Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090061266 | METHOD OF DRIVING FUEL CELL DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a method of driving a fuel cell device includes calculating a fuel shortage based on a difference between the fuel concentration detected by a concentration sensor element and a predetermined desired fuel concentration, and obtaining an efficiency of electricity generation of an electromotive section based on the temperature of the electromotive section detected by a temperature sensor element and the load current measured by a control section. The method includes calculating a fuel consumption by the electromotive section for electricity generation based on the output of the electromotive section and the obtained electricity generation efficiency, and replenishing by a supply section a mixing tank with an amount of fuel equivalent to the sum of the calculated fuel shortage and the calculated fuel consumption, thereby controlling the concentration of the fuel supplied to the electromotive section. | 03-05-2009 |
20090142630 | Fuel Cell Apparatus and Method of Controlling Fuel Cell Apparatus - According to one embodiment, a fuel cell apparatus includes a cell stack of an active direct methanol type, and a DC-DC converter configure to receive output voltage of the cell stack and to control an output current of the cell stack so that the output voltage of the cell stack becomes greater than a lower-limit threshold Vt and the output current of the cell stack lies in a range of I | 06-04-2009 |
20090246574 | FUEL CELL APPARATUS AND DRIVE METHOD THEREOF - According to an embodiment, a fuel cell apparatus comprises an electromotive section including a cell including an anode and a cathode, and configured to generate electricity by a chemical reaction, a fuel tank configured to store fuel, a fuel channel configured to flow fuel through the anode, and an air channel configured to flow air through the cathode, a fuel supply device configured to supply fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the anode through the fuel channel, and a cell controller configured to control a generated electricity drawn out from the electromotive section and execute a refresh process for drawing out a current of a current value which is generated when an amount of air larger than the amount of air supplied to the cathode is consumed. | 10-01-2009 |
20090297902 | Cell Stack and Fuel Cell Device Provided with the Same - According to one embodiment, a cell stack of a fuel cell device comprises a positive electrode including a anode separator, and a pair of anode plates laminated opposite first and second contact surfaces of the anode separator, a pair of negative electrodes laminated individually on the opposite sides of the positive electrode, and electrolyte layers. The negative electrode includes a cathode plate opposed to each corresponding anode plate with a gap therebetween and a cathode separator provided with a contact surface opposed to the cathode plate. The anode separator includes first fuel channels formed in the first contact surface, second fuel channels formed in the second contact surface, and cooling channels formed between the first and second contact surfaces and through which a coolant is circulated. The cathode separator includes a plurality of air channels formed in the contact surface and through which air is supplied to the cathode plate. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297903 | Fuel Cell Device - According to one embodiment, a fuel cell device comprises an electromotive section which is provided with a cell including an anode and a cathode opposed to each other and configured to generate electricity in consequence of a chemical reaction, a fuel tank configured to store a fuel, a fuel channel in which the fuel flows through the anode, an air channel in which air flows through the cathode, a cooling channel which diverges from the fuel channel and extends through the electromotive section, and a fuel supply section configured to supply the fuel from the fuel tank to the anode through the fuel channel and configured to flow some of the fuel from the cooling channel through the electromotive section to cool the electromotive section. | 12-03-2009 |
20110204842 | CHARGER, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND STORAGE CASE - According to one embodiment, a charger includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity, an intake/exhaust unit configured to supply air to the fuel cell and discharge an emission from the fuel cell, a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the fuel cell, and a power transmission unit configured to transmit the electricity generated in the fuel cell in a non-contact manner. The power transmission unit and the intake/exhaust unit are oriented in different directions. | 08-25-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080241622 | ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE AND FUEL CELL UNIT - A fuel cell unit is attachable to a main unit of an electronic appliance having an air-inhaling inlet for inhaling open air for cooling internal components and an area where no air-inhaling inlet is formed, and includes: a fuel cell that generates water upon power generation and supplies power to the electronic appliance; and a vapor exhaust outlet for exhausting vapor containing the generated water at a position lower, in a posture in general use, to the area of the main unit where no air-inhaling inlet is formed. | 10-02-2008 |
20090004517 | FUEL CELL DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR - According to an embodiment, a fuel cell device includes an electromotive section which has an anode and a cathode and generates electricity, a tank, a fuel channel through which fuel supplied from the tank is run via the anode side of the electromotive section, a flow regulator section which adjusts a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the anode, a sensor which detects an amount of the fuel in the tank, and a cell control section. The cell control section causes the flow regulator section to adjust the fuel flow rate to an upper limit value of an adjustable range when an increase in the amount of fuel in the tank is detected by the sensor and to adjust the fuel flow rate to a minimum necessary flow rate for an electricity generation operation when a reduction of the amount of fuel in the tank is detected. | 01-01-2009 |
20090092867 | FUEL CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A FUEL CELL SYSTEM - A method for operating a fuel cell system includes: disconnecting a connection between a cell and an electrical load, driving a fan and a circulation pump so as to circulate the fuel in a route from a buffer unit to the buffer unit through an anode electrode of the cell with a secondary battery when a detected amount of the fuel stored in a buffer unit is larger than a an upper-limit threshold value and a detected temperature of the cell or fuel is lower than or equal to a temperature threshold value. | 04-09-2009 |
20110129755 | Power Supply Device and Pressure Regulator - According to one embodiment, a power supply device includes a fuel cell, a pipe passage, a fuel pump, a component, a tilt sensor, a pressure regulator, a pressure calculator, and a pressure controller. The fuel cell generates electric power using liquid fuel. The pipe passage supplies the liquid fuel to the fuel cell. The fuel pump sends the liquid fuel to the pipe passage. The component is located in the pipe passage. The tilt sensor detects a tilt angle of the component. The pressure regulator regulates the pressure of the liquid fuel applied to the component. The pressure calculator calculates a variation in the pressure of the liquid fuel applied to the component based on the distance between the component and the pressure regulator and the tilt angle. The pressure controller controls the pressure regulator to maintain the pressure applied to the component within an allowable pressure range. | 06-02-2011 |