Abstract: A temperature-humidity exchanger comprising: a moisture permeable membrane which transmits moisture therethrough; a dry gas separator in which low-temperature dry gas is caused to flow; and a wet gas separator in which high-temperature wet gas is caused to flow, in which the moisture permeable membrane, the dry gas separator, the moisture permeable membrane, and the wet gas separator are repeatedly stacked in the stated order, wherein in the dry gas separator and the wet gas separator: a plurality of channel grooves which are divided by half in the stacking direction, are open to a direction in which the channel grooves come into contact with the moisture permeable membrane, and are arrayed parallel to one another are provided; an aggregate communication groove which is made to communicate with both end portions of the plurality of channel grooves, for aggregating gas caused to flow through the channel grooves to at least one is provided; and a supply manifold and an exhaust manifold which are made to communi

Abstract: Provided is an inexpensive temperature-humidity exchanger having reliably gas-sealed gas manifolds and delivering a gas at high pressure and high dew-point temperature. Upper and lower seal portions surrounding gas manifolds to which the gas is supplied or from which the gas is discharged are provided. The upper and lower seal portions, which partially extend across an aggregate communication groove, are respectively constituted by upper and lower seal formation plates that are arranged in a two-stage manner in a laminating direction. The upper and lower seal portions have flat faces extending in the laminating direction. Furthermore, the upper and lower seal formation plates are disposed such that their projections in the laminating direction are offset from each other.

Abstract: A temperature-humidity exchanger comprising: a moisture permeable membrane which transmits moisture therethrough; a dry gas separator in which low-temperature dry gas is caused to flow; and a wet gas separator in which high-temperature wet gas is caused to flow, in which the moisture permeable membrane, the dry gas separator, the moisture permeable membrane, and the wet gas separator are repeatedly stacked in the stated order, wherein in the dry gas separator and the wet gas separator: a plurality of channel grooves which are divided by half in the stacking direction, are open to a direction in which the channel grooves come into contact with the moisture permeable membrane, and are arrayed parallel to one another are provided; an aggregate communication groove which is made to communicate with both end portions of the plurality of channel grooves, for aggregating gas caused to flow through the channel grooves to at least one is provided; and a supply manifold and an exhaust manifold which are made to communi

Abstract: Provided is an inexpensive temperature-humidity exchanger having reliably gas-sealed gas manifolds and delivering a gas at high pressure and high dew-point temperature. Upper and lower seal portions surrounding gas manifolds to which the gas is supplied or from which the gas is discharged are provided. The upper and lower seal portions, which partially extend across an aggregate communication groove, are respectively constituted by upper and lower seal formation plates that are arranged in a two-stage manner in a laminating direction. The upper and lower seal portions have flat faces extending in the laminating direction. Furthermore, the upper and lower seal formation plates are disposed such that their projections in the laminating direction are offset from each other.

Abstract: A fuel processing device for converting a raw fuel fluid including hydrocarbon, alcohols, or ethers into a hydrogen fuel gas including hydrogen by a catalytic reaction, having one or more catalytic reactors each including a space maintaining a catalyst therein, with the catalytic reactor including deoxidizing means formed of a deoxidizing material, is provided.

Abstract: The invention has an object to provide a fuel cell power generating system with a simple system configuration, excellent in reliability and cooling ability, and permitting high power density operation. At least two internal reforming type fuel cell apparatuses are connected in series in the flow direction of a fuel gas via a methanator to ensure a flow rate of the fuel gas supplied to each fuel cell apparatus, sufficient to ensure cooling of the cells, thus eliminating the necessity of a high-temperature circulating blower or a high-temperature piping for a fuel gas, which are both expensive. Furthermore, it is possible to use the fuel gas repeatedly as a cooling gas under the effect of the methanator. It is also possible to largely improve the cooling performance of cells through internal reforming cooling, without the use of an expensive fuel gas circulating blower.

Abstract: A bipolar plate is designed to provide a gas seal 16 around an electrode and gas seals 17a around fuel gas manifolds on the same plane and to separate the gas seal 16 and gas seals 17a around oxidant gas manifolds 4, 6 with hollowed parts on an anode electrode 25 side, and to provide the gas seal 16 and the gas seals 17b on a same plane and to separate the gas seal 16 and the gas seals 17a with hollowed parts on a cathode electrode 20 side. Also disclosed are sealing parts for the fuel side and the oxidant side of the fuel cell.

Abstract: A reforming reactor includes a reforming chamber for reforming a reaction gas containing hydrocarbon or alcohol to a combustion gas containing hydrogen by a reforming reaction, a plurality of gas flow passages disposed in the reforming chamber for guiding the reaction gas from an inlet side toward an outlet side thereof, and reforming blocks provided in a plurality of predetermined sections of each of the gas flow passages and containing reforming catalysts with which the reaction gas flowing through the gas flow passages is brought into contact.

Abstract: A bipolar plate is designed to provide a gas seal 16 around an electrode and gas seals 17a around fuel gas manifolds on the same plane and to separate the gas seal 16 and gas seals 17a around oxidant gas manifolds 4, 6 with hollowed parts on an anode electrode 25 side, and to provide the gas seal 16 and the gas seals 17b on a same plane and to separate the gas seal 16 and the gas seals 17a with hollowed parts on a cathode electrode 20 side.

