the first direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a stator for a dynamoelectric machine. The method includes a step of mounting a hollow cylindrical electric wire assembly, which includes a plurality of straight stacked portions of shaped electric wires, to a hollow cylindrical stator core that includes a plurality of slots formed in the radially inner surface thereof. The mounting step includes: (1) placing the electric wire assembly radially inside of the stator core so that each of the straight stacked portions of the electric wire assembly is radially aligned with a corresponding one of the slots of the stator core; and (2) radially expanding the electric wire assembly to insert the straight stacked portions of the electric wire assembly into the corresponding slots of the stator core.

Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a stator coil for a rotary electric machine, which is formed by winding up a plurality of phase wires. The method includes a shaping step for shaping a plurality of shaped wire members from electrically conductive wires, an integrating step for integrating the plurality of shaped wire members with each other to form an integrated body, and a winding-up step for winding the integrated body about a core member to form a wound body. At the winding-up step, curve forming is performed by plastically deforming turn portions of the integrated body into a curved shape, during conveyance of feeding the integrated body to the core member.

Abstract: A train-mounted content delivery system includes a video information delivery apparatus that performs delivery control for advertisement/guidance image content and a display control apparatus that stores service image content generated based on train information from a train information apparatus, accumulates advertisement/guidance image content delivered from the video information delivery apparatus, and controls, based on a display schedule created by the video information delivery apparatus, display of a service image and an advertisement/guidance image that should be displayed on displays. The video information delivery apparatus includes a service image scheduler that manages the service image content and an advertisement/guidance image scheduler that manages the advertisement/guidance image content.

Abstract: The wire 30 forming the stator winding 20 includes the in-slot portions 40 to be disposed in the slots 14 and 15 of the stator core 12 and the turned portions 42 connecting the in-slot portions 40 disposed in the circumferentially different slots 14 and 15. The turned portions 42 formed on axial opposite end sides of the stator core 12. The crank portion 44 which does not twist is formed at substantially the center of the turned portion 42. Steps are formed at sections of the turned portion 42 which protrude outside the stator core 12 from the slots 14 and 15. Further, the turned portion 42 of the wire 30 also has two steps 48 formed between the substantially central crank portion 44 and each of the steps 46 formed at the protruding sections of the turned portion 42.

Abstract: A direct oxidation fuel cell of this invention has at least one unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, each of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; an anode-side separator with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant containing oxygen gas to the cathode. The fuel flow channel and the oxidant flow channel are so structured that the concentration of the oxygen gas in the oxidant flow channel is higher at a part opposing an upstream part of the fuel flow channel than at a part opposing a downstream part of the fuel flow channel.

Abstract: A first tool set holds a wire covered with an insulation film at a bending point of the wire to protrude the wire from the first tool set. A second tool set holds the protruded portion of the wire. The second tool set is rotated about the first tool set to bend the wire along a wall of the first tool set and to form a boundary corner in the wire at the same radius of curvature as the wall. The wire is released from the second tool set and is moved to place the first tool set at another bending point while protruding from the first tool set. The second tool set is placed at the protruded portion of the wire. When the wire is bent at a predetermined number of bending points and is rounded, a stator coil formed in a corrugated shape is manufactured.

Abstract: The wire 30 forming the stator winding 20 includes the in-slot portions 40 to be disposed in the slots 14 and 15 of the stator core 12 and the turned portions 42 connecting the in-slot portions 40 disposed in the circumferentially different slots 14 and 15. The turned portions 42 formed on axial opposite end sides of the stator core 12. The crank portion 44 which does not twist is formed at substantially the center of the turned portion 42. Steps are formed at sections of the turned portion 42 which protrude outside the stator core 12 from the slots 14 and 15. Further, the turned portion 42 of the wire 30 also has two steps 48 formed between the substantially central crank portion 44 and each of the steps 46 formed at the protruding sections of the turned portion 42.

Abstract: In a pre-replacement process, a replacement battery module is provided with a memory effect before being dispatched, by performing at least one of the process of performing a cyclic charge/discharge operation on the replacement battery module while limiting the width of SOC change to an intermediate range, and the process of setting an initial SOC and then letting the replacement battery module stand for a predetermined time in an environment of temperature above normal temperature. This pre-replacement process substantially eliminates the difference between the voltage characteristic of the replacement battery module yet to be used and the voltage characteristic of a battery module having a history of use, thereby achieving a uniform voltage characteristic of a battery pack as a whole.

