Abstract: A fuel cell capable of improving heat exchange efficiency with respect to tubular fuel cells is provided. A fuel cell includes a hollow electrolyte membrane, hollow electrodes arranged on an inside and an outside of the electrolyte membrane, respectively, and an internal charge collector arranged inside of the electrolyte membrane and the electrodes, wherein the internal charge collector is hollow and made of a nonporous member.

Abstract: The present invention mainly intends to provide a water-repellent layer-forming tape, which enables a water-repellent layer to be provided by a simple method. In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a water-repellent layer-forming tape to be used for forming a water-repellent layer of a tube-type fuel cell, comprising a plurality of fibrous shape-retaining materials and a water-repellent portion formed to connect the plurality of fibrous shape-retaining materials, wherein the water-repellent portion contains a water-repellent material and an electro-conductive material.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrogen gas supply portion for supplying a fuel cell with hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas supply portion includes an odorant treatment portion for treating an odorant in a mixed gas containing given hydrogen gas and the odorant. The odorant treatment portion includes an odorant removal portion and an air blower. The odorant removal portion contains a porous adsorbent for adsorbing the odorant contained in the mixed gas and a catalyst for promoting decomposition of the adsorbed odorant. The air blower decomposes the adsorbed odorant. Thus, the odorant treatment portion can perform a function of supplying the fuel cell with hydrogen gas by adsorbing the odorant contained in the mixed gas, and a function of recovering its adsorption capacity by decomposing the adsorbed odorant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell which is capable to improve heat exchange efficiency with a plurality of tubular cells. The fuel cell of the present invention comprises: a plurality of tubular cells; heat exchangers arranged at the outside of the tubular cells, wherein at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of said tubular cells and the peripheral surface of said heat exchangers have face contact with each other.

Abstract: Carbon particles having fine particles deposited thereon which can be used as a substitute for the carbon particles having platinum deposited thereon and metallic platinum particles which are presently in general use as, e.g., a catalyst for electrodes in fuel cells. Compared to the conventional carbon particles having platinum deposited thereon, etc., the carbon particles are effective in greatly reducing the amount of platinum to be used. The carbon particles are characterized by comprising carbon particles and, deposited on the surface of the carbon particles, fine particles of a perovskite type composite metal oxide in each of which fine noble-metal particles are present throughout the whole particle. Also provided is a process for producing the carbon particles.

Abstract: A catalyst for electrodes in solid-polymer fuel cells which comprises metal oxide particles themselves. It can be used as a substituent for the carbon particles having platinum deposited thereon and platinum metal particles which are presently in general use as, e.g., a catalyst for electrodes in fuel cells, and has a possibility that the amount of platinum to be used can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional carbon particles having platinum deposited thereon, etc.

Abstract: A tubular fuel cell module is provided with a tubular cell of a tubular fuel cell, and a heat transfer pipe through which a heating/cooling medium flows to selectively heat and cool the tubular fuel cell. The heat transfer pipe includes a first straight portion, a second straight portion, and a bent portion that connects the first straight portion with the second straight portion. At least a portion of the tubular cell is arranged on at least one of the first straight portion and the second straight portion. As a result, the reliability of a seal of the tubular fuel cell module is improved.

Abstract: A tubular fuel cell includes an inner current collector, a membrane-electrode assembly, and seal portions provided at the axial end portions of the membrane-electrode assembly, respectively. The membrane-electrode assembly includes an inner catalyst layer provided on the inner current collector, an electrolyte membrane provided on the inner catalyst layer, and an outer catalyst layer provided on the electrolyte membrane. The axial length of the outer catalyst layer is shorter than the axial lengths of the electrolyte membrane and the outer catalyst layer. The axial end face of the outer catalyst layer and the axial end face of the inner catalyst layer are located on the opposite sides of the seal portion in each side of the tubular fuel cell.

Abstract: a fuel cell capable of improving heat exchange efficiency with respect to tubular fuel cells is provided. A fuel cell includes a hollow electrolyte membrane, hollow electrodes arranged on an inside and an outside of the electrolyte membrane, respectively, and an internal charge collector arranged inside of the electrolyte membrane and the electrodes, wherein the internal charge collector is hollow and made of a nonporous member.

Abstract: A tube shaped fuel cell module which includes a plurality of tube shaped fuel cell cells each of which has, in order from the inside, an internal collector, an inside catalyst electrode layer, a solid electrolyte membrane and an outside catalyst electrode layer; and an external collector which collects power from the tube shaped fuel cell cells, is such that the external collector has a corrugated plate structure in which convex portions and concave portions continuously alternate. The tube shaped fuel cell module is also provided with at least one cell-collector unit which includes the external collector, and the plurality of tube shaped fuel cell cells which contact the surface of the concave portions of the external collector along the entire lengths of the tube shaped fuel cell cells.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly (11) for a tube-shaped fuel cell, which is provided with a tube-shaped solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside catalyst electrode layer (2) formed on an outer peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an inside catalyst electrode layer (3) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside collector (4) arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the outside catalyst electrode layer (2); and an inside collector (5) arranged on an inner peripheral surface of the inside catalyst electrode layer (3), is characterized in that at least one of the outside collector (4) and the inside collector (5) is a coiled collector that includes a coiled conductor.

