Abstract: One embodiment includes a liquid-metal alloy negative electrode for a lithium-ion battery. The electrode may also include a porous matrix that comprises a polymer matrix material, a hydrogel material, or a ceramic material.

Abstract: An electrode sheet includes a sheet of metal foil, at least one region coated with at least one active material layer subjected to working by rolling, the at least one coated region being provided in at least one central portion of the sheet of metal foil, at least one region uncoated with the at least one active material layer, the at least one uncoated region being provided in at least one edge portion of the sheet of metal foil, and at least one region subjected to working by drawing, the at least one drawn region being provided in at least a portion of the at least one uncoated region.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing magnesium ions which shows excellent electrochemical characteristics and which can be manufactured in a general manufacturing environment such as a dry room, and an electrochemical device using the same are provided. A Mg battery has a positive-electrode can 1, a positive-electrode pellet 2 made of a positive-electrode active material or the like, a positive electrode 11 composed of a metallic net supporting body 3, a negative-electrode cup 4, a negative electrode 12 made of a negative-electrode active material 5, and a separator 6 impregnated with an electrolytic solution 7 and disposed between the positive-electrode pellet and the negative-electrode active material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and processes of operating molten carbonate fuel cell systems.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing an anode for in-situ sintering for a molten carbonate fuel cell, in which an anode green sheet is prepared using a slurry, and then a reinforcing layer is placed on the anode green sheet and then pressed, thereby improving the mechanical stability of a fuel cell stack and the long term stability of an anode, and an anode manufactured using the method.

Abstract: A pouch type lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly including electrode tabs respectively connected to two electrodes, the two electrodes having different polarities; and a case to house the electrode assembly such that the electrode tabs extend to the outside of the case, wherein one stepped part through which the two electrode tabs simultaneously extend is formed in a sealing portion of the case. In the electrode sealing portion of the pouch type lithium secondary battery having short width, sealing of the case is improved by the one stepped part, thereby improving efficiency of the manufacturing process of the battery.

Abstract: An battery end cap is disclosed for limiting current flow of a battery. The battery end cap includes a cap terminal, the cap terminal comprising an external conductive surface and an internal conductive surface. The battery end cap further includes a pressure sensitive switch, wherein when the battery end cap is installed on a battery, the pressure sensitive switch is configured to bias the internal conductive surface of the cap terminal from being in electrical communication with an electrical source of the battery. Electrical communication between the cap terminal and the electrical source is created or maintained when a sufficient external pressure is applied to the battery end cap and electrical contact between the cap terminal and the internal electrical source is broken without the sufficient external pressure.

Abstract: Fuel cell devices and fuel cell systems are provided. In certain embodiments, the fuel cell devices may include one or more active layers containing active cells that are connected electrically in series. In certain embodiments, the fuel cell devices include an elongate ceramic support structure the length of which is the greatest dimension such that the coefficient of thermal expansion has only one dominant axis coextensive with the length. In certain embodiments, a reaction zone is positioned along a first portion of the length for heating to a reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone is positioned along a second portion of the length for operating below the reaction temperature. There are one or more gas passages, each having an associated anode or cathode.

Abstract: An anode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes an anode, and a LiF-based coating layer formed with LiF-based particles on a surface of the anode. The LiF-based coating layer has a thickness of 0.05 to 1 ?m. The anode allows the LiF-based coating layer created by side reaction of LiPF6 during a battery charging/discharging process to be relatively uniformly formed on the anode surface, thereby elongating the life cycle of a lithium ion secondary battery.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an accumulator comprises at least two galvanic cells that are electrically connected. The accumulator furthermore comprises a control device and at least one measuring device. The measuring device is suitable to determine at least one reading for at least one first functional parameter of a galvanic cell. The accumulator comprises a memory device which is assigned to the control device. The memory device is suitable for storing at least one target value of a first functional parameter. The accumulator furthermore comprises a computing unit. The computing unit is suitable for assigning at least two measured values and one pertinent target value to a first computed result. The measured values are the measured first functional parameters, respectively of at least two galvanic cells of the accumulator. The target value is a predetermined value in respect to the first functional parameter.

Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries each having a gas exhaust member openable at a threshold pressure; a housing holding the rechargeable batteries and having a gas exhaust hole; and a valve member covering the gas exhaust hole, wherein a pressure for opening the valve member is lower than the threshold pressure.

Abstract: A battery separator (13) of the present invention includes a porous film (12) serving as a substrate and a crosslinked polymer layer (11) supported on the porous film (12). The crosslinked polymer layer (11) contains a crosslinked polymer and inorganic particles, and is non-porous. The crosslinked polymer is obtained by reacting a reactive polymer having a functional group in its molecule with a polyfunctional compound reactive with the functional group so as to crosslink at least a part of the reactive polymer. A lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode (14), a negative electrode (15), the battery separator (13) of the present invention disposed between the positive electrode (14) and the negative electrode (15), and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The battery separator (13) is disposed so that the porous film (12) faces the negative electrode (15) and the crosslinked polymer layer (11) faces the positive electrode (14).

