Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090004564 | Composite Negative Electrode Active Material, Method For Producing The Same And Non-Aqueous Electrolyte Secondary Battery - A composite negative electrode active material including silicon oxide particles represented by SiO | 01-01-2009 |
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 |
20100124681 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM COMPRISING FUEL CELL STACK, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING FUEL CELL STACK - The fuel cell system of the present invention includes: (A) a fuel cell stack including at least one unit fuel cell including a cathode, an anode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; (B) a detecting device for detecting lack of humidification in the fuel cell stack; (C) a water supplying device for supplying moisture to the fuel cell stack when lack of humidification is detected by the detecting device; (D) a heating device for heating the supplied moisture; and (E) a cooling device for cooling the supplied moisture. In the fuel cell system of the present invention, the fuel cell stack is humidified by repeating heating and cooling of the supplied moisture by the heating device and the cooling device, respectively. | 05-20-2010 |
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 |
20110076593 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell including at least one cell, the cell being a stacked body including: a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode; an anode-side separator having a fuel flow channel for supplying a liquid fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator having an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode, in which the anode-side separator includes a first region including an upstream half of the fuel flow channel and a second region including a downstream half of the fuel flow channel, the anode includes an anode catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and an anode diffusion layer in contact with the anode-side separator, the anode catalyst layer includes an anode catalyst and a polymer electrolyte, the anode catalyst layer includes an upstream-side region facing the first region and a downstream-side region facing the second region, and the content of the polymer electrolyte in the anode catalyst layer is higher at the upstream-side region than at the downstream-side region. | 03-31-2011 |
20110076595 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL - A direct oxidation fuel cell includes at least one cell. The cell includes a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode. The cell also includes: an anode-side separator being in contact with the anode and having a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator being in contact with the cathode and having an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode. The electrolyte membrane includes an ion exchange resin and has an ion exchange capacity per unit volume which is smaller upstream of the fuel flow channel than downstream thereof. | 03-31-2011 |
20110183208 | NEGATIVE-ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL FOR NONAQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SECONDARY BATTERY, AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODE AND NONAQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SECONDARY BATTERY USING THE SAME - A negative-electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, comprising a silicon compound capable of inserting and extracting lithium ion, wherein the silicon compound contains silicon-hydrogen bonds and the silicon-hydrogen bonds are introduced into the compound by reduction of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon carbide with hydrogen, and a negative electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a layer containing the negative-electrode active material in the above arrangement formed on a current collector. | 07-28-2011 |
20120156590 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL WITH IMPROVED FUEL DISTRIBUTION - A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) having a liquid fuel and an anode electrode configured to generate power. The anode electrode includes a phase separation layer (PSL) positioned between a fuel channel plate and a GDL. The PSL can include at least one porous layer to improve fuel distribution and increase fuel cell performance. | 06-21-2012 |
20120189933 | ANODE CATALYST LAYERS FOR DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELLS - A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) and a method of fabricating the DOFC such that the DOFC reduces overpotential. The DOFC includes a cathode electrode; an anode electrode; and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) sandwiched between the cathode and the anode. Each of the cathode electrode and anode electrode include a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) and the anode electrode catalyst layer includes platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru) and a small amount of SnO | 07-26-2012 |
20130130141 | DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL SYSTEM - Disclosed is a direct oxidation fuel cell system including: a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode and a cathode, an air pump for supplying air to the cathode, a liquid feed pump for supplying an aqueous fuel solution to the anode, and a collection tank for collecting an anode fluid discharged from the anode. The collection tank has an anode fluid collection port at which the anode fluid is merged with a liquid in the collection tank. Either during normal operation or during suspension of operation of the fuel cell system, or both, the volume of the liquid in the collection tank is controlled to be equal to or greater than a predetermined first lower-limit value. The first lower-limit value is set such that the anode fluid collection port is positioned below the level of the liquid in the collection tank. | 05-23-2013 |
20130164650 | MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL AND DIRECT OXIDATION FUEL CELL USING THE SAME - Disclosed is a membrane electrode assembly for a direct oxidation fuel cell, including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed therebetween. The anode includes an anode catalyst layer disposed on one principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode diffusion layer laminated on the anode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer includes a first particulate conductive carbon, an anode catalyst supported thereon, and a first polymer electrolyte. The cathode includes a cathode catalyst layer disposed on the other principal surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode diffusion layer laminated on the cathode catalyst layer. The cathode catalyst layer includes a second particulate conductive carbon, a cathode catalyst supported thereon, and a second polymer electrolyte. The weight ratio M | 06-27-2013 |
20140377676 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell to consume a fuel and generate electric power; a feeder for feeding a circulating fluid including the fuel to the cell; a collector for collecting the circulating fluid including unconsumed fuel from the cell; a first channel connecting the cell with the collector; a second channel connecting the collector with the feeder; and a third channel connecting the feeder with the cell. A mass ratio M2/M1 is less than or equal to 20 ppm in terms of hexadecane, where M1 is a total mass of the collector and the first, second and third channels, and M2 is a mass of organic substances eluted into the circulating fluid or an equivalent therefor, while the collector and the first, second and third channels are immersed in the circulating fluid or equivalent at a temperature TH1 for a certain time. | 12-25-2014 |