Patents by Inventor Atsushi Horikawa

Atsushi Horikawa 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: 9664391
    Abstract: An annular type gas turbine combustor having a plurality of fuel nozzle assemblies (10) on a circumference includes a pilot nozzle unit (12) for spraying a fuel for diffusive combustion from a pilot outer peripheral nozzle (34) into a combustion chamber (8), a main nozzle unit (14) provided so as to surround the pilot nozzle unit (12) for spraying a fuel for premix combustion, and a flow guide (27) disposed on a downstream side of each of the fuel nozzle assemblies (10) and having a sectional area of a passage for air and air-fuel mixture from each of the fuel nozzle assemblies (10), which gradually increase in a downstream direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Ryusuke Matsuyama, Atsushi Horikawa, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20170082291
    Abstract: A combustor includes: a combustion liner having a combustion chamber formed therein; and a fuel injector mounted to a top portion of the combustion liner, and including a fuel injection member having a plurality of fuel injection annular portions and an air guide member including a plurality of combustion air annular portions that guide air for combustion. The fuel injection annular portions and the combustion air annular portions are arranged concentrically and alternately. The fuel injector injects fuel and air into the combustion chamber. Each of the fuel injection annular portions includes a plurality of fuel injection holes that are open in a radial direction thereof, and each of the combustion air annular portions includes a plurality of air guide grooves that are open in an axial direction thereof, and guide the air to the fuel jetted from the fuel injection holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicants: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, B&B AGEMA GmbH
    Inventors: Atsushi HORIKAWA, Masahide KAZARI, Kunio OKADA, Junichi KITAJIMA, Harald FUNKE, Karsten KUSTERER, Anis Haj AYED
  • Publication number: 20170074521
    Abstract: A combustor includes: a combustion liner having a combustion chamber formed therein; a fuel injector mounted to a top portion of the combustion liner, and including a fuel injection member having a plurality of fuel injection annular portions and an air guide member including a plurality of combustion air annular portions that guide air for combustion; and a supplemental burner. The fuel injection annular portions and the combustion air annular portions are arranged concentrically and alternately. The fuel injector injects fuel and air into the combustion chamber. Each of the fuel injection annular portions includes a plurality of fuel injection holes that are open in a radial direction thereof, and each of the combustion air annular portions includes a plurality of air guide groove that are open in an axial direction thereof, and guide the air to the fuel jetted from the fuel injection holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi HORIKAWA, Masahide KAZARI, Kunio OKADA, Junichi KITAJIMA
  • Patent number: 9429324
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes: a pilot injector configured to spray fuel so as to form a first combustion region in a combustion chamber; and a main injector provided coaxially with the pilot injector so as to surround the pilot injector and configured to supply a fuel-air mixture that is a mixture of the fuel and air to form a second combustion region in the combustion chamber, wherein the main injector includes: a first inflow channel through which the air having a major flow component in an axial direction is taken; a second inflow channel through which the air having a major flow component in a radial direction is taken and which causes the air therein to meet the air from the first inflow channel; and a main fuel injecting portion configured to inject the fuel only to the second inflow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Ryusuke Matsuyama, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Atsushi Horikawa, Shigeru Hayashi, Kazuo Shimodaira, Kazuaki Matsuura, Hideshi Yamada, Youji Kurosawa, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20160175786
    Abstract: A gas mixer includes: an inner pipe through which a first gas passes; an outer pipe covering an outer periphery of the inner pipe to form a storage space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe; a supply pipe to supply a second gas to the storage space; and a guide pipe disposed in an interior of the inner pipe and through which at least the first gas passes, and the inner pipe is formed with first introduction holes to introduce the second gas stored in the storage space into a guide space defined between the guide pipe and the inner pipe. With the gas mixer, distributions of concentration, temperature, and flow speed can be made uniform, pressure loss can be low, and high mixing performance can be maintained even with variation of the flow rate or flow speed of gases to be mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunio OKADA, Atsushi HORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160169523
