Abstract: This disclosure describes a fuel cell device having a unit cell structure including a pair of separators stacked on each side of a membrane electrode assembly via diffusion layers, the pair of separators including a number of grooves and convex parts extending between the grooves formed on a side of a contact surface with the gas diffusion layers, one of the pair of separators being a hydrogen electrode side separator having the grooves as hydrogen channels and the other of the pair of separators being an air electrode side separator having the grooves as air channels. The respective grooves of the air electrode side separator have the same width and are arranged at equal intervals, and the respective grooves of the hydrogen electrode side separator have the same width as that of the respective grooves of the air electrode side separator.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a fuel cell device having a unit cell structure including a pair of separators stacked on each side of a membrane electrode assembly via diffusion layers, the pair of separators including a number of grooves and convex parts extending between the grooves formed on a side of a contact surface with the gas diffusion layers, one of the pair of separators being a hydrogen electrode side separator having the grooves as hydrogen channels and the other of the pair of separators being an air electrode side separator having the grooves as air channels. The respective grooves of the air electrode side separator have the same width and are arranged at equal intervals, and the respective grooves of the hydrogen electrode side separator have the same width as that of the respective grooves of the air electrode side separator.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle provided with an exhaust duct structure is capable of reliably diluting hydrogen flowing into an exhaust duct. The fuel cell vehicle includes a vehicle body, an air-cooled fuel cell mounted in the vehicle body to generate power by allowing hydrogen gas and oxygen in air to react with each other, an exhaust duct through which exhaust air of the fuel cell is guided to a rear end of the vehicle body and is discharged outside the fuel cell vehicle, and a fan guiding air into the exhaust duct to dilute hydrogen in the exhaust duct.

Abstract: To restrain deterioration of fuel cells while preventing a battery from being overcharged, a fuel cell vehicle includes a motor for providing torque to wheels, a battery for storing electric power to provide the stored electric power to the motor, and a FC stack for generating electric power to provide the generated electric power to the motor and the battery. A battery charge level determining module determines a battery charge level of the battery, and a FET is configured to connect or disconnect the FC stack to the motor and the battery. A controller is configured to cause the FET to disconnect the FC stack from the motor and the battery and allow power generation by the FC stack when the determined battery charge level by the battery charge level determining module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle provided with an exhaust duct structure is capable of reliably diluting hydrogen flowing into an exhaust duct. The fuel cell vehicle includes a vehicle body, an air-cooled fuel cell mounted in the vehicle body to generate power by allowing hydrogen gas and oxygen in air to react with each other, an exhaust duct through which exhaust air of the fuel cell is guided to a rear end of the vehicle body and is discharged outside the fuel cell vehicle, and a fan guiding air into the exhaust duct to dilute hydrogen in the exhaust duct.

Abstract: An air-cooled fuel cell-powered motorcycle allowing early detection of a malfunction in a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell-powered motorcycle includes a vehicle body; an electric motor for driving a driving wheel, an air-cooled fuel cell for supplying electric power to the electric motor and a hydrogen tank for storing a fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, respectively housed in the vehicle body; a fan for supplying air as a reactant and a coolant to the fuel cell; and an exhaust duct for discharging the air having cooled the fuel cell out of a rear end of the vehicle body, the exhaust duct having an inlet connected to a rear end portion of the fuel cell.

Abstract: An air supply and exhaust structure for supplying a reaction air to a fuel cell and exhausting the reaction air passing through the fuel cell includes: an intake duct configured to guide reaction air to the fuel cell; an exhaust duct configured to discharge the reaction air passing through the fuel cell to an outside of the fuel cell; a blower provided in the exhaust duct and configured to suck the reaction air passing through the fuel cell to promote discharge of the reaction air; and an exhaust side shield unit which is disposed inside the exhaust duct and between the fuel cell and the blower and configured to temporarily block the reaction air discharged from the fuel cell and to retain the reaction air in a periphery of the fuel cell so as to introduce the reaction air to the fuel cell.

