Abstract: A battery voltage Ef of a fuel cell 1 is detected, and a current instruction value which transformed an electric power instruction value Pfc of the fuel cell is reduced at falling-down of the voltage Ef. A current limiter 8 makes the current instruction value a limit value at the time of the falling-down of Ef, and reduces the limit value according to the fall of Ef. For example, current instruction value is restricted so as to begin to reduce battery current IFC at voltage drop alarm level (first threshold value), and become zero at voltage drop protection level (second threshold value).

Abstract: A power conversion system includes a power generating apparatus, an auxiliary generation device that consumes power, an auxiliary-devised power source, a secondary battery device chargeable and dischargeable with power generated by the power generating apparatus, a bilateral DC/AC inverter that causes the power generating apparatus to cooperate with a commercial AC power source, and a switch unit provided between the commercial AC power source and the bilateral DC/AC inverter, DC terminals of the bilateral DC/AC inverter and an input of the auxiliary-devised power source, when the power generating apparatus generates no power, the switch unit is opened, the bilateral DC/AC inverter is stopped, and the voltage supplied from the secondary battery device to the auxiliary-devised power source is lower than that supplied from the secondary battery device to the auxiliary-devised power source when the power generating apparatus generates power.

Abstract: A fuel-cell power system includes a fuel cell stacks, a power conversion unit for controlling and receiving the current from the fuel-cell stacks, a hydrogen production unit for supplying hydrogen to the fuel-cell stacks, and an operation unit for carrying out the operation with a simulated load connected for selected one of an arbitrary time and a predetermined time before the service operation of the fuel-cell power system, thereby the hydrogen production unit having the combustor for refluxing and combusting an anode off-gas is started in stable fashion at the same time as the system.

Abstract: While a fuel cell is refreshed without interrupting a power generation by the fuel cell, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell power generation system capable of maintaining performance of the fuel cell under stable condition for a long time period is provided. In the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell power generation system, when a load detected by a power detecting unit of a power converting unit is not equal to a time rated load, a control unit drives a fuel cell unit for a predetermined time period in a power generation mode corresponding to the rated load.

Abstract: A fuel cell system for power generation comprising a solid polymer type fuel cell having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane for separating an anode gas and a cathode gas, a resistor, an inverter, a switch for switching the inverter and the resister with respect to the fuel cell, the switch and the inverter, a supply conduit and discharge conduit for the anode gas and the cathode gas, and a supply vale and a discharge valve. When a molar ratio of the hydrogen contained in the anode gas to oxygen contained in the cathode gas becomes 2/1 or less at the time of the stop of the fuel cell, the supply valve for air is closed.

Abstract: A polymer type fuel cell electricity generation block wherein a plurality of fuel cell units each comprising an electrode-electrolyte assembly is stacked with a pair of cooling separators each having a gas passage in one face and a cooling passage in the other face in such a manner that the gas passage is located inside.

Abstract: For the stabilization of the reaction, especially, for maintaining reaction temperature, the feedback control by the feedback unit is performed for to the supply of air (, oxygen, or oxidizing agent), whereas other materials are supplied by the open-loop control according to the instruction of the flow selection unit which indicates a preset value depending on the required hydrogen production volume. In addition, the continuous flow setting unit capable of changing the flow continuously is employed for the supply system of the air, whereas the flow control of the other materials is performed by use of the discrete flow setting units each of which provides the discretized flow by use of the on-off combination of two or more on-off valves.

Abstract: The fuel cell assembly disclosed includes at least one unit fuel cell comprising a separator having flow channels for oxidizing gas, a cathode to which the oxidizing gas is fed, a membrane electrolyte of proton conductivity, an anode to which fuel gas is fed, and a separator having flow channels for the fuel gas, the above members being arranged in order. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a humidifier having a porous member to humidify at least the oxidizing gas to be fed to the anode. The porous member of the humidifier is so disposed as to face at least the flow channels for the oxidizing gas so that water is supplied to the flow channels from part of the surface of the porous member opposite to the water supplying face and/or from the outer periphery of the porous member.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an electrode for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a separator therefor, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a generating system, which electrode is simplified in structure, have high handling property, can be transferred precisely to a predetermined position, and enables automation of a production process.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an electrode for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a separator therefor, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a generating system, which electrode is simplified in structure, have high handling property, can be transferred precisely to a predetermined position, and enables automation of a production process.

