公开(公告)号：US10256489B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-09

申请号：US15229115

申请日：2016-08-05

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Takashi Kakuwa ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Tatsuo Fujita

IPC: H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/06 ,  H01M8/10 ,  H01M8/0612 ,  H01M8/04014 ,  H01M8/04089 ,  H01M8/1016 ,  C01B3/38 ,  B01J8/00 ,  B01J8/02 ,  H01M8/124

Abstract: A hydrogen generating apparatus includes a reformer that reforms fuel and generates reformed gas containing hydrogen, a combustor that heats the reformer, an exhaust gas path which covers the surroundings of an outer wall of the reformer and through which combustion exhaust gas from the combustor flows, and a reformed gas path through which the reformed gas sent from the reformer toward the combustor flows. The reformer is arranged on a flame forming side of the combustor, and a gas flow within the reformer in a portion thereof where the gas flow contacts the outer wall of the reformer is opposed to a flow of the combustion exhaust gas in the exhaust gas path in a portion thereof where the combustion exhaust gas contacts the outer wall of the reformer.

公开(公告)号：US10122027B2

公开(公告)日：2018-11-06

申请号：US15419365

申请日：2017-01-30

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Kunihiro Ukai ,  Hideki Nakata ,  Aichi Aida

IPC: H01M8/04014 ,  H01M8/04701 ,  H01M8/0612 ,  H01M8/0662 ,  H01M8/2425

Abstract: A high-temperature operating fuel-cell module includes a fuel-cell stack; a fuel-cell stack container in which the fuel-cell stack is contained and cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; a cathode off-gas collector that is provided in the fuel-cell stack container and in which the cathode off-gas is collected; an anode off-gas passage through which anode off-gas discharged from the fuel-cell stack flows; and a combustor that combusts the cathode off-gas collected in the cathode off-gas collector and the anode off-gas flowing through the anode off-gas passage, the combustor comprising: a combustion chamber in which the anode and cathode off-gas are mixed and combusted, an ejector that is connected to the anode off-gas passage and ejects the anode off-gas into the combustion chamber, and a diffusion plate that surrounds the ejector so that the ejector is located at the center of the diffusion plate, and ejects the cathode off-gas into the combustion chamber.

公开(公告)号：US10090548B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-02

申请号：US14923839

申请日：2015-10-27

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Hiromi Kita ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Toru Sukawa

IPC: H01M8/0662 ,  H01M8/04014 ,  H01M8/0668 ,  H01M8/0612 ,  H01M8/04007 ,  C01B3/38 ,  H01M8/04701

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a desulfurizer that removes a sulfur compound in a raw material, a fuel cell unit that performs electric-power generation using fuel obtained by reforming a raw material from which the sulfur compound is removed and electric-power generation air supplied, a combustion exhaust gas passage through which combustion exhaust gas generated by combusting fuel not utilized for the electric-power generation in the fuel cell unit is emitted, a combustion exhaust gas container that is connected to the combustion exhaust gas passage and accommodates the desulfurizer inside the combustion exhaust gas container, a purifier that removes carbon monoxide included in the combustion exhaust gas, and an air heat exchanger that performs heat exchange of the combustion exhaust gas and the electric-power generation air supplied to the fuel cell unit.

公开(公告)号：US12203178B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-21

申请号：US18598841

申请日：2024-03-07

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Kunihiro Ukai ,  Norihiko Kawabata ,  Osamu Sakai ,  Hidenobu Wakita ,  Jin Zhang ,  Yukimune Kani

IPC: C25B1/02 ,  B01D53/32

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.

公开(公告)号：US11730912B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US16779693

申请日：2020-02-03

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Yasufumi Takahashi ,  Kazuhito Hato ,  Kunihiro Ukai

IPC: A61M16/12 ,  A61M16/10 ,  A61G10/02

CPC classification number: A61M16/122 ,  A61G10/02 ,  A61M16/107 ,  A61M16/12 ,  A61M2202/02 ,  A61M2202/0266 ,  A61M2205/13 ,  A61M2205/3303 ,  A61M2205/3334 ,  A61M2205/3368

Abstract: A hydrogen supply apparatus includes: an air path having an inlet and an outlet; a fan that is disposed in the air path and produces a flow of air from the inlet to the outlet; a first pipe having an end that forms a first supply port through which to supply hydrogen gas to the air path; a flow control device that is attached to the first pipe and adjusts a flow rate of the hydrogen gas; and a hydrogen gas sensor, disposed downstream of the fan or the end in a direction of flow of the air that detects a concentration of the hydrogen gas in the air path, where the end is disposed between the fan and the outlet or between the fan and the inlet in the air path.

