Abstract: In order to provide a battery charging state arithmetic operation device which can judge a charging state of a battery currently being used easily and in a short time, there are provided battery voltage calculation means 6 with specified load for calculating a first and a second battery voltages when a battery current is at a specified load current value from a first I-V characteristic of the battery which is in a first state as a currently used state and is stored in first I-V characteristic storage means 3 and a second I-V characteristic which is in a second state where the amount of remaining energy is small and is stored in second I-V characteristic storage means 4, and SOC arithmetic operation means 7 for calculating an SOC (charging state) of the battery in the first state by using the first and the second battery voltages calculated.

Abstract: The feature of the process for ultra-low alloy catalyst loading electrode according to this invention is to reduce its alloy formation period of aging process subsequent to hydrogen reduction process of catalyst ions after ion exchange process of proton for their ions in the cluster of the polymer electrolyte on the surface of the carbon powder. The process is able to drastically shorten the aging time with temperature rise beyond 200° C. up to 400° C. under hydrogen atmosphere for the formation of alloy catalyst, for example Pt—Ru binary by the additional processes of pre-treatment of substituting K+, Na+, Li+, Rb+, Cs+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Fe2+, Sr2+, Ra2+, Cu2+, Ag+, Zn2+, Ni2+, or Co2+ for proton before the hydrogen reduction process. The further post-treatment of substituting K+, Na+, Li+, Rb+, Cs+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Fe2+, Sr2+, Ra2+, Cu2+, Ag+, Zn2+, Ni2+, or Co2+ for proton before the ion exchange process is more preferable. This new process is little harmful to the CO tolerance performance of PEFC.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high energy density and satisfactory cycle performance by using an alloy comprising Ni and Sn as a negative active material; and the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a negative electrode with a composite layer containing a negative active material, a positive electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte is characterized in that said negative active material consists of an alloy containing 5 to 25 mass % of nickel and 75 to 95 mass % of tin, and that such alloy contains Sn4Ni3 phase and Sn phase. It is preferable that the content ratio of Sn4Ni3 phase and Sn phase in the above described alloy be 0.2?Z?3, supposing that ml is the mass of Sn4Ni3 phase, m2 is the mass of said Sn phase, and Z=m1/m2; and that the above described composite layer contain carbon material.

Abstract: An electric power generating element of a battery is covered with an electric conductor including a positive conductor member electrically connected to a positive plate, a negative conductor member electrically connected to a negative plate, and a separating member. An electric resistance per unit length of at least one of the positive and negative conductor members is made smaller than that of positive and negative current collectors of the positive and negative plates electrically connected to the positive and negative conductor members, respectively. For example, by making a thickness of the positive conductor member larger than that of the positive current collector, the electric resistance per unit length of the positive conductor member is made smaller than that of the positive current collector. Accordingly, large current occurring during internal short-circuiting can be rapidly distributed between the positive and negative conductor members, and excessive heat generation of a battery is prevented.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized in that a nonaqueous electrolyte contains a sultone compound having unsaturated bonds, and the present invention thereby aims at suppressing the swelling of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, as represented by a lithium secondary battery, after being allowed to stand at a high temperature and at obtaining an excellent high temperature standing performance. Furthermore, by making the nonaqueous electrolyte contain, in addition to the sultone compound containing unsaturated bonds, a vinylene carbonate derivative in 1.0 wt % or below, and/or a cyclic sulfate in 2.0 wt % or below, there can be obtain a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which prevents the initial discharge capacity degradation, occurring when the addition amount of the sultone compound having unsaturated bonds is increased, and has an excellent high temperature standing performance and a large initial discharge capacity.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a catalyst layer; a cation exchange resin provided in the catalyst layer; a proton conductive path provided in the cation exchange resin; a carbon material provided in the catalyst layer; and a catalyst metal provided in the catalyst layer. 50 mass % or more of the catalyst metal is loaded on the contact surface between the proton conductive path and the carbon material, and the porosity of the catalyst layer is 65% to 87.5%.

Abstract: This invention aims to improve the reliability of an electronic control system which drives an actuator on conveyance operation based on an electrical signal to make adjustments such as acceleration/deceleration and movement direction of a conveyance, by achieving a power unit for conveyances having a power source with no need of charge and with little performance deterioration, thereby allowing for practical application of high-performance conveyances. The present invention relates to a power unit for conveyance comprising a main power source and a stand-by power source, which is characterized in that a thermal battery is provided as the stand-by power source, and a conveyance which is provided with an electronic control system and the power unit for conveyance of the present invention, is constituted so that electric power for operating the electronic control system is supplied to the electronic control system from the power unit for conveyances.

Abstract: A battery is provided with a battery body and a single input-output terminal fixed thereto which has a positive terminal and a negative terminal electrically insulated from each other. Because of such a structure of the battery, it can be easily connected to an electric appliance using the battery.

Abstract: A positive active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided comprising lithium manganese oxide having such a spinel structure that the half-width (2?) of the reflection peak corresponding to 440 plane as determined by X-ray diffractometry using CuK? ray is not greater than 0.145°. The use of this positive active material makes it possible to obtain a secondary battery which exhibits a good cycle life performance at room temperature and high temperatures and a reduced capacity drop when stored at high temperatures.

Abstract: Correlations between a residual capacity of a secondary battery and 4 parameters of an internal resistance, temperature, a discharge current and one of an open circuit voltage and a discharge voltage of the secondary battery are previously determined and a contour map of the residual capacity and 2 of the parameters is made, for example. Then, at least 2 varying parameters selected from the 4 parameters are detected while the secondary battery is in use and collated with the correlations to estimate the residual capacity of the secondary battery.

