Abstract: The present invention provides a supported metal catalyst that has an electric conductivity acceptable as a catalyst and can suppress the generation of hydrogen peroxide. According to the present invention, provided is a supported metal catalyst, comprising: a support powder; and metal fine particles supported on the support powder, wherein: the support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles have a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion-bonded to form a chain; the support fine particles are structured with a metal oxide; the metal oxide contains cerium; and an electric conductivity of the supported metal catalyst is 10?4 S/cm or higher.

Abstract: A supported metal catalyst in which an electric conductivity is enhanced. The supported metal catalyst includes a support powder; and metal fine particles supported by the support powder. The support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles are provided with a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion-bonded to form a chain; the support fine particles are structured with a metal oxide; and the supported amount of metal fine particles per unit area of the surface area of the support powder calculated based on sphere approximation is 3.4 to 13.7 (mg/m2).

Abstract: A support powder can improve cell performance under high humidity environment. A support and metal catalyst, including: a support powder; and metal fine particles supported on the support powder; wherein: the support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles are fine particles of oxide compound and has a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the crystallites have a size of 10 to 30 nm; the support powder has a void; the void includes a secondary pore having a pore diameter of more than 25 nm and 80 nm or less determined by BJH method; and a volume of the secondary pore per unit volume of the support fine particles structuring the support powder is 0.313 cm3/cm3 or more, is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a supported metal catalyst with excellent effectiveness factor of active metal particles which are also free from deactivation by contacting with ionomer. According to the present invention, provided is a supported metal catalyst, comprising a support that is a collective body of conductive particles; and dispersed active metal particles supported on the conductive particles, wherein the conductive particles include a plurality of pores, an average entrance pore diameter of the pores is 1 to 20 nm, a standard deviation of the average entrance pore diameter is equal to or less than 50% of the average entrance pore diameter, a number fraction of the active metal particles supported in a surface layer region of the conductive particles divided by the total number of the active metal particles is equal to or more than 50%, and the surface layer region is a region on a surface of the conductive particles or a region in the pores within a depth of 15 nm from the surface.

Abstract: The carrier metal catalyst achieves suppression of internal resistance of a fuel cell. A carrier metal catalyst includes: a carrier powder; and metal fine particles supported on the carrier powder; wherein: the carrier powder is an aggregates of carrier fine particles; the carrier fine particles includes a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the carrier fine particles include titanium oxide; the carrier fine particles are doped with an element having a valence different from a valence of titanium; the titanium oxide of the carrier powder has an anatase phase/rutile phase ratio of 0.2 or lower; the metal fine particles have a mean particle size of 3 to 10 nm; the metal fine particles include platinum; and a cell resistance measured under standard conditions of a fuel cell prepared using the carrier metal catalyst is 0.090 ?cm·2 or lower.

Abstract: A carrier powder is thermodynamically stable and conductivity can be easily provided thereto. A carrier powder includes an aggregate of carrier fine particles; wherein: the carrier fine particles include a chained portion structured by fusion bonding a plurality of crystallites into a chain; the carrier fine particles contain titanium oxide; and a ratio of anatase phase/rutile phase of the titanium oxide of the carrier powder is 0.2 or lower.

Abstract: A support and metal catalyst with improved electric conductivity is provided. A support and metal catalyst, including: a support powder; and metal fine particles supported on the support powder; wherein: the support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles have a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the support fine particles are structured with metal oxide; and the metal oxide is doped with a dopant element, and an atomic ratio of titanium with respect to total of titanium and tin is 0.30 to 0.80, is provided.

Abstract: The carrier metal catalyst achieves suppression of internal resistance of a fuel cell. A carrier metal catalyst includes: a carrier powder; and metal fine particles supported on the carrier powder; wherein: the carrier powder is an aggregates of carrier fine particles; the carrier fine particles includes a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the carrier fine particles include titanium oxide; the carrier fine particles are doped with an element having a valence different from a valence of titanium; the titanium oxide of the carrier powder has an anatase phase/rutile phase ratio of 0.2 or lower; the metal fine particles have a mean particle size of 3 to 10 nm; the metal fine particles include platinum; and a cell resistance measured under standard conditions of a fuel cell prepared using the carrier metal catalyst is 0.090 ?·cm2 or lower.

Abstract: A support powder can improve cell performance under high humidity environment. A support and metal catalyst, including: a support powder; and metal fine particles supported on the support powder; wherein: the support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles are fine particles of oxide compound and has a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the crystallites have a size of 10 to 30 nm; the support powder has a void; the void includes a secondary pore having a pore diameter of more than 25 nm and 80 nm or less determined by BJH method; and a volume of the secondary pore per unit volume of the support fine particles structuring the support powder is 0.313 cm3/cm3 or more, is provided.

Abstract: The carrier metal catalyst achieves suppression of internal resistance of a fuel cell. A carrier metal catalyst includes: a carrier powder; and metal fine particles supported on the carrier powder; wherein: the carrier powder is an aggregates of carrier fine particles; the carrier fine particles includes a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the carrier fine particles include titanium oxide; the carrier fine particles are doped with an element having a valence different from a valence of titanium; the titanium oxide of the carrier powder has an anatase phase/rutile phase ratio of 0.2 or lower; the metal fine particles have a mean particle size of 3 to 10 nm; the metal fine particles include platinum; and a cell resistance measured under standard conditions of a fuel cell prepared using the carrier metal catalyst is 0.090 ?·cm2 or lower.

