Abstract: Electrochemically inactive separators may be employed at the periphery of membrane electrode assemblies in fuel cells (such as solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells) to separate the various fluids within (for example, reactants, coolant). Complex fluid distribution features may be incorporated into these separators, thereby desirably simplifying the design and manufacture of other fuel cell components, such as the flow field plates employed to distribute fluids to the cell electrodes. This is particularly advantageous in fuel cells comprising thin, corrugated flow field plates. The separators may be bonded to the membrane electrode assemblies to form convenient, unitary structures.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a protective coating with current applied on a metallic collector of an electrode. The protective coating comprises a mineral binder vitreous or partly vitreous and optionally an electronic conduction additive. This coating is applied in the form of a solution or dispersion on the collector of the electrode and dried, so that it coats and protects at least part of the surface of the metal of the collector to prevent the formation of passivation films generated by active species produced by other components of the generator.

Abstract: The invention relates to a construction for ventilation of hydrogen gas comprising at least a first metallic layer (1), sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement, a second (2) metallic layer, and a mesh (4), wherein the first layer (1) is joined to the second layer (2), and said mesh (4), forming venting channels (5) through which channels (5) hydrogen can be vented, is joined to, and in between, said first (1) and second (2) metallic layers. The invention further concerns a method for production thereof.

Abstract: A process for rebalancing the electrolyte system in a regenerative fuel cell using a sulfide/polysulfide reaction in one half of the cell and a bromine/bromide reaction in the other half of the cell comprises passing the electrolyte containing sulfide/polysulfide or bromine/bromide through the +ve chamber of an auxiliary cell and passing an electrolyte containing water and being free from polysulfide or bromine through the ?ve chamber of the auxiliary cell the auxiliary cell operating so as to oxidize sulfide ions to sulfur or bromide ions to bromine in the +ve chamber and to reduce water to hydrogen and hydroxide ions in the ?ve chamber.

Abstract: A regenerative fuel cell system, comprising an electrolyzer portion and a fuel cell portion; the electrolyzer portion has a closeable hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet in communication with the cathode of the electrolyzer portion for conducting hydrogen, a gas bypass having a gas bypass inlet and a gas bypass outlet for conducting oxidant gas for fuel cell reaction to the fuel cell portion, a water inlet and an oxygen-water outlet for exhausting oxygen generated in electrolyzer operation and coolant water from the fuel cell portion out of the electrolyzer portion; the fuel cell portion has a hydrogen inlet, a first closeable hydrogen outlet for exhausting excess hydrogen in fuel cell mode, a second closeable hydrogen outlet for exhausting hydrogen generated in the electrolyzer portion in electrolyzer mode, an oxidant gas inlet, an oxidant gas outlet, a coolant water inlet and a coolant water outlet; and the hydrogen inlet of the fuel cell portion being in communication with the hydrogen outlet of the elect

Abstract: A cathode that includes manganese dioxide and relatively small particles of nonsynthetic, nonexpanded graphite is disclosed. The graphite particles can have an average particle size of less than 20 microns. The cathode can be used in an electrochemical cell, such as a battery.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell having a cathode containing an expanded graphite as an electrically conductive carbon material. To provide enhanced service performance in the cell, the expanded graphite has a kerosene absorption in the range of 2.2 to 3.5 ml/g, an average particle size of 17 to 32 micrometers, a d90 value of 40 to 85 micrometers, and an average surface area-to-mass ratio of at least 18 m2/g. A method is also provided for determining an optimum expanded graphite including the steps of measuring physical characteristics of the expanded graphite determining the performance of a cell containing the expanded graphite in the positive electrode, and determining the optimum expanded graphite for use in the cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides an anode thin film for a lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an anode active material layer formed thereon. Here, the anode active material layer is a multiple-layer thin film comprising a silicon (Si) layer and a silver (Ag) layer or a single-layer thin film comprising silicon (Si) and silver (Ag).

Abstract: A fuel cell system (10) is provided and includes a fuel cell stack (11) and an integrated heat exchanger unit (12). The integrated heat exchanger unit (12) includes a fuel cell stack cooler (14) and a cathode exhaust gas condenser (16) arranged in a side-by-side relationship to be cooled by a common cooling air stream (18) that flows in parallel through the cooler (14) and the condenser (16).

Abstract: A thin film for an anode of a lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an anode active material layer formed thereon is provided. The anode active material layer is a multi-layered thin film formed by stacking a silver (Ag) layer and a silicon-metal (Si-M) layer having silicon dispersed in a base made from metal reacting with silicon while not reacting with lithium. The cycle characteristic of the thin film for an anode can be improved by suppressing the volumetric expansion and shrinkage of Si occurring during charging/discharging cycles. Thus, a lithium secondary battery with improved life characteristics by employing the thin film for an anode, which greatly improves the chemical, mechanical stability of the interface between an electrode and an electrolyte.