Abstract: An internal reforming type fuel cell device and a fuel cell generating system utilizing the fuel cell device whose reforming catalysts' lives are long, and whose characteristics are good, and further whose shapes are compact are provided. In the fuel cell device 14 holding reforming catalysts 11 in fuel gas passages 5 positioned at low temperature operating parts or the fuel cell generating system comprising the fuel cell device 14, a preparatory reforming part is arranged in an upper stream fuel gas system feeding a fuel gas to said fuel gas passages 5. As for the fuel cell generating system, a reforming reactor 18 is used as the preparatory reforming part.

Abstract: In an internal reforming fuel cell apparatus and an operation method of the fuel cell apparatus, a reforming catalyst is disposed in a low-temperature operating portion of a fuel gas passage and temperature control is performed so that the temperature of the low-temperature operating portion will not exceed an activity deterioration limit temperature of the reforming catalyst. Accordingly, a service life of the reforming catalyst is prolonged and stable cell characteristics are obtained for a long period without deteriorating the cell characteristics.

Abstract: A fuel cell generating system allows temperature control so that the temperature of a fuel cell is kept constant. When the fuel cell is cooled, first and second reaction portions are controlled so that endothermic reaction of the circulating reaction gas proceeds in the first reaction portion, and exothermic reaction proceeds in the second reaction portion. When the fuel cell is heated, the reaction portions are controlled so that reverse reaction proceeds in each of the two reaction portions. It is therefore possible to control the temperature of a fuel cell stack with good efficiency by circulating a small amount of heat transfer medium, and to decrease the blower power loss.

Abstract: A protective material for a molten carbonate fuel cell, which comprises a ceramic comprising an oxide material capable of chemically reacting with an electrolyte used in the molten carbonate fuel cell for generating electric energy by consuming hydrogen formed from a raw fuel such as hydrocarbons, or with a substance formed from the electrolyte. The protective material protects a reforming catalyst or component materials of the fuel cell power generation system from the electrolyte or the substance formed from the electrolyte.

Abstract: A fuel cell device individually has an electrolyte layer which is connected, in an ion conductive manner, to the electrolyte layer of a fuel cell and a half cell formed by a single electrode and a gas chamber.An electrochemical circuit for the purpose of transferring electrolyte is provided by using the single electrode of the half cell, the electrolyte layer of the corresponding fuel cell and the half cell, and either of an oxidant gas side electrode or a fuel gas side electrode. With this circuit, quick and quantitative replenishing electrolyte can be performed.

Abstract: A gas manifold for a fuel cell provided on the side of a fuel cell stack comprises a casing, a corrosion protection layer provided on contact areas between the casing and side of the fuel cell stack and portions adjacent thereto for protecting the casing from corrosion, an insulating layer provided on the outer surface of the corrosion protection layer for protecting the electrical insulation, and a thermal stress relief layer provided between the insulating layer and the corrosion protection layer for relieving the thermal stress therebetween. By the use of the gas manifold, electrical insulation between single fuel cells through the gas manifold and between the fuel cell stack and the gas manifold can be maintained for long periods of time, thus enabling the stable operation of the fuel cell for long periods of time.

Abstract: A reforming catalyst adapted for use with fuel cells is disclosed which is free from degradation in catalytic activity even if subjected to a fuel gas containing an electrolyte or substances resulting therefrom, and which has stable and high catalytic activity for an extended period of time. The reforming catalyst includes a catalytically active substance adapted to reform a fuel gas containing hydrocarbons or alcohols into a fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and an electrolyte-removing substance adapted to remove an electrolyte and/or substances resulting therefrom in the fuel cell. The electrolyte-removing substance has a porous structure and comprises a compound containing at least one of silicon, aluminum and chromium which chemically reacts with the electrolyte and/or the substances resulting therefrom for removal thereof.

Abstract: A fuel cell power generating system is disclosed in which fuel cells are able to operate with satisfactory and stable cell characteristics for a long period of time even at a high fuel utilization ratio, and which has a high power generating efficiency and a long lifetime. The fuel cell power generating system includes a first fuel cell adapted to be supplied with a fuel gas containing water vapor and an oxidant gas which are subjected to electrochemical and/or chemical reactions for generating electric power, and a second fuel cell adapted to be supplied with the exhaust gas from the first fuel cell and an oxidant gas which are subjected to electrochemical and/or chemical reactions for generating electric power. The humidity of the exhaust gas fed from the first fuel cell to the second fuel cell is appropriately regulated in a manner such that the exhaust gas containing therein an appropriate amount of water vapor is fed to the second fuel cell so as to prevent carbon deposition in the second fuel cell.

Abstract: In a fuel-cell power plant according to this invention, a fuel gas system for supplying a fuel gas to an internal reforming type fuel cell is furnished with a fuel processor, fuel containing hydrocarbon or alcohols as its principal ingredient and supplied externally is partly or wholly passed through the fuel processor, and a fuel gas containing hydrogen and generated in the fuel processor is supplied to the internal reforming type fuel cell.

Abstract: An internal reforming type fuel cell comprising, as reforming regions packed with a reforming catalyst, a first reforming region which is thermally held in contact with a unit fuel cell and which does not adjoin a fuel gas side electrode and a second reforming region which adjoins the fuel gas side electrode. Part of a fuel gas externally supplied is reformed in the first reforming region, whereupon the partly reformed fuel gas is supplied into the second reforming region.

Abstract: A fused carbonate-type fuel cell is disclosed in which a reforming catalyst body comprising a catalyst supported on a carrier and secured or held in a porous body is arranged in a fuel gas passage. In this fuel cell, a reaction gas is uniformly contacted with the reforming catalyst, propagation of wetting by the electrolyte is prevented, and decrease in activity of the reforming catalyst can be suppressed to a very low level. Furthermore, this catalyst body can be easily handled.