Abstract: A wind turbine generator, an active damping method thereof, and a windmill tower in which vibrations of the wind turbine generator itself or the windmill tower can be reduced at low cost are provided. The acceleration due to vibrations of a nacelle (13) is detected with an accelerometer (17) attached to the nacelle (13). In an active damping unit (20), a pitch angle of windmill blades (12) for generating a thrust on the windmill blades (12) so as to cancel out the vibrations of the nacelle (13) is calculated on the basis of the acceleration, and the pitch angle is output as a blade-pitch-angle command ??* for damping. On the other hand, in a pitch-angle control unit (30), a pitch angle of the windmill blades (12) for controlling the output to be a predetermined value is calculated, and the pitch angle is output as a blade-pitch-angle command ?* for output control. The blade-pitch-angle command ??* for damping is combined with the blade-pitch-angle command ?* for output control using a subtracter (40).

Abstract: A fuel cell apparatus includes an electric power generation unit with a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each having an oxidizer electrode to which an oxidizer is fed and a fuel electrode to which a fuel is fed, the oxidizer electrode and the fuel electrode being arranged through an electrolyte membrane. The plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are stacked through a fuel feed path and an oxidizer feed path. In addition, a fuel storage unit holds the fuel to be fed to the fuel electrode of the electric power generation unit, and a fuel flow path connects the fuel storage unit and the electric power generation unit. The fuel feed path and the oxidizer feed path arranged between the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are formed by an elastic material.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for operating a wind turbine capable of preventing the occurrence of damage of the blades by evading excessive irregular loads from acting on the blades in the slanting direction in the event of power failure when strong wind blows, are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electron-emitting device, comprising a step for forming a polymer film between a pair of electrodes formed on a substrate, a step for giving conductivity to the polymer film by heating, and a step for providing potential difference between the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: Provided is an electron-emitting device with high electron emission efficiency and with stable electron emission characteristics over a long period. The electron-emitting device has a substrate, first and second carbon films laid with a first gap in between on the surface of the substrate, and first and second electrodes electrically connected to the first carbon film and to the second carbon film, respectively. In the electron-emitting device, a narrowest gap portion between the first carbon film and the second carbon film in the first gap is located above a surface of the substrate and the substrate has a depressed portion, at least, in the first gap.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell in which produced water can be efficiently conveyed to an upstream region of hydrogen gas flow, thereby quickly increasing the power generation performance of an electrolyte membrane after activation in a short period of time and giving a stable output for a long period of time and in which the directions of hydrogen gas flows in a first and a second fuel supply layers that share one oxygen supply layer are set to be opposite to each other.

Abstract: A power generating wind turbine includes parts and components installed in or on a nacelle which are made smaller and lighter, thus facilitating maintenance. A main shaft 11, a gear-box for speeding up rotation of the main shaft 11 and a generator 13 driven by an output of the gear-box 11 are provided on a nacelle bed plate 6. The main shaft 11 is connected to an input shaft 12a end of the gear-box 12 via a double-row tapered roller bearing 16. The main shaft 11 is supported to a wall portion W1 of the nacelle bed plate 6 with the double-row tapered roller bearing 16 being interposed therebetween. The main shaft 11 is formed in an annular shape having its outer diameter D1 larger than its axial directional length L1.

Abstract: A wind turbine generator including a nacelle having reduced size and weight is provided. The wind turbine generator includes a nacelle disposed on a tower. The nacelle includes a main shaft that is connected to a rotor head equipped with blades and that integrally rotates with the rotor head, a gearbox that increases the rotational speed of the main shaft and that outputs the resulting rotational speed, and a generator driven by the output from the gearbox. In the wind turbine generator, a drivetrain extending from the main shaft to the generator via the gearbox is disposed in the rotor head.

Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell stack which can sufficiently use a current range that can originally be output by a fuel cell unit, and from which high output can be obtained even with a small size, a thickness of an oxygen flow field plate is made large for a fuel cell unit having a relatively high temperature during operation, and the thickness of the oxygen flow field plate is made small for a fuel cell unit having a relatively low temperature during operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell unit having a structure in which vapor is efficiently diffused in a fuel diffusion layer through a region having a reduced diffusion resistance, so that vapor is spread to every corner in a direction along an opening, thereby reducing variation in wetness of a polymer electrolyte membrane. As a result, as compared with a case where there is no region having a reduced diffusion resistance, a proper moistened state is maintained over a wider range of the polymer electrolyte membrane, thereby making it possible to enhance hydrogen ion transfer ability of the polymer electrolyte membrane as a whole.

Abstract: An electrode catalyst layer, capable of having high catalytic activity in a small thickness, for use in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell has an entangled structure (cobweb-like structure). The electrode catalyst layer is produced through a process including a step of forming a thin film with a film-forming material containing a combination of platinum, oxygen, and nitrogen, a combination of platinum, oxygen, and boron, or a combination of platinum, oxygen, nitrogen, and boron, and a step of forming a catalyst material which has the entangled structure and principally contains platinum as a main component by reducing the film-forming material.