    Abstract: A fuel injection device, for a gas turbine, which enhances uniform distribution in concentration of fuel gas and water vapor in a combustion chamber with a simple structure and at low cost to effectively reduce NOx, is provided. The fuel injection device mixes fuel gas and water vapor and injects fuel gas and water vapor into a combustion chamber. The fuel injection device includes a nozzle housing having a mixing chamber, and the nozzle housing includes a first introduction passage to introduce fuel gas from an outer circumference of the nozzle housing in a circumferential direction of the mixing chamber; and a second introduction passage to introduce water vapor from the outer circumference of the nozzle housing in a circumferential direction of the mixing chamber. Fuel gas and water vapor are swirled about an axis C of the mixing chamber and mixed in the mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunio OKADA, Atsushi HORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160169160
    Abstract: A fuel injection device, for a gas turbine, which enhances uniform distribution in concentration of fuel gas and water vapor in a combustion chamber with simple structure and at low cost to effectively reduce NOx, is provided. The fuel injection device with a fuel nozzle to mix fuel gas and water vapor and inject the fuel gas and water vapor into a combustion chamber, includes: a nozzle housing having a mixing chamber thereinside; a first introduction passage to introduce the fuel gas into the mixing chamber from outside of the nozzle housing; and a second introduction passage to introduce the water vapor into the mixing chamber from an outside of the nozzle housing; and a plurality of reverse passages communicating with a downstream end of the mixing chamber and configured to allow for a plurality of reverses of flow of mixed gas from the mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunio OKADA, Atsushi HORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 9366442
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes: a pilot injector configured to spray fuel so as to form a first combustion region in a combustion chamber; and a main injector provided coaxially with the pilot injector so as to surround the pilot injector and configured to supply a fuel-air mixture that is a mixture of the fuel and air to form a second combustion region in the combustion chamber, wherein the pilot injector includes: a center nozzle configured to eject air jet flowing straight in an axial direction on a central axis of the pilot injector; an inside swirler provided on a radially outer side of the center nozzle and configured to cause inflow air to swirl around the central axis; and a pilot fuel injecting portion configured to inject the fuel from between the center nozzle and the inside swirler to air flow in the center nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Ryusuke Matsuyama, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Atsushi Horikawa, Shigeru Hayashi, Kazuo Shimodaira, Kazuaki Matsuura, Hideshi Yamada, Youji Kurosawa, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9109553
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a pilot fuel injector, configured to inject the fuel into a combustion chamber, and a main fuel injector provided coaxially with the pilot fuel injector so as to surround the pilot fuel injector and configured to have a main flow path to generate a premixed air-fuel mixture. The main flow path includes an outer main air passage located radially outwardly and configured to supply a compressed air in an axial direction into an annular premixed air-fuel mixture passage, an inner main air passage located radially inwardly and configured to supply the compressed air into the premixed air-fuel mixture passage from a radially inner side. The injector further includes a main fuel injection port to inject the fuel from an axially upstream side into the inner main air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Ryusuke Matsuyama, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Atsushi Horikawa, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20150082797
    Abstract: A fuel injection device for supplying a fuel to a compressed air includes: a pilot fuel injector; a main fuel injector located at an outer periphery of the pilot fuel injector; and an air injection unit located between an outlet end portion of the pilot fuel injector and the main fuel injector. The air injection unit includes: a partition wall plate separating the air injection unit from a combustion chamber; a flame stabilization plate provided at a downstream side of the partition wall plate; a first opening at a downstream side between the flame stabilization plate and the outlet end portion of the pilot fuel injector; and a second opening provided in the partition wall plate and through which the compressed air is supplied. The flame stabilization plate includes an inclined portion inclined in a radially outward and downstream direction with respect to an axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicants: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Ryusuke MATSUYAMA, Masayoshi KOBAYASHI, Atsushi HORIKAWA, Hitoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20140283498