Abstract: The positive active material for a secondary battery of the present invention is ?-FeOOH containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, P, S, Li, Na, K, Mg, Al, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Pb and Sn which shows a diffraction peak from the (110) plane having a half width Y satisfying 0.3°<Y (2?) when subjected to the X-ray diffractometry with the CuK? ray. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising as a positive active material such low-crystalline ?-FeOOH exhibits an excellent cycle life performance as compared with a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a high-crystalline ?-FeOOH as a positive active material.

Abstract: A positive active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by the compositional formula LiaNi1?b?cCObMncO2 (a?1.09, 0.05?b?0.35, 0.15?c?0.35, and 0.25?b+c?0.55). By X-ray diffractometry with a CuK? ray, the lithium-nickel composite oxide exhibits an intensity ratio R ((I012+I006)/I101) of not greater than 0.50, wherein R is the ratio of the sum of the diffraction peak intensity I012 on the 012 plane and the diffraction peak intensity I006 on the 006 plane to the diffraction peak intensity I101 on the 101 plane. The crystallinity of the positive active material of the compositional formula LiaNi1?b?cCobMncO2 can be kept high and it is possible to secure good capacity density and cycle life performance.

Abstract: The reliability of the airtight sealed section is improved by providing a metallic or ceramic insertion member at a portion positioned between an electricity introducing member and a narrow tube in the airtight sealed section. The difference between the inner diameter of the narrow tube and the outer diameter of the insertion member is made 0.02 to 0.6 mm. The electricity introducing member is constructed by a halogen-resistant first member and a second member whose coefficient of linear expansion is similar to that of the narrow tube, and the junction of the first member and second member is covered with a halogen-resistant glass sealant. The difference between the insertion length of the second member into the narrow tube and the flow-in length of the glass sealant into the narrow tube is made 1 mm or more.

Abstract: An electrode for a fuel cell of the invention comprises a cation-exchange resin, carbon particles and a catalyst metal which is amorphous. The electrode has high activity, a high catalyst utilization and high CO tolerance and is highly active in the electrochemical oxidation reaction of methanol. Furthermore these qualities of the electrode were extremely improved when the catalyst metal was loaded mainly on sites where the surface of the carbon particles contacts proton-conductive passages in the cation-exchange resin. Consequently, a fuel cell with the electrode of the invention has a high output current and a long life, and can be produced at low cost.

Abstract: A process for the production of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery which comprises a polymer layer forming step of forming a polymer layer on one side of at least one of a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator and an electricity-generating element preparing step of laminating or winding the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the separator to prepare an electricity-generating element. The process for the production of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery further comprises battery preparing step of receiving the electricity-generating element in a battery case, injecting an electrolyte into the battery case and then hermetically sealing the battery case to prepare a non-aqueous electrolyte battery and a heating and cooling step of heating and cooling the non-aqueous electrolyte battery while the battery case is under pressure.

Abstract: A positive active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries which has a higher capacity and improved thermal stability in a charged state and is less expensive compared to the current active material of LiCoO2 is provided by a lithium compound oxide having the formula: LiaNibCocMndMeO2  (1) where M stands for one or two of W and Mo, 0.90≦a≦1.15, 0<b<0.99, 0<c≦0.5, 0<d≦0.5, 0<c+d≦0.9, 0.01≦e≦0.1, and b+c+d+e=1, the lithium compound oxide giving an X-ray diffraction pattern including a diffraction peak or peaks assigned to a compound oxide of Li and W and/or a compound oxide of Li and Mo, in addition to main diffraction peaks assigned to a hexagonal crystal structure.

Abstract: In accordance with the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the invention and the process for the preparation thereof, charging is carried out with a combination of a positive electrode provided with excess lithium and a negative electrode in order to cause lithium to be deposited on the negative electrode. Accordingly, no oxidized surface film is interposed between lithium and the current collector of negative electrode or the negative active material layer as in the case where a metallic lithium foil is laminated on the negative electrode. In this arrangement, a battery having a small internal resistance can be provided. Since the deposition of lithium is conducted in the assembled battery, lithium does not come in contact with air, preventing the formation of a thick ununiform oxidized film on the surface thereof. Thus, the deposition of dendrite can be inhibited, making it possible to inhibit the drop of battery capacity and hence provide a battery having an excellent cycle life performance.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary electrolytic battery comprising an electricity-generating element formed by spirally winding a laminate of a positive electrode plate, a separating material and a negative electrode plate, and an electrolytic solution with which the separating material, if it is a separator, is impregnated. The electricity-generating element is sealed in a battery case formed by a resin-laminated sheet comprising a metal layer as a barrier layer. Only a pair of lead terminals are drawn to the exterior of the battery case. The resin sheet comprises an oriented resin layer laminated in both surfaces of the metal layer. The inner heat-fused layers are opposed and heat-fused to each other. A molten and solidified resin mass is formed protruding from the inner end of the welded portion toward the inner space of the battery by 0.1 mm or more. Alternatively, the welded portion is formed thinner at the outer end thereof than at the inner end thereof.

Abstract: The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention comprises, e.g., a positive electrode 6, a negative electrode 5, a polymer membrane 1 containing carbon powder or the like, and a separating membrane layer 7 for preventing shortcircuiting. A carbon powder, silicon powder, tin powder or aluminum powder 2 contained in the polymer membrane 1 containing carbon powder or the like absorbs as a lithium-absorbing material metallic lithium powders 3 or metallic lithium dendrite 4 which has been produced from the negative electrode 5 due to charge or discharge and takes no part in charge or discharge. This lithium-absorbing material is less reactive than the metallic lithium powders 3 or metallic lithium dendrite 4 and thus enhances the safety of the battery and controls shortcircuiting between the positive electrode and the negative electrode due to metallic lithium dendrite, making it possible to drastically improve charge and discharge cycle life performance.