Abstract: A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate in which crystal defects of a single crystal semiconductor layer are reduced is provided. An oxide film containing halogen is formed on each of surfaces of a single crystal semiconductor substrate and of a semiconductor substrate provided with a single crystal semiconductor layer separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate, whereby impurities that exist on the surfaces of and inside the substrates are decreased. In addition, the single crystal semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam, whereby crystallinity of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved and planarity is improved.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate in which crystal defects of a single crystal semiconductor layer are reduced even if a single crystal semiconductor substrate including crystal defects is used. A first oxide film is formed on a single crystal semiconductor substrate; the first oxide film is removed; a surface of the single crystal semiconductor substrate from which the first oxide film is removed is irradiated with laser light; a second oxide film is formed on the single crystal semiconductor substrate; an embrittled region is formed in the single crystal semiconductor substrate by irradiating the single crystal semiconductor substrate with ions through the second oxide film; bonding the second oxide film and the semiconductor substrate so as to face each other; and the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated at the embrittled region by heat treatment to obtain a single crystal semiconductor layer bonded to the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In a universal joint boot including a bellows part, a ring-shaped mounting part that is formed at one end of the bellows part and into which a cup for receiving one member of two members moving relatively to each other is inserted; and a seal that is formed toward the peripheral direction of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting part to which the cup is mounted, the inner peripheral surface has protrusions protruding toward the axial center of the ring-shaped mounting part and the height of the seal lip becomes lower from the bottom of the protrusion to a peak and width of the seal lip becomes wider from the bottom of the protrusion to the peak, whereby sealing performance can be improved.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes: a stacked core formed by stacking a plurality of unit plate members in each of which passage formation portions are formed independently of each other to extend from a heat-exchange passage formation portion along a plane; a case formed in accordance with the outer shape of the stacked core, and which houses the stacked core such that heat-exchange media flow into and flow out of the stacked core; and a join portion that serves as a sealing mechanism that supports the stacked core such that the stacked core does not contact the case, and that forms a heat-insulation layer between the case and the stacked core, wherein the heat-insulation layer is a closed space separated from the outside.

Abstract: A method for brazing a first metal member, on which an oxide forms during brazing, and a second metal member, in which a high-wettability metal having a wettability with a brazing filler metal that is higher than that of the oxide is applied to at least a brazing surface of the first metal member. The first metal member and the second metal member are then joined by heating the brazing filler metal to melt the brazing filler metal. The oxide covering film is formed on the portion of the surface of the first metal member to which the high-wettability metal was not applied.

Abstract: A hydrogen fuel feeding system of a fuel cell system that has: a switching device for switching a reactor, that can carry out a reforming process and a regeneration process, between alternate statuses of a first status of feeding a reactant to the reactor while exhausting a fuel gas and a second status of feeding a gas for regeneration to the reactor while exhausting a regeneration exhaust gas; and a control apparatus for switching the switching device so that residual reforming gas, which is still remaining in the reactor before switching, is combusted in an exhaust air processor and not exhausted as the residual reforming gas without treatment when switching from the first status to the second status.

Abstract: In a heat exchange reformer unit, a reforming passage supporting reform catalyst for inducing reforming reactions and a combustion passage supporting oxidizing catalyst for combustion are disposed adjacent to each other with a plate portion interposed therebetween. Heat-exchanging passages of the reforming passage that produce reformate gas that contains hydrogen from supplied reformation material, and heat-exchanging passages of the combustion passage that supply heat, which is generated by catalytically burning supplied fuel, to the reforming passage constitute a parallel-flow heat exchanger. Reformation material guide passages for introducing reformation material into the heat-exchanging passages in a predetermined direction, and mixed gas guide passages for introducing fuel into the heat-exchanging passages in a direction intersecting the gas flow direction in the reformation material guide passages, are provided upstream of the heat-exchanging passages in a gas flow direction.

