In an embodiment, a fuel cell includes: a flexible substrate including a first fuel-tolerant material; a fitting on the flexible substrate, the fitting including first openings extending through an outer portion of the fitting; a primer coating on the outer portion of the fitting, the primer coating including a second fuel-tolerant material; first yarns strung through the first openings of the fitting, the first yarns stitched into the flexible substrate; and an encapsulant encapsulating the first yarns, the primer coating, and the outer portion of the fitting, the encapsulant disposed on the flexible substrate, the encapsulant including a third fuel-tolerant material, the third fuel-tolerant material chemically bonded to the second fuel-tolerant material and the first fuel-tolerant material.

In an embodiment, a fuel cell includes: a flexible substrate including a first fuel-tolerant material; a fitting on the flexible substrate, the fitting including first openings extending through an outer portion of the fitting; a primer coating on the outer portion of the fitting, the primer coating including a second fuel-tolerant material; first yarns strung through the first openings of the fitting, the first yarns stitched into the flexible substrate; and an encapsulant encapsulating the first yarns, the primer coating, and the outer portion of the fitting, the encapsulant disposed on the flexible substrate, the encapsulant including a third fuel-tolerant material, the third fuel-tolerant material chemically bonded to the second fuel-tolerant material and the first fuel-tolerant material.

Benthic microbial biofuel cells (BMFCs) are a potential non-toxic and renewable source of underwater power. BMFCs function by coupling an anaerobic anode to an oxygenated cathode. However, current in-situ BMFCs on average produce less than 1W of power. Potential causes are internal ohmic resistance and low capture efficiency of the bacteria-generated charge due to macroscopic average distances between bacteria and electrodes. A microfluidic BMFC chip is enclosed to study those potential causes. The chip is built using elastomer microfluidics to provide biologically-inert microfluidic confinement of the bacteria, forcing them to be no further away than the height of the containment microchamber (‥90 μm) from the microelectrode matrix built on the glass substrate of the chip. The matrix captures the charge without location bias (due to its H-architecture) and conducts it to the outside circuit. The microfluidic chip system can be used as an evaluation station to optimize biological parameters, geometry, and electrode scaling towards increased power. That would lead to the development of an optimized power unit that can then be arrayed to build renewable power stations in maritime environments.

A fuel cell 1 includes a silicon substrate 2, a porous support material layer 5, a plurality of holes 60 or columns 40, and a stacked body. The stacked body includes an upper electrode layer 10, a solid electrolyte layer 100 and a lower electrode layer 20. The upper electrode layer 10 is also formed on a surface parallel to a main surface of the silicon substrate 2 in a manner of being continuous to the upper electrode layer 10 formed in the plurality of holes 60 or columns 40, or the lower electrode layer 20 is also formed on a surface parallel to the main surface of the silicon substrate 2 in a manner of being continuous to the lower electrode layer 20 formed in the plurality of holes 60 or columns 40. The stacked body is supported by the porous support material layer 5 in at least upper end portions and lower end portions of the plurality of holes 60 or columns 40.

A metal support for an electrochemical element where the metal support includes a plate face, has a plate shape as a whole, and has a warping degree of 1.5×10.sup.−2 or less determined by calculating a least square value through the least squares method using at least three points in the plate face of the metal support, calculating a first difference between the least square value and a positive-side maximum displacement value on a positive side with respect to the least square value and a second difference between the least square value and a negative-side maximum displacement value on a negative side that is opposite to the positive side with respect to the least square value, and dividing the sum of the first difference and the second difference by a maximum length of the plate face of the metal support that passes through a center of gravity.

A metal support for an electrochemical element where the metal support includes a plate face, has a plate shape as a whole, and has a warping degree of 1.5×10.sup.−2 or less determined by calculating a least square value through the least squares method using at least three points in the plate face of the metal support, calculating a first difference between the least square value and a positive-side maximum displacement value on a positive side with respect to the least square value and a second difference between the least square value and a negative-side maximum displacement value on a negative side that is opposite to the positive side with respect to the least square value, and dividing the sum of the first difference and the second difference by a maximum length of the plate face of the metal support that passes through a center of gravity.

Embodiments of the invention include fuel cells incorporating sheets and/or powders of silica fibers and methods for producing such devices. The silica fibers may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

Embodiments of the invention include fuel cells incorporating sheets and/or powders of silica fibers and methods for producing such devices. The silica fibers may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

The invention relates to a strip of fuel cell components comprising a plurality of fuel cell components spaced apart in a first direction and a support structure connected to the plurality of fuel cell components. The plurality of fuel cell components comprise a first surface. The support structure comprises two lateral fold regions between adjacent fuel cell components such that the support structure is foldable in order for the first surfaces of the plurality of fuel cell components to face in the same direction when folded.

The invention relates to a strip of fuel cell components comprising a plurality of fuel cell components spaced apart in a first direction and a support structure connected to the plurality of fuel cell components. The plurality of fuel cell components comprise a first surface. The support structure comprises two lateral fold regions between adjacent fuel cell components such that the support structure is foldable in order for the first surfaces of the plurality of fuel cell components to face in the same direction when folded.