Abstract: A high molecular nanocomposite membrane for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC), and a Membrane-Electrode Assembly (MEA) and a methanol fuel cell including the same membrane. The high molecular nanocomposite membrane for a DMFC includes a perflurorosulfonic acid polymer (Nation®), high molecular membrane in which hydrophobic silica nanoparticles made from a silane compound having a water repellent functional group are dispersed. Since the high molecular nanocomposite membrane for a DMFC has lower permeability of methanol than a commercially available Nation® high molecular membrane, the MEA fabricated using the high molecular nanocomposite membrane has little crossover of reaction fuel at the negative electrode. In addition, the methanol fuel electrode fabricated using the MEA that includes the high molecular nanocomposite membrane can decrease fuel loss and voltage loss.

Abstract: Disclosed are a metal separator for fuel cells, which exhibits excellent properties in terms of corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity and durability, and a method of manufacturing the same. The metal separator for fuel cells includes a separator-shaped metal matrix and a coating layer formed on the metal matrix. The coating layer has a concentration gradient of a carbon element C and a metal element Me according to a thickness thereof such that the carbon element C becomes gradually concentrated in the coating layer with increasing distance from the metal matrix, and the metal element Me becomes gradually concentrated in the coating layer with decreasing distance from the metal matrix.

Abstract: A reactor system is integrated internally within an anode-side cavity of a fuel cell. The reactor system is configured to convert higher hydrocarbons to smaller species while mitigating the lower production of solid carbon. The reactor system may incorporate one or more of a pre-reforming section, an anode exhaust gas recirculation device, and a reforming section.

Abstract: By incorporating a selectively conducting component in electrical series with the anode components in a solid polymer fuel cell, degradation during startup and shutdown can be reduced. As a result, the startup and shutdown procedures can be simplified and consequently certain system apparatus may be omitted. The anode does not need to be rapidly purged with hydrogen on startup or with air on shutdown. Additionally, the auxiliary load usually employed during such purging is not required.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus, comprises an energy storage device having an interface and at least one terminal, the interface having first and second surfaces, the first surface having at least one first surface opening and the second surface having at least one second surface opening, wherein the at least one first surface opening allows access to the at least one terminal, wherein the at least one second surface opening allows access to the at least one terminal, and wherein the at least one first surface opening is distinct from the at least one second surface opening.

Abstract: The film-covered electrical device of the present invention includes covered portion (S1) where a portion of covering film (6) is folded to cover end surface (5d) of covering film (5) through which metal layer (5b) is exposed, non-covered portion (S2) where end surface (5d) of covering film (5) is not covered with folded covering film (6), sealing portion (8) (a first sealing portion) produced by thermally fusing thermally-fusible resin layer (6c) of covering film (6) and thermally-fusible resin layer (5c) of covering film (5), and portion B (a second sealing portion) produced by thermally fusing protective layer (5a) of covering film (5) and thermally-fusible resin layer (6c) of covering film (6), wherein sealing portion (8) (the first sealing portion and non-covered portion (S2)) is provided with a safety valve for releasing internal gas when a rise in internal pressure occurs.

Abstract: Anode catalysts for conversion of hydrocarbon feeds in solid oxide fuel cell membrane reactors. An anode catalyst may be a mixture of a metal with a metal oxide, for example a mixture of copper or copper-nickel alloy or copper-cobalt alloy with Cr2O3. Mixed oxides can be prepared by dissolving into water soluble salts of the different metals, chelating the metal ions with a chelating agent, neutralizing the solution, removing water by evaporation to form a gel which then is dried, and finally heating the dried gel to form a mixed oxide of the different metals. The chelating agent can be citrate ions, and ammonia can be added to the solution until the pH of the solution is about 8. The mixed oxide so formed then is reduced, for example by hydrogen, to form a composite comprising the metal (Cu, Cu—Co, Cu—Ni) and metal oxide, here Cr2O3.

Abstract: A method for production of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) (1), having an electrolyte body (10) with a tubular structure, wherein at least one internal electrode (11) and one external electrode (12) are applied to the tubular electrolyte body, with the method having at least the following steps: provision of an injection molding core (13) on which at least one interconnector material (14) and the internal electrode (11) are mounted, arrangement of the injection molding core (13) in an injection mold (25a, 25b), injection molding of an electrolyte compound (10a) in order to form the electrolyte body (10), and removal of the injection molding core (13) in the form of a casting process with a lost core.