    Abstract: The gas turbine system (GT) includes a combustor (2) having a fuel injection nozzle assembly (4) for jetting hydrogen gas (H) and pure water (W), a reservoir (12) for pooling the pure water (W) to be supplied to the combustor (2), a gas compressing device (10) for boosting the hydrogen gas (H) to be supplied to the combustor (2), a fuel supply passage (6) for guiding the boosted hydrogen gas (H) towards the combustor (2), and a pressurizing passage (16) communicating between the reservoir (12) and the fuel supply passage (6) for pressurizing the pure water (W) by means of the boosted hydrogen gas (H).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Horikawa, Masahide Kazari, Hiroyuki Kashihara, Junichi Kitajima
  • Patent number: 8783038
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor of the present invention comprises a fuel injector for injecting a fuel toward a combustion chamber; a swirler which takes-in compressed air generated in a compressor and swirls the compressed air, in the vicinity of the fuel injector; a tubular guide member for guiding the compressed air taken-in from the swirler, to the combustion chamber; and a heat shield having a cylindrical portion located outward relative to the guide member; wherein the cylindrical portion has a purge hole; and air is introduced through the purge hole and is supplied to a space formed between the guide member and the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Horikawa, Hideki Ogata, Kenta Yamaguchi, Ryusuke Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20140083105
    Abstract: An annular type gas turbine combustor having a plurality of fuel nozzle assemblies (10) on a circumference includes a pilot nozzle unit (12) for spraying a fuel for diffusive combustion from a pilot outer peripheral nozzle (34) into a combustion chamber (8), a main nozzle unit (14) provided so as to surround the pilot nozzle unit (12) for spraying a fuel for premix combustion, and a flow guide (27) disposed on a downstream side of each of the fuel nozzle assemblies (10) and having a sectional area of a passage for air and air-fuel mixture from each of the fuel nozzle assemblies (10), which gradually increase in a downstream direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicants: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi KOBAYASHI, Takeo ODA, Ryusuke MATSUYAMA, Atsushi HORIKAWA, Hitoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20130327849
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a pilot fuel injector, configured to inject the fuel into a combustion chamber, and a main fuel injector provided coaxially with the pilot fuel injector so as to surround the pilot fuel injector and configured to have a main flow path to generate a premixed air-fuel mixture. The main flow path includes an outer main air passage located radially outwardly and configured to supply a compressed air in an axial direction into an annular premixed air-fuel mixture passage, an inner main air passage located radially inwardly and configured to supply the compressed air into the premixed air-fuel mixture passage from a radially inner side. The injector further includes a main fuel injection port to inject the fuel from an axially upstream side into the inner main air passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Ryusuke MATSUYAMA, Masayoshi KOBAYASHI, Atsushi HORIKAWA, Hitoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20130036739
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor 1 of the present invention comprises a fuel injector 13 for injecting a fuel F toward a combustion chamber 11; a swirler 14 which takes-in compressed air CA generated in a compressor and swirl the compressed air CA, in the vicinity of the fuel injector 13; a tubular guide member 34 for guiding the compressed air CA taken-in from the swirler 14, to the combustion chamber 11; and a heat shield 23 having a cylindrical portion 23b located outward relative to the guide member 34; wherein the cylindrical portion 23b has a purge hole 40; and air is introduced through the purge hole 40 and is supplied to a space 39 formed between the guide member 34 and the cylindrical portion 23b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Horikawa, Hideki Ogata, Kenta Yamaguchi, Ryusuke Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20120305673