Abstract: The grill shutter is disposed between the front grill and the air intake duct. The grill shutter is capable of opening or closing shutter members and regulating positions of the shutter members when being opened. When a maximum supplied flow rate of air provided by the wind during running is greater than a flow rate of air required for the hydrogen fuel battery, the required flow rate of air is established only by opening/closing control of the shutter members through a grill shutter opening instruction. If this is not the case, the grill shutter members are opened fully through the grill shutter opening instruction to maximize the volume of the wind during running taken in from the front grille. Additionally, a shortfall in the required flow rate of air for the hydrogen fuel battery is compensated for by actuating the blower through a blower speed instruction.

Abstract: An air-cooled fuel cell-powered motorcycle allowing early detection of a malfunction in a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell-powered motorcycle includes a vehicle body; an electric motor for driving a driving wheel, an air-cooled fuel cell for supplying electric power to the electric motor and a hydrogen tank for storing a fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, respectively housed in the vehicle body; a fan for supplying air as a reactant and a coolant to the fuel cell; and an exhaust duct for discharging the air having cooled the fuel cell out of a rear end of the vehicle body, the exhaust duct having an inlet connected to a rear end portion of the fuel cell.

Abstract: To restrain deterioration of fuel cells while preventing a battery from being overcharged, a fuel cell vehicle includes a motor for providing torque to wheels, a battery for storing electric power to provide the stored electric power to the motor, and a FC stack for generating electric power to provide the generated electric power to the motor and the battery. A battery charge level determining module determines a battery charge level of the battery, and a FET is configured to connect or disconnect the FC stack to the motor and the battery. A controller is configured to cause the FET to disconnect the FC stack from the motor and the battery and allow power generation by the FC stack when the determined battery charge level by the battery charge level determining module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The grill shutter is disposed between the front grill and the air intake duct. The grill shutter is capable of opening or closing shutter members and regulating positions of the shutter members when being opened. When a maximum supplied flow rate of air provided by the wind during running is greater than a flow rate of air required for the hydrogen fuel battery, the required flow rate of air is established only by opening/closing control of the shutter members through a grill shutter opening instruction. If this is not the case, the grill shutter members are opened fully through the grill shutter opening instruction to maximize the volume of the wind during running taken in from the front grille. Additionally, a shortfall in the required flow rate of air for the hydrogen fuel battery is compensated for by actuating the blower through a blower speed instruction.

Abstract: An air supply and exhaust structure for supplying a reaction air to a fuel cell and exhausting the reaction air passing through the fuel cell includes: an intake duct configured to guide reaction air to the fuel cell; an exhaust duct configured to discharge the reaction air passing through the fuel cell to an outside of the fuel cell; a blower provided in the exhaust duct and configured to suck the reaction air passing through the fuel cell to promote discharge of the reaction air; and an exhaust side shield unit which is disposed inside the exhaust duct and between the fuel cell and the blower and configured to temporarily block the reaction air discharged from the fuel cell and to retain the reaction air in a periphery of the fuel cell so as to introduce the reaction air to the fuel cell.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell composed of a plurality of unit cells stacked one after another, which comprises: a water electrolysis portion and a fuel cell portion disposed in the single plane of each unit cell; an oxygen electrode disposed on one side of a proton exchange membrane and a hydrogen electrode disposed on the other side in the stacking direction of the unit cells; a diffusion layer disposed on both sides of each electrode for allowing generated electrons to pass through; interconnectors disposed outside the diffusion layers and having a gas passage for feeding the fuel cell portion with a gas; and a water passage disposed in the interconnector on the side of the oxygen electrode for feeding the water electrolysis portion with water. A fuel cell system and a production process of thereof are also disclosed.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell composed of a plurality of unit cells stacked one after another, which comprises: a water electrolysis portion and a fuel cell portion disposed in the single plane of each unit cell; an oxygen electrode disposed on one side of a proton exchange membrane and a hydrogen electrode disposed on the other side in the stacking direction of the unit cells; a diffusion layer disposed on both sides of each electrode for allowing generated electrons to pass through; interconnectors disposed outside the diffusion layers and having a gas passage for feeding the fuel cell portion with a gas; and a water passage disposed in the interconnector on the side of the oxygen electrode for feeding the water electrolysis portion with water. A fuel cell system and a production process of thereof are also disclosed.