| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080213647 | Fuel Cell System - A fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte interposed therebetween and a purification device having a catalyst layer purifying substances discharged from the anode. The fuel cell system is characterized in that the purification device comprises a porous sheet having a catalyst layer and two flow passages disposed on both sides of the porous sheet, an inlet to which the substances discharged from the anode is led is formed in one flow passage, an inlet to which air is led and an outlet are formed in the other flow passage, and the substances discharged from the anode are discharged from the outlet after being purified through the porous sheet. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080261103 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell of this invention has at least one unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, each of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; an anode-side separator with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode. The catalyst layer of at least one of the anode and the cathode includes high-porosity regions and low-porosity regions, and the high-porosity regions and the low-porosity regions are arranged in a mixed configuration. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080274390 | Anode electrodes for direct oxidation fuel cells and systems operating with concentrated liquid fuel - An anode electrode for use in a fuel cell comprises a stacked structure including, in sequence: a catalyst layer, a hydrophobic, microporous layer (“MPL”), a porous gas diffusion layer (“GDL”), and an anode plate with at least one recessed fuel supply-fuel/gas exhaust channel formed in a surface thereof facing the GDL, wherein the stacked structure further comprises at least one hydrophobic region aligned with the at least one recessed channel. The electrode is useful in direct oxidation fuel cells and systems, such as direct methanol fuel cells operating with highly concentrated liquid fuel. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080286617 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell of this invention has at least one unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, each of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; an anode-side separator with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant containing oxygen gas to the cathode. The fuel flow channel and the oxidant flow channel are so structured that the concentration of the oxygen gas in the oxidant flow channel is higher at a part opposing an upstream part of the fuel flow channel than at a part opposing a downstream part of the fuel flow channel. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090148752 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell of the invention includes at least one unit cell, the unit cell including a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching the electrolyte membrane, an anode-side separator being in contact with the anode, and a cathode-side separator being in contact with the cathode. The anode includes an anode catalyst layer and an anode diffusion layer, the anode catalyst layer containing an anode catalyst. The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer and a cathode diffusion layer, the cathode catalyst layer containing a cathode catalyst. The anode-side separator has a fuel flow channel for supplying fuel to the anode. A portion of the cathode catalyst layer facing the upstream of the fuel flow channel has an effective reaction area per unit area larger than that of a portion of the cathode catalyst layer facing the downstream of the fuel flow channel. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090169948 | MEMBRANE-ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL AND DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A membrane-electrode assembly for a direct oxidation fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode sandwiching said electrolyte membrane. The cathode includes a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a diffusion layer formed on the catalyst layer, and the catalyst layer contains 2 to 20% by volume of pores. A direct oxidation fuel cell including this membrane-electrode assembly has excellent power generating performance and durability. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090280377 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - The direct oxidation fuel cell of the invention includes at least one unit cell, the unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side separator; and a cathode-side separator. The cathode includes a first cathode catalyst layer, a diffusion layer being in contact with the cathode-side separator, and an intermediate layer disposed therebetween. The intermediate layer includes a second cathode catalyst layer and a porous composite layer, the porous composite layer containing a hydrophobic material and an electron-conductive material. The anode-side separator has a fuel flow channel, and the cathode-side separator has an oxidant flow channel. At least a portion of the intermediate layer facing the upstream portion of the fuel flow channel includes the second cathode catalyst layer, and at least portions of the intermediate layer facing the midstream and downstream portions of the fuel flow channel include the porous composite layer. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20100003561 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack for generating power and power generation control means. The fuel cell stack has at least one cell that includes a cathode to which an oxidant is supplied, an anode to which a fuel is supplied, and a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the cathode and the anode. The power generation control means has dryness degree determination means for determining the degree of dryness of the fuel cell stack based on shut-down period. When the shut-down period is shorter than a predetermined period of time, the power generation control means supplies a gas for drying to the cathode for a predetermined period of time, to remove water remaining in the cathode. When the shut-down period is equal to or longer than the predetermined period of time, such a drying operation is not performed. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100009229 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - The direct oxidation fuel cell of the present invention is provided with: a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode; an anode-side separator having a fuel flow channel for supplying fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator having an oxidant flow channel for supplying oxidant to the cathode, in which the anode includes an anode catalyst layer disposed at the side of the electrolyte membrane and an anode diffusion layer disposed at the side of the anode-side separator. The anode diffusion layer includes a water repellent layer disposed at the side of the anode catalyst layer and including a first conductive agent and a first water repellent agent; and a substrate layer disposed at the side of the anode-side separator, and the porosity of the substrate layer is higher at the downstream side than at the upstream side of the fuel flow. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100062307 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell includes at least one unit cell. The unit cell includes: a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched therebetween; an anode-side separator having a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator having an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode. The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode diffusion layer in contact with the cathode-side separator. The cathode catalyst layer includes a cathode catalyst and a polymer electrolyte, and the amount of the polymer electrolyte contained in a portion of the cathode catalyst layer facing an upstream portion of the fuel flow channel is smaller than that contained in a portion of the cathode catalyst layer facing a downstream portion of the fuel flow channel. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100248074 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL AND DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL INCLUDING THE SAME - A membrane electrode assembly for a direct oxidation fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode disposed on one face of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode disposed on the other face of the electrolyte membrane. The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer with a first main surface and a second main surface, and the cathode catalyst layer includes a cathode catalyst and a polymer electrolyte. The cathode catalyst layer includes a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions, and the first regions and the second regions are different in polymer electrolyte content. The polymer electrolyte content in each of the second regions is lower than the polymer electrolyte content in each of the first regions. The second regions are continuous from the first main surface of the cathode catalyst layer to the second main surface. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100255405 | DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL - A direct methanol fuel cell has at least one cell including a membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode. The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer in contact with the polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode diffusion layer in contact with the cathode catalyst layer. The cathode catalyst layer includes a cathode catalyst, a catalyst support on which the cathode catalyst is supported, and a polymer electrolyte. The weight ratio of the polymer electrolyte to the catalyst support is from 0.2 to 0.55. The cathode catalyst layer in a dry state has a porosity of 50% to 85%. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20110091795 | FUEL CONTAINER FOR STORING FUEL LIQUID FOR FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL PACK - A fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for a fuel cell has a double wall structure including an inner container for storing a fuel liquid and an outer container for housing the inner container, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner container and the outer container. A fuel cell pack includes a fuel cell and a fuel container for storing a fuel liquid for the fuel cell. The fuel cell pack includes a double wall exterior casing having an inner casing for housing the fuel cell and the fuel container and an outer casing for housing the inner casing, and a material capable of retaining the fuel between the inner casing and the outer casing. | 04-21-2011 |