Abstract: A power supply device, comprising first and second lead terminals for connection with a load, a fuel cell, an energy storage element connected between the first and second lead terminals, a synchronous-rectification switching power-source portion for converting the output voltage of the fuel cell to the output voltage of the energy storage element and outputting it to the first and second lead terminals, and a current-detecting portion for detecting the output current of the fuel cell, the switching power-source portion further comprising a first switching element connected to the energy storage element in series, a second switching element connected to the energy storage element in parallel, and a simultaneous-turn-off controller for turning off the first and second switching elements simultaneously when the output current detected by the current-detecting portion is not larger than a preset current threshold.

Abstract: A method for operating a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack composed of a plurality of cells connected in series. The method includes the steps of: (a) supplying a fuel and an oxidant to anodes and cathodes of the cells, respectively, depending on a load to generate power at a constant voltage under constant voltage control; (b) temporarily suspending the supply of the oxidant with the fuel being supplied; and (c) lowering the constant voltage to a predetermined voltage simultaneously with or immediately before the suspension of the supply of the oxidant. According to this operation method, when the supply of the oxidant is suspended, a platinum catalyst in the cathodes can be reduced and reactivated in all the cells.

Abstract: A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) system, comprises at least one fuel cell assembly including a cathode and an anode with an electrolyte positioned therebetween; a source of liquid fuel in fluid communication with an inlet of the anode; an oxidant supply in fluid communication with an inlet of the cathode; a liquid/gas (L/G) separator in fluid communication with outlets of the anode and cathode for: (1) receiving unreacted fuel and liquid and gaseous products, and (2) supplying a solution of fuel and liquid product to the anode inlet; and a control system for measuring the amount of liquid product and controlling oxidant stoichiometry of the system operation in response to the measured amount of liquid product. Alternatively, the control system controls the concentration of the liquid fuel in the solution supplied to the anode inlet, based upon the system operating temperature or output power.

Abstract: A plurality of shaped wires, which are obtained by shaping electric wires, are assembled to form a wire assembly 47. The wire assembly 47 is then rolled around a core member 6 with aligning members 7 being inserted into spaces 472 formed between adjacent ones of straight superposed parts 471 of the wire assembly 47.

Abstract: A method for operating a direct methanol fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body having a fuel electrode and an air electrode disposed in opposing positions on either side of an electrolyte film. In this method, an aqueous methanol solution is supplied directly to the fuel electrode. A quantity of the aqueous methanol solution supplied is controlled in accordance with an electric current value drawn from the fuel cell main body so as to minimize a quantity of unused methanol within a discharge fluid discharged from the fuel electrode.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including at least one unit cell having an anode, an anode-side flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode, a cathode, and a cathode-side flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode. The fuel cell system further includes a gas-liquid separator for catalytically purifying the effluent from the anode and the effluent from the cathode to collect liquid. The gas-liquid separator is connected to an anode-side discharge path for the effluent and a cathode-side discharge path for the effluent, which are in fluid communication with a fuel outlet of the anode-side flow channel and an oxidant outlet of the cathode-side flow channel, respectively.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus is provided which includes: a fuel cell; a power storage device which stores electric power; a connection terminal for connecting a load; a charge-used voltage converter which converts the output voltage of the fuel cell into a charging voltage for charging the power storage device and charges the power storage device; and an output-used voltage converter which converts the output voltage of the power storage device into a predetermined set output voltage and outputs it to the connection terminal.

Abstract: The wire 30 forming the stator winding 20 includes the in-slot portions 40 to be disposed in the slots 14 and 15 of the stator core 12 and the turned portions 42 connecting the in-slot portions 40 disposed in the circumferentially different slots 14 and 15. The turned portions 42 formed on axial opposite end sides of the stator core 12. The crank portion 44 which does not twist is formed at substantially the center of the turned portion 42. Steps are fanned at sections of the turned portion 42 which protrude outside the stator core 12 from the slots 14 and 15. Further, the turned portion 42 of the wire 30 also has two steps 48 formed between the substantially central crank portion 44 and each of the steps 46 formed at the protruding sections of the turned portion 42.

Abstract: A clean power supply unit with a high fuel utilization rate using a fuel cell is provided. The power supply unit of the present invention comprises a fuel cell using methanol as fuel; a secondary battery for supplying power to a load; a fuel cell control part for controlling the amount of fuel and/or air supplied to the above-mentioned fuel cell; and a power converter for converting the power output from the above-mentioned fuel cell to a predetermined voltage or current, supplying power to the load and/or the above-mentioned secondary battery and controlling the supplied power so as to fall within a predetermined range including the value at which the amount of methanol discharged from the above-mentioned fuel cell becomes minimized.