Abstract: There is provided a method for stopping power generation of fuel cell system including: a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode; a fuel container; and a fuel flow path for supplying a fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell, which enables suppression of a pressure difference between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode during a stop state of an operation of the fuel cell, the method including the steps of, during the stop state of the operation of the fuel cell: stopping supply of the fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell; consuming a residual fuel in the fuel flow path by short-circuiting the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode or connecting a load between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and opening the fuel flow path to the atmosphere.

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: 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: There is provided a fuel cell unit and a fuel cell stack including a flow rate controlling member provided in an anode flow path on the side of an exhaust flow path so as to be in contact with an anode gas diffusion layer wherein the flow rate controlling member generates pressure difference between an upstream side of the fuel flow path from a portion at which the flow rate controlling member is provided and a downstream side of the fuel flow path from the portion at which the flow rate controlling member is provided. The fuel cell unit and the fuel cell stack can uniformly supply a fuel and can prevent backflow of the fuel containing an impurity gas from a downstream side.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell apparatus having a gas permeation mechanism for spontaneously controlling the supply amount of oxidizer from a reduced amount to an amount sufficient for normal operation after a reduction process at the time of activation. The fuel cell apparatus includes a control portion for controlling a potential difference between a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode to such a value as to reduce an oxide film of a catalyst used in the oxidizer electrode, and a gas permeation mechanism provided in a flow path through which supplied air flows, wherein the gas permeation mechanism includes a member which allows a gas permeation rate to be controlled depending on surrounding environment.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack in which at least one of a plurality of fuel cell units constituting a fuel cell stack includes a water absorbing member with a surface exposed to the atmosphere in a portion where an oxidizer flow path forming member and a separator are in contact with each other, and an area of a surface exposed to the atmosphere of the water absorbing member of the fuel cell unit the temperature of which becomes relatively lower is larger than an area of a surface exposed to the atmosphere of the water absorbing member of the fuel cell unit the temperature of which becomes relatively higher.

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: 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: Provided is a flow type fuel cell including: an anode chamber flow path including a power generation area; a supply flow path connected to one end of the anode chamber flow path, through which the fuel gas is supplied; and an exhaust flow path connected to another end of the anode chamber flow path, through which the fuel gas is exhausted, wherein a variable flow rate controlling unit for changing a flow rate of the fuel gas by water generated by the power generation of the power generation area is disposed within the anode chamber flow path so that the flow rate of the fuel gas can be reduced by the variable flow rate controlling unit during the power generation and for a given period of time after stop of the power generation.

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: Provided is a fuel cell which has a buffer space provided on a downstream side of a fuel supply space, and in which an output of a most downstream fuel cell unit is less affected by impurity gas stored in the fuel supply space.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack in which at least one of a plurality of fuel cell units constituting a fuel cell stack includes a water absorbing member with a surface exposed to the atmosphere in a portion where an oxidizer flow path forming member and a separator are in contact with each other, and an area of a surface exposed to the atmosphere of the water absorbing member of the fuel cell unit the temperature of which becomes relatively lower is larger than an area of a surface exposed to the atmosphere of the water absorbing member of the fuel cell unit the temperature of which becomes relatively higher.

Abstract: A conductance at an oxidizer flow path forming member is defined as C1, a conductance at an opening portion of the oxidizer flow path forming member at which an oxidizer flow rate regulating portion is arranged is defined as C2, the conductances have a relationship of C1>C2. Further, the fuel cell stack has at least one inner fuel cell unit having a value of C1/C2 which is larger than values of C1/C2 of fuel cell units located at both ends of the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a production method which enables efficient production of an electro-deposited copper foil with further lower profile when compared to the low-profile electro-deposited copper foils which have been supplied to the market and is excellent in mechanical strength. For the purpose of achieving the object, a production method adopted obtains the electro-deposited copper foil by electrolyzing a sulfuric acid based copper electrolytic solution which contains a quaternary ammonium salt polymer having cyclic structure and chlorine, wherein for the quaternary ammonium salt polymer contained in the sulfuric acid based copper electrolytic solution, a DDAC dimer or higher polymer is used. For the quaternary ammonium salt polymer, a diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride polymer having a number average molecular weight of 300 to 10000 is preferably used.

Abstract: There is provided a method for stopping power generation of fuel cell system including: a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode; a fuel container; and a fuel flow path for supplying a fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell, which enables suppression of a pressure difference between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode during a stop state of an operation of the fuel cell, the method including the steps of, during the stop state of the operation of the fuel cell: stopping supply of the fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell; consuming a residual fuel in the fuel flow path by short-circuiting the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode or connecting a load between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and opening the fuel flow path to the atmosphere.

Abstract: Provided is a pressure control valve including a movable part (1) which operates by a differential pressure, a first valve (3, 4, 5) for reducing a primary pressure to a secondary pressure, a second valve (10, 11) which operates to block a flow path between an inlet flow path (12) and an outlet flow path (8) for discharging the secondary pressure when the first valve operates to open the inlet flow path (12) for introducing a fluid having the primary pressure, and a transmission mechanism (2) which links the operation of the movable part with the operations of the first and the second valves, in which either one of the movable part and the first valve is separated from the transmission mechanism.

Abstract: There is provided an inflammable substance sensor which can be installed in a small space and a fuel cell including the same. The inflammable substance sensor for informing the outside of detection of an inflammable substance includes an odorant releasing member for releasing an odorant due to a chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

Abstract: In a case of consuming a power generation reaction inducing gas, which causes lowering in performance and degradation of a fuel cell during suspension of operation thereof, and in a case of performing warm up at a time of activation at low temperatures, in order to automatically perform short circuiting control, there is provided a fuel cell having a structure including a switch which is switchable in accordance with a state of containing water generated in a power generation portion.

Abstract: To provide a fuel cell system capable of performing a purge operation necessary for realizing a stable output and being miniaturized without using a controller or a sensor, there is provided a fuel cell system having a main power generation part and a sub-power generation part positioned on a downstream side of a fuel flow path of the main power generation part, including: a purge valve provided on a downstream side of the fuel flow path of the sub-power generation part; and an actuator for opening/closing the purge valve with an electromotive force of the sub-power generation part.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack is divided into a main power generation portion and a sub power generation portion. A variable load large in variation of output current is connected to the main power generation portion located upstream in a fuel flow and a steady load small in variation of output current is connected to the sub power generation portion located downstream in the fuel flow. This causes a fuel cell unit constituting the sub power generation portion to continue consuming a constant fuel by constant power generation and also causes hydrogen gas to continue flowing at a constant flow rate into the fuel cell unit, thereby preventing impurity gas concentrated and stored in the fuel cell unit from diffusing toward the upstream.