Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100062309 | FUEL CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A fuel cell is provided with a membrane-electrode assembly | 03-11-2010 |
20100239957 | SEPARATOR FOR FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL - A separator has a concavo-convex structure formed in mutually reversed shapes on two opposite sides thereof to define flow paths of different fluids on the respective two sides. The concavo-convex structure includes multiple first projections formed and protruded on one side of the two opposite sides and arranged at intervals having a preset regularity. The concavo-convex structure also includes multiple second projections formed and protruded on the other side of the two opposite sides in a specific area corresponding to an area for formation of the multiple first projections on the one side and arranged at intervals having a preset regularity. The concavo-convex structure further includes reinforcing elements protruded on the one side. Each of the reinforcing elements is formed as a convex in a specific shape of connecting multiple positions where the first projections are expected to be formed according to the preset regularity, while avoiding positions corresponding to the second projections formed on the other side. This arrangement effectively prevents a potential trouble caused by deformation of the separator due to a pressure difference between the flow pressures of the respective fluids flowing on the respective sides of the separator. | 09-23-2010 |
20100266915 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, anode gas pressure adjusting means that adjusts the pressure of an anode gas supplied to the fuel cell, and cathode gas pressure adjusting means that adjusts the pressure of a cathode gas supplied to the fuel cell. The system further includes pressure control means that sets the pressure of the anode gas that is supplied when starting the fuel cell higher than the pressure of the anode gas that is supplied during power generation in the fuel cell, and controls the anode gas pressure adjusting means and the cathode gas pressure adjusting means so that a cathode gas pressure increase is started in accordance with the start of an anode gas pressure increase when the pressure of the anode gas is increased to the set pressure. | 10-21-2010 |
20120225367 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell includes: a membrane-electrode assembly in which electrode catalyst layers are formed on two sides of an electrolyte membrane; and a cerium-containing layer that is formed at an outer side of at least one of the two surfaces of the membrane-electrode assembly, and that contains a cerium-containing oxide in an amount that is greater than 5 wt % and less than or equal to 30 wt % where 100 wt % is an amount of solid components except the cerium-containing oxide which form the cerium-containing layer. | 09-06-2012 |
20130149628 | METHOD OF ESTIMATING AMIOUNT OF LIQUID WATER IN FUEL CELL, METHOD OF ESTIMATING AMOUNT OF LIQUID WATER DISCHARGED FROM FUEL CELL, ESTIMATION APPARATUS OF LIQUID WATER AMOUNT IN FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM - The procedure of the invention successively obtains an estimated value of amount of liquid water in a fuel cell during operation in each specified period by the following steps (a) to (d), thereby improving the detection accuracy of the water condition inside the fuel cell. The step (a) obtains a previous estimated value. The step (b) obtains a drainage rate that represents an amount of liquid water discharged from the fuel cell per unit time, based on the previous estimated value and a value representing a current flow rate of a reactive gas in the fuel cell. The step (c) multiplies the drainage rate by a period of obtaining the estimated value, so as to calculate an amount of liquid water discharged from the fuel cell for a specified duration. The step (d) determines a current estimated value, based on the amount of liquid water discharged from the fuel cell for the specified duration. | 06-13-2013 |
20130236803 | FUEL CELL MODULE - A fuel cell module which is capable of easily securing an adequate sealing function even when the unit cell is made thinner. The fuel cell module includes a stacked body which includes: a stacked structure including: an electrolyte layer, and a pair of electrodes provided to sandwich the electrolyte layer; and a pair of separators disposed to sandwich the stacked structure, the separators being arranged at least one end of the stacked body in the stacking direction, the separators which are arranged at the end of the stacked body having a groove which is capable of receiving a sealing member in a face which does not oppose to the stacked structure, and the at least one groove being a deep groove of which depth is larger than the thickness of the separator having the groove. | 09-12-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100068576 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system determines whether an operation condition of a fuel cell corresponds to a fuel gas shortage or an oxidation gas shortage. Upon determining that the fuel gas is in shortage, the system sets a lower voltage limit to be higher than that set when the system determines that the oxidation gas is in shortage. The system further controls an output voltage from the fuel cell so as to prevent output voltage from the fuel cell from decreasing below the lower voltage limit. | 03-18-2010 |
20120214082 | FUEL CELL - A fuel cell is disclosed comprising: a power generation layer including an electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode provided on respective surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; a fuel gas flow path layer located on a side of the anode of the power generation layer to supply a fuel gas to the anode while flowing the fuel gas along a flow direction of the fuel gas approximately orthogonal to a stacking direction in which respective layers of the fuel cell are stacked; and an oxidizing gas flow path layer located on a side of the cathode of the power generation layer to supply an oxidizing gas to the cathode while flowing the oxidizing gas along a flow direction of the oxidizing gas opposed to the flow direction of the fuel gas. A power generation area of the fuel cell, in which electric power is generated, has an upstream region including a most upstream position along the flow direction of the fuel gas and a downstream region including a most downstream position along the flow direction of the fuel gas. A midstream region, which is a remaining region of the power generation area other than the upstream region and the downstream region, has higher water vapor transfer resistance between the anode side and the cathode side than the upstream region and the downstream region. | 08-23-2012 |
20130101914 | FUEL CELL - An anode separator of a fuel cell forms: a plurality of gas flow channels arranged in parallel to let a fuel gas flow to an MEA; a supply passage configured to supply the plurality of gas flow channels with the fuel gas; and a recovery passage configured to recover the fuel gas from the plurality of gas flow channels. The plurality of gas flow channels include: a gas flow channel connects the supply passage and the recovery passage; and a gas flow channel having the supply passage side blocked. | 04-25-2013 |