Abstract: An inspection method of a membrane electrode assembly includes a first process of acquiring an X-ray transmission image of the membrane electrode assembly, a second process of identifying a luminance-reduced region having a luminance lower than a luminance of a surrounding region in the X-ray transmission image acquired in the first process, a third process of correcting the luminance of the luminance-reduced region identified in the second process, in accordance with a planar size of the luminance-reduced region, based on a correlation between a planar size of a foreign matter in the membrane electrode assembly and change in luminance due to diffraction of X-rays, and a fourth process of finding a thickness of the foreign matter in the membrane electrode assembly based on the luminance corrected in the third process.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a membrane-electrode assembly includes obtaining an X-ray transmission image by applying X-rays to the membrane-electrode assembly, and determining whether a foreign matter having a size equal to or larger than a predetermined value is included in the membrane-electrode assembly, according to a brightness reduction amount in each pixel of the X-ray transmission image obtained, while referring to a correlative relationship between the size of the foreign matter measured in a planar direction of the membrane-electrode assembly, and the brightness reduction amount in the X-ray transmission image.

Abstract: An inspection method of a membrane electrode assembly includes a first process of acquiring an X-ray transmission image of the membrane electrode assembly, a second process of identifying a luminance-reduced region having a luminance lower than a luminance of a surrounding region in the X-ray transmission image acquired in the first process, a third process of correcting the luminance of the luminance-reduced region identified in the second process, in accordance with a planar size of the luminance-reduced region, based on a correlation between a planar size of a foreign matter in the membrane electrode assembly and change in luminance due to diffraction of X-rays, and a fourth process of finding a thickness of the foreign matter in the membrane electrode assembly based on the luminance corrected in the third process.

Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a fuel cell that ensures developing a high adhesive strength to a separator. One aspect of an embodiment is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell where a pair of separators are mutually bonded with a sealing member. The sealing member includes a thermoplastic resin containing a crystalline polymer as an adhesive layer. The method for manufacturing the fuel cell includes: preparing a stack structure in which the sealing member is disposed between the pair of separators; heating the stack structure at a melting point or higher of the thermoplastic resin; after the heating, holding the stack structure in a temperature range of ±10° C. of a crystallization temperature of the thermoplastic resin to promote a crystallization of the thermoplastic resin; and after the holding, further cooling the stack structure.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a membrane-electrode assembly includes obtaining an X-ray transmission image by applying X-rays to the membrane-electrode assembly, and determining whether a foreign matter having a size equal to or larger than a predetermined value is included in the membrane-electrode assembly, according to a brightness reduction amount in each pixel of the X-ray transmission image obtained, while referring to a correlative relationship between the size of the foreign matter measured in a planar direction of the membrane-electrode assembly, and the brightness reduction amount in the X-ray transmission image.

Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a fuel cell that ensures developing a high adhesive strength to a separator. One aspect of an embodiment is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell where a pair of separators are mutually bonded with a sealing member. The sealing member includes a thermoplastic resin containing a crystalline polymer as an adhesive layer. The method for manufacturing the fuel cell includes: preparing a stack structure in which the sealing member is disposed between the pair of separators; heating the stack structure at a melting point or higher of the thermoplastic resin; after the heating, holding the stack structure in a temperature range of ±10° C. of a crystallization temperature of the thermoplastic resin to promote a crystallization of the thermoplastic resin; and after the holding, further cooling the stack structure.

Abstract: A molded adsorbent for adsorbing and desorbing fuel vapor includes a solid or hollow columnar shaped body. At least one of the axially opposite end surfaces of the molded adsorbent includes an inclined cut surface portion oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis, a concave cut surface portion, or a convex cut surface portion.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a passage circulating fluid being formed therein, a tank port and a purge port being formed at one end side of the passage, and an atmosphere port being formed at another end side of the passage. At least four adsorbent layers in which adsorbent adsorbing fuel components is filled are provided in the passage. The evaporated fuel treatment apparatus has a main adsorbent layer and a region provided on an atmosphere port side of the main adsorbent layer. At least three adsorbent layers that are different from the main adsorbent layer, and separating portions that separate the adsorbent layers which are adjacent to each other are provided in the region. The volume of at least one separating portion in the region is made larger than a total of the volumes of adsorbent layers that sandwich the separating portion therebetween.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane having good resistance to radicals is provided. A polymer electrolyte membrane is characterized of containing organic/inorganic hybrid particles in which a surface of an inorganic particle, which is a radical scavenger, is modified with organic compounds in a polymer electrolyte. As the organic/inorganic hybrid particles in which a surface of an inorganic particle is modified with organic compounds, a radical scavenger prepared by reacting inorganic particles with organic compounds in a solvent by supercritical or subcritical hydrothermal synthesis is preferred.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a reinforced electrolyte membrane includes: conveying a belt-shaped electrolyte membrane material including a back sheet on one surface thereof; and placing a belt-shaped reinforcing member on that surface of the electrolyte membrane material which is an opposite side to the back sheet so as to attach the electrolyte membrane material to the reinforcing member.

Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a passage circulating fluid being formed therein, a tank port and a purge port being formed at one end side of the passage, and an atmosphere port being formed at another end side of the passage. At least four adsorbent layers in which adsorbent adsorbing fuel components is filled are provided in the passage. The evaporated fuel treatment apparatus has a main adsorbent layer and a region provided on an atmosphere port side of the main adsorbent layer. At least three adsorbent layers that are different from the main adsorbent layer, and separating portions that separate the adsorbent layers which are adjacent to each other are provided in the region. The volume of at least one separating portion in the region is made larger than a total of the volumes of adsorbent layers that sandwich the separating portion therebetween.

Abstract: In a fuel cell 1 including a membrane electrode assembly 2 which includes a reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A, a dry-up on the anode side is suppressed by actively forming a water content gradient in the electrolyte membrane to enhance water back-diffusion effect from the cathode side to the anode side. For that purpose, two sheets of expanded porous membranes 12a and 12b having different porosities are buried, as reinforcing membranes, in electrolyte resin 11 to obtain the reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A. The reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A is used to form the membrane electrode assembly 2, which is sandwiched by separators 20 and 30 such that the side of a reinforcing membrane 12b with a larger porosity becomes the cathode side, thus obtaining the fuel cell 1. When one sheet of the reinforcing membrane is buried, the reinforcing membrane is offset to the anode side to be buried in the electrolyte resin.

Abstract: The driver circuit includes a first controlling circuit that outputs, to a gate of the auxiliary pMOS transistor, a first controlling signal that rises in synchronization with a rising of the first pulse signal and falls after a delay from a falling of the first pulse signal. The driver circuit includes a second controlling circuit that outputs, to a gate of the auxiliary nMOS transistor, a second controlling signal that rises in synchronization with a rising of the second pulse signal and falls after a delay from a falling of the second pulse signal.

Abstract: The driver circuit includes a first controlling circuit that outputs, to a gate of the auxiliary pMOS transistor, a first controlling signal that rises in synchronization with a rising of the first pulse signal and falls after a delay from a falling of the first pulse signal. The driver circuit includes a second controlling circuit that outputs, to a gate of the auxiliary nMOS transistor, a second controlling signal that rises in synchronization with a rising of the second pulse signal and falls after a delay from a falling of the second pulse signal.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane having good resistance to radicals is provided. A polymer electrolyte membrane is characterized of containing organic/inorganic hybrid particles in which a surface of an inorganic particle, which is a radical scavenger, is modified with organic compounds in a polymer electrolyte. As the organic/inorganic hybrid particles in which a surface of an inorganic particle is modified with organic compounds, a radical scavenger prepared by reacting inorganic particles with organic compounds in a solvent by supercritical or subcritical hydrothermal synthesis is preferred.

Abstract: A reinforced electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell wherein the electrolyte membrane is reinforced with a porous membrane and a radical scavenger is immobilized in the porous membrane. The reinforced electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell is a solid polymer electrolyte membrane suppressing the radical scavenger from leaking outside of the system and having good chemical durability.

Abstract: In a fuel cell 1 including a membrane electrode assembly 2 which includes a reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A, a dry-up on the anode side is suppressed by actively forming a water content gradient in the electrolyte membrane to enhance water back-diffusion effect from the cathode side to the anode side. For that purpose, two sheets of expanded porous membranes 12a and 12b having different porosities are buried, as reinforcing membranes, in electrolyte resin 11 to obtain the reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A. The reinforcing-membrane-type electrolyte membrane 10A is used to form the membrane electrode assembly 2, which is sandwiched by separators 20 and 30 such that the side of a reinforcing membrane 12b with a larger porosity becomes the cathode side, thus obtaining the fuel cell 1. When one sheet of the reinforcing membrane is buried, the reinforcing membrane is offset to the anode side to be buried in the electrolyte resin.