Abstract: A manufacturing method of a hydrogen separation membrane-electrolyte membrane assembly which includes the steps of applying a hydrogen permeation treatment at a predetermined temperature to a hydrogen separation membrane substrate, and forming an electrolyte membrane on the hydrogen separation membrane substrate after the hydrogen permeation treatment has been applied. At the time the electrolyte membrane is formed, the shape of the surface of the hydrogen separation membrane substrate has already changed. Therefore, the surface of the hydrogen separation membrane substrate will not easily deform even if hydrogen moves through the hydrogen separation membrane substrate after the electrolyte membrane is formed.

Abstract: A fuel cell of the invention has a hydrogen permeable metal layer, which is formed on a plane of an electrolyte layer that has proton conductivity and includes a hydrogen permeable metal. The amount of a catalyst supported on a catalyst layer in the fuel cell is regulated according to an uneven temperature distribution in the fuel cell, which is caused by operating conditions of the fuel cell including temperatures and flow directions of fluids supplied to the fuel cell. Such regulation effectively equalizes an uneven temperature distribution in the fuel cell and thus advantageously prevents the lowered durability and the deteriorating performance of the fuel cell due to the uneven temperature distribution in the fuel cell having the hydrogen permeable metal layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell of the invention has a hydrogen permeable metal layer, which is formed on a plane of an electrolyte layer that has proton conductivity and includes a hydrogen permeable metal. The fuel cell includes a higher temperature zone and a lower temperature zone that has a lower temperature than the higher temperature zone. The hydrogen permeable metal layer includes a lower temperature area A corresponding to the lower temperature zone and a higher temperature area B corresponding to the higher temperature zone. The lower temperature area A and the higher temperature area B have different settings of composition and/or layout of components. This arrangement effectively prevents potential deterioration of cell performance due to an uneven distribution of internal temperature of the fuel cell including the hydrogen permeable metal layer.

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: The fuel cell 60 comprises a proton-conductive, solid electrolyte layer and a hydrogen-permeable metal layer joined to the electrolyte layer. When the fuel cell 60 generates power, reformed gas produced in a reformer 62 is supplied as fuel gas to the anode of the fuel cell 60. When power generation by the fuel cell 60 is stop, air supplied by a blower 67 is fed to the anode of the fuel cell 60, so that the fuel gas within the fuel cell 60 is replaced by air.

Abstract: A fuel reforming apparatus includes a premixed fuel tank. In the premixed fuel tank, premixed fuel which is formed by emulsifying gasoline and water that are mixed with each other at a predetermined ratio, using a emulsifier. The premixed fuel is sprayed into a vaporizing portion through a nozzle. Heat can be supplied to the vaporizing portion by the reformer in which oxidation reaction proceeds, a first heating portion, and air supplied to the vaporizing portion through a heat exchanger. The premixed fuel sprayed into the vaporizing portion is vaporized immediately by the thus supplied heat, and is supplied to the reformer. In addition, air which has been humidified in a humidifying module cam be supplied to the vaporizing portion.

Abstract: A power system of the invention includes fuel cells and a fuel gas generation system that generates a fuel gas to be supplied to the fuel cells. At the time of stopping supply of hydrogen, the fuel gas generation system selectively uses a stop process that replaces hydrogen in a hydrogen separator unit with the air for removal of hydrogen and a pause process that allows hydrogen to remain in the hydrogen separator unit. The stop process is selected when the fuel gas generation system stops the supply of hydrogen for a long time period. The pause process is selected when the fuel gas generation system temporarily stops the supply of hydrogen. The arrangement of the invention desirably shortens a restart time of the fuel gas generation system and reduces a potential energy loss.

Abstract: A catalyst for reforming of hydrocarbons with less reduction in activity. An improved steam-reforming catalyst for hydrocarbons, wherein the active component Ni is supported on an &agr;-Al2O3 or CaO—Al2O3carrier, a part of the active component Ni is combined with the carrier to form a compound NiAl2O4, and carbon is contained in both of the Ni and NiAl2O4 components, and the grating constant of Ni and the grating constant of NiAl2O4 in the catalyst are increased as compared with those of the catalyst before carbon is added to in both of the said components.

Abstract: An image outputting apparatus in which a texture mapping is carried out includes: a map memory for storing a texture map in which a plurality of predetermined colors of all points on a texture pattern are defined at addresses of the map memory; a storing unit for storing at least a control color value and a control luminance value; a detecting unit for detecting whether or not one of the predetermined colors read from the map memory is in accordance with a specified color indicated by the control color value; and a selecting unit for selectively outputting either an original luminance of a dot on a display plane or a changed luminance indicated by the control luminance value, in accordance with a result of the detection.

Abstract: A device for creating an image representing a three-dimensional scene of objects includes a conversion unit which divides a Z axis into a plurality of segments to create a plurality of spaces and converts view-point coordinates of the objects into perspective coordinates for each of the plurality of spaces. The device further includes a hidden-surface processing unit for carrying out hidden-surface processing based on a Z-buffer method by using the perspective coordinates of the objects to create the image.

