Patents by Inventor Kazunori Tomioka

Kazunori Tomioka 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).

  • Publication number: 20230174390
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a fresh-water production apparatus for treating a raw water in stages by N-stage (N is a natural number of 2 or larger) water treatment methods, the method including: a filtration-characteristic prediction step; a filtration-characteristic deviation assessment step; a filtration-characteristic deviation assessment step; a cyclic prediction calculation step; a control condition recording step; a cyclic prediction calculation step; and a control condition recording step, in which the fresh-water production apparatus is controlled on the basis of the control condition recording step for the (n?1)-th stage water treatment method and the control condition recording step for the n-th stage water treatment method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazunori Tomioka, Kazuki Hagawa, Hiroshi Hamada
  • Publication number: 20230121715
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fresh water generator operating method and a determination program that are employed in a method for cleaning a separation membrane module following membrane filtration, and that, while various cleaning steps such as reverse pressure cleaning, air cleaning, chemical solution cleaning are taking place after completion of the membrane filtration, determines cleaning troubles by calculating a temporal change in resistance increase rate on the basis of an increase in membrane differential pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuki Hagawa, Kazunori Tomioka, Hiroshi Hamada
  • Patent number: 11414331
    Abstract: Provided is an effluent treatment method based on a membrane separation activated sludge method, the effluent treatment method being characterized in that activated sludge collected from a membrane separation activated sludge tank is observed by an optical means, image processing is performed, and effluent treatment conditions are controlled in accordance with the results thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Seiko Kantani, Kyoya Takemoto, Kazunori Tomioka, Yohito Ito
  • Publication number: 20210370235
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preparing a water quality profile that has (1) a step 1 for supplying water to be treated to a separation membrane module with a supply port for the water being treated and multiple permeate outlets and obtaining permeate, (2) a step 2 for varying the ratio of the flow rates of the respective permeates flowing out of the multiple permeate outlets, (3) a step 3 after step 2 for measuring the respective water qualities of the permeates, and (4) a step 4 for plotting the relationship between the ratio of the respective permeate flow rates varied in step 2 and the respective water qualities of the permeates measured in step 3 as a scatter diagram, steps 2-4 being repeated multiple times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hamada, Masahide Taniguchi, Kazunori Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11141701
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a clogging location determination program for a separation membrane module, in which, in order to determine a clogging location of a separation membrane module in a fresh water generation system for obtaining treated water by filtrating water to be treated by a separation membrane module having a separation membrane, a computer is caused to function as a clogging location determination means for determining a clogging location of the separation membrane module from a resistance in a lower part of the separation membrane module, a filtration resistance of a hollow-fiber membrane, and a resistance in an upper part of the separation membrane module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuki Hagawa, Daishi Tateoka, Kazunori Tomioka, Masayuki Shintani
  • Patent number: 11065582
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a clogging location determination program for a separation membrane module, in which, in order to determine a clogging location of a separation membrane module in a fresh water generation system for obtaining treated water by filtrating water to be treated by a separation membrane module having a separation membrane, a computer is caused to function as a clogging location determination means for determining a clogging location of the separation membrane module from a resistance in a lower part of the separation membrane module, a filtration resistance of a hollow-fiber membrane, and a resistance in an upper part of the separation membrane module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuki Hagawa, Daishi Tateoka, Kazunori Tomioka, Masayuki Shintani
  • Publication number: 20210107817
    Abstract: Provided is an effluent treatment method based on a membrane separation activated sludge method, the effluent treatment method being characterized in that activated sludge collected from a membrane separation activated sludge tank is observed by an optical means, image processing is performed, and effluent treatment conditions are controlled in accordance with the results thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Seiko KANTANI, Kyoya TAKEMOTO, Kazunori TOMIOKA, Yohito ITO
  • Patent number: 10583398
    Abstract: According to the present invention, since a pretreatment mechanism can be operated while inhibiting the pretreated water from fluctuating in pressure, a fresh-water production apparatus is obtained in which the desalting mechanism can be stably operated. Furthermore, the period of water supply or flushing in the step of washing the pretreatment mechanism can be shortened, and the load on the lines where washing is not being performed is hence reduced. Consequently, a fresh-water production apparatus is obtained in which the pretreatment mechanism can be operated while inhibiting the pretreatment membranes from being fouled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Daishi Tateoka, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20190184343
