Abstract: A tubular fuel cell module comprising a tubular fuel cell capable of improving current collection efficiency, and a fuel cell comprising the fuel cell module are provided. A fuel cell module (100) includes a plurality of tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) arranged in parallel and a first current collector (35), wherein the tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) are woven by the first current collector (35) in a direction crossing an axial direction of the tubular fuel cells (10A, 10A, . . . ) in a plan view.

Abstract: A fuel cell comprising cell module assemblies connected in series, each of which gathers two or more cell modules comprising a hollow electrolyte membrane in which an electrode is disposed on a bore side and a shell side thereof respectively, wherein each cell module assembly comprises: a cell module array in which two or more cell modules are aligned in parallel; a partition which separates a space outside of the cell module between the open end and a body of the cell module; a bore side gas passage and a shell side gas passage provided by the partition; a current collector for positive electrode provided in the vicinity of one end of the cell module in the cell module array so that the current collector for positive electrode integrally collects power from each current collector on the positive electrode side of each cell module; a current collector for negative electrode provided in the vicinity of the other end so that the current collector for negative electrode integrally collects power from each curren

Abstract: There is provided a hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell capable of improving power density per unit volume, wherein the hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprises a hollow solid electrolyte membrane, an outer electrode layer formed on the outer circumferential surface of the solid electrolyte membrane and an inner electrode layer formed on the inner circumferential surface of the solid electrolyte membrane, and wherein the hollow-shaped membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is formed in the shape of a spiral.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly includes a flouorine-based ion exchange resin membrane, a diffusion layer and a catalyst layer that supports a battery reaction. The catalyst layer is formed from Pt-carrying carbon nanotubes that is oriented on the fluorine-based ion exchange resin membrane, and non-Pt-carrying carbon nanotubes that is oriented on the diffusion layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell which is easy in renewal of parts and repair.

Abstract: A cell module for a fuel cell provided with a cell module body (18) which includes a pair of electrodes (16, 17) provided on an inner surface and an outer surface of a hollow electrolytre membranes (11), and collectors (21, 22), a respective one of the collectors being in contact with a respective one of the electrodes (16, 17) of the cell module body (18), is characterised in that a water permeable hollow body (31), which has an outer diameter of the cell module body (18) and is provided with a hollow portion (39) capable of supplying water, is arranged in a hollow portion (19) of the cell module body (18).

Abstract: A cell module for a fuel cell according to embodiments of the invention includes a hollow-core electrolyte membrane; two electrodes one of which is arranged on the inner face of the hollow-core electrolyte membrane and the other of which is arranged on the outer face of the hollow-core electrolyte membrane; and first collecting members that are connected to the respective two electrodes. At least one of the two electrodes includes nano-columnar bodies on which electrode catalysts are supported. The nano-columnar bodies are formed on at least one of the first collecting members corresponding to the at least one of the electrodes that includes the nano-columnar bodies. At least part of the nano-columnar bodies are oriented toward the hollow-core electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly (11) for a tube-shaped fuel cell, which is provided with a tube-shaped solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside catalyst electrode layer (2) formed on an outer peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an inside catalyst electrode layer (3) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte membrane (1); an outside collector (4) arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the outside catalyst electrode layer (2); and an inside collector (5) arranged on an inner peripheral surface of the inside catalyst electrode layer (3), is characterised in that at least one of the outside collector (4) and the inside collector (5) is a coiled collector that includes a coiled conductor.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the invention includes outer-conduit water absorbing members that are arranged outside oxidizing gas conduits of respective unit fuel cells, and a changeover mechanism that changes over the status of the outer-conduit water absorbing members between an absorption state in which the outer-conduit water absorbing members absorb moisture in the oxidizing gas conduits and a non-absorption state in which the outer-conduit water absorbing members do not absorb the moisture in the oxidizing gas conduits. Control of this changeover mechanism effectively regulates the moisture level in the oxidizing gas conduits.

Abstract: A fuel cell system in which fuel gas and oxidizing gas are supplied to a fuel cell stack and power generation is performed by electrochemical reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas, and a control method thereof are provided.

