Abstract:
Bush 4 is fabricated by providing porous sintered metal layer 7 of copper on the surface side of back metal layer 5 of steel plate through copper plating layer 6 and coating the inside and the surface of porous sintered metal layer 7 with sliding material 8 by impregnation. Sliding material 8 comprises 1-25 vol. % of tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinyl ether copolymer resin, 1-25 vol. % of at least one member selected from the group consisting of oxybenzoylpolyester resin and polyimide resin and 0.1-10 vol. % of hard particles having a Mohs hardness of 4 or more and average particle sizes of 5 nullm or less such as Al2O3 and SiC, the balance being polytetrafluoroethylene resin (55 vol. % or more of the total siding material) as the main component. 0.5-25 vol. % of a solid lubricant such as graphite and MOS2 can be further contained in total together with the hard particles. The sliding material containing polytetrafluoroethylene resin as the main component has an improved fretting wear resistance particularly when used as a bearing material.
Abstract:
A portable fuel cell stack is provided in which the number of components is reduced by reducing the number of flow field plates, cell performance is improved by reducing the number of contact portions to thereby lower internal resistance, and fuel is supplied from the center of an end plate directly to a fuel distribution manifold. The portable fuel cell stack includes two end plates, a plurality of unit cells positioned between the two end plates, a fuel distribution manifold positioned in the center of the unit cell for fuel supply thereto, a tie bolt passed through the centers of the fuel manifold and the unit cell for integration of these members, and fixing nuts threaded to both ends of the tie bolt for integrally clamping the plurality of unit cells together between the end plates via an O-ring, etc. The unit cell includes a polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen electrode and a fuel electrode installed on both sides of the polymer electrolyte membrane, a flow field plate adjacent to the oxygen electrode side, and a separator plate on the outside of the flow field plate adjacent in contact therewith and another separator plate on the outside of the fuel electrode side in contact therewith. One of the fixing nuts has a fuel supply port connecting to the fuel distribution manifold.
Abstract:
In a compact electric apparatus with a power consumption source, a fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell for generating an electric power to be consumed by the power consumption source, a fuel storage section which stores therein a fuel for the fuel cell and has a control valve to be operated to control a flow of the fuel, and a fuel supply pipe through which the fuel is supplied from the fuel storage section to the fuel cell, a housing case contains therein the fuel cell unit, the power consumption source is mounted on the housing case, and the housing case has an opening through which the control valve faces to an outside of the housing case.
Abstract:
A bonded membrane-electrode assembly is provided which enables the electrolysis of water, which has water-electrolyzing and power-generating functions enabling the generation of hydrogen, and which is capable of being utilized for a fuel cell; and a fuel cell system with a water electrolyzer is provided using a plurality of such bonded membrane-electrode assemblies. The bonded membrane-electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen electrode bonded to one of sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a hydrogen electrode bonded to the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The oxygen electrode includes a porous sheet-shaped carbon element plated with iridium, a first coated layer formed on a surface of the sheet-shaped carbon element, which is in contact with the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, by applying a mixture containing carbon and a resin for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane on that surface, and a second coated layer formed on the first coated layer by applying a mixture containing Pt (alloy) and/or Pt (alloy)-carried carbon and a resin for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane thereon. The hydrogen electrode includes a porous sheet-shaped carbon element, a first coated layer formed on the sheet-shaped carbon element by applying a mixture containing carbon and a resin for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane on the surface thereof, and a second coated layer formed on the first coated layer by applying a mixture containing Pt (alloy) and/or Pt (alloy)-carried carbon and a resin for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane thereon.
Abstract:
An airbreathing fuel cell, in which a fuel can be adequately supplied to a cell part from outside even at low fuel pressures and air replacement can be easily performed to provide a stable power generating capacity, comprises a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of those unit cells, which comprise a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen passage plate and a fuel electrode, which are provided on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to be opposed to each other, the oxygen passage plate provided adjacent and toward the oxygen electrode, and separator plates provided adjacent and outside the oxygen passage plate and the fuel electrode, the fuel distribution manifold being formed into a rod-shaped body having a polygonal-shaped cross section, a fuel supply passage formed in the tie bolt, and a plurality of fuel distribution passages provided to be communicated to the fuel supply passage and formed between central holes of the unit cells and an outer peripheral surface of the fuel distribution manifold.
Abstract:
An airbreathing fuel cell, in which oxygen can be adequately supply to oxygen passage plates to obtain a power generating capacity conformed to a demand, comprises a cell stack formed in the form of a rectangle by stacking a plurality of those unit cells, which comprise a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen electrode and a fuel electrode, which are provided on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to be opposed to each other, an oxygen passage plate provided adjacent and toward the oxygen electrode, and separator plates provided adjacent and outside the oxygen passage plate and the fuel electrode, and the oxygen passage plate comprises a plurality of opened grooves on a surface thereof opposed to the oxygen electrode, the grooves being opened outside at both ends thereof.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a bonded membrane-electrode assembly for electrolysis of water, which enables the generation of hydrogen capable of being used as a fuel for a fuel cell by electrolyzing water, and a water electrolyzer constructed using the bonded membrane-electrode assembly, so that hydrogen can be produced safely. The bonded membrane-electrode assembly includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen electrode bonded to one of sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a hydrogen electrode bonded to the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The oxygen electrode includes a porous sheet-shaped carbon element plated with iridium and coated with a mixture containing carbon and a resin for a solid polymer membrane. The hydrogen electrode includes a porous sheet-shaped carbon element which is coated with a mixture containing carbon and a resin for a solid polymer membrane and further coated with a mixture containing Pt (alloy) and/or Pt (alloy)-carried carbon and a resin for a solid polymer membrane.