Abstract: To provide an improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons which is highly active and has a high crushing strength. An improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons comprising a support constituted of CaO and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and an active component comprising nickel or a platinum-group metal. The content of CaO is 0.5 to 25 wt% based on the catalyst, and at least part of the CaO forms compounds with the A1.sub.2 O.sub.3. The support has a void fraction X of pores with a diameter of 0.5 .mu.m to 20 .mu.m of 0.08 or higher, a void fraction Y of pores with a diameter smaller than 0.5 .mu.m of 0.15 or higher, and a total void fraction Z of 0.23 to 0.8 (provided that Z.ltoreq.(X+Y)).

Abstract: Perspective transformation is performed on X, Y, Z coordinate data Xe, Ye and Ze in a view volume in a viewpoint coordinate system so as to obtain X, Y, Z coordinate data Xs, Ys and Zs in a screen coordinate system. The view volume being defined by a front clipping plane and a rear clipping plane, in which: Zs=1-CZF/Ze, or Zs=CZF/Ze, or Zs=1/Ze when a difference between a Z value CZF at the front clipping plane and a Z value CZB at the rear clipping plane is substantially large. Data bits of the Zs are shifted depending on the Z value CZF, when the difference between the Z value CZF at the front clipping plane and the Z value CZB at the rear clipping plane is substantially large where the view volume is defined by the front clipping plane and the rear clipping plane, or when the view volume is defined only by the front clipping plane. Then, a hidden-surface removal operation is performed using a Z-buffer method in accordance with the Zs.

Abstract: Image data is processed so that polygons can be displayed on a screen of scanned lines. A first memory stores at least X and Y coordinate data for edge points of the polygons. A second memory stores polygon numbers arranged in a processing order. A first computing unit computes data for sides of each polygon corresponding to each polygon number stored in the second memory. A second computing unit computes edge pair data in accordance with the data for sides of polygons, the edge pair data including a pair of edge points located on the scan lines. A third computing unit computes data for a start point and an end point of each polygon based on the edge pair data. Finally, a processing unit processes the start point and end point data to obtain polygon dot data and outputs the dot data in synchrony with the scan lines.

Abstract: A method for coordinate transformation is presented to perform world coordinate transformation for placing a 3D model in world coordinates and to perform view transformation for spatially relating the 3D model with a viewpoint. The method includes the steps of performing a contraction process on the 3D model at a time of the world coordinate transformation, so that a size of the 3D model is made smaller than an actual size thereof, and performing a viewpoint position transformation on the viewpoint at a time of the view transformation, so that shift of the viewpoint is made smaller than an actual shift in accordance with a degree of contraction of the contraction process.

Abstract: The current methods and systems sort three-dimensional data with a reduced number of buffer memories at an increased speed. Based upon the Z-dimension data, the three-dimensional data is sorted in ascending order via two intermediate tables. Since a first intermediate table holds only one set of unique Z values, when there is a recurrence of Z values, a second intermediate table holds these multiply occurring data. At the end, the contents of these intermediate tables are merged into a single result holding table.

Abstract: A sorting processor has a polygonal priority order generating circuit. The polygonal priority order generating circuit includes a memory for storing information of centers of plural polygons; a position setting section for transforming a coordinate of each of the polygonal centers from an object coordinate to an absolute coordinate; and a visual field transforming circuit for transforming the transformed coordinate as a position set object obtained by the position setting section with respect to a visual field. The sorting processor further has a sorting circuit for sorting transformed results about the visual field on the basis of Z-axis information. There is no frame delay due to a need to wait until the polygonal information is completely sorted. Further, it is not necessary to use a RAM for storing information geometrically transformed before a sorter.

Abstract: A polygon extracting unit divides a screen image into n-level hierarchy in a scan-line shifting direction. The polygon extracting unit then accesses the sort memory and then reads data, from the screen memory, concerning the end points of the polygon corresponding to the value obtained as a result of the sort memory access. Then, the same unit, in the highest-level regions of the hierarchy, extracts the polygon edge-pairs overlapping the highest-level region. Then, the same unit, based on polygon edge-information, calculates the information concerning the corresponding edge pair to appear on the scan line. A polygon-edge-pair memory stores data concerning the starting point and ending point of the polygon on the scan line. A transfer unit determines whether or not the extracted polygon edge-pair overlaps with the relevant region. The same unit then transfers the polygon edge-pair to the lower-level regions if the polygon edge-pair overlaps.

Abstract: A clipping processor has a first polygonal end point memory for storing two end point information of X and Y constituting a polygon and respective end point information of mapping information. The clipping processor also has a screen side generating circuit for judging whether a polygonal side crosses each of screen end points and is located inside or outside a screen based on the two end point information from the first polygonal end point memory. The clipping processor further has an intersecting point arithmetic circuit for calculating an intersecting point on the polygonal side at each of the screen end points and respective end point addresses of the mapping information at the intersecting point on the basis of data from the screen side generating circuit.