Abstract: A universal joint boot having a boot body including a bellows part and an opening portion which is formed in one end of the bellows part and into which a case for receiving one member of two members moving relatively to each other is inserted. An annular adaptor is mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion and has an outer peripheral surface formed nearly in the same shape as the inner peripheral surface. The adaptor has a fixing portion that is pressed by the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion of the boot body, thereby being fixed to the case. A reversing portion is located opposite to the fixing portion with the opening portion between them and sandwiches the opening portion together with the fixing portion. A folding portion is located where the reversing portion is folded back to the outside. Hence, the universal joint boot can be easily assembled.

Abstract: A control device 7 obtains a reformed carbon quantity C supplied to a reform reaction flow channel 21 from a supplied fuel quantity Qf and also obtains a reformed water quantity S supplied to the reform reaction flow channel 21 from a generated power quantity W. Further, it obtains a oxygen consumed quantity consumed through power generation in a fuel cell 3 from the generated power quantity W, a supplied oxygen quantity to be supplied to a cathode flow channel 33 from a supplied cathode gas quantity Qc, and a reformed oxygen quantity O to be supplied to the reform reaction flow channel 21 based on a difference between the supplied oxygen quantity and the consumed oxygen quantity. By correcting a reformed carbon quantity C (delivery of a fuel pump 51) in accordance with the reformed oxygen quantity O, each of O/C and S/C is kept in a target value range.

Abstract: In a hydrogen generation device according to the invention, PSR reformers have a heat capacity smaller than that of the other PSR reformers. Therefore, the temperature of the catalyst reaches to a reforming-start temperature more quickly in the PSR reformers than in the other PSR reformers. When the hydrogen generation device is started and the reforming reaction is carried out, the mixture of gasoline vapor and water vapor is selectively and preferentially supplied to the PSR reformers so that the reforming reaction is carried out in the PSR reformers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrogen-generating apparatus comprising two catalytic reactors cyclically operating reforming and regeneration (combustion) mode, in which the reduction in reforming efficiency associated with an increase in switching frequency to the regeneration reaction can be suppressed, and generation of hydrogen by reforming can stably be performed. In the reforming reaction, a cathode offgas discharged from a hydrogen-separation-membrane fuel cell 30 having a hydrogen-permeating film is supplied to PSR reformers 10 and 20, in which the reforming reaction and the regeneration reaction are performed alternately.

Abstract: A metal oxide nanoporous material comprises two or more kinds of first metal oxides selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxide, rare-earth oxides, alkali metal oxides and alkaline-earth metal oxides. The metal oxide nanoporous material has nanopores, each with a diameter of 10 nm or smaller, in which the metal oxides are dispersed homogeneously in the wall forming the nanopores.

Abstract: In a universal joint boot 1 including a bellows part 10, a ring-shaped mounting part 20 that is formed at one end of the bellows part 10 and into which a cup 40 for receiving one member of two members moving relatively to each other is inserted; and a seal lip 24 that is formed toward the peripheral direction of the inner peripheral surface 22 of the mounting part 20 to which the cup 40 is mounted, the inner peripheral surface 22 has protrusions 23 protruding toward the axial center of the ring-shaped mounting part 20 and the height of the seal lip 24 becomes lower from the bottom 23a of the protrusion 23 to a peak 23b and width of the seal lip 24 becomes wider from the bottom 23a of the protrusion 23 to the peak 23b, whereby sealing performance can be improved.

Abstract: There is provided a universal joint boot 10 having: a boot body 1 including a bellows part and an opening portion 2 which is formed in one end of the bellows part and into which a case for receiving one member of two members moving relatively to each other is inserted; and an annular adaptor 20 that is mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 2 and has an outer peripheral surface formed nearly in the same shape as the inner peripheral surface, wherein the adaptor 20 has: a fixing portion 24 that is pressed by the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion 2 of the boot body 1, thereby being fixed to the case; a reversing portion 26 that is located opposite to the fixing portion with the opening portion 2 between them and sandwiches the opening portion 2 together with the fixing portion; and a folding portion 25 where the reversing portion 26 is folded back to the outside. Hence, the universal joint boot 10 can be easily assembled.

