Patents by Inventor Akira Fuju
Akira Fuju has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9112201Abstract: There are provided a hydrogen production apparatus, a fuel cell system and operation method thereof, which can more reliably suppress degradation due to oxidation of a catalyst in a hydrogen production apparatus even when start-ups and shutdowns are repeated without a purge operation during the shutdowns. The hydrogen production apparatus includes a reforming part, a shift reaction part, and a selective oxidation reaction part having a selective oxidation catalyst bed packed with a selective oxidation catalyst, wherein the hydrogen production apparatus has an oxygen absorbent bed packed with an oxygen absorbent capable of absorbing oxygen and capable of being regenerated by a reducing gas, and the oxygen absorbent bed and the selective oxidation catalyst bed are stacked with the oxygen absorbent bed on the downstream side, and the hydrogen production apparatus has means for opening the downstream of the oxygen absorbent bed to the atmosphere. The fuel cell system has this hydrogen production apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2007Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Yasushi Sato, Akira Goto, Ken Samura, Akira Fuju, Masataka Kadowaki
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Patent number: 8696773Abstract: In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Akira Fuju, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura
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Publication number: 20120237839Abstract: In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2012Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicants: Nippon Oil Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira FUJU, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura
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Publication number: 20120231359Abstract: This fuel cell system [[1]] provides a fuel cell system that can be reduced in cost. This fuel cell system [[1]] includes a reformer [[11]] for reforming raw fuel using a burner [[15]] to generate reformed gas, and a CO shift converter [[12]] shaped like a tube provided integrally with the reformer [[11]] such that the reformer [[11]] is positioned in the tube, for reducing a carbon monoxide concentration in the reformed gas generated by the reformer [[11]]. In the fuel cell system [[1]], the CO shift converter [[12]] can be heated with exhaust gas from the burner [[15]] to increase the temperature thereof. Therefore, the need for a heater to increase the temperature of the CO shift converter [[12]] can be eliminated.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2010Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: ENEOS CELLTECH CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Fuju, Takuya Kajita, Yoshinobu Nishimura
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Patent number: 8178062Abstract: In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order. A combustion means produces combustion exhaust gas by combusting the raw fuel. An outer casing is placed around the reforming reaction tube, and the outer casing has a larger diameter than that of the reforming reaction tube. A heated flow passage through which the combustion exhaust gas passes to heat the reforming reaction tube is formed between the reforming reaction tube and the outer casing.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Nippon Oil CorporationInventors: Akira Fuju, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura
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Patent number: 7651800Abstract: The object is to provide a simplified but highly efficient fuel cell system, permitting to perform the flame off detection and so on without supplying the burner with additional raw fuel, even if a flame rod system flame detection means is adopted as burner for reformer. The invention concerns a fuel cell system, comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel such as natural gas into hydrogen, a CO transformer, a CO eliminator, a fuel cell for generating electricity from hydrogen, and a burner for reformer for burning hydrogen gas discharged from the fuel cell and supply the reformer with heat necessary for reforming reaction, wherein the burner for reformer is provided with a flame rod system flame detection means and, at the same time, supplied with hydrogen gas containing a flame detectable amount of fuel gas.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2008Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju, Yasuo Miyake, Masatoshi Ueda, Keigo Miyai, Yukinori Akiyama
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Publication number: 20090087705Abstract: In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order. A combustion means produces combustion exhaust gas by combusting the raw fuel. An outer casing is placed around the reforming reaction tube, and the outer casing has a larger diameter than that of the reforming reaction tube. A heated flow passage through which the combustion exhaust gas passes to heat the reforming reaction tube is formed between the reforming reaction tube and the outer casing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Inventors: Akira FUJU, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura
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Publication number: 20090011298Abstract: There are provided a hydrogen production apparatus, a fuel cell system and operation method thereof, which can more reliably suppress degradation due to oxidation of a catalyst in a hydrogen production apparatus even when start-ups and shutdowns are repeated without a purge operation during the shutdowns. The hydrogen production apparatus includes a reforming part, a shift reaction part, and a selective oxidation reaction part having a selective oxidation catalyst bed packed with a selective oxidation catalyst, wherein the hydrogen production apparatus has an oxygen absorbent bed packed with an oxygen absorbent capable of absorbing oxygen and capable of being regenerated by a reducing gas, and the oxygen absorbent bed and the selective oxidation catalyst bed are stacked with the oxygen absorbent bed on the downstream side, and the hydrogen production apparatus has means for opening the downstream of the oxygen absorbent bed to the atmosphere. The fuel cell system has this hydrogen production apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2007Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicants: NIPPON OIL CORPORATION, SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Akira Goto, Ken Samura, Akira Fuju, Masataka Kadowaki
