Abstract: A direct liquid fuel cell is provided, which can prevent a gas such as carbon dioxide generated by an anode of the fuel cell from adhering to an electrode. A DMFC that is a direct liquid fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; an anode electrode provided on a surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode electrode provided on another surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a methanol fuel storage portion, provided to be adjacent to the anode electrode, for supplying a liquid fuel to the anode electrode. In the DMFC, the methanol fuel storage portion contains a solid particle.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided in which the amount of a reaction product discharged outside the system can be reduced, the reaction product, such as water, being formed by the electrochemical reaction of a fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell power generation apparatus and a fuel cartridge which is detachable from a fuel cell. The fuel cell power generation apparatus includes a case containing a fuel cell therein, an air intake port provided in the case, and an emitted material discharge port provided in the case. The air intake port and the emitted material discharge port are arranged in different positions of the case. The fuel cartridge includes a fuel storage unit storing fuel, a fuel supply port supplying the fuel to the fuel cell, and a removal unit which removes water discharged from the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a cleaning system provided with the function of cleaning cordlessly are provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell which generates electric power by using liquid fuel and a cleaning apparatus which cleans a target of cleaning by using the liquid fuel. A cleaning system includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by using liquid fuel; and a cleaning apparatus which cleans using the liquid fuel.

Abstract: A DMFC system which realizes appropriate temperature management on a methanol aqueous solution and on a DMFC with consideration given to the activity of methanol oxidation reaction between electrodes and suppression of degradation of solid polymer films. The fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises: a fuel cell which generates electric power by using liquid fuel; a fuel feed unit which feeds the liquid fuel to the fuel cell; an emission recovery unit which recovers emissions from the fuel cell; and a heat medium feed unit which feeds a heat medium for cooling the emissions to the emission recovery unit. Here, the heat medium cools the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack has a built-in sensor MEA including: a sensor ion exchange membrane; an anode to which part of fuel supplied to the fuel cell stack flows in, the anode being arranged on one side of the sensor ion exchange membrane; and a cathode from which the part of the fuel supplied to the fuel cell stack flows out, the cathode being arranged on the other side of the sensor ion exchange membrane. An external power supply applies a predetermined potential difference to between the anode and the cathode. A current occurring from electrolysis of the fuel is measured by using an ammeter.

Abstract: Cells constituting a fuel cell stack are measured for voltages with reference to a common ground. Here, voltmeters are used to measure voltages V1 to Vn across respective series of cells which increase in number in steps of two cells. Cell voltages Vc1 to Vcn each across two cells are calculated from the voltage measurements V1 to Vn, and then a standard deviation is calculated from the cell voltages Vc1 to Vcn. The standard deviation calculated thus can be used as an index of fuel concentration since it increases largely when the fuel concentration goes out of an allowable range.

Abstract: In a fuel cell system which dilutes a liquid fuel to supply the diluted liquid fuel to an anode, it is intended to achieve stable electricity generation capacity. The fuel cell system generates electricity by an electrochemical reaction between the liquid fuel and an oxidant, and this system comprises a cell which generates electricity by the electrochemical reaction; a fuel container containing the liquid fuel of high concentration; and a buffer tank which dilutes the liquid fuel in the fuel container to supply the diluted liquid fuel to the anode of the cell, wherein an electromagnetic valve is provided in a fuel supply path between the fuel container and the buffer tank to prevent the liquid fuel from flowing back from the buffer tank to the fuel container.

Abstract: A fuel tank includes a rail or a groove which is provided in a position confronting a groove or a rail provided on a fuel cell system including the fuel cell, and which is put in a groove or a rail of the fuel cell system.

Abstract: An auxiliary unit includes a piping formed by piling up a plurality of plate-like members in which liquid fuel or air flows to supply liquid fuel or air to a fuel cell apparatus.

Abstract: A fuel cell apparatus which runs on liquid fuel includes a first inlet manifold which is a way to supply air to the anode of the fuel cell apparatus, a second inlet manifold which is a way to supply the liquid fuel to the cathode of the fuel cell apparatus, an outlet manifold which is a way in which fluid discharged from the anode and the cathode flows.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell apparatus run by liquid fuel, a fuel tank which stores liquid fuel, an auxiliary unit which supplies liquid fuel to the fuel cell apparatus from the fuel tank, and a control unit which controls the fuel cell apparatus, the fuel tank and the auxiliary unit in a general and unified manner. The auxiliary unit is disposed in a position interposed between the fuel tank and the fuel cell apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided a compact and light-weight fuel cell device. The fuel cell device has a structure where a plurality of substantially horizontally-disposed cells are vertically piled to form a stack, on whose ends there are end plates and the stack is tightened with two bands. Each cell comprises an MEA comprising a pair of electrode layers and a reaction layer therebetween, and conductive separators sandwiching the MEA in which channels for flowing liquids such as a gas and a liquid fuel are formed. An unreformed organic liquid fuel is directly fed to an anode, while oxygen-containing air is fed to a cathode. In the upper part of the fuel cell device, there are an air inlet and a fuel outlet, while in the lower part of the opposite side there are an air outlet and a fuel inlet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a safe fuel cell system. The fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell device operating with an organic liquid fuel; a fuel cartridge for feeding the organic liquid fuel to the fuel cell device; a pump for feeding the organic liquid fuel in the fuel cartridge to the fuel cell device while diluting the fuel; an air pump for feeding air to the fuel cell device; and an adsorption unit for adsorbing harmful substances generated from a reaction in the fuel cell device. For discharging a gas from the system, the gas is flown through the adsorption unit for adsorption of harmful substances and then discharged from a vent.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell capable of improving an output by reducing concentration polarization of a liquid fuel in an anode. The fuel cell comprises an anode and a cathode on both surfaces of an electrolyte membrane, supplies the liquid fuel to the anode, supplies an oxidant gas to the cathode, to react the liquid fuel with the oxidant gas and to generate power, wherein the anode comprises a gas diffusion layer constituted by filling a conductive porous support which is coated with a hydrophilic material with a conductive powder, and a catalyst layer.

Abstract: To provide a fuel cell that includes a cell unit formed by arranging an anode and a cathode on a proton exchange membrane and that can stably generate electricity with excellent characteristics. To realize such a fuel cell, wettability of the proton exchange membrane and the electrode catalyst layer is made uniform. In a gas diffusion layer 24 sandwiched between a cathode catalyst layer 22 and a cathode side separator plate 60, water retentivity in a predetermined range from an inlet for an oxidizing gas (air) is adjusted so as to be higher in parts 24A that face oxidant channels 65 than in parts 24B that face ribs 66. This wettability adjustment in the gas diffusion layer 24 is accomplished by setting water repellent material content per unit area in the channel facing parts 24A smaller than in the rib facing parts 24B.