Abstract: A valve and a fuel cell using the same are provided, the valve having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a flow path communicating therebetween, a valve element provided in the flow path, a diaphragm which is disposed so as to separate the inside from the outside of the flow path and which is to be deformed by the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the flow path, a valve shaft connecting between the valve element and the diaphragm, and an actuator provided for the diaphragm. In the valve described above, the valve element is displaced by at least one movement of the diaphragm and the actuator to open and close the valve. Accordingly, the valve has a simple structure which can be easily miniaturized and which is unlikely to be degraded even when a corrosive fluid flows through the valve.

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 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 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 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: An electron-emitting device includes a substrate, first and second carbon films disposed so as to have a first gap between the first and second carbon films on a surface of the substrate, and first and second electrodes electrically connected with the first and the second carbon films respectively, wherein the carbon film has a region showing orientation, and a direction of the orientation is in an approximately parallel direction along the substrate surface. Thereby, it is possible to improve thermal and chemical stability of a carbon film and stabilize good electron emission characteristics over a long period.

Abstract: There are provided a hydrogen cartridge for a fuel cell for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell body comprising a hydrogen storage chamber for storing hydrogen, a movable part which is movably connected to the hydrogen storage chamber and has a hydrogen flow path for allowing hydrogen to flow therethrough, and a hydrogen supply port which is formed integrally with the movable part and communicates with the hydrogen flow path, wherein the cartridge takes an open state in which the hydrogen storage chamber, the hydrogen flow path and the hydrogen supply port are connected to each other, or a closed state in which the hydrogen storage chamber, the hydrogen flow path and the hydrogen supply port are not connected to each other, by movement of the movable part or the hydrogen storage chamber, and a fuel cell system having the hydrogen cartridge incorporated therein, whereby it is possible to prevent leakage of hydrogen due to unstable connection between the hydrogen cartridge and a fuel cell body and to assure safet

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: 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: An electron-emitting device includes a substrate, first and second carbon films disposed so as to have a first gap between the first and second carbon films on a surface of the substrate, and first and second electrodes electrically connected with the first and the second carbon films respectively, wherein the carbon film has a region showing orientation, and a direction of the orientation is in an approximately parallel direction along the substrate surface. Thereby, it is possible to improve thermal and chemical stability of a carbon film and stabilize good electron emission characteristics over a long period.

Abstract: A substrate for an electron source to be used for forming the electron source, the electron source and an image forming apparatus in which the substrate has been used, and manufacturing method thereof. The substrate to form the electron source in which an electron emission device is disposed includes a substrate containing Na, a first layer wish SiO2 as a main component having been formed on the substrate, and a second layer containing electron conductive oxide. The electron source includes the substrate and the electron emission device disposed on the first layer or the second layer. The image forming apparatus includes the electron source and an image forming member to form an image with irradiation of electrons emitted from the electron source.

Abstract: A structure of an upwind type wind turbine and the operating method thereof 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 blade structure of a wind turbine which has enough strength for sporadic large load and increased durability. The blade can be formed into a thinner blade profile, with which blade performance is improved, increased efficiency of the wind turbine is attainable, and the noise induced by Karman vortex street is reduced. The blade is made of metal and formed into a one-piece blade or a split-type blade consisting of a main blade body made of metal and a rear end member made of metal other than that of the main blade body, the rear end member being fixed to the rear end of the main blade body, dentation being formed in the trailing edge part of the blade along the length thereof, the dentation being shaped in a serration of triangular teeth, of trapezoidal teeth, or of sawteeth, the ratio(h/&dgr;) of the tooth height h to the thickness &dgr; of the boundary layer developed on the surface of the blade is: h/&dgr;=1.0˜10.0, and the ratio (h/p) of the tooth height h to the pitch p is: h/p=0.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device includes a substrate, first and second carbon films disposed so as to have a first gap between the first and second carbon films on a surface of the substrate, and first and second electrodes electrically connected with the first and the second carbon films respectively, wherein the carbon film has a region showing orientation, and a direction of the orientation is in an approximately parallel direction along the substrate surface. Thereby, it is possible to improve thermal and chemical stability of a carbon film and stabilize good electron emission characteristics over a long period.

Abstract: This invention provides an image-forming apparatus manufacturing method capable of simplifying the electron-emitting device forming process and manufacturing a low-cost image-forming apparatus exhibiting high display quality for a long term. A plurality of electrode pairs each formed from electrodes are formed on a first substrate. Polymer films for connecting the electrodes are arranged. Then, the polymer films are irradiated with a laser beam or particle beam to reduce the resistances at least partially and change the polymer films into conductive films containing carbon as a main component. A current is flowed between the electrodes to form gaps in parts of the conductive films. The first substrate, and the second substrate on which an image-forming member is arranged are joined via bonding in a reduced-pressure atmosphere, constituting an image-forming apparatus.

Abstract: To realize a wireless imaging apparatus having excellent sensitivity to an environmental change, a wireless imaging device has an imaging unit with a function of imaging a subject and a communication unit with a wireless communication function. The imaging unit has, at least, an optical lens, an aperture 2 to limit incident light from the optical lens, an optical sensor 4 to convert the incident light passed through the aperture 2 into an electric signal, and an antenna for wireless communication, integrally formed with the aperture.

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: An image-forming apparatus capable of obtaining an image of high quality is provided, in which the image-forming apparatus has a region formed such that the widths of X- and Y-directional wirings on the outer side of an image forming region in proximity to the image forming region are wider than those within the image forming region.

Abstract: The blade structure of a wind turbine is provided which has enough strength for sporadic large load and increased durability. The blade can be formed into a thinner blade profile, with which blade performance is improved, increased efficiency of the wind turbine is attainable, and the noise induced by Karman vortex street is reduced.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device comprising, on a substrate, a pair of electrodes, an electroconductive film having a gap in part, connected to the pair of electrodes, a member comprising a principal component of carbon, provided in the gap portion while being connected to the electroconductive film, and a metallic oxide comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, and cobalt, between the member comprising the principal component of carbon and the substrate.