Abstract: The possibility of carbon deposition from a raw material gas is made lower than before in a pressure compensating operation carried out after stopping the stop process of a hydrogen generator and a fuel cell system including the hydrogen generator.

Abstract: Problems of acceleration of drying of electrolyte membrane and local reaction, etc. can be properly coped with to attain the stabilization of performance of fuel cell.

Abstract: To provide a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a reaction gas can be utilized efficiently for an electrode reaction even when a gap is formed between an anode-side sealing member and the end face of an anode and between a cathode-side sealing member and the end face of a cathode, and sufficient power generation performance can be ensured with a simple constitution. At least one of the anode-side sealing member and the cathode-side sealing member of the fuel cell includes an annular body, and at least one deformable protruding portion provided on the inner surface of the annular body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pharmaceutical agent that is useful for preventing periodontal disease. The pharmaceutical agent contains a compound in which a mucin-type sugar chain-binding lectin is bound to a polypeptide having an integrin recognition sequence.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (100) is disclosed, which has a fuel gas generator (3) configured to be supplied with raw fuel, water and fuel for combustion to generate fuel gas by utilizing the combustion heat of the fuel for combustion; a fuel cell (1) configured such that the fuel gas is supplied to fuel gas routes (b1, 1a, c1) and oxidizing gas is supplied, thereby generating electric power; heating medium routes (b2, 1d, c2) configured such that the fuel gas is supplied thereto instead of being supplied to the fuel gas routes; a route switching device (4) configured to switch the destination of the fuel gas between the fuel gas routes and the heating medium routes; and a controller (8).

Abstract: To provide a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a reaction gas can be utilized efficiently for an electrode reaction even when a gap is formed between an anode-side sealing member and the end face of an anode and between a cathode-side sealing member and the end face of a cathode, and sufficient power generation performance can be ensured with a simple constitution. At least one of the anode-side sealing member and the cathode-side sealing member of the fuel cell includes an annular body, and at least one deformable protruding portion provided on the inner surface of the annular body.

Abstract: A fuel cell system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell (1) having an electrolyte membrane (2), an anode (3) and a cathode (4) sandwiching the electrolyte membrane (2), a cathode gas passage (98) through which an oxidizing gas is supplied to and discharged from the cathode (4), and an anode gas passage (97) through which a fuel gas is supplied to and discharged from the anode (3); a fuel gas channel having an anode gas passage (97) and through which the fuel gas is supplied to and discharged from the anode (3); and an oxidizing gas channel having the cathode gas passage (98) and through which the oxidizing gas is supplied to and discharged from the cathode (4).

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that is subjected to a purge operation of supplying an inert gas to an anode and/or cathode upon shut-down of the fuel cell. The differential pressure ?P is defined as ?P=Pa?Pc where Pa is the pressure in an inlet-side flow path leading to the anode and Pc is the pressure in an inlet-side flow path leading to the cathode. The differential pressure during the purge operation is controlled such that the differential pressure during operation ?Po and the differential pressure during the purge operation ?Pp satisfy the relation: 0<?Po×?Pp. This makes it possible to reduce the stress exerted on a solid electrolyte membrane and improve the long-term reliability of the fuel cell.

Abstract: An operation method of a fuel cell system of the present invention has a water layer forming step in which before starting supply of at least one of the reducing agent and the oxidizing agent in a supply start operation of at least one of the reducing agent and the oxidizing agent, the water supplier supplies water to form a water layer so as to clog at least one of at least a portion of the reducing agent supply path which is located upstream of the reducing agent supply end in a flow direction of the reducing agent and at least a portion of the oxidizing agent supply path which is located upstream of the oxidizing agent supply end in a flow direction of the oxidizing agent.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes: cells (11), each of which includes an electrolyte layer-electrode stack assembly (5) having a electrolyte layer (1) and a pair of gas diffusion electrodes (4a, 4b) sandwiching a portion of the electrolyte layer (1) which portion is located on an inner side of a peripheral portion of the electrolyte layer (1), an annular peripheral member disposed at the peripheral portion of the electrolyte layer (1), a pair of electrically conductive separators (6A, 6B) which sandwich the electrolyte layer-electrode stack assembly (5) and the peripheral member, and damage detecting wires (31); and a fuel cell stack (100) formed by stacking the cells (11), wherein: the damage detecting wires (31) are formed on components constituting the cell (11) other than the electrolyte layer-electrode stack assembly (5); and the damage detecting wires (31) are connected to one another to form an open circuit by stacking the cells (11).