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a clogging location determination program for a separation membrane module, in which, in order to determine a clogging location of a separation membrane module in a fresh water generation system for obtaining treated water by filtrating water to be treated by a separation membrane module having a separation membrane, a computer is caused to function as a clogging location determination means for determining a clogging location of the separation membrane module from a resistance in a lower part of the separation membrane module, a filtration resistance of a hollow-fiber membrane, and a resistance in an upper part of the separation membrane module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuki HAGAWA, Daishi TATEOKA, Kazunori TOMIOKA, Masayuki SHINTANI
  • Publication number: 20180161728
    Abstract: According to the present invention, since a pretreatment mechanism can be operated while inhibiting the pretreated water from fluctuating in pressure, a fresh-water production apparatus is obtained in which the desalting mechanism can be stably operated. Furthermore, the period of water supply or flushing in the step of washing the pretreatment mechanism can be shortened, and the load on the lines where washing is not being performed is hence reduced. Consequently, a fresh-water production apparatus is obtained in which the pretreatment mechanism can be operated while inhibiting the pretreatment membranes from being fouled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daishi Tateoka, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 9901878
    Abstract: A membrane separation device includes a separation membrane unit A that has a separation membrane unit component 8, feed stream side lines F1 and F2, and a permeate stream line P, and a unit for feeding a stream-to-be-treated, wherein a stream-to-be-treated sealing material is provided in the perimeter of an anti-telescoping plate of the separation membrane element, wherein the separation membrane elements can be moved within a cylindrical pressure vessel substantially in either direction, wherein the separation membrane unit is configured to feed the stream-to-be-treated through one of the feed stream side lines F1 and F2 and to discharge the concentrate stream through the other of the feed stream side lines, and wherein the separation membrane unit includes a mechanism that can switch the flow between the feed stream side lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahide Taniguchi, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20150144559
    Abstract: A membrane separation device includes a separation membrane unit A that has a separation membrane unit component 8, feed stream side lines F1 and F2, and a permeate stream line P, and a unit for feeding a stream-to-be-treated, wherein a stream-to-be-treated sealing material is provided in the perimeter of an anti-telescoping plate of the separation membrane element, wherein the separation membrane elements can be moved within a cylindrical pressure vessel substantially in either direction, wherein the separation membrane unit is configured to feed the stream-to-be-treated through one of the feed stream side lines F1 and F2 and to discharge the concentrate stream through the other of the feed stream side lines, and wherein the separation membrane unit includes a mechanism that can switch the flow between the feed stream side lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Masahide Taniguchi, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20150144560
    Abstract: There is provided a separation membrane unit wherein a plurality of separation membrane subunits (11a-c) communicate with raw water lines A (9a-c) that comprise raw water supply valves W (10a-c), water discharge lines B (12a-c) that comprise water discharge valves X (13a-c), raw water lines C (16a-c) that comprise first raw water communication valves Y (17a-c), raw water lines D (19a-c) that comprise second raw water communication valves Z (20a-c), and permeate water lines E (21a-c); and wherein the raw water lines A communicate with the water discharge lines B, the raw water lines C communicate with the raw water lines D, the raw water lines A communicate with a main raw water line 7, the water discharge lines B communicate with a main water discharge line 14, the raw water lines C and the raw water lines D communicate with a collection line 18, and the permeate water lines E communicate with a main permeate water line 22.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masahide Taniguchi, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20140131281
    Abstract: A membrane filtration method and membrane filtration device including a pre-treatment membrane module that filters raw water with a filtration membrane and obtains pre-treated water; a reverse osmosis membrane module that filters the pre-treated water obtained from the pre-treatment membrane module with a reverse osmosis membrane and obtains permeate and retentate; a communicating tube channel that directly joins the pre-treated water outlet of the pre-treatment membrane module and the pre-treated water inlet of the reverse osmosis membrane module; and a branch tube channel that branches from the communicating tube channel and diverts a portion of the pre-treated water flowing in the communicating tube channel from the communicating tube channel. The filtration membrane of the pre-treatment membrane module is backwashed using the pre-treated water that has been diverted by the branch tube channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Morikawa, Kazunori Tomioka, Tomohiro Maeda