Abstract: Disclosed is a controller for controlling short-circuit across positive and negative terminals of a dye sensitized solar cell for converting a light energy into an electrical energy. The controller includes: a voltage detecting section detecting a voltage developed across the positive and negative terminals of the cell; a current detecting section detecting a current caused to flow through the positive terminal of the cell; a judging section judging how a power generation state of the cell is, and whether or not a release state is provided across the positive and negative terminals of the cell in accordance with a value of the voltage detected by the voltage detecting section and a value of the current detected by the current detecting section; and a short-circuiting/releasing section short-circuiting or releasing across the positive and negative terminals of the cell in accordance with a result of the judgment made by the judging section.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fastening base including: an enclosure shaped to fasten a dye sensitized solar cell at a predetermined position in a predetermined posture relative to the enclosure; and a shorting circuit adapted to short the two poles of the dye sensitized solar cell fastened to the enclosure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery protecting circuit connected in parallel with a nonaqueous secondary battery, the secondary battery protecting circuit including: a first voltage detecting circuit; a second voltage detecting circuit; a switch section; and a heat radiating section.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is solar power-generating equipment, including: a solar cell; a secondary battery; an electric power outputting portion; a display portion configured to display thereon information about an electric-generating capacity of the solar cell, and information about a state of charge of the secondary battery; and a control portion configured to cause the display portion to display thereon the information about the electric-generating capacity of the solar cell only for a predetermined time length, and cause the display portion to display thereon the information about the state of charge of the secondary battery only for a predetermined time length.

Abstract: A power supply system capable of inhibiting electricity loss and deterioration of each power supply device while realizing high stability in the case where electricity supply is performed by using a plurality of power supply devices is provided. A switching element corresponding to a power supply device having a higher inter-terminal voltage out of two power supply devices selectively becomes in ON state, and a switching element corresponding to a power supply device having a lower inter-terminal voltage selectively becomes in OFF state. Thereby, overload on a specific power supply device is prevented, and current flow between the different power supply devices is able to be prevented without generating needless electricity loss. Further, since electricity of the power supply device having a higher inter-terminal voltage is selectively outputted, variation between the respective power supply devices becomes allowable to some extent.

Abstract: A battery system capable of inhibiting a reverse voltage applied to a unit cell that has lost the electromotive force without active control is provided. The battery system include two or more unit cells electrically connected in series, and a rectification section that is composed of at least one of an electronic device having a rectification function and an interface having a rectification action, and is electrically connected to the respective two or more unit cells in parallel.

Abstract: A battery system capable of inhibiting a reverse voltage applied to a unit cell that has lost the electromotive force without active control is provided. The battery system include two or more unit cells electrically connected in series, and a rectification section that is composed of at least one of an electronic device having a rectification function and an interface having a rectification action, and is electrically connected to the respective two or more unit cells in parallel.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge is provided. The fuel cartridge capable of reliably suppressing fuel leakage and realizing improved safety. The fuel cartridge includes a cartridge body having a fuel supply port, and a seal member for directly closing the fuel supply port. The cartridge body has an atmosphere communication port, and the seal member directly closes the fuel supply port and the atmosphere communication port.

Abstract: An image recording method of recording a desired image on a recording medium by a recording head having recording elements which form pixels on the recording medium, while moving at least one of the recording medium and the recording head relatively to each other in a prescribed conveyance direction, the method includes: a defective recording element information acquisition step of acquiring defective recording element information including position information of defective recording elements included in the recording elements; and a defective recording element compensation step of performing compensation for the defective recording elements by using compensation recording elements in accordance with a distance between a pair of the defective recording elements derived from the position information, the compensation recording elements being of normal recording elements included in the recording elements situated nearby the pair of the defective recording elements.

Abstract: To provide a catalyst composed of a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an active hydrogen compound anion, which can be easily synthesized, does not contain metal components at all, and does not leave any odor on a resulting product; a method for its production; and an economical and efficient method for producing a polyalkylene oxide by means thereof. A salt of a phosphazenium cation and an active hydrogen compound anion, represented by the following formula (2): [in the above formula (2), each of R1 and R2 which are independent of each other, is a C1-10 alkyl group, an unsubstituted or substituted C6-10 phenyl group, or an unsubstituted or substituted C6-10 phenylalkyl group, provided that R1 and R2, or R2's, may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure, n is a real number of from 1 to 8, and Yn- is an anion of an active hydrogen compound which is obtained by removing n protons from an active hydrogen compound Y] is used as a polyalkylene glycol producing catalyst.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that is able to perform power generation more stably than in the past regardless of external environment is provided. Based on a temperature of a power generation section detected by a temperature detection section, a supply amount of a liquid fuel from a fuel pump is adjusted, and therefore control in which the temperature of the power generation section becomes constant is performed. In addition, a fuel cell system that is able to perform power generation in a vaporization supply type fuel cell more stably than in the past is provided. A level of a power generation voltage supplied from the power generation section is raised by a boost circuit. In a control section, operation of the boost circuit is controlled using a given control table, and therefore control is performed on an output voltage and an output current supplied from the boost circuit to a load.

