Patents by Inventor Akitoshi Fujisawa

Akitoshi Fujisawa 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).

  • Patent number: 11079072
    Abstract: Provided is a gas supply system for supplying hydrogen to a vehicle, the vehicle including: a tank loaded with a hydrogen storage alloy, storing and releasing hydrogen; and a thermal medium distribution unit attached to the tank and configured such that a thermal medium for heating or cooling the hydrogen storage alloy is distributable from outside, includes: a reservoir reserving hydrogen at a pressure of 0.2 MPa or greater and less than 3.0 MPa; a hydrogen flow path connectable to the vehicle for supplying hydrogen from the reservoir to the tank; a cooling medium reservoir reserving the thermal medium for cooling; and a thermal medium flow path connectable to the vehicle for distributing the thermal medium to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle, in which the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined at least at an end portion connectable to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Yukinobu Taniguchi, Kento Ogata, Hiroo Hangai
  • Patent number: 11015589
    Abstract: A gas supplying apparatus includes a compressor, a housing having an exhaust port, and an exhaust duct. The housing has a circumferential wall and a top wall. The circumferential wall has an access section. The exhaust port is provided on at least one of the circumferential wall and the top wall at a location higher than the access section. The exhaust duct includes a discharge port for discharging the air, exhausted from the exhaust port, to the outside. The discharge port is opened upward or opened downward in an area overlapping the top wall in an up-and-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Washio, Koichiro Hashimoto, Daisuke Wada, Kenji Nagura, Akitoshi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 10801671
    Abstract: A gas supply system (2) includes a compressor unit (21), an accumulator unit (23), a pre-cooling system (24) and a housing (4). In the gas supply system (2), the compressor unit (21) is vertically arranged and the pre-cooling system (24) is arranged above the accumulator unit (23) in the housing (4). The compressor unit (21) and the accumulator unit (23) are covered by one rectangular parallelepiped housing (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Takashi Okuno, Koji Noishiki, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Shinichi Miura
  • Patent number: 10704284
    Abstract: A combustible gas supply unit is for supplying compressed combustible gas to a dispenser. The combustible gas supply unit includes a high pressure gas facility for handling compressed combustible gas, a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon and a barrier supported by the base plate to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility. A barrier is shaped to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility and includes a part to be supported by a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shota Harada, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura, Daisuke Wada, Takayuki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10655784
    Abstract: A gas supply device includes a storage container that accumulates liquefied gas, a vaporizer for vaporizing liquefied gas derived from the storage container, a compression device that compresses gas vaporized from the liquefied gas in the vaporizer, a pressure accumulator that accumulates gas compressed in the compression device, and a supply path linked to a dispenser from the pressure accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura
  • Publication number: 20200129950
    Abstract: Provided are formation method and device for slug flow capable of suitably forming a stable slug flow. The formation method for slug flow includes a step of preparing a microreactor (1) that forms a fine flow passage (11), and includes a wall surface having a hydrophilic property, a hydrophilic liquid supply step of supplying the fine flow passage (11) with only a hydrophilic liquid out of the hydrophilic liquid and a hydrophobic liquid, and a step of supplying the fine flow passage (11) with the hydrophilic liquid and the hydrophobic liquid after executing the hydrophilic liquid supply step, thereby forming a slug flow in which cells formed of the hydrophilic liquid and cells formed of the hydrophobic liquid are alternately arranged in a fine-flow-passage length direction of the fine flow passage (11) in the fine flow passage (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Hiroo HANGAI, Akira MATSUOKA, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kento OGATA
  • Patent number: 10634283
    Abstract: A gas supply system—includes a compressor unit, an accumulator unit, a pre-cooling system and a housing. In the gas supply system, the compressor unit is vertically arranged and the pre-cooling system is arranged above the accumulator unit in the housing. The compressor unit and the accumulator unit are covered by one rectangular parallelepiped housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Takashi Okuno, Koji Noishiki, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Shinichi Miura
  • Patent number: 10525405
