Abstract: A driving process causes a target angular position of a specific gear in a throttle device to reach an initial position by continuing to increase or decrease the target angular position at a constant speed. A determination process determines that wear has occurred on a gear mechanism in the throttle device based on a parameter related to a change speed of an angular position in a specific range during execution of the driving process. The specific range is a range from a specific angular position to the initial position. The specific angular position is the angular position that is separated from the initial position by a predetermined constant angle.

Abstract: A throttle control system includes a throttle device and a controller that controls the throttle device. The controller executes a driving process of driving the electric motor such that a target angular position of the specific gear continues to increase beyond or decrease below the initial position. The controller executes a determination process of determining that wear has occurred in the gear mechanism based on that a non-rotation time in which the angular position detected by the rotation sensor does not change during execution of the drive process being greater than or equal to a predetermined specified time.

Abstract: A damage estimation device includes an acquisition unit that acquires a temperature change amount in a period during which an inflow air temperature rises and a period length, a distortion amount derivation unit that derives a distortion amount of a cooling device in the above period, based on the temperature change amount, and a damage value derivation unit that derives an accumulated damage value by integrating a value depending on the distortion amount. When the period length is shorter than a period length determination value, the distortion amount derivation unit derives a larger value as the distortion amount than when the period length is equal to or longer than the period length determination value.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fuel cell. An insulating member has a plurality of communication holes disposed on a side of a gas diffusion layer, which is formed by stacking a layer made of a carbon fiber and a water-repellent layer, where the water-repellent layer is provided. The gas diffusion layer and the insulating member are sandwiched by a pair of electrodes, and a pair of contact pressure plates are disposed on respective rear surfaces of the pair of electrodes so as to sandwich the pair of electrodes so that the gas diffusion layer is pressurized by the pair of contact pressure plates. When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes while maintaining the pressurized state, the protrusion portion of the carbon fiber is burned and removed by Joule heat.

Abstract: An odorant addition device for adding odorant to fuel gas in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas, the device including: an addition unit for adding the odorant to fuel gas to be consumed by the gas system; an environmental condition detection unit for detecting in the gas system an environmental condition regarding diffusion of odorant in fuel gas; and an addition adjustment unit for adjusting mode of odorant addition by the addition unit based on the environmental condition detected by the environmental condition detection unit. In this way, it is possible to detect leakage of fuel gas more reliably and improve safety dramatically, in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas as fuel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage means for storing hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition means for adding an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means, and a temperature control means for controlling the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage means, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means and the odorant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage means for storing hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition means for adding an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means, and a temperature control means for controlling the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage means, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means and the odorant.

Abstract: According to a manufacturing method for a fuel cell, an insulating member having a plurality of communication holes therein is disposed on a side of a gas diffusion layer, which is formed by stacking a layer made of a carbon fiber and a water-repellent layer, where the water-repellent layer is provided, the gas diffusion layer and the insulating member are sandwiched by a pair of electrodes, and a pair of contact pressure plates are disposed on respective rear surfaces of the pair of electrodes so as to sandwich the pair of electrodes so that the gas diffusion layer is pressurized by the pair of contact pressure plates. When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes while maintaining the pressurized state, an electric current flows through a protrusion portion of a carbon fiber which comes in contact with the electrode on the water-repellent layer side via the communication holes of the insulating member, so that the protrusion portion of the carbon fiber is burned and removed by Joule heat.

Abstract: An oxidizing gas purification apparatus (1) for a fuel cell (7) has a compressor (2) that compresses oxidizing gas and sends the oxidizing gas; a cooling apparatus (4), disposed downstream from the compressor (2), that cools the oxidizing gas passing therethrough; an adsorbent unit (5b), disposed downstream from the cooling apparatus (4), that houses an adsorbent (5a) that adsorbs impurities included in the oxidizing gas sent from the cooling apparatus (4) at a prescribed adsorption temperature and releases the adsorbed impurities at a prescribed thermal regeneration temperature that is above the prescribed adsorption temperature by control of the operation of the cooling apparatus (4) to cool the oxidizing gas that has a temperature above the prescribed adsorption temperature and that is sent from the compressor (2).

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.

Abstract: An oxidizing gas purification apparatus (1) for a fuel cell (7) has a compressor (2) that compresses oxidizing gas and sends the oxidizing gas; a cooling apparatus (4), disposed downstream from the compressor (2), that cools the oxidizing gas passing therethrough; an adsorbent unit (5b), disposed downstream from the cooling apparatus (4), that houses an adsorbent (5a) that adsorbs impurities included in the oxidizing gas sent from the cooling apparatus (4) at a prescribed adsorption temperature and releases the adsorbed impurities at a prescribed thermal regeneration temperature that is above the prescribed adsorption temperature by control of the operation of the cooling apparatus (4) to cool the oxidizing gas that has a temperature above the prescribed adsorption temperature and that is sent from the compressor (2).

Abstract: An odorant addition device for adding odorant to fuel gas in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas, the device including: an addition unit for adding the odorant to fuel gas to be consumed by the gas system; an environmental condition detection unit for detecting in the gas system an environmental condition regarding diffusion of odorant in fuel gas; and an addition adjustment unit for adjusting mode of odorant addition by the addition unit based on the environmental condition detected by the environmental condition detection unit. In this way, it is possible to detect leakage of fuel gas more reliably and improve safety dramatically, in a gas system that consumes the fuel gas as fuel.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage portion which stores hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition portion which adds an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion, and a temperature control portion which controls the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage portion, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion and the odorant.