Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode system apparatus, a control unit, an anode outlet temperature sensor, and a purge valve. In a method of starting operation of the fuel cell system at low temperature, a control unit compares a predetermined freezing temperature threshold value with an anode outlet temperature detected by an anode outlet temperature sensor. Then, the control unit performs low temperature control to place the purge valve in the constantly open state in the case where the temperature is not higher than the freezing temperature threshold value, and performs normal control for switching opening/closing of the purge valve in the case where the temperature exceeds the freezing temperature threshold value.

Abstract: A non-clogging pump includes a pump casing and an impeller that includes a main plate portion and a vane portion, in which the main plate portion includes a main plate protrusion portion that protrudes in a counter-inflow direction, the vane portion includes a first end face and a second end face and is connected to the main plate protrusion portion at an inner periphery-side end portion, and an inner peripheral wall that forms the suction port of the pump casing includes a suction port protrusion portion that is provided at a portion in a rotation direction of the rotating shaft, is disposed along the second end face with a gap from the second end face, and protrudes toward a center side of the suction port.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel gas supply channel, a circulation passage, a purge valve, and a temperature sensor. A method of operating the fuel cell system performs a judging step of determining whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is at or below a given temperature. Then, if the temperature is at or below the given temperature, the method performs a purge valve scavenging process step of intermittently opening and closing the purge valve multiple times, while supplying the fuel gas through the fuel gas supply channel.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel gas supply channel, a circulation passage, a purge valve, and a temperature sensor. A method of operating the fuel cell system performs a judging step of determining whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is at or below a given temperature. Then, if the temperature is at or below the given temperature, the method performs a purge valve scavenging process step of intermittently opening and closing the purge valve multiple times, while supplying the fuel gas through the fuel gas supply channel.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, an anode system apparatus, a control unit, an anode outlet temperature sensor, and a purge valve. In a method of starting operation of the fuel cell system at low temperature, a control unit compares a predetermined freezing temperature threshold value with an anode outlet temperature detected by an anode outlet temperature sensor. Then, the control unit performs low temperature control to place the purge valve in the constantly open state in the case where the temperature is not higher than the freezing temperature threshold value, and performs normal control for switching opening/closing of the purge valve in the case where the temperature exceeds the freezing temperature threshold value.

Abstract: A fuel gas supply apparatus of a fuel cell system includes a pressure reducing valve, an interruption valve, and an injector in a hydrogen supply channel. A controller of the fuel cell system includes a drive cycle setting unit for setting the drive cycle of the injector based on a load of the fuel cell stack, and a water state determination unit for determining whether or not quantity of water content in the fuel cell is excessive by determining whether or not the quantity of water content is a predetermined quantity or more.

Abstract: A communication device according to an embodiment is included in a multi-hop network. The communication device includes a holder, a storage, a switcher, and a controller. The holder holds communication data. The storage stores path information including an identifier that identifies a communication path and destination information that indicates a destination of communication data on the communication path. The switcher switches a communication path used to transmit communication data on the basis of the path information stored in the storage. The controller transmits communication data to a destination of a communication path switched by the switcher.

Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment includes a transceiver and a transmission slot determiner. The transceiver transmits/receives information. The transmission slot determiner determines a transmission slot in which the transceiver transmits information, from a frame time-divided into a plurality of slots, based on the rank value of self node corresponding to the number of hops to a root node. A plurality of slot groups including a plurality of continuous slots is set in the frame. The slot groups are assigned different rank values. The transmission slot determiner selects a slot group to which the rank value of self node is assigned, and determines a transmission slot from among the slots included in the selected slot group.

Abstract: Energy demand in an entire community including multiple demanders is properly predicted and energy consumption thereof is properly controlled. Every day, some demanders are selected from the community and a request to adjust energy consumption for the following day is sent to the selected demanders. To decide a content of the request, energy demand for the following day is predicted. In this case, demanders which did not receive a request on past days are specified, and demand in the community for the following day is predicted based on the actual energy consumption by those demanders on the past days.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a wireless communication device includes wireless section, storage, controller, confirmer and modifier. The wireless section executes a communication task in which the wireless communication device transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from another device. The storage stores schedule information indicative of a time when the communication task is permitted to be executed. The controller controls execution of the communication task based on the schedule information. The confirmer confirms a reception response from the another device. The modifier modifies the schedule information based on a result for the reception response from the confirmer.

Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus includes an antenna unit, a wireless communication unit, an arithmetic unit, and an antenna control unit. The antenna unit receives wireless signals from wireless communication terminals existing in a communication area, and can change a direction of directivity. The wireless communication unit acquires pieces of position information contained in the wireless signals. The arithmetic unit calculates moving directions and moving speeds of the wireless communication terminals, and calculates remaining times based on the pieces of position information, the moving directions, and the moving speeds. The antenna control unit changes the direction of directivity of the antenna unit from a set first direction of directivity to a second direction of directivity based on the remaining time.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus connected to a wireless base station configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of terminals, the wireless base station providing a predetermined point on a map to each of the plurality of the terminals as a reference position serving as a positioning reference. The information processing apparatus includes a information acquisition processor, a position calculator, a memory, a proximity detector, and a position updater. The proximity detector determines existence of a proximity terminal within a range of a preset proximity distance based on the radio field intensity on the inter-terminal communication for each of the plurality of the terminals obtained from each of the plurality of the terminals.

Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment includes a transceiver and a transmission slot determiner. The transceiver transmits/receives information. The transmission slot determiner determines a transmission slot in which the transceiver transmits information, from a frame time-divided into a plurality of slots, based on the rank value of self node corresponding to the number of hops to a root node. A plurality of slot groups including a plurality of continuous slots is set in the frame. The slot groups are assigned different rank values. The transmission slot determiner selects a slot group to which the rank value of self node is assigned, and determines a transmission slot from among the slots included in the selected slot group.

Abstract: A communication device according to an embodiment is included in a multi-hop network. The communication device includes a holder, a storage, a switcher, and a controller. The holder holds communication data. The storage stores path information including an identifier that identifies a communication path and destination information that indicates a destination of communication data on the communication path. The switcher switches a communication path used to transmit communication data on the basis of the path information stored in the storage. The controller transmits communication data to a destination of a communication path switched by the switcher.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack, a cell voltage monitor, a hydrogen tank, a hydrogen supply channel, an ejector, a hydrogen off-gas channel, a purge valve, a compressor, an air supply channel, a pressure control unit for controlling air pressure, a pilot pressure input channel branching off from the air supply channel and inputting the air pressure to the ejector as pilot pressure, and a control unit for controlling the purge valve and the pressure control unit. The ejector includes a pressure control mechanism which increases the ejector's secondary-side pressure by increasing the area of the nozzle's ejecting hole when the pilot pressure input from the pilot pressure input channel rises. When electricity generation status of the fuel cell stack is judged to be poor, the control unit opens the purge valve after raising the air pressure and the pilot pressure by using the pressure control unit.

Abstract: A fuel gas supply apparatus of a fuel cell system includes a pressure reducing valve, an interruption valve, and an injector in a hydrogen supply channel. A controller of the fuel cell system includes a drive cycle setting unit for setting the drive cycle of the injector based on a load of the fuel cell stack, and a water state determination unit for determining whether or not quantity of water content in the fuel cell is excessive by determining whether or not the quantity of water content is a predetermined quantity or more.

Abstract: Energy demand in an entire community including multiple demanders is properly predicted and energy consumption thereof is properly controlled. Every day, some demanders are selected from the community and a request to adjust energy consumption for the following day is sent to the selected demanders. To decide a content of the request, energy demand for the following day is predicted. In this case, demanders which did not receive a request on past days are specified, and demand in the community for the following day is predicted based on the actual energy consumption by those demanders on the past days.

Abstract: A power demand regulating apparatus is provided which can efficiently achieve the purpose of peak shift in a power system and which can reduce the total incentive which an operator of a demand regulation server distributes to consumers having cooperated with a request for regulating an amount of energy to be used. A demand regulation server (0101) is provided with a cooperation level determining function (0111) of calculating a cooperation level which is obtained by quantifying the height of a cooperation sense of a consumer with a request for regulating an amount of energy to be used. The operator of the demand regulation server observes consumers or consumer appliances responding to the request for regulating an amount of energy to be used on the basis of the magnitude of the cooperation level and transmits the request to only the consumers or the consumer appliances.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a circulation path, a water reservoir, a water level detector, a water discharger and a controller. The fuel cell generates electric power using fuel gas supplied to an anode and oxidant gas supplied to a cathode. Off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is returned to the fuel cell again through the circulation path. The water reservoir is disposed in the circulation path and stores water separated from the off-gas. During monitoring after stop of the fuel cell system or at startup of the fuel cell system, the controller operates the water discharger to discharge the water stored in the water reservoir when the controller determines that a level of the water detected or estimated by the water level detector is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference water level.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided which estimates a water content in a fuel cell based on a predetermined map using an integrated value of electric current generated by the fuel cell (ST4) before power generation is stopped (ST5). When a temperature of the fuel cell has fallen lower than a predetermined value (ST7) after the power generation is stopped (ST5), the fuel cell system determines a dry degree in the fuel cell (ST8) and an anode scavenging period (ST9) based on predetermined maps. Scavenging is performed in an anode in the fuel cell for the anode scavenging period (ST10).