Abstract: The voltage application unit first applies voltages (+,+,0,?,?,0) respectively to the electrostatic delivery electrodes 37 belonging to the phase ‘a’, the phase ‘b’, the phase ‘c’, the phase ‘d’, the phase ‘e’, and the phase ‘f’, and then successively applies voltages (0,+,+,0,?,?), voltages (?,0,+,+,0,?), voltages (?,?,0,+,+,0), voltages (0,?,?,0,+,+), and voltages (+,0,?,?,0,+). The voltage application unit repeats this cycle multiple times to apply the voltages to the phase ‘a’ through the phase ‘f’. The water droplets flocculated in the oxidizing gas conduits 36 are charged by electrostatic induction and travel in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the oxidizing gas conduits 36 while being repelled or attracted by the electrostatic delivery electrodes 37 in the vicinity of the water droplets in the course of the positive-negative variation of the voltage in the cycle.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a diffusion layer formed in a sheet having a small thickness. The fuel cell is assembled with a tension imposed on the sheet in an in-plane direction of the sheet. The tension is imposed on the diffusion layer from a frame disposed outside the fuel cell. The tension is of such a magnitude as to prevent a portion of the sheet positioned corresponding to a gas passage of a separator from being deformed when the fuel cell is assembled and has a tightening force thereby applied thereto. The tension is adjustable according to a fuel cell operating condition. These structures can prevent a separator rib from pushing into a membrane, maintaining the gas passability of the diffusion layer well.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the invention includes outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 that are arranged outside oxidizing gas conduits 36 of respective unit fuel cells 30 (that is, arranged in an oxidizing gas exhaust manifold M3), and a changeover mechanism 72 that changes over the status of the outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 between an absorption state in which the outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 absorb moisture in the oxidizing gas conduits 36 and a non-absorption state in which the outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 do not absorb the moisture in the oxidizing gas conduits 36. In order to make the outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 absorb the moisture in the oxidizing gas conduits 36, a driving roller 74 is rotated to bring a large number of the outer-conduit water absorbing members 70 arranged in parallel on the surface of a belt 78 into contact with the outlets of the oxidizing gas conduits 36.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and its control method capable of removing condensed water only from a place where flooding is generated, without deteriorating an electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane (10) which is a solid high-molecular membrane is sandwiched by an anode (12) and a cathode (14) and these are sandwiched by collectors (16). Furthermore, these are sandwiched by separators (18), thereby constituting a fuel cell (30). Heating means is arranged on the separator (18) and its switch (20) is turned ON when the moisture for hydration of the electrolyte membrane (10) is condensed, so that current is supplied to the heating means from a power source (22) so as to evaporate the condensed water. This rapidly eliminates flooding.

Abstract: A fuel cell system in which fuel gas and oxidizing gas are supplied to a fuel cell stack and power generation is performed by electrochemical reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas, and a control method thereof are provided.

Abstract: A metal hydride is supplied into a reactor while being converted into fine particles. By injecting water from an injector, the metal hydride is hydrolyzed to generate hydrogen. The water supplied to the reactor is water generated by a fuel cell. This allows omission or a size reduction of a water tank for the hydrolysis, and therefore allows a size reduction of the system as a whole. It is possible to adopt a construction in which waste heat from the fuel cell is supplied to pyrolyze the metal hydride, a construction in which heat generated by the hydrolysis is used to pyrolyze another metal hydride, etc.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a reforming device for producing a hydrogen-rich gas mixture by reforming a hydrogen-containing compound, and a fuel cell stack for generating electromotive fore by a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The fuel cell system further includes a hydrogen separating device disposed between the reforming device and the fuel cell stack. The hydrogen separating device is provided with hydrogen permeating means for obtaining a fuel gas by separating hydrogen gas from the gas mixture.

Abstract: A metal hydride is supplied into a reactor while being converted into fine particles. By injecting water from an injector, the metal hydride is hydrolyzed to generate hydrogen. The water supplied to the reactor is water generated by a fuel cell. This allows omission or a size reduction of a water tank for the hydrolysis, and therefore allows a size reduction of the system as a whole. It is possible to adopt a construction in which waste heat from the fuel cell is supplied to pyrolyze the metal hydride, a construction in which heat generated by the hydrolysis is used to pyrolyze another metal hydride, etc.

Abstract: A quenching method and apparatus for quenching a steel pipe heated throughout the length thereof to a given quenching temperature in which during cooling of the steel pipe, the pipe is rotated or the pipe is moved axially while rotating it thereby uniformly cooling the entire pipe. The apparatus is incorporated as an in-line equipment in a steel pipe production line whereby a steel pipe introduced from the preceding processing stage is quenched by the said quenching method and is then delivered automatically to the following processing stage thereby uniformly cooling the steel pipe in the lengthwise direction thereof and reducing the quenching time.