Abstract: A mixture, cation conductor and electrochemical device using same are provided. The mixture and a cation conductor, in which cations can be moved without humidification even in a range of temperatures less than or equal to the boiling point of water, or an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell using them. A fuel electrode and an oxygen electrode, which are oppositely arranged with an electrolyte film in between, is provided. The electrolyte film contains a first compound formed of an imidazole derivative containing N having an unshared electron pair and a second compound of at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds having structures shown below.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack is disclosed that utilizes a porous material internally disposed in the fuel cell outlet manifolds, wherein the porous material facilitates the transport of liquid water from the plate outlets thereby minimizing the accumulation of liquid water in the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a membrane electrode assembly using an interface resistance reducing composition which can simply reduce the resistance of the interface between an electrode and an electrolyte membrane in a short time at low temperatures at low pressure without polimerization while maintaining an effect of suppressing a fuel crossover even with an electrolyte membrane having high heat resistance, high strength, a high tensile elastic modulus and a low water content.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conductive agent/positive active material composite for a lithium secondary battery. The composite includes a positive active material capable of reversibly intercalating/deintercalating lithium ions, and a conductive agent on the surface of the positive active material. The conductive agent comprises a first conductive agent having a specific surface area ranging from about 200 to about 1500 m2/g and a second conductive agent having a specific surface area of about 100 m2/g or less.

Abstract: A fuel cell including separators opposing each other and squeezing a power generating reaction portion. Each of the separators includes a gas passage, a gas passage dividing rib, and a protrusion formed in the gas passage. In a first separator, which is an at least one separator of the separators opposing each other via the power generating reaction portion, at a region of the first separator opposing a gas passage dividing rib of a second separator, which is a separator opposing the first separator, a squeezing rib is formed and replaces the protrusion. The squeezing rib and the gas passage dividing rib of the second separator squeezes the power generating reaction portion. At the region of the first separator, a contact area of the squeezing rib with the power generating reaction portion is adapted to be larger than a contact area of the protrusion of the first separator with the power generating reaction portion in a case where the protrusion were formed without forming the squeezing rib.

Abstract: The reformer for a fuel cell system includes a reforming reaction part that generates hydrogen gas from a fuel through a catalyst reforming reaction using heat energy, and a carbon monoxide reducing part that reduces the concentration of carbon monoxide in the hydrogen gas, through an oxidizing reaction of hydrogen gas with the oxidant. The carbon monoxide reducing part includes a first reducing part including a first carbon monoxide oxidizing catalyst and a second reducing part including a second carbon monoxide oxidizing catalyst.

Abstract: A battery holder frame (12) that facilitates the removal of a fully installed battery (30) (electrical cell). The frame has top (20), bottom (22), opposite side (24, 26), and back walls (28) that form a cavity (14) that receives a battery by moving the battery rearward into the cavity until the battery abuts the back wall. The back wall upper portion has a bottom edge (66) and leaves an opening (62) below the bottom edge through which the bottom of the battery can move rearward out of the cavity. To remove a fully installed battery, the battery bottom is pushed rearward to cause the battery to pivot so its upper portion (152) moves forward out of the cavity and can be grasped to pull the battery out of the cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrochemical device including a gas discharge member disposed in inner volumes thereof or used as an element for forming the device, wherein the gas discharge member comprises: (a) a core portion containing a compound that discharges gases other than oxygen at a predetermined temperature range; and (b) a polymeric shell portion for encapsulating the compound and surrounding the core portion. A center pin for an electrochemical device having the gas discharge member inserted into the interstitial volumes of the device is also disclosed. The electrochemical device comprising the gas discharge member, which discharges a large amount of gas at a predetermined temperature and is inserted into the inner volumes of the device, is prevented from ignition or explosion under overcharge and high-temperature storage conditions with no drop in the performance.

Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly for a mixed reactant fuel cell system is provided. The membrane-electrode assembly does not require a separator that physically separates the membrane-electrode assemblies from each other in a stack. The membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention instead includes an electrode substrate that is disposed on a surface of an anode or a cathode of the membrane-electrode assembly. The electrode substrate has a flow path, through which a fuel and an oxidant are supplied. The fuel and oxidant are absorbed into the electrode substrate and further into the anode and the cathode. The fuel and the oxidant are selectively oxidized and reduced in the anode and the cathode, respectively, to produce electricity.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprising an electrode, whether it is the cathode of a primary cell or an anode or a cathode of a secondary cell, comprised of a mixture of a robust, high temperature binder along with a sacrificial decomposable polymer is described. The robust binder remains in the electrode throughout formation and processing, and maintains adhesion and cohesion of the cathode during utilization. The sacrificial decomposable polymer is present during the electrode formation stage. However, it is decomposed via a controlled treatment prior to electrode utilization. Upon subsequent high pressure pressing, the void spaces formerly occupied by the sacrificial polymer provides sites where the electrode active material collapses into a tightly compressed mass with enhanced particle-to-particle contact between the active material particles. For a cathode in a primary cell, for example a Li/SVO cell, the result is believed to be improved rate capability, capacity and stability throughout discharge.

