An apparatus for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly includes a suction roller, a porous base material supply roller, a porous base material collection roller, a laminated base material supply roller, an assembly collection roller, an application part disposed around the suction roller and a maintenance space for the maintenance of the application part. The porous base material supply roller and the porous base material collection roller are disposed on the opposite side of the suction roller from the maintenance space as seen in a horizontal direction. The porous base material supply roller and the porous base material collection roller are collectively disposed on one side of the suction roller. This configuration ensures the maintenance space on the opposite side of the suction roller, and lowers the height dimension of the manufacturing apparatus.

An electrically conductive member of the present disclosure includes a base member containing chromium (Cr), and a first layer provided on a surface of the base member and containing chromium(III) oxide (Cr.sub.2O.sub.3). The first layer also contains titanium (Ti).

A method for producing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprising a proton exchange polymer membrane, catalyst layers, and first and second gas diffusion layers, the method comprising the following steps: a) forming a catalytic layer coating on a first surface of the membrane, the opposite surface being supported by a spacer; b) forming a catalytic layer coating on a first surface of the first gas diffusion layer; c) bringing the first surface of the first gas diffusion layer into contact with the surface opposite to the said first surface of the membrane, after removing the spacer, and bringing the first surface of the membrane into contact with a surface of the second gas diffusion layer.

An illustrative example method of making a fuel cell component includes mixing a catalyst material with a hydrophobic binder in a solvent to establish a liquid mixture having at least some coagulation of the catalyst material and the hydrophobic binder. The liquid mixture is applied to at least one side of a porous gas diffusion layer. At least some of the solvent of the applied liquid mixture is removed from the porous gas diffusion layer. The catalyst material remaining on the porous gas diffusion layer is dried under pressure.

A method of fabricating a membrane electrode assembly includes the steps of depositing a catalyst ink directly onto a membrane to form a catalyst coated membrane and hot pressing the catalyst coated membrane. The catalyst coated membrane has a catalyst layer that includes a catalyst and an ionomer.

A catalyst layer for a fuel cell, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst-supporting carbon and an ionomer; wherein, in a particle size distribution obtained by the laser diffraction/scattering method, the catalyst-supporting carbon has at least two aggregate particle size peaks at less than 1 μm and at 1 μm or more; wherein, when a thickness of the catalyst layer is divided into three equal parts, the catalyst layer has a first region on a gas diffusion layer side, a second region in a middle part, and a third region on an electrolyte membrane side; and wherein a void ratio V.sub.G of the first region is 5% or more higher than a void ratio V.sub.M of the third region.

A fuel cell system includes a first fuel cell having an electrode area made of first electrode material, and a second fuel cell having an electrode area made of second electrode material having low durability against output voltage variation in comparison with the first electrode material. The fuel cell system is configured to supply electrical power to a motor generator. The fuel cell system includes a required electrical power acquisition unit configured to obtain required electrical power of the motor generator, and a control unit configured to control the second fuel cell in a manner that a variation of output electrical power of the second fuel cell becomes not more than a predetermined limit variation, and control the first fuel cell in accordance with the required electrical power and output electrical power of the second fuel cell.

An electrochemical device includes a lithium anode having a red poly(benzonitrile) coating covering at least a portion of the anode; a separator and an air cathode comprising reduced graphene oxide over gas diffusion layer; and an electrolyte comprising an ether solvent, benzonitrile, and a lithium salt.

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a catalyst for rechargeable energy storage devices having a first transition metal and a second transition metal, wherein the first and second transition metals are formed on carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes are doped with nitrogen and phosphorous, wherein the carbon nanotubes have edges and interlayer spaces and are axially aligned, and the first and second transition metals form bimetal centers, wherein the bimetal centers may be uniformly distributed catalytic active sites located at the edges or the interlayer spaces of the carbon nanotubes providing intercalated layers. The present FeCo—NPCNTs are a morphology-dependent catalyst that provides effective performance for bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in metal-air-cells and fuel cells.

A composite active material particle that can reduce battery resistance when used in an all-solid-state lithium ion battery is disclosed. The composite active material particle comprises: an active material particle; and a lithium ion conducting oxide with which at least part of a surface of the active material particle is coated, wherein the moisture content in the composite active material particle is no more than 319 ppm.