Abstract: A fuel cell system with which flooding phenomenon of a fuel vaporization section is able to be suppressed without losing power generation characteristics is provided. In a fuel pump, upper limit frequency at which opening/closing operation of check valves is enabled is lower than mechanical resonance frequency of a piezoelectric body. Further, control is exercised so that oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric body is in the vicinity of the resonance frequency in a certain case. Thereby, while fuel supply operation by the fuel pump is stopped, a liquid fuel of the fuel pump is heated by oscillation of the piezoelectric body, and the heated liquid fuel is supplied to a fuel vaporization section. Further, since the generated heat is a heat amount generated by oscillation of the piezoelectric body, power generation characteristics in the power generation section are not lost differently from the case in the past.

Abstract: A fuel cell and a temperature measurement method capable of directly measuring average temperature of a power generation unit and preventing dropout of a temperature detecting device are provided. A cathode plate for fixing the position of a power generation unit is set to be in contact with the power generation unit in a heat-transfer fashion and is made of an electric conductor or a semiconductor. When the temperature changes accompanying power generating operation of the power generation unit, the temperature of the cathode plate which is in contact with the power generation unit in a heat-transfer fashion changes. According to the temperature change, the resistance value changes. The resistance value is detected by using a resistance voltage dividing circuit having the cathode plate and resistors. By obtaining the temperature coefficient of the cathode plate in advance, the average temperature of the entire power generation unit is measured from the resistance value of the cathode plate.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge (10) has a fuel container section (11), a fuel supplying port (12) for supplying liquid fuel reserved in the fuel container section (11) to a fuel cell body (30) therethrough, a primary cell (13) for supplying electric power for starting electric power generation of the fuel cell body (30), and an electrode configuration section (14) for supplying the electric power of the primary cell (13) to the fuel cell body (30). The fuel cell body (30) has a fuel accepting port (36) corresponding to the fuel supplying port (12), an electric contact section (37) corresponding to the electrode configuration section (14), a power generating device (31), a fuel supplying pump (33) for supplying liquid fuel from the fuel accepting port (36) to the power generating device (31), and a control device (32) for controlling so that the fuel supplying pump (33) is driven by the electric power of the primary cell (13).

Abstract: A fuel filling kit 10 includes a filling nozzle capable of being inserted into an opening of a fuel cartridge, a filling vessel capable of filling liquid fuel reserved in the inside thereof into the fuel cartridge through the filling nozzle, and an opening sealing sheet for sealing the opening. The opening sealing sheet has a methanol blocking portion having a resisting property to liquid fuel and a sticking portion capable of being attached to the fuel cartridge.

Abstract: A fuel tank preventing an excessive supply when manually supplying a liquid such as a fuel, a fuel cell and an electronic apparatus using the fuel tank are provided. A fuel tank includes a deformable section which is deformable by external pressure in a part of a housing containing a liquid fuel. The deformable section has a projected shape outward from a top surface of the housing, and has a configuration in which a flat surface is arranged with a bending part in the top surface of the housing. The flat surface of the deformable section is pushed by a finger, a stick or the like to apply external pressure to the deformable section, thereby the deformable section is deformed so as to be flipped with respect to the top surface of the housing. The volumetric capacity in the housing is changed to push the liquid fuel out.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge with which damage or break of a valve due to miss-loading or the like is able to be avoided and safety is able to be improved, a fuel cell, and an electronic device are provided. A fitting groove for fitting to a fuel cell body is provided in a package of a fuel cartridge. Improper force applied to a valve due to inappropriate loading or the like is avoided, and possibility that the valve is damaged or broken is decreased. The valve is provided not projecting from the package. Compared to an existing structure that a valve is projecting outside of the package, the effective volume of a fuel storage space is increased even if the height of the entire cartridge is the same as that of the existing case.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge with which liquid leakage through an air induction hole from a fuel tank is able to be prevented and safety is able to be improved is provided. Switching drive for opening and closing an air induction hole 12 is performed by a valve 13 capable of controlling the switching drive according to a control signal. Thereby, air introduction to a fuel tank 100 containing a fuel is able to be controlled. Thus, for example, at the time of high temperature or fuel disorder, by closing the air induction hole 12 by the valve 13, fuel leakage from the fuel tank through the air induction hole of an existing check valve is able to be prevented, and safety is able to be improved.

Abstract: A fuel cell system with which elution of a cathode due to excessive electro motive force is able to be inhibited without increase of electric power consumption at the time of power generation is provided. In the case where electro motive force V1 by a power generation section 10 exceeds a given threshold voltage Vp at which elution of a cathode of respective unit cells 10A to 10F is generated, electric power based on a voltage ?V for an excess portion over the threshold voltage is heat-consumed in a voltage limitation circuit 3, and thereby the electro motive force V1 of the power generation section 10 is limited to the threshold voltage Vp or less. The voltage limitation circuit includes a zener diode, a shunt regulator, a transistor or the like.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibration device system includes a piezoelectric vibration device that performs predefined movements using the vibration of the piezoelectric element; and a control unit that controls the behavior of the piezoelectric vibration device by controlling the frequency of the piezoelectric element, where the control unit includes: a first signal generating unit that generates a fundamental frequency signal having a fundamental frequency adjacent to the mechanical resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element; a second signal generating unit that generates a variable frequency signal whose frequency periodically rises or falls; and a frequency modulator that generates a frequency modulated signal, whose frequency changes into one of three or more frequencies existing around the fundamental frequency periodically and in sequence, by executing frequency modulation using the fundamental frequency signal and the variable frequency signal, and that outputs the frequency modulated signal as a control si