Abstract: A fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for a fuel cell has a double wall structure including an inner container for storing a fuel liquid and an outer container for housing the inner container, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner container and the outer container. A fuel cell pack includes a fuel cell and a fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for the fuel cell. The fuel cell pack includes a double wall exterior casing having an inner casing for housing the fuel cell and the fuel container and an outer casing for housing the inner casing, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner casing and the outer casing.

Abstract: To prevent the flooding phenomenon at the cathode in a unit cell where the temperature is relatively low or the supply of air is small, a fuel cell stack includes at least three flat unit cells stacked with separators interposed therebetween, the unit cells comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched therebetween, and having an oxidant channel formed on the surface of the separator adjacent to the cathode, and the anode and the cathode comprising a catalyst layer attached to the electrolyte membrane and a diffusion layer, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inlet side of the oxidant channel, the area of the cathode catalyst layer, the thickness of the electrolyte membrane or the amount of a water repellent contained in the combination of the cathode and the oxidant channel is the largest in at least one of the unit cells at the ends of the stack.

Abstract: Provided is a power supply unit for supplying power to an electric apparatus, comprising an indicator unit, an introduction-detecting unit for detecting introduction of the electric apparatus into a vehicle for transportation of the electric apparatus, a voltage-detecting unit for detecting the voltage of the power source, a memory unit for storing a first voltage and a second voltage lower than the first voltage, a judgment unit for determining whether the voltage of the power source detected by the voltage-detecting unit is higher than the first voltage and a forced discharge unit. The forced discharge unit is configured to cause the indicator unit to notify if the electric apparatus is in a state prohibiting introduction into the vehicle and forcibly discharge the power source.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode; and a purifying apparatus including a catalyst layer that purifies an effluent discharged from the anode. The purifying apparatus has a porous sheet including the catalyst layer and two flow paths disposed on both sides thereof. One of the flow paths has an inlet into which the effluent discharged from the anode is introduced, and the other flow path has an inlet into which air is introduced and an outlet. The effluent discharged from the anode is passed through the porous sheet for purification and then discharged from the outlet.

Abstract: The electrolyte membrane of the present invention is an electrolyte membrane (1) having ionic conductivity that includes a base material (2) and organic molecules having ion exchange groups, wherein the organic molecules are chemically bonded to the surface of the base material (2) to form an organic layer (3), and ions are conducted via the ion exchange groups in the organic layer (3). By providing this type of electrolyte membrane, it is possible to obtain an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity whose configuration is different to that of a conventional electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a dilute tank that stores an aqueous solution of liquid fuel and supplies the solution to the anode of a fuel cell; a fuel tank connected to the dilute tank via a first controlling section; a water tank connected to the dilute tank via a second controlling section; and controlling means including a current detector which measures the amount of the fuel consumed by the fuel cell from the amount of power generation. The controlling means controls the first controlling section based on the measured amount of fuel consumption and further includes correcting means for measuring a component of a gas discharged from the cathode, calculating the amount of the fuel which has crossed over from the anode to the cathode based on the measured component, and correcting the measured amount of fuel consumption based on the calculated amount of fuel crossover.

Abstract: In order to prevent the crossover of an organic fuel such as methanol in a fuel cell and to exhibit excellent electricity generation characteristics without impairing the utilization efficiency of the fuel, at least either of (1) a discontinuous catalyst layer being formed on a surface of an anode catalyst layer and having a higher density (existence probability) of platinum type catalyst than the anode catalyst layer and (2) an electrolyte polymer layer is formed at the interface between the anode catalyst layer and a polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: Provided is a power supply unit that notifies the third person that the electric apparatus is in the state prohibiting introduction into vehicle and also make the electric apparatus in the state safely introducible into vehicle at the same time.

Abstract: A fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed therebetween and a purification device having a catalyst layer purifying substances discharged from the anode. The fuel cell system is characterized in that the purification device comprises a porous sheet having a catalyst layer and two flow passages disposed on both sides of the porous sheet, an inlet to which the substances discharged from the anode is led is formed in one flow passage, an inlet to which air is led and an outlet are formed in the other flow passage, and the substances discharged from the anode are discharged from the outlet after being purified through the porous sheet.

Abstract: In order to provide a nickel-metal hydride storage battery capable of preventing the formation of a minute chemical short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes while exhibiting an excellent self-discharge resistance, a nickel positive electrode plate is formed by filling an active material mainly composed of a hydroxide of nickel into a porous sintered nickel substrate, followed by further forming a layer of a manganese compound containing manganese with a valence of 2 or more on the surface thereof, and an alkaline storage battery is configured by using this nickel positive electrode plate.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an electrode paste for alkaline storage batteries includes a first kneading step and a second kneading step. In the first kneading step, a first powder with an average particle size ranging between 0.1 ?m and 5 ?m and polysaccharide are kneaded. In the second kneading step, a first mixture prepared in the first kneading step and a second powder with an average particle size ranging between 8 ?m and 35 ?m are kneaded.