Abstract: For the stabilization of the reaction, especially, for maintaining reaction temperature, the feedback control by the feedback unit is performed for to the supply of air (, oxygen, or oxidizing agent), whereas other materials are supplied by the open-loop control according to the instruction of the flow selection unit which indicates a preset value depending on the required hydrogen production volume. In addition, the continuous flow setting unit capable of changing the flow continuously is employed for the supply system of the air, whereas the flow control of the other materials is performed by use of the discrete flow setting units each of which provides the discretized flow by use of the on-off combination of two or more on-off valves.

Abstract: A battery voltage Ef of a fuel cell 1 is detected, and a current instruction value which transformed an electric power instruction value Pfc of the fuel cell is reduced at falling-down of the voltage Ef. A current limiter 8 makes the current instruction value a limit value at the time of the falling-down of Ef, and reduces the limit value according to the fall of Ef. For example, current instruction value is restricted so as to begin to reduce battery current IFC at voltage drop alarm level (first threshold value), and become zero at voltage drop protection level (second threshold value).

Abstract: To control the receiving power, this invention uses a secondary battery to cut peaks of the receiving power. Further, this invention calculates the load power from the detected receiving power value and command values of the secondary battery in the controller and the power generating facility, and filters the load power to create command values of the fuel cells.

Abstract: In a maltilayer exhaust gas component sensor for measuring NOX (nitrogen oxide) and HC (hydrocarbon), the reliability and the productivity are improved without degrading the detecting sensitivity. A gas sensing portion is formed by laminating porous solid electrolyte layers having gas permeability together with an electrode protecting film, porous electrodes having catalytic activity, a porous electric insulating layer and a closely-compacted (dense) solid electrolyte layer, and by placing a heater as a temperature control means in contact with or near the laminated layer body.

Abstract: A sensor device has a sensing layer and an auxiliary layer for supporting the sensing layer, the two layers being superposed on each other in a laminar form. The sensing layer has a vibratory body displaceable in a direction parallel to a junction surface between the two layers. The auxiliary layer is affixed to the sensing layer and a recess or through-hole of a larger area than that of the vibratory body is formed in the auxiliary layer at a part thereof confronting the vibratory body.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide an electrode for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a separator therefor, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a generating system, which electrode is simplified in structure, have high handling property, can be transferred precisely to a predetermined position, and enables automation of a production process.

Abstract: For the stabilization of the reaction, especially, for maintaining reaction temperature, the feedback control by the feedback unit is performed for to the supply of air (, oxygen, or oxidizing agent), whereas other materials are supplied by the open-loop control according to the instruction of the flow selection unit which indicates a preset value depending on the required hydrogen production volume. In addition, the continuous flow setting unit capable of changing the flow continuously is employed for the supply system of the air, whereas the flow control of the other materials is performed by use of the discrete flow setting units each of which provides the discretized flow by use of the on-off combination of two or more on-off valves.

Abstract: A detector for an air/fuel ratio sensor, which is comprised of a structure formed by stacking an oxygen reference electrode, a dense zirconia solid electrolyte, a negative electrode, a porous zirconia solid electrolyte, a positive electrode and a porous protection film on one another, is formed over a ceramic substrate having a heater built therein. Thus, a combined air/fuel ratio sensor can be obtained which is operated in a short time (about 5 seconds or less) after power-on so as to comply with emission control applied immediately after startup and provides low power consumption and a high degree of reliability.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising an optical fiber main body and a coat formed therearound and made from a polyimide resin obtained by using as an acid component a tetracarboxylic dianhydride having at least two benzene rings fused or bound directly or via an oxygen atom has excellent resistance to high temperature and high humidity and adhesiveness to the optical fiber main body, and useful in a sensing part in a fiber-optic sensing system comprising at least one sensing part and signal transmitting paths.

Abstract: A sensor device has a sensing layer and an auxiliary layer for supporting the sensing layer, the two layers being superposed on each other in a laminar form. The sensing layer has a vibratory body displaceable in a direction parallel to a junction surface between the two layers. The auxiliary layer is affixed to the sensing layer and a recess or through-hole of a larger area than that of the vibratory body is formed in the auxiliary layer at a part thereof confronting the vibratory body.