Abstract: A method of forming an electrochemical cell is disclosed. The method comprises contacting a negative pole layer and a positive pole layer one with the other or with an optional layer interposed therebetween. The pole layers and the optional layer therebetween are selected to self-form an interfacial separator layer between the pole layers upon such contacting.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery module for medium- or large-sized battery packs, including a plurality of unit cells, wherein the unit cells are generally plate-shaped unit cells, and the unit cells are electrically connected with each other while the unit cells are arranged in a module case so as to constitute at least two rows and at least two columns. According to the present invention, integration of the battery module is highly improved. Especially, the vertical-direction mechanical strength of the battery module is further increased, and the number of connecting members necessary for the electrical connection between the unit cells is reduced.

Abstract: A nickel-metal hydride storage battery is provided capable of suppressing an increase of discharge reserve of a negative electrode and preventing lowering of battery characteristics. A nickel-metal hydride storage battery 100 of the present invention comprises a battery main part (an electrode plate group 150, an electrolyte, and others), a case 102 housing this battery main part, and a safety valve device 101 having an excessive pressure preventing function for preventing excessive rise of the internal pressure in the case 102 by discharging gas from the case 102 when the internal pressure in the case 102 exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A microcomponent including: an electrochemical storage source; a first substrate including a first contact face; a second substrate including a second contact face; “at least one internal cavity formed from a first cavity recessed into the first contact face of the first substrate, or from a second cavity recessed into the second contact face of the second substrate, or from the first cavity recessed into the first contact face of the first substrate and the second cavity recessed into the second contact face of the second substrate, wherein the two substrates are integrated together via their respective contact faces and a sealing member, and said internal cavity contains the electrochemical storage source; and electrical connections between the electrochemical storage source and an external environment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multi-layer, microporous polyolefin membrane comprising a first porous layer of a polyethylene, and a second porous layer comprising a polyethylene, and polypropylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 6×105 or more and a fraction having a molecular weight of 1.8×106 or more being 10% or more by mass.

Abstract: The apparatus contains a means to create superheated steam at a temperature of preferably 800° C. The superheated steam is delivered to a catalytic decomposition converter that contains ceramic membranes that function to decompose water H2O into its constituent elements of diatomic hydrogen and oxygen. In one embodiment, a cascade of catalytic cells, one set for hydrogen and one set for oxygen are arranged in a unique “Cascade and Recirculate” configuration that greatly improves the throughput of the catalytic process. Only enough hydrogen is produced and delivered to the fuel cell according to the real time demand. There is no hydrogen storage on board. An electrically heated boiler initializes the process, and thereafter the heat from the exothermic reaction of a high-temperature fuel cell, and a small hydrocarbon burner sustains the operational superheated steam temperature.

Abstract: The present invention is a stacked fuel cell system which is formed by stacking a plurality of electricity generators, each electricity generator having a membrane-electrode assembly and a separator provided with the membrane-electrode assembly. The stack comprises an aligner which is disposed at least one portion of the separator and which couples and aligns the plurality of electricity generators.

Abstract: A battery apparatus and electronic equipment in which the battery apparatus has a characteristic compatible with the electronic equipment can be suitably attached to the electronic equipment. In a battery apparatus, an identification section of the battery apparatus serves to identify a characteristic of the battery apparatus, and which is provided on an end surface and on both sides of a battery-side terminal in the width direction of the battery apparatus. The identification section is configured with identification recesses formed in a manner open to the end surface, and at least one of the positions, cross-sectional shapes, and lengths on the end surface of the identification recesses, is formed on the basis of the characteristic of the battery apparatus. The cross-sectional shape and length of the identification recess is formed on the basis of the characteristic of the battery apparatus.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having a separator interposed between a positive plate and a negative plate. Each of the positive and negative plates has a portion that is not coated with active material. The uncoated regions of the positive and negative plates are respectively fixed to positive and negative collector plates by welding. A plurality of first weld lines are formed on the positive collector plate at predetermined angles from one another. A plurality of second weld lines are formed on the negative collector plate also at predetermined angles from one another. The plurality of first weld lines and the plurality of second weld lines are offset from one another.

Abstract: This invention relates to a nonaqueous cell comprising a lithium metallic foil anode and a cathode coating comprising iron disulfide as the active material wherein the coating is applied to at least one surface of a metallic substrate that functions as the cathode current collector. In particular, the cell of the within invention has improved performance on high rate discharge and is achieved, surprisingly, with an anode underbalance. The cell of the within invention has an anode to cathode input that is less than or equal to 1.0. We have discovered, unexpectedly, that the energy density for the cell both volumetrically and gravimetrically can be improved by approximately 20 to 25% while only increasing the volume of the cathode coating solids by approximately 10% through a unique and novel cathode coating formulation used in conjunction with a lithium foil anode.