Power generation device, fuel package, and remaining fuel amount measuring device

• US 20050069746A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kabasawa, Yasunari
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/447
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel package comprises a vessel wherein the interior space is separated, and has a flow-out opening and a flow-in opening that lead to the interior space, a liquid fuel filled in the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel, and a follower that separates the liquid fuel and the region at the side of the flow-in opening.

Claims

1. A power generation device comprises

a fuel package that includes:

a vessel wherein the interior space is separated, and has a flow-out opening and a flow-in opening that lead to the interior space;

a liquid fuel filled in a region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel; and

a follower that separates the liquid fuel and the region at the side of the flow-in opening, and

a power generation module that includes a suction opening that is freely connected to the flow-out opening of the fuel package, and a first exhaust opening that is freely connected to the flow-in opening of the fuel package, generates electric energy based on the liquid fuel supplied from the fuel package, and exhausts a part of the product generated from the liquid fuel by chemical reaction, from the fist exhaust opening.

2. The power generation device according to claim 1, further comprises a first check valve which prevents the liquid fuel from flowing from the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel towards the outside of the vessel.

3. The power generation device according to claim 2, further comprises an opening unit that is provided so that it protrudes from said suction opening, and opens an interstice when the inserting to the interstice of the first check valve, to allow the liquid fuel to flow out.

4. The power generation device according to claim 1, wherein said fuel package comprises an absorber which can absorb the liquid fuel, in the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel.

5. The power generation device according to claim 1, wherein said fuel package comprises a second exhaust opening that leads to the outside of the vessel from the region at the side of the flow-in opening in the vessel.

6. The power generation device according to claim 5, further comprises a second check valve that irreversibly exhausts the fluid in the region at the side of the flow-in opening in the vessel from the second exhaust opening, when the pressure of the region at the side of the flow-in opening in the vessel reaches a predetermined pressure.

7. The power generation device according to claim 1, further comprises a third check valve which irreversibly exhausts a part of the product generated at the power generation module, to the outside of the power generation module.

8. The power generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

said fuel package comprises an engaging part that engages to the power generation module; and

said power generation module comprises a locking unit that fits with the engaging part to lock the fuel package, and a guiding part which controls the fuel package to slide to a predetermined direction.

9. The power generation device according to claim 8, wherein:

said locking unit of said power generation module is a locking hole; and

said engaging part of said fuel package is an engaging projection that protrudes so that the front side of the sliding direction at the guiding part is low, and the back side of the sliding direction is high.

10. The power generation device according to claim 8, wherein:

said flow-in opening and said flow-out opening are provided at a front side end surface of the inserting direction for sliding of the vessel;

said suction opening is provided at a position that corresponds to the flow-out 25 opening of the power generation module; and

said first exhaust opening is provided at a position that corresponds to the flow-in opening of the power generation module.

31. The power generation device according to claim 2, wherein said fuel package comprises an absorber which can absorb the liquid fuel, in the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel.

32. The power generation device according to claim 3, wherein said fuel package comprises an absorber which can absorb the liquid fuel, in the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel.

11. A fuel package comprises:

a vessel wherein the interior space is separated, and includes a flow-out opening and a flow-in opening that leads to said interior space;

a liquid fuel filled in a region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel; and

a follower that separates the liquid fuel and the region at the side of the flow-in opening.

12. The fuel package according to claim 11, wherein

a first check valve is provided at said flow-out opening for preventing the liquid fuel to flow out from the region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel, towards outside of the vessel, and said first check valve is provided so that it opens by the insertion of an inserting target member, to allow flow-out of the liquid fuel.

13. The fuel package according to claim 11, wherein said fuel package comprises an absorber that can absorb the liquid fuel, in a region at the side of the flow-out opening in the vessel.

14. The fuel package according to claim 11, comprises a second exhaust opening that leads from the region at the side of the flow-in opening in said vessel to the outside of the vessel.

15. The fuel package according to claim 14, further comprises a second check valve that irreversibly exhausts the fluid in the region at the side of the flow-in opening in the vessel from the second exhaust opening, when the pressure of the region at the side of the flow-in opening in the vessel reaches a predetermined pressure.

16. The fuel package according to claim 11, further comprising a third check valve which irreversibly exhausts a part of the product generated at the power generation module from the liquid fuel by chemical reaction, to the outside of the power generation module that generates electric energy based on the liquid fuel supplied from the fuel package.

17. The fuel package according to claim 11, wherein said interior space comprises a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber that respectively 5 have the liquid fuel filled independently.

18. The fuel package according to claim 17, wherein said first liquid chamber has filled therein, a larger volume of the liquid fuel, than said second liquid chamber.

19. The fuel package according to claim 17, wherein said first liquid chamber 10 comprises a first flow-out opening, and said second liquid chamber comprises a second flow-out opening that has a larger opening area than the first flow-out opening.

20. The fuel package according to claim 17, wherein said first liquid chamber is longer than the second liquid chamber in the longitudinal direction.

21. The fuel package according to claim 17, wherein the length of the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber in the longitudinal direction, are the same.

22. A remaining fuel amount measuring device which measures the remaining amount of a liquid fuel, comprises a sensor which detects the displacement of a follower that separates the end of the liquid fuel, in the liquid chamber that has the liquid fuel filled, so that is covered, and follows the end of the liquid fuel.

23. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors which respectively detect the displacement of the followers in the plurality of said liquid chambers provided in the vessel.

24. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein said follower is displaced, in accordance with the flow-out of the liquid fuel from a communicating hole provided at said chamber.

25. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein:

said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors which respectively detect the displacement of the followers in the plurality of said liquid chambers provided in the vessel;

said follower in each liquid chamber of said vessel is displaced in accordance with said liquid fuel flowing out from the communicating hole provided at each liquid chamber;

the opening area of said plurality of communicating holes are respectively equal; and

the volume of the plurality of liquid chambers for storing the liquid fuel, respectively differ.

26. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein:

said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors which respectively detect the displacement of the followers in the plurality of said liquid chambers provided in the vessel;

said follower in each liquid chamber of said vessel is displaced in accordance with said liquid fuel flowing out from the communicating hole provided at each liquid chamber;

the opening area of said plurality of communicating holes is respectively different; and

the volume of the plurality of liquid chambers for storing the liquid fuel, is respectively equal.

27. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein said sensor comprises a light emitting element that emits light from outside of the liquid chamber towards the follower via the liquid fuel, and a light receiving element that receives light from the light emitting element which is emitted via the inside of the liquid chamber.

28. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 27, wherein the light emitted from the light emitting element is a light with a wavelength region indicating reflexivity towards the follower.

29. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 27, wherein the light emitted from the light emitting element is a light with a wavelength region indicating perviousness towards the vessel where the liquid chamber is provided.

30. The remaining fuel amount measuring device according to claim 22, wherein said remaining fuel amount measuring device is provided at the interior of the power generation module that can be freely attached/detached to/from the fuel package that has said liquid fuel filled therein, and generates electric energy based on the liquid fuel.