Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode separator on the anode, and a cathode separator on the cathode, the at least one hydrogen pump unit transferring, to the cathode, hydrogen supplied to the anode and pressurizing the hydrogen, a first fixing member for preventing movement of the cathode separator in a direction in which the cathode separator is stacked, a first end plate on the anode separator at one end in the stacking direction, a second end plate on the cathode separator at the other end in the stacking direction, and a first gas flow channel through which hydrogen in the cathode is supplied to a first space between the second end plate and the cathode separator.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell for a hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer disposed on a first main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer disposed on a second main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode gas diffusion layer disposed on the anode catalyst layer, and a cathode gas diffusion layer disposed on the cathode catalyst layer. When a voltage is applied between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer, the cathode gas diffusion layer is exposed to a hydrogen-containing gas at a pressure higher than that at the anode gas diffusion layer. A thickness of the anode gas diffusion layer is greater than or equal to a thickness of the cathode gas diffusion layer.

Abstract: A compressor includes at least one cell that includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode located on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode located on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane; a metallic anode separator located on the anode; a cathode separator located on the cathode; and a voltage application unit for applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode, wherein the compressor causes, by using the voltage applier to apply a voltage, a proton extracted from an anode fluid supplied to the anode to move to the cathode and generates compressed hydrogen, and the compressor includes a controller for causing the voltage application unit to apply the voltage such that a voltage applied per unit cell is lower than a corrosion potential of the metallic anode separator.

Abstract: A hydrogen system includes: a compressor that causes, by application of a voltage between an anode and a cathode, hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas supplied to the anode to move to the cathode through an electrolyte membrane and compresses the hydrogen; a first flow channel that supplies the hydrogen-containing gas to the anode; a second flow channel that branches off from the first flow channel and supplies the hydrogen-containing gas to the cathode; and a check valve that is provided in the second flow channel and prevents a flow in a direction opposite to a flow of the hydrogen-containing gas to be supplied to the cathode.

Abstract: A hydrogen system includes: a compressor including at least one cell that includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer provided on one principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer provided on another principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode gas diffusion layer provided on the anode catalyst layer and including a porous sheet containing a metal, and a cathode gas diffusion layer provided on the cathode catalyst layer, and a voltage applicator that apples a voltage between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer, wherein the compressor that generates compressed hydrogen by causing the voltage applicator to apply the voltage to move hydrogen in hydrogen-containing gas supplied to an anode to the cathode via the electrolyte membrane; and a controller that causes the voltage applicator to apply the voltage after shutdown or at startup.

Abstract: A hydrogen system includes: a compressor that includes an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween and generates compressed hydrogen by applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode to move protons extracted from anode fluid supplied to the anode to the cathode; a voltage applicator that applies the voltage between the anode and the cathode; a first flow passage through which a cathode off-gas containing the compressed hydrogen discharged from the cathode is supplied to the anode of the compressor; a first on-off valve disposed in the first flow passage; and a controller that causes the voltage applicator to apply the voltage with the first on-off valve opened during a period of time from startup of the hydrogen system until supply of the cathode off-gas to a hydrogen reservoir is started.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel feeder that supplies fuel, a fuel cell stack that generates power through an electrochemical reaction using air and a hydrogen-containing gas generated from the fuel, a first temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the fuel cell stack, and a controller. The fuel cell stack has a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane through which protons can pass, a cathode on one side of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode on the other side of the electrolyte membrane. The controller defines an upper limit of current output from the fuel cell stack on the basis of the temperature of the fuel cell stack, the supply of the fuel, and the hydrogen consumption of the fuel cell stack associated with internal leakage current and keeps the current output from the fuel cell stack at or below the upper limit.

Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump according to the present disclosure includes: a cell including an electrolyte membrane, an anode disposed on a first main surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode disposed on a second main surface of the electrolyte membrane; a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode, the voltage applicator applying the voltage to cause the electrochemical hydrogen pump to transfer hydrogen in hydrogen-containing gas supplied to the anode to the cathode and to pressurize the hydrogen; and a controller, when at least one selected from the group consisting of a dew point of the hydrogen-containing gas supplied to the anode and a temperature of the cell is increased, controlling the voltage applied by the voltage applicator to increase a current flowing between the anode and the cathode.

Abstract: A compression apparatus includes a stack of electrochemical cells each including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween, a pair of insulating plates disposed at respective ends of the stack in a stacking direction, a pair of end plates disposed on outside surfaces of the respective insulating plates, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode. The end plate having the cathode gas channel includes a first region that includes an outer peripheral surface of the cathode gas channel and is composed of a first steel material and a second region other than the first region which is composed of a second steel material. The first steel material has higher hydrogen embrittlement resistance than the second steel material, and the second steel material has higher stiffness than the first steel material.

Abstract: A compression apparatus includes a stack of electrochemical cells each including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween, a pair of insulating plates disposed at respective ends of the stack in a stacking direction, a pair of first end plates disposed on outside surfaces of the respective insulating plates, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode. Upon the voltage applicator applying the voltage, the compression apparatus causes hydrogen included in a hydrogen-containing gas fed to the anode to move to the cathode and produces compressed hydrogen. One of the first end plates have a first channel formed therein, through which the hydrogen-containing gas fed to the anode flows, and a second channel formed therein, through which a heating medium flows. The compression apparatus further includes a heater that heats the heating medium.