Abstract: A fuel cell (101) of the present invention includes: a stack (1) formed such that one or more reacting portions (P) which generate electric power and heat by a reaction of a reactant gas and one or more heat transferring portions (H) which exchange heat with the reacting portions (P) by flow of a heat medium are arranged adjacent to each other in a stack direction of cells (2) by stacking the cells (2); a first heat medium supply manifold (8A) through which the heat medium is supplied to the heat transferring portions formed at both end portions (E) of the stack in the stack direction; a second heat medium supply manifold (8B) through which the heat medium is supplied to the heat transferring portions formed at a remaining portion (R) of the stack which portion is a portion other than the end portions of the stack; and a heat medium discharge manifold (9) through which the heat medium is discharged from the heat transferring portions.

Abstract: In a fuel cell system, during the state where the fuel cell system is not generating an electric power, a fuel gas passage and an oxidizing gas passage are closed, and an inert gas supply device (54, 58) supplies an inert gas to an anode space (111) which is substantially isolated from outside, the anode space including the closed fuel gas passage and a space connected to the closed fuel gas passage, while an air supply device (67, 70) supplies air to a cathode space (112) which is substantially isolated from outside, the cathode space including the closed oxidizing gas passage and a space connected to the closed oxidizing gas passage. With this, the fuel cell system is capable of achieving high energy efficiency and of surely preventing degradation of electrodes during the state where the fuel cell system is not generating the electric power, irrespective of repeated start-up and stop.

Abstract: A fuel cell system (100) of the present invention includes: a fuel cell (101) which is provided with a first fuel gas inlet (121A) communicating with one end of a fuel gas supplying manifold (106) and a second fuel gas inlet (121B) communicating with the other end of the fuel gas supplying manifold (106) and causes a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas to react with each other to generate electric power; a fuel gas supplying device (120) which supplies the fuel gas; and a fuel gas inlet selecting device (211) which selectively supplies the fuel gas, which is supplied from the fuel gas supplying device (120), to the first fuel gas inlet (121A) or the second fuel gas inlet (121B).

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an increased reaction area by forming a gas channel, a proton channel and an electron channel very close to each other inside a catalyst layer. This polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; and a pair of electrodes having catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers, in which the catalyst layer of at least one of the electrodes comprises carbon particles supporting a noble metal catalyst, and the carbon particles include at least two kinds of carbon particles adsorbing a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte in mutually different dispersed states.

Abstract: The present invention provides ink for forming a catalyst layer containing at least a cation conductive polymer electrolyte, catalyst-supporting particles including conductive carbon particles and an electrode catalyst supported thereon, and a dispersion medium, wherein the polymer electrolyte has a mean inertia radius of 150 to 300 nm. A catalyst layer made of the catalyst layer ink improves in gas diffusion property and increases cell voltage, which allows providing a proton conductive polymer electrolyte fuel cell capable of maintaining the high cell voltage for a long time.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode and a cathode with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to the anode; and a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to the cathode, wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the catalyst layer and the separator, and at least one of the anode and the cathode contains a compound represented by the formula (I): R1—O—{(C2H4O)n—(C3H6O)m}—R2??(I) where R1 and R2 are independent of each other and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having not less than 5 and not more than 15 carbon atoms, n and m are integers which satisfy 0?n?5, 0?m?5 and 1?n+m?5, and when neither n nor m is 0, at least one of the ethylene oxide group and at leas

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode and a cathode with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to the anode; and a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to the cathode, wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the catalyst layer and the separator, and at least one of the anode and the cathode contains a compound represented by the formula (I): R1—O—{(C2H4O)n—(C3H6O)m}—R2 ??(I) where R1 and R2 are independent of each other and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having not less than 5 and not more than 15 carbon atoms, n and m are integers which satisfy 0?n?5, 0?m?5 and 1?n+m?5, and when neither n nor m is 0, at least one of the ethylene oxide group and at leas

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that is subjected to a purge operation of supplying an inert gas to an anode and/or cathode upon shut-down of the fuel cell. The differential pressure ?P is defined as ?P=Pa?Pc where Pa is the pressure in an inlet-side flow path leading to the anode and Pc is the pressure in an inlet-side flow path leading to the cathode. The differential pressure during the purge operation is controlled such that the differential pressure during operation ?Po and the differential pressure during the purge operation ?Pp satisfy the relation: 0<?Po×?Pp. This makes it possible to reduce the stress exerted on a solid electrolyte membrane and improve the long-term reliability of the fuel cell.

Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes composed of catalyst layers sandwiching the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane between them and gas diffusion layers in contact with the catalyst layers; a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to one of the electrodes; and a conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the other electrode, in order to bring a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and a catalyst metal of the catalyst layers containing the hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte and conductive carbon particles carrying the catalyst metal sufficiently and uniformly into contact with each other, the polymer electrolyte is provided in pores of an agglomerate structure of the conductive carbon particles. Consequently, the reaction area inside the electrodes is increased, and higher performance is exhibited.

Abstract: Problems of acceleration of drying of electrolyte membrane and local reaction, etc. can be properly coped with to attain the stabilization of performance of fuel cell.