Abstract: The present invention mainly intends to provide a method for manufacturing a tube-type fuel cell by which a tube-type fuel cell with good adhesion can be produced without blocking gas flow channel in its inner current collector. In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a tube-type fuel cell, comprising: a filling step of providing a columnar-shaped inner current collector having a gas flow channel on its outer peripheral face and filling the gas flow channel with a removable substance to form a removable portion; a functional layer forming step of forming a functional layer on at least the removable portion; and a removing step of removing the removable portion after the functional layer forming step.

Abstract: In an air-cooled fuel cell system (10), a controlling apparatus (100) performs a temperature controlling process on the basis of the temperature of a fuel cell detected by a temperature sensor (500). At this time, if the cell temperature is greater than a target temperature Ta and if the cell temperature is less than a threshold temperature Tth for defining a boundary between (i) a temperature group TG1, in which a change in a cell voltage is small relative to the stoichiometric ratio of the air for power generation, and (ii) a temperature group TG2, in which a change in the cell voltage is large relative to the stoichiometric ratio of the air for power generation, the controlling apparatus (100) controls an air supplying apparatus (210) to increase the amount of the air supplied to an air intake manifold (320).

Abstract: A tubular fuel cell module comprising a tubular fuel cell capable of improving current collection efficiency, and a fuel cell comprising the fuel cell module are provided. A fuel cell module (100) includes a plurality of tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) arranged in parallel and a first current collector (35), wherein the tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) are woven by the first current collector (35) in a direction crossing an axial direction of the tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) in a plan view.

Abstract: A fuel cell comprising cell module assemblies connected in series, each of which gathers two or more cell modules comprising a hollow electrolyte membrane in which an electrode is disposed on a bore side and a shell side thereof respectively, wherein each cell module assembly comprises: a cell module array in which two or more cell modules are aligned in parallel; a partition which separates a space outside of the cell module between the open end and a body of the cell module; a bore side gas passage and a shell side gas passage provided by the partition; a current collector for positive electrode provided in the vicinity of one end of the cell module in the cell module array so that the current collector for positive electrode integrally collects power from each current collector on the positive electrode side of each cell module; a current collector for negative electrode provided in the vicinity of the other end so that the current collector for negative electrode integrally collects power from each curren

Abstract: There is provided a hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell capable of improving power density per unit volume, wherein the hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprises a hollow solid electrolyte membrane, an outer electrode layer formed on the outer circumferential surface of the solid electrolyte membrane and an inner electrode layer formed on the inner circumferential surface of the solid electrolyte membrane, and wherein the hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is formed in the shape of a spiral.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a fuel gas passage through which a fuel gas containing an odorant and hydrogen gas supplied to the fuel cell flows, an oxidative gas passage through which an oxidative gas supplied to the fuel cell flows, a fuel off gas passage through which a fuel off gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, an oxidative off gas passage through which an oxidative off gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, and an odorant removal portion provided in the fuel off gas passage. The odorant removal portion removes the odorant after the fuel gas has been introduced into the fuel cell.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly (11) for a tube-shaped fuel cell, which is provided with a tube-shaped solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside catalyst electrode layer (2) formed on an outer peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an inside catalyst electrode layer (3) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside collector (4) arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the outside catalyst electrode layer (2); and an inside collector (5) arranged on an inner peripheral surface of the inside catalyst electrode layer (3), is characterised in that at least one of the outside collector (4) and the inside collector (5) is a coiled collector that includes a coiled conductor.

Abstract: A cell module for a fuel cell according to embodiments of the invention includes a hollow-core electrolyte membrane; two electrodes one of which is arranged on the inner face of the hollow-core electrolyte membrane and the other of which is arranged on the outer face of the hollow-core electrolyte membrane; and first collecting members that are connected to the respective two electrodes. At least one of the two electrodes includes nano-columnar bodies on which electrode catalysts are supported. The nano-columnar bodies are formed on at least one of the first collecting members corresponding to the at least one of the electrodes that includes the nano-columnar bodies. At least part of the nano-columnar bodies are oriented toward the hollow-core electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A fuel cell wherein reactive gas or coolant flow directions within single-cell internal passages may be changed by switching the positions of flow control means such as electromagnetic valves in order to alter flow directions and flow velocities in accordance with fuel cell operating states. Altering flow to different directions within the internal passages, such as to a second flow direction perpendicular to a first flow direction, permits control of gas flow to combat fuel cell flooding, wherein the altered reactant gas flow causes accumulated water to be discharged from the cell. Such flow control further permits control of gas and coolant temperatures to optimize cell moisture distribution and control.