Abstract: A carrier powder is thermodynamically stable and conductivity can be easily provided thereto. A carrier powder includes an aggregate of carrier fine particles; wherein: the carrier fine particles include a chained portion structured by fusion bonding a plurality of crystallites into a chain; the carrier fine particles contain titanium oxide; and a ratio of anatase phase/rutile phase of the titanium oxide of the carrier powder is 0.2 or lower.

Abstract: To spread the use of catalysts for fuel cells, there is a demand to develop a catalyst that uses less Pt and has a high power generation efficiency. An electrode catalyst includes a support particle containing a metal oxide and a precious-metal alloy supported on the support particle. The support particle includes multiple branches, a hole between the branches, and a pore. The pore is surrounded by the branches and the hole. The precious-metal alloy includes a precious metal element and at least one or more transition elements.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a method of operating the same is provided that is capable of reducing degradation of a cathode catalyst of a fuel cell. A fuel cell system is provided that includes a fuel cell having a catalyst used for an anode, wherein a carrier of the catalyst is composed of a material with a property where electric resistance in an oxygen containing atmosphere is greater than electric resistance in a hydrogen atmosphere; and a control device configured to control the fuel cell, when supply of fuel gas is stopped during stoppage of operation of the fuel cell, to consume all or part of the fuel gas in a fuel gas chamber, followed by introducing oxygen containing gas into the fuel gas chamber.

Abstract: To spread the use of catalysts for fuel cells, there is a demand to develop a catalyst that uses less Pt and has a high power generation efficiency. An electrode catalyst includes a support particle containing a metal oxide and a precious-metal alloy supported on the support particle. The support particle includes multiple branches, a hole between the branches, and a pore. The pore is surrounded by the branches and the hole. The precious-metal alloy includes a precious metal element and at least one or more transition elements.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a method of operating the same is provided that is capable of reducing degradation of a cathode catalyst of a fuel cell. A fuel cell system is provided that includes a fuel cell having a catalyst used for an anode, wherein a carrier of the catalyst is composed of a material with a property where electric resistance in an oxygen containing atmosphere is greater than electric resistance in a hydrogen atmosphere; and a control device configured to control the fuel cell, when supply of fuel gas is stopped during stoppage of operation of the fuel cell, to consume all or part of the fuel gas in a fuel gas chamber, followed by introducing oxygen containing gas into the fuel gas chamber.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell (1) having a water passage and passage for gas required for power generation, a first protection device (5, 10) which prevents freezing of water in the fuel cell by maintaining the temperature of the fuel cell (1), and a second protection device (11, 12) which prevents freezing of water in the fuel cell by discharging the water in the fuel cell (1). A controller (50) selects one of the first protection device (5, 10) and the second protection device (11, 12) as the protection device to be used when the fuel cell (1) has stopped, and the fuel cell (1) is protected from freezing of water by operating the selected protection device.

Abstract: Controlling of an engine provided with a catalytic converter in an exhaust passage is executed during an idling operation of the engine to heat catalyst in the catalytic converter while permitting the self-ignition combustion mode to be performed in the engine when the catalyst is in a non-active condition, and when the temperature Te of the engine cooling water is higher than a predetermined threshold value Te1, and to allow execution of the self-ignition combustion mode as well as the idling-stop function when the catalyst is in an active condition, and when the temperature Te of the engine cooling water is higher than a predetermined threshold value Te2 that is larger than the predetermined threshold value Te1.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell (1) having a water passage and passage for gas required for power generation, a first protection device (5, 10) which prevents freezing of water in the fuel cell by maintaining the temperature of the fuel cell (1), and a second protection device (11, 12) which prevents freezing of water in the fuel cell by discharging the water in the fuel cell (1). A controller (50) selects one of the first protection device (5, 10) and the second protection device (11, 12) as the protection device to be used when the fuel cell (1) has stopped, and the fuel cell (1) is protected from freezing of water by operating the selected protection device.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is operated on auto-ignition combustion of fuel with low cetane number like gasoline. The engine has at least one cylinder and a reciprocating piston in the cylinder to define a combustion chamber. Combustion event in the cylinder is expressed in terms of two variables. They are main combustion timing (&thgr;50) and a main combustion period (&thgr;20-50). The main combustion timing (&thgr;50) represents a crank position when mass burnt rate is 50 percent. The main combustion period (&thgr;20-50) represents a period from a crank position when mass burnt is 20 percent to a crank position when mass burnt is 50 percent. Controlled parameters governing main combustion are varied to adjust the main combustion timing on an advance side of a retard limit (&thgr;50 max) and to adjust the main combustion period within a range between an upper limit (&thgr;20-50 max) and a lower limit (&thgr;20-50 min).

Abstract: In a compression self-ignition gasoline internal combustion engine, a fuel injector through which a gasoline fuel is injected uninterruptedly within a combustion chamber of an engine cylinder is provided, a mixture of air and gasoline fuel within the combustion chamber is self-ignited through a compression action of a piston, an intake valve an open timing of the intake valve is set to a mid-way point through a suction stroke of the piston, a closure timing of an exhaust valve is set to a mid-way point through an exhaust stroke thereof, and gasoline fuel injection timing and quantity per combustion cycle injected through the fuel injector is controlled in such a manner that a first gasoline fuel injection is set during a minus valve overlap time interval during which both of exhaust and intake valves are closed and a second gasoline fuel injection is set during at least one of the suction stroke and the subsequent compression stroke.