公开(公告)号：US10301179B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-28

申请号：US15726445

申请日：2017-10-06

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Osamu Sakai ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Hidenobu Wakita ,  Yukimune Kani ,  Yuuichi Yakumaru ,  Takashi Sotoku

IPC: C01B3/58 ,  H01M8/14 ,  C25B1/12 ,  H01M8/04082 ,  H01M8/0662 ,  B01D53/32 ,  C01B3/50 ,  H01M8/248 ,  H01M8/0232 ,  H01M8/0271 ,  H01M8/1018

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.

公开(公告)号：US10050293B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-14

申请号：US14923854

申请日：2015-10-27

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Takehiro Maruyama ,  Kunihiro Ukai

IPC: H01M8/06 ,  H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/0612 ,  H01M8/0432 ,  H01M8/04746 ,  H01M8/124

Abstract: A method for operating a fuel cell system including a fuel feeder supplying fuel, a reformer producing a hydrogen-containing gas by a reforming reaction, a fuel cell which includes a cathode and an anode, a combustor which combusts an anode off-gas discharged from the anode to produce a combustion gas, a temperature detector detecting the temperature of the combustion gas, and a storage device storing a preset target temperature profile, the target temperature profile including the temporal change in target temperature of the combustion gas in the operation of the fuel cell system, includes controlling the flow rate of the fuel supplied from the fuel feeder to the reformer in the operation such that the temperature detected by the temperature detector becomes equal to a target temperature determined on the basis of the target temperature profile.

公开(公告)号：US20180187319A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-05

申请号：US15821744

申请日：2017-11-22

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Yuuichi Yakumaru ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Yukimune Kani

IPC: C25B15/08 ,  B01D53/32 ,  C25B1/02 ,  C25B9/08 ,  F04B45/047

CPC classification number: C25B15/08 ,  B01D53/228 ,  B01D53/326 ,  B01D2256/16 ,  C25B1/02 ,  C25B9/08 ,  C25B11/035 ,  F04B45/047 ,  H01M8/0681

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.

公开(公告)号：US09991527B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-05

申请号：US15130940

申请日：2016-04-16

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Hideki Nakata ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Masakazu Aoki ,  Norio Katsushita

IPC: H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/12 ,  F28D9/00 ,  H01M8/04007 ,  H01M8/04014 ,  F28D21/00

CPC classification number: H01M8/04074 ,  F28D9/005 ,  F28D9/0056 ,  F28D2021/0043 ,  H01M8/04014 ,  H01M8/12

Abstract: A heat exchanger, in which heat is exchanged between first and second mediums, includes a housing that includes a first inlet and a first outlet, an internal member that divides a space in the housing into first and second chambers, and first and second external channels, through which the first medium flows, in the respective first and second chambers. The internal member includes a diverging hole that divides the first medium into flows through the first and second external channels, a converging hole that allows the divided first medium to converge, a second inlet, a second outlet, and an internal channel through which the second medium flows. The first and second external channels each include a first bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the first or second chamber. The internal channel includes a second bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the internal member.

公开(公告)号：US09871264B2

公开(公告)日：2018-01-16

申请号：US14794664

申请日：2015-07-08

Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Miki Dohkoshi ,  Kunihiro Ukai ,  Takehiro Maruyama

IPC: H01M8/06 ,  H01M8/12 ,  H01M8/04 ,  H01M8/0662 ,  H01M8/0612 ,  H01M8/04014 ,  H01M8/04007 ,  H01M8/1246 ,  H01M8/124

CPC classification number: H01M8/0675 ,  H01M8/04007 ,  H01M8/04022 ,  H01M8/04074 ,  H01M8/0618 ,  H01M8/0631 ,  H01M8/1246 ,  H01M2008/1293 ,  H01M2300/0074

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell system using combustion heat for an evaporator and a desulfurizer effectively. The fuel cell system comprises a combustor, a reformer, a fuel cell, a first cathode air heating part, a desulfurizer and an evaporator. A mixture of oxygen and gas which is contained in fuel is combusted in the combustor. A combustion exhaust gas generated in the combustor flows in the fuel cell system in such a manner that the combustion exhaust gas gives thermal energy to the reformer, the first cathode air heating part, the desulfurizer, and the evaporator in this order.