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes: a pilot injector configured to spray fuel so as to form a first combustion region in a combustion chamber; and a main injector provided coaxially with the pilot injector so as to surround the pilot injector and configured to supply a fuel-air mixture that is a mixture of the fuel and air to form a second combustion region in the combustion chamber, wherein the pilot injector includes: a center nozzle configured to eject air jet flowing straight in an axial direction on a central axis of the pilot injector; an inside swirler provided on a radially outer side of the center nozzle and configured to cause inflow air to swirl around the central axis; and a pilot fuel injecting portion configured to inject the fuel from between the center nozzle and the inside swirler to air flow in the center nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicants: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryusuke Matsuyama, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Atsushi Horikawa, Shigeru Hayashi, Kazuo Shimodaira, Kazuaki Matsuura, Hideshi Yamada, Youji Kurosawa, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20120304649
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes: a pilot injector configured to spray fuel so as to form a first combustion region in a combustion chamber; and a main injector provided coaxially with the pilot injector so as to surround the pilot injector and configured to supply a fuel-air mixture that is a mixture of the fuel and air to form a second combustion region in the combustion chamber, wherein the main injector includes: a first inflow channel through which the air having a major flow component in an axial direction is taken; a second inflow channel through which the air having a major flow component in a radial direction is taken and which causes the air therein to meet the air from the first inflow channel; and a main fuel injecting portion configured to inject the fuel only to the second inflow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicants: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryusuke MATSUYAMA, Masayoshi KOBAYASHI, Takeo ODA, Atsushi HORIKAWA, Shigeru HAYASHI, Kazuo SHIMODAIRA, Kazuaki MATSUURA, Hideshi YAMADA, Youji KUROSAWA, Hitoshi FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 8172568
    Abstract: A combustor, in which a flame holding region is formed at a location distant from a pilot burner to avoid burnout of the pilot burner and in which flame holding capability is increased to use a lean pre-mix gas for reducing NOx emission, is provided. The combustor includes a combustion liner having a cylindrical side wall that defines a combustion chamber; and a main burner positioned at a top portion of the combustion liner for injecting an annular pre-mix gas into the combustion chamber to form a reverse flow region at a downstream portion thereof, which region is oriented towards the top portion of the combustion chamber along a longitudinal axis. In this combustor, a pilot burner is arranged at the top portion for injecting a mixture of fuel and air only in a direction confronting the reverse flow region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kashihara, Yasushi Yoshino, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, Takeshi Kimura, Junichi Kitajima, Atsushi Horikawa
  • Patent number: 8001786
    Abstract: A combustor of gas turbine engine, including: a fuel spray portion that sprays fuel to create a diffusion combustion region in a combustion chamber, the fuel spray portion including a fuel atomizing portion that atomizes the fuel, and a diffusion passage portion disposed downstream of the fuel atomizing portion, the diffusion passage portion having a spreading trumpet-like shape and diffuses the fuel and the air; a pre-mixture supply portion that supplies a pre-mixture gas including the fuel and air to create a pre-mixture combustion region in the combustion chamber, the pre-mixture supply portion being positioned concentrically with the fuel spray portion to surround the fuel spray portion; and a fuel diffusion restraining member disposed on an inner circumferential face of the diffusion passage portion for restraining a diffusion of injected fuel by separating a stream of the injected fuel away from the inner circumferential face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeo Oda, Atsushi Horikawa, Hideki Ogata
  • Publication number: 20100136496
    Abstract: A combustor, in which a flame holding region is formed at a location distant from a pilot burner to avoid burnout of the pilot burner and in which flame holding capability is increased to use a lean pre-mix gas for reducing NOx emission, is provided. The combustor includes a combustion liner having a cylindrical side wall that defines a combustion chamber; and a main burner positioned at a top portion of the combustion liner for injecting an annular pre-mix gas into the combustion chamber to form a reverse flow region at a downstream portion thereof, which region is oriented towards the top portion of the combustion chamber along a longitudinal axis. In this combustor, a pilot burner is arranged at the top portion for injecting a mixture of fuel and air only in a direction confronting the reverse flow region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KASHIHARA, Yasushi YOSHINO, Kiyoshi MATSUMOTO, Takeshi KIMURA, Junichi KITAJIMA, Atsushi HORIKAWA