Abstract: A physical construction of a superconducting multi-core billet is provided together with a method for manufacturing a superconducting multi-core wire to offer reduction of manufacturing time (cost) and low frequency of occurrence of wire break during diameter-reduction drawing. The superconducting multi-core billet by the present invention has such a construction that a plurality of vertical holes are made in a billet 2 of copper or copper alloy of circular cross-section; that the vertical holes are filled with a superconducting material 4 comprised of NbTi; that a copper-volume ratio, which is a ratio of the copper or the copper alloy to NbTi in volume, is not smaller than four; that the plurality of vertical holes are made in the billet so that each of the vertical holes will be arrayed at an equal spacing on each of two inner and outer layers concentric circles.

Abstract: A metal separator for fuel cells formed with a metal plate and provided between cells accumulated, in which the metal plate is formed like trapezoidal irregularities to separate channels for a fuel gas from ones for an oxidant gas. Slope portions are formed after forming uniformly and thinly wall thickness of both upper and lower flat portions or either of the upper or the lower flat portion to 90% or less of that of the metal plate to be formed to obtain trapezoidal irregularities by forming flat portions which contact upper and lower cells and slope portions which interconnect the upper and the lower flat portions.

Abstract: A current-collecting composite plate for a fuel cell configured with unit cells according to the present invention, which comprises: an insulator layer; and a plurality of pairs of conductor layers, the conductor layers being bonded to the insulator layer to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, each pair being used for adjacently disposed anode and cathode electrodes for a different one of the unit cells by sandwiching an electrolyte assembly therebetween. And, each conductor layer includes: a first conductor layer of a corrosion resistant metal treated with an electrically conductive surface treatment; a second conductor layer of a metal with low electrical resistivity; a through-hole penetrating the first conductor layer and the insulator layer; and a connecting portion formed of the second conductor layer for connecting the unit cells.

Abstract: A metal composite for fuel cells according to the present invention, which includes: a core of a metal; cladded layers of a corrosion resistant metal covering both surfaces of the core; and a through-hole formed through the core and cladded layers. The through-hole has, on a hole wall of the core region of the through-hole, a concave portion which is recessed relative to hole walls of the cladded layer regions of the through-hole.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is provide, in which a fin member and a tube member are joined each other, wherein the fin member includes a solder wetting film layer containing copper, in at least a part of a surface of a fin substrate made of aluminum or an alloy mainly composed of aluminum, where the fin member and the tube member are joined each other, and the tube member includes a solder film layer made of solder containing tin, in at least a part of a surface of a tube substrate made of copper or an alloy mainly composed of copper, where the tube member and the fin member are joined each other, wherein the fin member and the tube member are joined each other, through a diffusion bonding of a copper component of the solder wetting film layer and a tin component of the solder film layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell having: a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed to sandwich a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; current collecting plates disposed outside of the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode; a fuel electrode channel member disposed outside of the current collecting plate disposed outside of the fuel electrode; and an oxidant electrode channel member disposed outside of the current collecting plate disposed outside of the oxidant electrode. The oxidant electrode channel member has a thickness of not less than 1.2 mm. The fuel cell is a direct methanol type fuel cell.

Abstract: A surface-treated metal substrate of the present invention comprises: an adhesive layer formed of a sputtering film directly adhered to a passivation film of a metal substrate, with this adhesive layer having an internal residual stress of a compression stress or a zero stress; and a bonding layer formed of a sputtering film mainly composed of any one of copper (Cu), a mixture state of copper and nickel (Cu—Ni), a mixture state of copper and zinc (Cu—Zn), and a mixture state of copper, nickel, and zinc (Cu—Ni—Zn), on the surface of the metal substrate having the passivation film on an outermost, in an order from a surface side of the metal substrate.

Abstract: A tin-coated aluminum material includes a base material including aluminum or aluminum alloy, and an anti-corrosion layer and an electrical contact layer formed on an outer layer of the base material, the electrical contact layer including tin or tin alloy. The anti-corrosion layer includes a metal selected from titanium, chromium and niobium or an alloy including the selected metal as a main component. The tin-coated aluminum material may further include a bonding layer including aluminum or aluminum alloy formed between the base material and the anti-corrosion layer. The tin-coated aluminum material may further include aluminum oxide formed at an interfacial region between the base material and the anti-corrosion layer or between the base material and the bonding layer. The aluminum oxide at the interfacial region has a peak value of not less than 0.18 and not more than 0.

Abstract: A characteristic recovery apparatus is provided with a DMFC having anode and cathode electrodes; anode-side and cathode-side separators for feeding the anode and cathode electrodes with pure water or a solution and an oxygen-containing gas, respectively; a voltage-applying means for forcing current to flow between the electrodes in the same direction as a direction of current flow during power generation of the fuel cell; and a control means for controlling the voltage-applying means.