    Abstract: A gas transfer processing method includes: transferring gas to an inside or an outside of an absorption liquid within respective processing flow paths while circulating the absorption liquid through the respective processing flow paths; after the gas transferring, separating a mixed fluid including the absorption liquid discharged from outlets of the respective processing flow paths and gas by respective separation headers into the absorption liquid and the gas; and circulating the absorption liquid separated in the separating by returning the separated absorption liquid from the separation headers to inlets of the respective processing flow paths through respective recirculation lines, thus introducing the absorption liquid to the respective processing flow paths. The process promotes transfer of a target component to an absorption liquid, while enabling execution of a component transfer process by compact equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Koji Noishiki, Akira Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 10480715
    Abstract: A gas supply device for supplying a hydrogen gas to a dispenser of a hydrogen station includes: a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant for cooling the gas before being discharged from the dispenser flows; a refrigerator that can cool the refrigerant; a cooling device that can cool the refrigerant by latent heat when liquid hydrogen changes to the hydrogen gas; and a control unit that performs control to activate the refrigerator while stopping the cooling device when a condition set in advance is satisfied after performing control to activate the cooling device in activation of the hydrogen station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura
  • Patent number: 10413861
    Abstract: A separation method including: preparing a separation device including an absorption processor absorbing into an absorption liquid a target component in a fluid to be processed, by an absorption microduct and a cooling medium microduct positioned for heat exchange; causing the fluid to be processed and the absorption liquid to pass through the absorption microduct in mutual contact, thus causing the target component to be absorbed into the absorption liquid from the fluid to be processed; cooling the fluid to be processed and the absorption liquid by flowing a cooling medium through the cooling medium microduct, and causing heat exchange between the fluid to be processed and absorption liquid flowing through the absorption microduct and the cooling medium; and separating, into the fluid to be processed and the absorption liquid, the mixed fluid of the fluid to be processed after the target component has been absorbed by the absorption liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Koji Noishiki, Akira Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20190267653
    Abstract: Provided is a gas supply system for supplying hydrogen to a vehicle, the vehicle including: a tank loaded with a hydrogen storage alloy, storing and releasing hydrogen; and a thermal medium distribution unit attached to the tank and configured such that a thermal medium for heating or cooling the hydrogen storage alloy is distributable from outside, includes: a reservoir reserving hydrogen at a pressure of 0.2 MPa or greater and less than 3.0 MPa; a hydrogen flow path connectable to the vehicle for supplying hydrogen from the reservoir to the tank; a cooling medium reservoir reserving the thermal medium for cooling; and a thermal medium flow path connectable to the vehicle for distributing the thermal medium to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle, in which the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined at least at an end portion connectable to the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Yukinobu TANIGUCHI, Kento OGATA, Hiroo HANGAI
  • Patent number: 10317011
    Abstract: [Object] To enable a gas supply system to be easily transported and to increase a degree of freedom when the gas supply system is installed. [Solution] A hydrogen station includes: a filling facility for filling a tank-mounted device with a gas; and a gas supply system for supplying the gas to the filling facility. The gas supply system includes: a compressor for compressing the gas; a compressor accommodating body for accommodating the compressor; a refrigerator for cooling the gas flowed into the filling facility or the gas just before being flowed into the filling facility, the refrigerator including an evaporation part, an expansion part, and a compression part; and a cooler accommodating body for accommodating the evaporation part, the expansion part, and the compression part. The compressor accommodating body and the cooler accommodating body are detachable from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okuno, Hitoshi Takagi, Kenji Nagura, Daisuke Wada, Takuro Uba, Akitoshi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20190128265
    Abstract: A gas supplying apparatus includes a compressor, a housing having an exhaust port, and an exhaust duct. The housing has a circumferential wall and a top wall. The circumferential wall has an access section. The exhaust port is provided on at least one of the circumferential wall and the top wall at a location higher than the access section. The exhaust duct includes a discharge port for discharging the air, exhausted from the exhaust port, to the outside. The discharge port is opened upward or opened downward in an area overlapping the top wall in an up-and-down direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takuya WASHIO, Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Daisuke WADA, Kenji NAGURA, Akitoshi FUJISAWA