Abstract: The hydrogen storage alloy electrode comprises: a conductive core material; and an active material layer which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder and is carried on said core material, and the alloy powder has any shape selected from the group consisting of spherical shapes, substantially spherical shapes and oval shapes. The core material comprises: a conductive sheet; and fibrous or columnar sintered nickel pieces bonded to the surface of the conductive sheet. Alternatively, the active material layer comprises: an active material layer A which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder A with a mean particle size “a” and is carried on said core material; and an active material layer B which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder B with a mean particle size “b” and is carried on said active material layer A (wherein a<b). Alternatively, the active material layer further contains a crushed alloy powder having on the surface thereof at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel and cobalt.

Abstract: A fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for a fuel cell has a double wall structure including an inner container for storing a fuel liquid and an outer container for housing the inner container, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner container and the outer container. A fuel cell pack includes a fuel cell and a fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for the fuel cell. The fuel cell pack includes a double wall exterior casing having an inner casing for housing the fuel cell and the fuel container and an outer casing for housing the inner casing, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner casing and the outer casing.

Abstract: It is difficult to realize a small fuel cell capable of being installed in mobile device by merely downsizing a conventional fuel cell without changing the configuration. The present invention provides a small fuel cell employing a polymer electrolyte thin film, by using a semiconductor process. A polymer electrolyte thin film fuel cell in accordance with the present invention comprises: a substrate having a plurality of openings; an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly formed on the substrate so as to cover each of the openings, the assembly comprising a first catalyst electrode layer, a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane and a second catalyst electrode layer which are formed successively; and fuel and oxidant supply means for supplying a fuel or an oxidant gas to the first catalyst electrode layer through the openings, and an oxidant gas or a fuel to the second catalyst electrode layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell with superior power generation characteristics even at lower temperatures (for example, in a range of 200° C. to 600° C. and preferably in a range of 400° C. to 600° C.) and a method for manufacturing the same. The solid oxide fuel cell is such that the solid oxide fuel cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a first solid oxide held between the anode and the cathode, the anode includes metal particles (2), an anode catalyst (1), and ion conducting bodies (3), the anode catalyst (1) is attached to the surface of the metal particles (2), and the first solid oxide and the ion conducting bodies (3) have either one of an ionic conductivity that is selected from oxide ionic conductivity and hydrogen ionic conductivity.

Abstract: The electrolyte membrane of the present invention is an electrolyte membrane (1) having ionic conductivity that includes a base material (2) and organic molecules having ion exchange groups, wherein the organic molecules are chemically bonded to the surface of the base material (2) to form an organic layer (3), and ions are conducted via the ion exchange groups in the organic layer (3). By providing this type of electrolyte membrane, it is possible to obtain an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity whose configuration is different to that of a conventional electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: To prevent the flooding phenomenon at the cathode in a unit cell where the temperature is relatively low or the supply of air is small, a fuel cell stack includes at least three flat unit cells stacked with separators interposed therebetween, the unit cells comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched therebetween, and having an oxidant channel formed on the surface of the separator adjacent to the cathode, and the anode and the cathode comprising a catalyst layer attached to the electrolyte membrane and a diffusion layer, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inlet side of the oxidant channel, the area of the cathode catalyst layer, the thickness of the electrolyte membrane or the amount of a water repellent contained in the combination of the cathode and the oxidant channel is the largest in at least one of the unit cells at the ends of the stack.

Abstract: In a nickel-metal hydride storage battery comprising: an electrode plate assembly including current collectors on the top and bottom portions; an alkaline electrolyte; and a battery case having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped part for accommodating the electrode plate assembly and the alkaline electrolyte, the capacity degradation due to deep discharge and reverse charge inherent to a nickel-metal hydride storage battery is suppressed by setting the amount of the alkaline electrolyte at 70 to 90% of the volume V of the residual space in the battery represented by the equation (1): V=S·h?(V1+V2+V3+V4) (1), where S is the cross sectional area of the inner space of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped part, h is the height of the electrode plate assembly, V1 is the true volume of the positive electrode plate, V2 is the true volume of the negative electrode plate, V3 is the true volume of the separator, and V4 is the volume of the two current collectors.

Abstract: In order to prevent the crossover of an organic fuel such as methanol in a fuel cell and to exhibit excellent electricity generation characteristics without impairing the utilization efficiency of the fuel, at least either of (1) a discontinuous catalyst layer being formed on a surface of an anode catalyst layer and having a higher density (existence probability) of platinum type catalyst than the anode catalyst layer and (2) an electrolyte polymer layer is formed at the interface between the anode catalyst layer and a polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: The paste type positive electrode of the present invention contains a first active material and a second active material. The first active material comprises X parts by weight of particulate nickel hydroxide with aX/100 parts by weight of cobalt oxyhydroxide carried thereon. The second active material comprises Y parts by weight of particulate nickel oxyhydroxide, of which an oxidation number of nickel is ?, with bY/100 parts by weight of cobalt oxyhydroxide carried thereon. Here, all the following relations are satisfied: (1) 2.5??<3.0, (2) 0.01?(aX/100+bY/100)/(X+Y)?0.20, (3) 0<b?a?10 or 0=b<a?10, and (4) 2.1?(2X+?Y)/(X+Y)<2.2.