INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE SENSOR AND FUEL CELL INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20090053580A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakakubo, Toru, Yamamoto, Jun, Mogi, Satoshi, Ihara, Shoji, Morita, Akira
• Application Number:
  US12/282,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20090053580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/444
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/042 by using materials which expand, contract, disintegrate, or decompose in contact with a fluid G01M3/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/20 using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/02 Details electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

There is provided an inflammable substance sensor which can be installed in a small space and a fuel cell including the same. The inflammable substance sensor for informing the outside of detection of an inflammable substance includes an odorant releasing member for releasing an odorant due to a chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

Claims

1. An inflammable substance sensor for informing of a detection of an inflammable substance, comprising an odorant releasing member for releasing an odorant due to a chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

2. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, wherein the odorant comprises a product produced by the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

3. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, wherein the odorant comprises a substance to be vaporized by heat generated by the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

4. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, wherein the odorant comprises a product produced by a chemical reaction of an intermediate product produced by the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

5. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, wherein the odorant is contained in a microcapsule.

6. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 5, wherein the microcapsule is made of a material which directly chemically reacts with the inflammable substance.

7. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 5, wherein the microcapsule is broken by at least one of heat and an intermediate product generated by the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

8. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a catalyst portion for promoting the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

9. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 5, further comprising a catalyst portion for promoting the chemical reaction of the inflammable substance provided onto a surface of the microcapsule.

10. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst portion comprises platinum.

11. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 4, wherein the intermediate product comprises water.

12. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inflammable substance comprises at least one substance selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methanol and ethanol.

13. A fuel cell comprising:

a fuel electrode to which a fuel is supplied;

an oxidizer electrode to which an oxidizer is supplied;

an ion conductor provided between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode;

a fuel flow path;

an oxidizer flow path; and

the inflammable substance sensor according to claim 1.

14. The fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein the oxidizer electrode comprises a catalyst layer and the catalyst layer is provided with the inflammable substance sensor.

15. The fuel cell according to claim 13, wherein the inflammable substance sensor is provided to a connecting portion between a fuel tank and the fuel flow path.

16. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 9, wherein the catalyst portion comprises platinum.

17. The inflammable substance sensor according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate product comprises water.