Abstract: The invention provides a metal hydride that has a main phase having a body-centered cubic structure, and that has a grain boundary phase including Ti and Ni. The metal hydride satisfies X/Y?2.7, where X is the number of intersections between circles of a diameter equal to or greater than 84 ?m and the grain boundary phase that appears in a scanning electron microscopy observation image of the metal hydride, before storage of hydrogen, the intersections being obtained by drawing the circles over the entire scanning electron microscopy observation image, and Y is the number of the circles drawn on the scanning electron microscopy observation image.

Abstract: A hydrogen storage material is formed by mixing and combining particles of a metal A selected from Mg and Al, particles of a metal B selected from Ni and Cu, and particles of an intermetallic compound A-B of the metal A and the metal B, together. A method of producing the hydrogen storage material includes a step of mixing the particles of the intermetallic compound A-B with the particles of the metal B, a step of adding particles of a hydride A-H of the metal A to the mixture and mixing them together, and a step of dehydrogenating the hydride A-H to convert it to the metal A.

Abstract: A hydrogen storage material is formed by mixing and combining particles of a metal A selected from Mg and Al, particles of a metal B selected from Ni and Cu, and particles of an intermetallic compound A-B of the metal A and the metal B, together. A method of producing the hydrogen storage material includes a step of mixing the particles of the intermetallic compound A-B with the particles of the metal B, a step of adding particles of a hydride A-H of the metal A to the mixture and mixing them together, and a step of dehydrogenating the hydride A-H to convert it to the metal A.

Abstract: A hydrogen storage structure, of which a hydrogen absorption amount is large and a hydrogen absorption rate in the vicinity of room temperature is fast, is provided. The hydrogen storage structure comprises a hydrogen absorption layer, which includes Mg or a Mg-based hydrogen absorption alloy, and hydrogen diffusion layers, which are disposed so as to sandwich the hydrogen absorption layer and include a hydrogen diffusion material.

Abstract: A hydrogen-storage container which demonstrates a high hydrogen-storage capacity, which is reduced in mass, and which is suited to be installed in an automobile is provided. In a hydrogen-storage container holding a hydrogen-occlusion alloy in which hydrogen is occluded, an air gap portion formed in the container is filled with hydrogen gas whose pressure is above a plateau equilibrium pressure of hydrogen gas contained in the hydrogen-occlusion alloy at a temperature of a location where the hydrogen-storage container is installed. This hydrogen-storage container has a liner made of metal or resin, and a fiber-reinforced resin layer provided outside the liner.

Abstract: A method for storing natural gas by adsorption which comprises separating an available natural gas in an infrastructure side (10) into a low carbon number component mainly containing methane and ethane and a high carbon number component mainly containing propane, butane and the like, and storing the low carbon number component by adsorption in a first adsorption tank (16) and storing the high carbon number component by adsorption in a second adsorption tank (18). The method can solve the problem that the high carbon number component condenses within a pore of an adsorbing agent and hence the adsorption of the carbon number component, the main component of natural gas, is inhibited, and thus improves the storage density. Accordingly, the method can be used for ensuring a high storage density also for an available natural gas. An adsorbing agent for use in the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system stores densely dissolved methane-base gas and supplies gas of a predetermined composition. A container (10) stores methane-base gas dissolved in hydrocarbon solvent and supplies it to means for adjusting composition, through which an object of regulated contents is obtained. Preferably, the means for adjusting composition is means for maintaining the tank in a supercritical state, or piping (48) for extracting substances at a predetermined ratio from the gas phase (12) and liquid phase (16) in the container.

Abstract: A system stores densely dissolved methane-base gas and supplies gas of a predetermined composition. A container (10) stores methane-base gas dissolved in hydrocarbon solvent and supplies it to means for adjusting composition, through which an object of regulated contents is obtained. Preferably, the means for adjusting composition is means for maintaining the tank in a supercritical state, or piping (48) for extracting substances at a predetermined ratio from the gas phase (12) and liquid phase (16) in the container.

Abstract: A method for storing natural gas by adsorption which comprises separating an available natural gas in an infrastructure side (10) into a low carbon number component mainly containing methane and ethane and a high carbon number component mainly containing propane, butane and the like, and storing the low carbon number component by adsorption in a first adsorption tank (16) and storing the high carbon number component by adsorption in a second adsorption tank (18). The method can solve the problem that the high carbon number component condenses within a pore of an adsorbing agent and hence the adsorption of the carbon number component, the main component of natural gas, is inhibited, and thus improves the storage density. Accordingly, the method can be used for ensuring a high storage density also for an available natural gas. An adsorbing agent for use in the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A solenoid coil generates a magnetic field within its bore when an electrical current is made to flow therethrough. A disc type rotor carrying thereon an armature coil is arranged in the bore along with a superconductor shield partly covering the disc type rotor. The magnetic field generated by the solenoid coil cannot pass through the superconductor shield and therefore detours around it and passes through an area devoid of the superconductor shield. The superconductor shield is also used to direct the electrical current flowing through the portions of the armature coil not covered by the superconductor shield, either from the periphery toward the center of the disc type rotor or conversely from the center toward the periphery thereof. With this arrangement, the Lorentz force applied to the radial electrical current is made to become a one-directional rotary force that drives the disc type rotor to rotate.

Abstract: A homopolar dynamoelectric machine comprises a solenoid coil for generating a magnetic field, having a cavity formed around an axis thereof. A rotating shaft, which constitutes a rotor, is rotatably provided in the cavity about the axis. A circular plate, which also constitutes the rotor, is integrally fixed on the shaft. A rotating body is rotatably supported by the plate about an axis of the shaft. A first electric current path, through which an electric current can pass from a proximal portion to a distal portion of the rotor, is integrally provided in, for example, the plate. A second electric current path, through which an electric current can pass from a distal portion to a proximal portion of the rotor, is integrally provided in the rotating body. The first and second paths are electrically connected in series, and are adapted to be electrically connected to a power supply in order to supply a direct current to these paths.