Abstract: A compression apparatus includes a compressor including an anode gas diffusion layer, an anode catalyst layer, an electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer, and a cathode gas diffusion layer that are stacked in this order, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the catalyst layers, in which application of the voltage by the voltage applicator causes movement of, through the electrolyte membrane onto the cathode catalyst layer, a proton extracted from an anode fluid supplied onto the anode catalyst layer, to produce compressed hydrogen, and a remover that includes a water-permeable membrane, a first flow path through which a cathode gas from the compressor flows, and a second flow path through which a low-pressure gas flows. The remover removes water vapor and/or liquid water in the cathode gas flowing through the first flow path. The compressor and the remover are provided as a single body.

Abstract: A hydrogen system includes: a compressor in which protons extracted from an anode fluid supplied to an anode move to a cathode through an electrolyte membrane and compressed hydrogen is generated; and a first eliminator including: a water-permeable membrane; a cathode gas flow path through which a cathode gas discharged from the cathode of the compressor flows, the cathode gas flow path being provided on one main surface of the water-permeable membrane; and an accommodation portion provided on the other main surface of the water-permeable membrane and filled with a liquid at a pressure lower than that of the cathode gas. The first eliminator removes moisture contained in the cathode gas.

Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer on one primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalyst layer on the other primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode gas diffusion layer on the anode catalyst layer, an anode separator on the anode gas diffusion layer, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer. Application of the voltage causes hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas supplied to above the anode catalyst layer to move above the cathode catalyst layer and to be pressurized. The anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet that contains carbon fibers and a carbon material different from the carbon fibers and that has a larger porosity in a first surface layer on the anode separator side, than in a second surface layer on the anode catalyst layer side.

Abstract: A hydrogen pressurization system includes: an electrochemical hydrogen pump being configured to transfer hydrogen in a hydrogen-containing gas to be supplied to an anode to a cathode through an electrolyte membrane, and pressurize the hydrogen; and a first removal unit through which an off-gas discharged from the cathode of the electrochemical hydrogen pump and the hydrogen-containing gas to be supplied to the anode flow with a water permeable membrane interposed therebetween, the first removal unit being configured to remove at least one of water vapor and water liquid contained in the off-gas.

Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode separator on the anode, and a cathode separator on the cathode, the at least one hydrogen pump unit transferring, to the cathode, hydrogen supplied to the anode and pressurizing the hydrogen, a first fixing member for preventing movement of the cathode separator in a direction in which the cathode separator is stacked, a first end plate on the anode separator at one end in the stacking direction, a second end plate on the cathode separator at the other end in the stacking direction, and a first gas flow channel through which hydrogen in the cathode is supplied to a first space between the second end plate and the cathode separator.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel feeder that supplies fuel, a fuel cell stack that generates power through an electrochemical reaction using air and a hydrogen-containing gas generated from the fuel, a first temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the fuel cell stack, and a controller. The fuel cell stack has a membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane through which protons can pass, a cathode on one side of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode on the other side of the electrolyte membrane. The controller defines an upper limit of current output from the fuel cell stack on the basis of the temperature of the fuel cell stack, the supply of the fuel, and the hydrogen consumption of the fuel cell stack associated with internal leakage current and keeps the current output from the fuel cell stack at or below the upper limit.

Abstract: A proton conductor is a proton conductor represented by a composition formula of BaZr1?x?yYxInyO3, and x and y in the composition formula satisfy 0<y?0.013 and 0<x+y<0.5. A small amount of In is added to the composition in a predetermined range, whereby a resistance of the crystal grain boundary of the proton conductor can be decreased so as to compensate for or even exceed the increase in resistance in the crystal gains of the proton conductor caused by the addition of In, and as a result, the entire resistance can be decreased.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: an electrolyte membrane; a cathode catalyst layer provided to one main surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode catalyst layer provided to the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode gas diffusion layer provided on a main surface of the cathode catalyst layer not facing the electrolyte membrane; a separator including a recess through which cathode gas flows; an anode gas diffusion layer provided on a main surface of the anode catalyst layer not facing the electrolyte membrane; a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer; and a fastener fastening a laminated body. The cathode gas diffusion layer is accommodated in the recess, projects from the recess in a thickness direction before fastening of the laminated body, and includes an elastic member between side surfaces of the cathode gas diffusion layer and of the recess.

Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane having a pair of primary surfaces; a cathode catalyst layer provided on one primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode catalyst layer provided on the other primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode gas diffusion layer provided on the cathode catalyst layer; an anode gas diffusion layer provided on the anode catalyst layer; and a voltage application device applying a voltage between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer, The anode gas diffusion layer includes a laminate of metal sheets which are provided with vents, and among the metal sheets, the maximum diameter of vents provided in a first metal sheet adjacent to the anode catalyst layer is smaller than the maximum diameter of vents provided in a second metal sheet adjacent to the first metal sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: an electrolyte membrane; a cathode catalyst layer provided to one main surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode catalyst layer provided to the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode gas diffusion layer provided on a main surface of the cathode catalyst layer not facing the electrolyte membrane; a separator including a recess through which cathode gas flows; an anode gas diffusion layer provided on a main surface of the anode catalyst layer not facing the electrolyte membrane; a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer; and a fastener fastening a laminated body. The cathode gas diffusion layer is accommodated in the recess, projects from the recess in a thickness direction before fastening of the laminated body, and includes an elastic member between side surfaces of the cathode gas diffusion layer and of the recess.