Abstract: A corrosion-resistant material of the present invention includes a substrate with at least one surface made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; a corrosion-resistant coating layer for coating the one surface of the substrate; and a corrosion-resistant sealing material made of hydrated aluminum oxide generated in fine pores, being a defect that occurs in the corrosion-resistant coating layer, to thereby seal the fine pores.

Abstract: A composite material with an electric contact layer includes a metal substrate, an adhesion layer formed-on a surface of the metal substrate, including an alloy including palladium (Pd) and a Y group metal as a main component selected from titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta) and zirconium (Zr), and having an average thickness of not less than 5 nm and not more than 100 nm, and the electric contact layer formed on a surface of the adhesion layer, including a noble metal selected from gold (Au), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir) and silver (Ag), and having an average thickness of not less than 1 nm and not more than 20 nm.

Abstract: A board material for a fuel cell metallic separator includes a metallic substrate, an intermediate layer formed on a surface of the metallic substrate, and including titanium (Ti), and a Au layer formed on a surface of the intermediate layer, including pure gold (Au), and having an average thickness of not less than 1 nm and not more than 9 nm. A fuel cell metallic separator includes the board material that includes a concavo-convex shape.

Abstract: A metal material with electric contact layer includes a metal base made of metal containing chromium; an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the metal base, mainly containing chromium and having a thickness of 5 nm or more and 200 nm or less; and an electric contact layer formed on the surface of the adhesive layer, made of noble metal or an alloy of the noble metal, and having a thickness of 1 nm or more and 20 nm or less.

Abstract: A metal separator for a fuel cell includes a plurality of flow passage grooves for flowing a fluid for operating the fuel cell; manifold holes provided on each side of an upper stream and a lower stream of the plurality of flow passage grooves and formed so as to penetrate a separator made of metal for the fuel cell; communication grooves formed on a separator surface of the separator, for connecting inlets/outlets of the plurality of flow passage grooves and the manifold holes to flow the fluid; a fluid flowing structure part made of metal, in which a through hole is formed on the separator surface that forms the communication grooves, formed in the vicinity of the manifold hole so as to traverse the communication groove; and a flat seal surface formed on the fluid flowing structure part, for sealing a surface of a member that shields an opening of the communication grooves in a state of a face contact.

Abstract: A current-collecting composite plate for a fuel cell configured with unit cells according to the present invention, which comprises: an insulator layer; and a plurality of pairs of conductor layers, the conductor layers being bonded to the insulator layer to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, each pair being used for adjacently disposed anode and cathode electrodes for a different one of the unit cells by sandwiching an electrolyte assembly therebetween. And, each conductor layer includes: a first conductor layer of a corrosion resistant metal treated with an electrically conductive surface treatment; a second conductor layer of a metal with low electrical resistivity; a through-hole penetrating the first conductor layer and the insulator layer; and a connecting portion formed of the second conductor layer for connecting the unit cells.

Abstract: A metal composite for fuel cells according to the present invention, which includes: a core of a metal; cladded layers of a corrosion resistant metal covering both surfaces of the core; and a through-hole formed through the core and cladded layers. The through-hole has, on a hole wall of the core region of the through-hole, a concave portion which is recessed relative to hole walls of the cladded layer regions of the through-hole.

Abstract: A metal separator for fuel cells formed with a metal plate and provided between cells accumulated, in which the metal plate is formed like trapezoidal irregularities to separate channels for a fuel gas from ones for an oxidant gas. Slope portions are formed after forming uniformly and thinly wall thickness of both upper and lower flat portions or either of the upper or the lower flat portion to 90% or less of that of the metal plate to be formed to obtain trapezoidal irregularities by forming flat portions which contact upper and lower cells and slope portions which interconnect the upper and the lower flat portions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a separator for fuel cells which is decreased in the amount of an expensive noble metal used as a raw material while being maintained to be conductive to the MEA. This separator has durability and corrosion resistance to very corrosive substances such as fluorine ions or hydrofluoric acid. Also disclosed is a method for producing such a separator for fuel cells. Specifically disclosed is a metal separator (15, 17) which is used in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using a fluorine-containing polymer electrolyte membrane. This metal separator (15, 17) comprises a stainless steel base (20) processed to have a plurality of fuel gas channels (14).

Abstract: A fuel cell having: a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode disposed to sandwich a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; current collecting plates disposed outside of the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode; a fuel electrode channel member disposed outside of the current collecting plate disposed outside of the fuel electrode; and an oxidant electrode channel member disposed outside of the current collecting plate disposed outside of the oxidant electrode. The oxidant electrode channel member has a thickness of not less than 1.2 mm. The fuel cell is a direct methanol type fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator is provided with: a core made of an Al alloy or a Mg alloy; a covering layer made of Ti or a Ti alloy formed on at least one side of the core; and a bonding metal layer formed between the core and the covering layer. The bonding metal layer is made of a metal with a deformation resistance lower than the core and the covering layer.