  • Patent number: 10245550
    Abstract: A separation method including: an absorption process absorbing a desired component in a starting material gas into an absorption liquid by bringing the starting material gas and the absorption liquid into contact with each other inside an absorption unit; a regeneration process releasing the desired component from the absorption liquid and regenerating the absorption liquid by heating the absorption liquid, which absorbed the desired component in the absorption process, in a regeneration unit; a post-regeneration separation process separating the mixed fluid, which is the gas of the desired component released in the regeneration process and the regenerated absorption liquid, into the desired component gas and the absorption liquid; and a compression process compressing the starting material gas prior to the absorption process and the regeneration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuoka, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Koji Noishiki
  • Publication number: 20190086031
    Abstract: A gas supply device for supplying a hydrogen gas to a dispenser of a hydrogen station includes: a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant for cooling the gas before being discharged from the dispenser flows; a refrigerator that can cool the refrigerant; a cooling device that can cool the refrigerant by latent heat when liquid hydrogen changes to the hydrogen gas; and a control unit that performs control to activate the refrigerator while stopping the cooling device when a condition set in advance is satisfied after performing control to activate the cooling device in activation of the hydrogen station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20190041003
    Abstract: A gas supply device includes a compressor for compressing gas, an in-flow side flow passage having a buffer tank for storing the gas and linked to the compressor, an in-flow side on-off valve for opening and closing the in-flow side flow passage on an portion of the in-flow side flow passage upstream of the buffer tank, an out-flow side flow passage linked to a discharge side of the compressor, and a control unit for executing a control to close the in-flow side on-off valve upon receipt of a stop signal for the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Takayuki FUKUDA, Daisuke WADA, Takuro UBA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20180371782
    Abstract: A combustible gas supply unit is for supplying compressed combustible gas to a dispenser. The combustible gas supply unit includes a high pressure gas facility for handling compressed combustible gas, a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon and a barrier supported by the base plate to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility. A barrier is shaped to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility and includes a part to be supported by a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Shota HARADA, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA, Daisuke WADA, Takayuki FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20180306381
    Abstract: A gas supply device includes a storage container that accumulates liquefied gas, a vaporizer for vaporizing liquefied gas derived from the storage container, a compression device that compresses gas vaporized from the liquefied gas in the vaporizer, a pressure accumulator that accumulates gas compressed in the compression device, and a supply path linked to a dispenser from the pressure accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20180274726
    Abstract: A gas supply system (2) includes a compressor unit (21), an accumulator unit (23), a pre-cooling system (24) and a housing (4). In the gas supply system (2), the compressor unit (21) is vertically arranged and the pre-cooling system (24) is arranged above the accumulator unit (23) in the housing (4). The compressor unit (21) and the accumulator unit (23) are covered by one rectangular parallelepiped housing (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kenji NAGURA, Tetsuya KAKIUCHI, Takashi OKUNO, Koji NOISHIKI, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Shinichi MIURA
  • Publication number: 20180133641
    Abstract: A release device for releasing a specific gas component from a rich absorption liquid which is an absorption liquid containing the specific gas component absorbed therein, the release device including a channel structure internally having a release channel which is connected to a rich absorption liquid supply unit so as to receive the rich absorption liquid supplied from the rich absorption liquid supply unit and connected to a liberating agent supply unit so as to receive a liberating agent supplied from the liberating agent supply unit, the liberating agent having a boiling point lower than a boiling point of the rich absorption liquid and being incompatible with the rich absorption liquid. The release channel is a microchannel configured to guide the received rich absorption liquid so that the received rich absorption liquid releases the specific gas component while flowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Hiroo HANGAI, Akira MATSUOKA, Koji NOISHIKI