Abstract: A fuel cell unit is provided which comprises at least one structural member, the structural member comprising two electrolyte/electrode bonded members (14) each comprising a first electrode (13) and a second electrode (12) and an electrolyte membrane (11) disposed between the electrodes, a conductive porous substrate (15) disposed between the two electrolyte/electrode bonded members (14) so as to be in contact with the two first electrodes (13) of the two electrolyte/electrode bonded members, a conductive support member (18) provided on the porous substrate (15) so as to be electrically connected to the porous substrate (15) and the two first electrodes (13), and an electrical connection means (16) for electrically connecting the two second electrodes (12) being not in contact with the porous substrate of the electrolyte/electrode bonded members, and which attains size reduction, has as less wiring as possible, and gives a large electromotive force.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell system which can prevent the drying of a proton exchange membrane and prevent the generation of liquid droplets at a hydrogen tank surface which blocks the supply of air, at the same time, and which includes a hydrogen tank, a fuel cell stack disposed such that a first air hole thereof faces the hydrogen tank and a second air hole thereof is open to the atmosphere, and a water holding member provided on a surface of the hydrogen tank facing the first air hole of the fuel cell stack, for collecting and holding water generated in the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A blade-pitch-angle control device includes a memory unit in which predetermined parameters that affect the load fluctuation of blades, azimuth angles, and pitch-angle command values are stored in association with each other; an azimuth-angle detecting unit that detects the azimuth angle of each of the blades; a parameter-detecting unit that detects the predetermined parameters; a command-value receiving unit that receives pitch-angle command values for each of the blades from the memory unit, the pitch-angle command values being selected on the basis of the azimuth angle of each blade detected by the azimuth-angle detecting unit and the predetermined parameters detected by the parameter-detecting unit; and a pitch-angle-control command-value generating unit that generates pitch-angle-control command values for individually controlling the pitch-angle of each blade on the basis of the pitch-angle command values and a common-pitch-angle command value.

Abstract: Provided is a power generating wind turbine in which parts and compoments installed in or on a nacelle are made smaller and lighter and maintenance is facilitated. A main shaft 11, a gear-box speeding up rotation of the main shaft 11 and a generator 13 driven by output of the gear-box 11 are provided on a nacelle bed plate 6. The main shaft 11 is connected to an input shaft 12a end of the gear-box 12 via a double-row tapered roller bearing 16. The main shaft 11 is supported to be fitted to a wall portion W1 of the nacelle bed plate 6 with the double-row tapered roller bearing 16 being interposed therebetween. The main shaft 11 is formed in an annular shape having its outer diameter D1 made larger than its axial directional length L1.

Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus and method is provided which makes discrete functional elements perform a cooperative work without various limitations caused by a wired configuration. The wireless communication apparatus has a plurality of fine functional elements 3 each having a communication unit for data transmission and reception by using radio waves or light and one or more unit other than the communication unit, and a base station 4 for controlling and collectively managing the fine functional elements through communications with the fine functional elements, wherein one or more units other than the communication unit are activated through communications of one of the fine functional elements 3 received control information from the base station 4 with another of the fine functional elements 3 via the communication units, to thereby make the discrete functional elements 3 perform a cooperative work.

Abstract: A wind turbine which varies an active annular plane area by composing such that blades are attached to a cylindrical rotor movable in the radial direction of the rotor, the blades being reciprocated in the radial direction by means of a blade shifting mechanism connected to the root of each blade, or the blade itself is divided so that the outer one of the divided blade is movable in the radial direction. With the construction, the wind turbine can be operated with a maximum output within the range of evading fatigue failure of the blades and rotor by adjusting the active annular plane area in accordance with wind speed.

Abstract: A fuel cell apparatus includes a fuel cell stack of a plurality of fuel cells electrically connected in series with each other and a controller configured to control the fuel cell stack by using a part of electric power generated by the fuel cell stack. The controller is electrically connected in parallel with at least one of the fuel cells constituting the fuel cell stack, and short-circuit current of the at least one of the fuel cells is larger than that of at least one of the fuel cells constituting the fuel cell stack and not being electrically connected in parallel with the control means. With such a structure, a large electromotive force can be obtained by connecting the fuel cells in series and, simultaneously, the power generation characteristics of each fuel cell can be sufficiently utilized. Thus, the fuel cell apparatus having high power generation density can be provided.

Abstract: A wind turbine generator including a nacelle having reduced size and weight is provided. The wind turbine generator includes a nacelle disposed on a tower. The nacelle includes a main shaft that is connected to a rotor head equipped with blades and that integrally rotates with the rotor head, a gearbox that increases the rotational speed of the main shaft and that outputs the resulting rotational speed, and a generator driven by the output from the gearbox. In the wind turbine generator, a drivetrain extending from the main shaft to the generator via the gearbox is disposed in the rotor head.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell apparatus including: an electric power generation unit including a membrane electrode assembly having an oxidizer electrode to which an oxidizer is fed and a fuel electrode to which a fuel is fed, the oxidizer electrode and the fuel electrode being arranged through an electrolyte membrane; a fuel storage unit for holding the fuel to be fed to the fuel electrode of the electric power generation unit; and a fuel flow path for connecting the fuel storage unit and the electric power generation unit, wherein the fuel flow path has a variable volume. The fuel flow path is provided with a connecting valve and a purge valve, whereby the present invention can provide a small fuel cell apparatus allowing gas replacement in the fuel flow path through a simple method with little fuel consumption, and allowing continuous operation for a long time.