Abstract: A technology for preventing degradation of a hydrogen permeable metal layer in a fuel cell 210 is provided. A fuel cell system 200 including a fuel cell 210 with an anode which has the hydrogen permeable metal layer comprises a fuel cell controller 230 for controlling the operation status of the fuel cell system 200, a temperature parameter acquisition section for acquiring a temperature parameter of the hydrogen permeable metal layer, and a hydrogen permeable metal layer degradation prevention section which reduces the hydrogen partial pressure in an anode channel 212 for supplying fuel gas to the anode. If a temperature of the hydrogen permeable metal layer represented by the temperature parameter deviates from a specified temperature range, the fuel cell controller 230 cause the hydrogen permeable metal layer degradation prevention section to operate for preventing degradation of the hydrogen permeable metal layer.

Abstract: The fuel cell system 1 has a reformer 2 and a fuel cell 3. The reformer 2 has a reforming reaction channel 21 that generates a hydrogen-containing reformed gas Ga and a heat exchange channel 22 for heating. The fuel cell 3 has an anode channel 32 to which the hydrogen-containing reformed gas Ga is supplied, a cathode channel 33 to which an oxygen-containing gas Gc is supplied, and an electrolyte 31 formed between them. The electrolyte 31 is a laminate of a hydrogen-separating metal layer 311 and a proton conductor layer 312. The fuel cell system 1 has a cathode offgas line 46 for feeding the cathode offgas Oc discharged from the cathode channel 33 to the reforming reaction channel 21.

Abstract: A fuel cell is made by laminating an anode channel 2 supplied with hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas gH, a cathode channel 3 supplied with oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas GO, and an electrolyte 4 arranged between the cathode channel and the anode channel. The electrolyte 4 is made by laminating a hydrogen separating metal layer for making hydrogen supplied to the anode channel 2 or hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas GH supplied to the anode channel 2 permeate; and a proton conductor layer made of ceramics, for establishing the hydrogen having permeated the hydrogen separating metal layer in a proton state and making it reach the cathode channel 3. In addition, the fuel cell has a coolant channel 5 for cooling the fuel cell 1. In the coolant channel 5, a low heat conducting section 55 having a heat conductivity smaller than that at a downstream side of a coolant C is formed at an inlet side of the coolant C.

Abstract: The fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises a reformer 12 for receiving a hydrocarbon fuel supply and generating a hydrogen-containing reformed gas by making use of a reforming reaction; a fuel cell assembly 14 for generating power after causing an anode to receive the reformed gas and causing a cathode to receive an oxygen-containing cathode gas; cathode off-gas supply flow path 20 for supplying a cathode off-gas, which is discharged from the cathode, to the reformer 12; and bypass flow path 24 for bypassing the cathode and directly supplying the cathode gas to the reformer 12 at the time of system warm-up.

Abstract: A nanoporous metal oxide material comprising two or more metal oxides, wherein the nanoporous metal oxide material has ceria content of 10 to 60 weight %, zirconia content of 20 to 90 weight %, and alumina content of 70 weight % or less, and has nanopores whose diameters are 10 nm or less, and the metal oxides are homogeneously dispersed in a wall constituting the nanopores.

Abstract: A method of producing a catalyst support comprising a substrate, and coating formed on the surface of the substrate and including powder of a first metal oxide of at least one member selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxides, oxides of rare earth elements, alkali metal oxides and alkali earth metal oxides, wherein the coating is obtained by heat treating the substrate after applied with a coating composition obtained by mixing the first metal oxide powder together with a fluid raw material composition containing raw material of a second metal oxide of at least one member selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxides, oxides of rare earth elements, alkali metal oxides and alkali earth metal oxides, at a shear rate of 1000 sec?1 or higher.