Patents Examined by Jonathan S Crepeau
  • Patent number: 7452618
    Abstract: A fuel cell cogeneration system includes a fuel cell, a cooling water heat exchanger provided on a cooling water pathway, a stored hot water pathway through which stored hot water that exchanges heat with cooling water flows, a stored hot water tank, a stored hot water controlling device, a stored hot water temperature measuring device, a stored hot water flow rate adjusting device, a flow rate controlling device of controlling the stored hot water flow rate adjusting device and an exhaust gas heat exchanger of exchanging heat between exhaust gas from fuel processing devices and stored hot water. The flow rate controlling device controls the stored hot water adjusting device to reduce the flow rate of stored hot water flowing through the stored hot water pathway when the temperature of stored hot water is a first predetermined temperature or less during the starting of operation of the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanaka, Akinari Nakamura, Masataka Ozeki
  • Patent number: 7390586
    Abstract: Electrochemical fuel cell stacks comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies stacked in an alternating manner, such that the polarity of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies are opposite, are disclosed. The fuel cell stacks comprise a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, each membrane electrode assembly comprising an anode fluid distribution layer, a cathode fluid distribution layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and cathode fluid distribution layers, an anode electrocatalyst layer interposed between the polymer electrolyte membrane and the anode fluid distribution layer, and a cathode electrocatalyst interposed between the polymer electrolyte membrane and the cathode fluid distribution layer, wherein the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are stacked in an alternating manner such that the polarity of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies are opposite, and wherein the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are externally jumpered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Emerson R Gallagher, Maura H Malone
  • Patent number: 7378173
    Abstract: A fuel cell and method for manufacturing the fuel cell are described herein. Basically, the fuel cell is formed from an electrode/electrolyte structure including an array of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes disposed on opposing sides of an electrolyte sheet, the anode and cathode electrodes being electrically connected in series, parallel, or a combination thereof by electrical conductors that traverse via holes in the electrolyte sheet. Several different embodiments of electrical conductors which have a specific composition and/or a specific geometry are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael E Badding, Jacqueline L Brown, Thomas D Ketcham, Susan L Schiefelbein, Dell J St Julien, Raja R Wusirika
  • Patent number: 6833214
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a multiple uneven plate having multiple uneven portions, the multiple uneven portions having large protruding degree of each of the concave or convex portions, the concave or convex portions adjacent to one another includes the steps of forming a plurality of grooves, so that in the grooves the plate thickness is reduced and bending the plate to form a plurality of crest and trough lines crossing the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Funatsu, Kouichi Ikushima, Kouji Shimoda