Abstract: A mobile phone battery includes a cover being provided at a predetermined position with an opening, positive and negative contacts located behind the cover and accessible via the opening of the cover for electrically connecting to a rectangular dry cell, and step-down means provided at an inner side of the cover and having a power output electrically connected to a power input of the mobile phone battery. An emergency charging of the mobile phone battery is possible simply by attaching a rectangular dry cell to the positive and the negative contacts of the mobile phone battery without using other battery charger.

Abstract: A heat pipe assembly includes a base plate and a corrugated lid joined to the base plate to form a plurality of tubes between the base plate and the corrugated lid. Each of the plurality of tubes forms an envelope of a respective heat pipe within the heat pipe assembly. The heat pipe assembly may be included in a fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a nonaqueous electrolyte, where the separator essentially includes a porous sheet. The positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material can be reversibly doped and dedoped such that, where Qp (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing total lithium contained in the positive electrode to be dedoped and Qn (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing lithium to fully dope the negative electrode, Qp>Qn. Further, when the battery is charged at a charging current Ic (mA) in a range of 0.2 Qn/h<Ic<2 Qn/h, in a range of an electric charge for charging Qc (mAh) of 1<Qc/Qn<Qp/Qn, doping of the positive electrode by lithium is initiated by producing lithium particles on the negative electrode by charging of the battery until Qc<Qp.

Abstract: An air supply system for a fuel cell is disclosed, in which a compression chamber (17) of an air supply mechanism (GS) is adapted to supply air to a fuel cell (FC). A liquefaction unit (14) acting as a water supply mechanism (WS) supplies water to the air supply mechanism (GS) to seal and cool the compression chamber (17). The liquefaction chamber (14) separates water from the exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell (FC) and supplies the water to the air supply mechanism (GS). The air supply mechanism (GS) and the liquefaction unit (14) are integrated with each other.

Abstract: Battery, especially flat cell, comprising an electrode of lithium-metal or lithium-alloy, an electrode containing an active material intercalating lithium ions, a separator between both electrodes, and a housing enclosing the electrodes and the separator with connector tabs for both electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes (1; 2; 3) is a multi-layer body built by multiple folds and an equal layer-thickness of the active material (4; 12; 13) between the folded layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-capacity sealed nickel-metal hydride storage battery superior in high-current discharge, without extending the injection time of an electrolyte. This battery includes an electrode group, a metal case for accommodating the electrode group, and a seal plate provided with a safety vent, for sealing an opening of the case, and the electrode group has a structure in which, round a non-sintered type cylindrical electrode of one polarity, a non-sintered type hollow cylindrical electrode of the other polarity and a non-sintered type hollow cylindrical electrode of the one polarity are layered alternately in the form of concentric circles with a separator between the electrodes.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprises &egr;-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using a &ggr;-phase silver vanadium oxide starting material. The reaction of &ggr;-phase SVO with a silver salt produces the novel &egr;-phase SVO possessing a lower surface area than &egr;-phase SVO produced from vanadium oxide (V2O5) and a similar silver salt as starting materials. Consequently, the low surface area &egr;-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater long term stability in pulse dischargeable cells.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an electrically conductive resinous composition composed mainly of an electrically conductive carbon powder and a binding agent, wherein said binding agent is a mixture of a thermoplastic resin and a carbodiimide compound, a fuel cell separator and a process for production thereof, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The present invention permits efficient mass production of fuel cell separators having high elasticity, good releasability, good dimensional accuracy, and good gas impermeability. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in which all or part of separators are those pertaining to the present invention, is immune to the cracking of separators at the time of assembling, decreases only a little in output after continuous operation, and exhibits good gas sealing performance and high impact resistance.

Abstract: In order to provide a nickel-metal hydride storage battery capable of preventing the formation of a minute chemical short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes while exhibiting an excellent self-discharge resistance, a nickel positive electrode plate is formed by filling an active material mainly composed of a hydroxide of nickel into a porous sintered nickel substrate, followed by further forming a layer of a manganese compound containing manganese with a valence of 2 or more on the surface thereof, and an alkaline storage battery is configured by using this nickel positive electrode plate.

Abstract: A heat exchange system includes a fuel cell that receives a specified gas and generates electric power, a heat exchange device that exchanges heat with a heat exchange medium, a heat exchange medium passage, and a gas detector. The heat exchange medium passage allows the heat exchange medium to circulate between the heat exchange device and the fuel cell such that the heat exchange medium can exchange heat with the heat exchange device and the fuel cell. The gas detector is disposed at at least one of the heat exchange device and the heat exchange medium passage to detect the specified gas that leaks into the heat exchange medium.