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Patent number: 7419733Abstract: The object is to provide a simplified but highly efficient fuel cell system, permitting to perform the flame off detection and so on without supplying the burner with additional raw fuel, even if a flame rod system flame detection means is adopted as burner for reformer. The invention concerns a fuel cell system, comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel such as natural gas into hydrogen, a CO transformer, a CO eliminator, a fuel cell for generating electricity from hydrogen, and a burner for reformer for burning hydrogen gas discharged from the fuel cell and supply the reformer with heat necessary for reforming reaction, wherein the burner for reformer is provided with a flame rod system flame detection means and, at the same time, supplied with hydrogen gas containing a flame detectable amount of fuel gas.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2003Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju, Yasuo Miyake, Masatoshi Ueda, Keigo Miyai, Yukinori Akiyama
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Publication number: 20080160362Abstract: The object is to provide a simplified but highly efficient fuel cell system, permitting to perform the flame off detection and so on without supplying the burner with additional raw fuel, even if a flame rod system flame detection means is adopted as burner for reformer. The invention concerns a fuel cell system, comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel such as natural gas into hydrogen, a CO transformer, a CO eliminator, a fuel cell for generating electricity from hydrogen, and a burner for reformer for burning hydrogen gas discharged from the fuel cell and supply the reformer with heat necessary for reforming reaction, wherein the burner for reformer is provided with a flame rod system flame detection means and, at the same time, supplied with hydrogen gas containing a flame detectable amount of fuel gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2008Publication date: July 3, 2008Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju, Yasuo Miyake, Masatoshi Ueda, Keigo Miyai, Yukinori Akiyama
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Patent number: 7141223Abstract: A fuel reformer for reforming hydrocarbon base fuel into hydrogen rich gas, with one embodiment comprised of material containing at least 15 to 25% by mass Cr, 8 to 35% by mass Ni, 2 to 4% by mass Si and the remainder Fe and inevitable impurities (C, Mn, P, S or others). The material provides sigma brittleness resistance and cementation resistance, and provides a reformer that is lightweight, low-cost, highly reliable and durable. A second embodiment adds to the composition 0.05 to 1% by mass Nb, providing improved oxidation resistance, cementation resistance, intergranular corrosion resistance, with further improved reliability and durability.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2001Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju
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Patent number: 7052787Abstract: Proton-exchange membrane fuel-cell power generating equipment includes a heat exchanger coupled to a process burner and, therethrough, to a fan. When water needs to be heated, such as during startup, the water is circulated through the heat exchanger and the process burner is operated (ignited) to heat the water. When the water needs to be cooled, such as when a hot water reserving tank is full, the water is circulated through the heat exchanger and the fan is operated, but the process burner is not operated, to cool the water. Water is circulated through part or all of a water system to prevent freezing while the system is stopped. Optionally, the process burner is operated to heat the circulated water. The heat exchanger and other heat exchangers in the system are arranged to efficiently recover heat from burners, a fuel-cell cooling system and exothermic processes.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2002Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Osamu Tajima, Katsuya Oda, Tatsuji Hatayama, Ryuji Yukawa, Taketoshi Ouki, Akira Fuju, Koji Shindo, Kazuhiro Tajima, Satoshi Yamamoto, Katsuyuki Makihara, Keigo Miyai, Masataka Kadowaki, Masatoshi Ueda
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Patent number: 6936567Abstract: The present invention concerns a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel in to a hydrogen rich gas and a manufacturing method thereof, and the fuel reformer of the present invention wherein a Cr oxide layer is formed on at least a part of the surface of steel material making the reformer produces no red scale through water vapor oxidation of the surface of steel material making the reformer, even when exposed to an atmosphere of low oxygen concentration and/or high water vapor concentration under a high temperature and has an extremely important industrial utility value because it is highly heat resistant, light, low cost and cheap, highly reliable and long life, and moreover a cheap, highly reliable and long life fuel reformer can be manufactured at a low cost and easily by the manufacturing method of the present invention.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2001Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masatoshi Ueda, Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju
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Publication number: 20040126288Abstract: To provide a hydrogen generator for a fuel cell for generating a hydrogen-rich gas by steam reforming a source of hydrocarbon fuel gas and supplying the hydrogen-rich gas to a fuel cell or the like to make it possible to efficiently heat a reforming catalyst in a reforming pipe by a combustion gas. A reforming pipe in which a reforming pipe is formed by filling a reforming catalyst between an erect pipe and a polygonal or wavelike outer pipe surrounding the erect pipe and an outermost pipe in which vertexes of the polygonal or wavelike outer pipe are inscribed to the contour of the reforming pipe are set to form a route of a reformed gas between the outer pipe and the outermost pipe. It is preferable to concentrically arrange a combustion pipe, the reforming pipe, the outermost pipe, the heat insulating means, a CO transformer, a first spatial portion, a CO eliminator, a second spatial portion, and a vessel in order.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2003Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Akira Fuju, Osamu Tajima, Fusao Terada
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Publication number: 20040048117Abstract: The object is to provide a simplified but highly efficient fuel cell system, permitting to perform the flame off detection and so on without supplying the burner with additional raw fuel, even if a flame rod system flame detection means is adopted as burner for reformer. The invention concerns a fuel cell system, comprising a reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel such as natural gas into hydrogen, a CO transformer, a CO eliminator, a fuel cell for generating electricity from hydrogen, and a burner for reformer for burning hydrogen gas discharged from the fuel cell and supply the reformer with heat necessary for reforming reaction, wherein the burner for reformer is provided with a flame rod system flame detection means and, at the same time, supplied with hydrogen gas containing a flame detectable amount of fuel gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2003Publication date: March 11, 2004Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju, Yasuo Miyake, Masatoshi Ueda, Keigo Miyai, Yukinori Akiyama
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Publication number: 20030044334Abstract: The present invention concerns a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel into a hydrogen rich gas, the fuel reformer of claim 1, wherein at least a part of material composing the reformer is a material containing at least Cr, Ni, Si, made of Cr 15 to 25 mass %, Ni 8 to 35 mass %, Si 2 to 4 mass % and the remaining ingredients of Fe and inevitable impurities (C, Mn, P, S or others) provides the sigma brittleness resistance and the cementation resistance at the same time, and also a light weight, low cost and cheap price, high reliability, and long life, the fuel reformer of claim 2 of the present invention wherein at least a part of material composing the reformer is a material containing at least Cr, Ni, Si, Nb, and made of Cr 15 to 25 mass %, Ni 8 to 35 mass %, Si 2 to 4 mass %, Nb 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2002Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju
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Publication number: 20030031900Abstract: The present invention provides a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell power generating equipment that keeps temperature of coolant of a fuel cell in a predetermined temperature range without stop operation of the equipment even when a hot water reserving tank is filled with hot water and the hot water is not discharged to the outside, automatically prevents freezing of a water system during stop operation of the equipment, minimizes maintenance work in a cold region or in the winter season, has high reliability with equipment's service life extended, and supplies hot water heated by efficiently recovering exhaust heat from plural heat exchangers installed in the equipment to the hot water reserving tank. The power generating equipment has a line for circulating and feeding hot water A produced by exchanging heat in the heat exchanger connected to a process gas burner for burning hydrogen until the equipment becomes stable in starting operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2002Publication date: February 13, 2003Inventors: Osamu Tajima, Katsuya Oda, Tatsuji Hatayama, Ryuji Yukawa, Taketoshi Ouki, Akira Fuju, Koji Shindo, Kazuhiro Tajima, Satoshi Yamamoto, Katsuyuki Makihara, Keigo Miyai, Masataka Kadowaki, Masatoshi Ueda
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Publication number: 20020121461Abstract: The present invention concerns a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon base fuel in to a hydrogen rich gas and a manufacturing method thereof, and the fuel reformer of the present invention wherein a Cr oxide layer is formed on at least a part of the surface of steel material making the reformer produces no red scale through water vapor oxidation of the surface of steel material making the reformer, even when exposed to an atmosphere of low oxygen concentration and/or high water vapor concentration under a high temperature and has an extremely important industrial utility value because it is highly heat resistant, light, low cost and cheap, highly reliable and long life, and moreover a cheap, highly reliable and long life fuel reformer can be manufactured at a low cost and easily by the manufacturing method of the present invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2002Publication date: September 5, 2002Inventors: Masatoshi Ueda, Masataka Kadowaki, Akira Fuju
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Patent number: 6080500Abstract: There is provided a movable fuel cell apparatus comprising a movable housing, a power supply, and a fuel gas cylinder. The housing is divided into a front portion and a rear portion by a partition, and composed of a main housing body, a housing cover and a door. The main housing body has a front opening. The housing cover covers the upper portion of the front opening and the door is openably connected with the main housing body. The power supply included in the rear portion comprises a fuel cell for generating electric power by electrochemical reaction using fuel gas and air supplied. The fuel gas cylinder is placed removably in the front portion of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1998Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd.Inventors: Akira Fuju, Yosio Azegami, Nobuyoshi Nishizawa, Akio Kawakami, Katsuyuki Makihara, Taketoshi Ouki, Akira Hamada, Koji Shindo, Tatsuji Hatayama, Satoshi Yamamoto, Osamu Tajima