Method of measuring alcohol concentration, alcohol concentration measurement apparatus, and fuel cell system including the apparatus
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell system using a liquid fuel containing an alcohol comprising:
- a fuel cell main body including a solid polymer electrolytic membrane, and a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode attached to said solid electrolyte membrane;
a container containing said liquid fuel;
a polymer membrane having proton conductivity and provided inside of said container or at the wall portion of said container; and
a concentration detection unit which detects the alcohol concentration of said liquid fuel in said container based on the alteration of the proton conductivity of said polymer membrane when said polymer membrane is immersed with said liquid fuel.
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell main body which has a solid polymer electrolytic membrane, a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode attached to the solid electrolyte membrane; a fuel storage unit which stores liquid fuel; a polymer membrane having a proton conductivity and provided in the fuel storage unit; a concentration detection unit (a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal) which detects the alcohol concentration of the liquid fuel in the fuel storage unit based on the alteration of the proton conductivity of said polymer membrane; and a concentration measurement unit.
24 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A fuel cell system using a liquid fuel containing an alcohol comprising:
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a fuel cell main body including a solid polymer electrolytic membrane, and a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode attached to said solid electrolyte membrane;
a container containing said liquid fuel;
a polymer membrane having proton conductivity and provided inside of said container or at the wall portion of said container; and
a concentration detection unit which detects the alcohol concentration of said liquid fuel in said container based on the alteration of the proton conductivity of said polymer membrane when said polymer membrane is immersed with said liquid fuel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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8. A fuel cell system using a liquid fuel containing an alcohol comprising:
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a fuel cell main body including a solid polymer electrolytic membrane, and a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode attached to said solid electrolyte membrane;
a container containing said liquid fuel;
a polymer membrane provided inside of said container or at the wall portion of said container and changeable in size in accordance with the concentration of the alcohol concentration of said liquid fuel when being immersed with said liquid fuel; and
a concentration detection unit which detects the alteration degree of the size of said polymer membrane and detects the alcohol concentration of said liquid fuel in said container based on the alteration degree of the size. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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24. An alcohol concentration measurement apparatus, comprising:
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a polymer membrane which has a proton conductivity, said proton conductivity being changeable when being immersed with an alcohol-containing liquid, in accordance with the alcohol concentration of said liquid; and
a concentration detection unit which detects the alcohol concentration of said liquid based on the alteration of the proton conductivity of said polymer membrane. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An alcohol concentration measurement apparatus comprising:
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a polymer membrane which shows size alteration when an alcohol-containing liquid is immersed therewith, depending on the concentration of the alcohol concentration in said liquid; and
a concentration detection unit which detects the alteration degree of the size of said polymer membrane and detects the alcohol concentration of said liquid based on the alteration degree of the size. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of measuring the alcohol concentration, comprising:
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immersing an alcohol-containing liquid which is a target to be measured to a polymer membrane having a proton conductivity;
detecting the alteration of the proton conductivity of said polymer membrane; and
detecting the alcohol concentration in said liquid based on the alteration of the proton conductivity. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of measuring the alcohol concentration, comprising:
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immersing an alcohol-containing liquid which is a target to be measured to a polymer membrane showing size alteration when being impregnated with said liquid;
detecting the size alteration of said polymer membrane; and
detecting the alcohol concentration of said liquid based on the size alteration of said polymer membrane. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A fuel storage container detachable to a fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell main body, a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal, and a voltage application unit which applies voltage between said first electrode terminal and said second electrode terminal, and reserving a liquid fuel supplied to said fuel cell main body, comprising:
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a polymer membrane having a proton conductivity; and
a third electrode terminal and a fourth electrode terminal which are attached to said polymer membrane and electrically connected to said first electrode terminal and said second electrode terminal, respectively.
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36. A fuel storage container detachable to a fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell main body, a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal, and a voltage application unit which applies voltage between said first electrode terminal and said second electrode terminal, and reserving a liquid fuel supplied to said fuel cell main body, comprising:
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a polymer membrane changeable in size when being immersed with an alcohol-containing liquid;
a strain gauge which is attached to said polymer membrane; and
a third electrode terminal and a fourth electrode terminal which are electrically connected to said first electrode terminal and said second electrode terminal, respectively to output resistance alteration of said strain gauge.
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Specification