Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer which generates a reformed gas containing hydrogen by reacting hydrocarbon and moisture with each other; a fuel cell stack which generates electric energy through electrochemical reaction of the reformed gas and an oxidant; an ejector which, using steam as a drive fluid, sucks either a raw fuel containing the hydrocarbon or a recycled gas recovered from an anode exhaust gas, and supplies a resultant gas to the reformer; and a vaporizer which generates the steam by vaporizing water, wherein an operation temperature of the fuel cell stack is higher than a boiling point of water at an operation pressure, and the vaporizer generates the steam through heat exchange with the anode exhaust gas.

Abstract: A vacuum heat insulator which can prevent lowering of a heat insulation performance in its thickness direction, while ensuring a sufficient strength, is provided. The vacuum heat insulator reduces heat transfer in the thickness direction of a core from one surface side of the core to the other surface side thereof. The core includes a first fiber layer and a second fiber layer. The first fiber layer includes short fibers layered in the thickness direction. The second fiber layer includes long fibers layered in the thickness direction, and thickness fiber bundles which extend in the thickness direction, and which bind the long fibers. The long fibers are longer than the short fibers.

Abstract: A heat utilizing apparatus includes a heat pump including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, a first heat storage unit storing heat exchanged in the first heat exchanger, a second heat storage unit storing heat exchanged in the second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger exchanging heat with the first heat storage unit, a fourth heat exchanger exchanging heat with the second heat storage unit 8, a measurement unit measuring a heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit, a heat rejection unit reducing the heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit, a determination unit determining, in accordance with a measurement result of the measurement unit, whether to reduce the heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit and a heat storage amount of the second heat storage unit, and a control unit adjusting the amount of heat to be reduced through the heat rejection unit in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit.

Abstract: A thermal insulator, a vacuum insulation member, and a method of manufacturing a vacuum insulation member maintaining reliability and having an excellent thermal insulation property. The thermal insulator thermally insulates a thermal insulation target disposed on one surface side of a vacuum insulation member including a core and an outer covering member enclosing the core, from an outer region located on an other surface side of the vacuum insulation member. The vacuum insulation member includes a radiation prevention film configured to prevent or reduce radiation. The radiation prevention film is disposed between the core and the outer covering member and in a peripheral region on the other surface side.

Abstract: A vacuum heat insulator which can prevent lowering of a heat insulation performance in its thickness direction, while ensuring a sufficient strength, is provided. The vacuum heat insulator reduces heat transfer in the thickness direction of a core from one surface side of the core to the other surface side thereof. The core includes a first fiber layer and a second fiber layer. The first fiber layer includes short fibers layered in the thickness direction. The second fiber layer includes long fibers layered in the thickness direction, and thickness fiber bundles which extend in the thickness direction, and which bind the long fibers. The long fibers are longer than the short fibers.

Abstract: A thermal insulator, a vacuum insulation member, and a method of manufacturing a vacuum insulation member maintaining reliability and having an excellent thermal insulation property. The thermal insulator thermally insulates a thermal insulation target disposed on one surface side of a vacuum insulation member including a core and an outer covering member enclosing the core, from an outer region located on an other surface side of the vacuum insulation member. The vacuum insulation member includes a radiation prevention film configured to prevent or reduce radiation. The radiation prevention film is disposed between the core and the outer covering member and in a peripheral region on the other surface side.

Abstract: A heat utilizing apparatus includes a heat pump including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, a first heat storage unit storing heat exchanged in the first heat exchanger, a second heat storage unit storing heat exchanged in the second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger exchanging heat with the first heat storage unit, a fourth heat exchanger exchanging heat with the second heat storage unit 8, a measurement unit measuring a heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit, a heat rejection unit reducing the heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit, a determination unit determining, in accordance with a measurement result of the measurement unit, whether to reduce the heat storage amount of the first heat storage unit and a heat storage amount of the second heat storage unit, and a control unit adjusting the amount of heat to be reduced through the heat rejection unit in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit.

Abstract: A vacuum heat insulator includes a core member that is a stack of fibrous sheets and a cover member enclosing the core member. Each of the fibrous sheets includes curved chopped fibers and curved fibers.

Abstract: A vacuum heat insulator includes a core member that is a stack of fibrous sheets and a cover member enclosing the core member. Each of the fibrous sheets includes curved chopped fibers and curved fibers.

Abstract: A vacuum insulation material includes a plurality of convex protrusions provided on a surface of a core material that is present inside of the bent vacuum insulation material when it is used in a bent state, and so that the core material on which the convex protrusions are provided in advance is inserted into an outer covering material and vacuum-sealed with the outer covering material. By reducing a contact area between the convex protrusions and an inner side surface of the outer covering material in contact with the surface on which the convex protrusions are provided, it is possible to reduce a frictional force between the core material and the outer covering material.

Abstract: A vacuum insulation material includes a plurality of convex protrusions provided on a surface of a core material that is present inside of the bent vacuum insulation material when it is used in a bent state, and so that the core material on which the convex protrusions are provided in advance is inserted into an outer covering material and vacuum-sealed with the outer covering material. By reducing a contact area between the convex protrusions and an inner side surface of the outer covering material in contact with the surface on which the convex protrusions are provided, it is possible to reduce a frictional force between the core material and the outer covering material.

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 apparatus for measuring the flow rate of water vapor in a process gas including steam includes a sample system having a dew point meter and a pressure meter, and an inert gas supply device for mixing an inert gas with a process gas in the sample system. The process gas comprises a first gas, such as natural gas, and steam. A partial pressure calculating unit calculates the partial pressure of the water vapor contained in the gas mixture on the basis of the dew point of the mixture measured by the dew point meter and the pressure measured by the pressure meter. A flow rate calculating unit calculates the flow rate of the steam contained in the process gas on the basis of the water vapor partial pressure, the inert gas flow rate, and the flow rate of the first gas in the process gas.