Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a nickel metal-hydride battery excellent in cycle performance, high-rate discharging ability, and output power performance, by utilizing a hydrogen absorbing electrode comprising a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder as an active material, which is excellent in resistance to corrosion and high-rate discharging performance. Provided are a hydrogen absorbing electrode comprising 100 parts by weight of a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder which contains, as a main component, a rare earth element and a transition metal element, and has a saturation mass susceptibility of 1.0 to 6.5 emu/g, and 0.3 to 1.

Abstract: A submarine boat is provided on which a hydrogen generating device which can supply hydrogen easily to a hydrogen storing means and can generate a hydrogen-containing gas at a low temperature is loaded.

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 on 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: An electric automobile is provided on which a hydrogen generating device which can supply hydrogen easily to a hydrogen storing means and can generate a hydrogen-containing gas at a low temperature is loaded.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a hydrogen generating method for generating hydrogen-containing gas little contaminated with nitrogen, CO, etc., by decomposing fuel containing an organic compound at low temperature while requiring the supply of no or little electric energy from an external source, and a hydrogen generating system based on the method. The hydrogen generating method provided by the present invention comprises providing a fuel electrode (12) in contact with one surface of a partition membrane (11), supplying fuel containing an organic compound and water to the fuel electrode (12), providing an oxidizing electrode (14) in contact with the other surface of the partition membrane (11), and supplying an oxidizing agent to the oxidizing electrode (14), wherein fuel containing the organic compound is decomposed and hydrogen is generated on the fuel electrode (12).

Abstract: A grid is obtained by punching or expanding a sheet comprising a pure lead (Pb: 99.99 mass % or more) plate having a lead-tin alloy layer formed at least on one side of the pure lead plate. By using it as a positive electrode of a lead-acid battery, the problem that a pure lead grid shows bad charge acceptance characteristics after deep discharge can be solved, maintaining the excellent trickle life performance which a pure lead grid shows originally.

Abstract: A battery in which a power generating element is accommodated in a battery case, wherein the battery case is composed of a flexible sheet, and at least part of the power generating element is covered with a cover member. This prevents the inner face of the flexible sheet from being damaged.

Abstract: It is aimed at providing a nonaqueous electrolyte cell excellent in cell performance in a high-temperature environment. A nonaqueous electrolyte cell comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and produced by using a nonaqueous electrolyte including at least one kind of a cyclic carbonate having a carbon-carbon ? bond and at least one kind of a cyclic organic compound having an S?O bond, characterized in that the positive electrode is constituted of a positive-electrode active material including a main component which is a fired oxide having a layered rock salt type crystal structure represented by Lim[NibM(1-b)O2] (M is one or more kinds of elements included in 1 to 16 groups excluding Ni, Li, and O; and 0?m?1.1), and in which the value of b is 0<b<1, and particularly, that the fired oxide has a layered rock salt type crystal structure represented by Lim[MnaNibCocO2] (0?m?1.1, a+b+c=1, |a-b|?0.05, a?0, b?0) in which the value of c is 0?c<1.

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 on 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: Elution of a fuel electrode material into a fuel in a direct methanol fuel cell is monitored. The elution arises resulting from elution of a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer in the fuel electrode into the fuel in a high-concentration fuel equal to or more than 2 M or at an operating temperature equal to or more than 80° C. The electrode catalyst elutes into the fuel and the characteristic degrades. Operating conditions of the fuel cell, i.e., the fuel concentration and the operating temperature are limited to be less than 2 M and 80° C. or less, respectively. In addition, the elution characteristic is evaluated at the time of manufacture of the fuel cell and quality control is conducted. Further, existence of the elution is detected by a color of the fuel etc., and when the elution is detected, the upper limits of the operating temperature and the fuel concentration are decreased, so that further elution is prevented.

Abstract: A dye is added into a methanol/water fuel of a direct methanol fuel cell, and the dye is adsorbed and removed by a filter cartridge provided in the upstream of a cell stack. Carbon black, etc. may be added instead of the dye. Alternatively, a scenting agent such as formic acid and methyl formate, or an antiseptic may be added.

Abstract: A direct methanol fuel cell is provided in a fuel tank, and a liquid fuel is supplied to a fuel electrode with convection through a duct which vertically passes through a surface of a separator. Air is supplied to a duct for air supply, the duct being provided to the separator, from a blower.

Abstract: In an electrode for a fuel cell, a catalyst layer contains a solid polymer electrolyte, catalyst particles and porous polymer. The porous polymer is provided for the inside portions of pores of said catalyst layer and/or the surface of said catalyst layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte battery which restrains swelling of the battery during high-temperature storage and is excellent in battery performance after storage. The invention is characterized by a specific constitution of a nonaqueous electrolyte and a combination thereof with a positive active material having specific crystal structure and composition. Namely, it is characterized by a nonaqueous electrolyte battery containing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the above nonaqueous electrolyte contains at least a cyclic carbonate having a carbon-carbon ? bond and the above positive electrode contains a positive active material comprising a composite oxide represented by a composite formula: LixMnaNibCOcO2 (wherein 0?x?1.1, a+b+c=1, |a-b|<0.05, 0<c<1) and having an ?-NaFeO2-type crystal structure.

Abstract: A cell such as a nonaqueous electrolytic secondary cell includes a plurality of power-generating elements which each include a strip-like positive electrode and a strip-like negative electrode that are both wound into an elliptic cylinder with a separator being interposed therebetween, where each power-generating element has a peripheral face including at least a flat portion. The cell also includes a cell case for housing the power-generating elements, where the cell case has an opening, and a cover hermetically sealing the opening of the cell case. The flat portion of each power-generating element is superposed on the flat portion of the adjacent power-generating element, and a sheet member is wound around peripheries of the superposed power-generating elements to fasten the power-generating elements such that the power-generating elements are integrated.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the present invention is characterized by including a non-aqueous electrolyte which contains at least one of vinylene carbonate derivatives at a concentration of 1 wt % or less and at least one of cyclic sulfates at a concentration of 2 wt % or less. According to the present invention, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent discharge characteristics at a low temperature can be obtained.

Abstract: A storage battery is provided in which an expand grid is improved with respect to the widths of grid wires 1b, the sectional areas of nodes 1e, and the shapes of meshes 1c, whereby the productivity of the expand grid can be enhanced and the life performance can be improved. As means for attaining the object, a storage battery in which an expand grid is used as a battery plate, the expand grid being a grid member which is formed by expanding a side portion of a collector frame portion 1a of a metal sheet 1 to connect a large number of grid wires 1b to one another in a net-like shape, is configured so that widths of grid wires 1b of a row which is directly connected to the collector frame portion 1a of the expand grid, and a lateral end row are larger than widths of grid wires 1b of at least one of intermediate rows.