Patents by Inventor Kentaro Shindo

Kentaro Shindo 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: 10914175
    Abstract: A composite blade includes a composite blade body including reinforced fibers and resin; a metal layer provided on an outer side of a leading edge section including a leading edge that is a part of the composite blade body on an upstream side of an air stream, the metal layer having a thickness of equal to or larger than 5 micrometers and equal to or smaller than 100 micrometers; an adhesive layer provided between the composite blade body and the metal layer to bond the metal layer to the composite blade body; and an electric insulating layer provided in contact with a surface of the leading edge section of the composite blade body, the surface being on the side on which the metal layer is provided, the electric insulating layer having an electric insulating property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryoji Okabe, Masami Kamiya, Kentaro Shindo
  • Publication number: 20210008627
    Abstract: Provided is a blade manufacturing method by which a blade of a stable quality can be manufactured. The present invention involves: a shaping process in which a blade is molded by means of metal injection molding by injecting metal powder toward a mold; a jig attaching process in which a jig serving as a mold, which is divided into at least two parts forming the shape of the blade therebetween, is attached to the blade by sandwiching the blade between the shape-forming surfaces; and a thermal treatment process in which a thermal treatment is applied to the blade to which the jig has been attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Kentaro SHINDO, Kenji SUZUKI, Shintaro SOBU, Tadayuki HANADA
  • Publication number: 20200400027
    Abstract: A composite blade formed by laying up composite layers containing reinforcing fiber and resin, the composite blade comprising: a blade root mounted in a blade groove; an airfoil extending from the blade root to a front end side; and a metal patch mounted between the blade groove and the blade root, and bonded to the blade root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Masami Kamiya, Kentaro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20200331222
    Abstract: A composite blade made of prepreg obtained by impregnating reinforcement fibers with resin and curing the resin-impregnated reinforcement fibers, the composite blade including: a blade root provided on a base end and fitted into a blade groove; an airfoil provided extending from the blade root toward a tip end; and a metal patch provided between the blade groove and the blade root and placed on the blade root. The metal patch includes a plurality of projections protruding toward the blade root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Masami KAMIYA, Kentaro SHINDO, Takahiro TACHIBANA
  • Publication number: 20200298521
    Abstract: Provided is a method of shaping a composite blade made of a composite material by curing prepreg in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with resin. A foaming agent disposed in an internal space of the composite blade contains a plurality of foaming bodies and foaming agent resin. The foaming bodies foam by being heated. The foaming agent resin cures by being heated. The foaming bodies include low-temperature side foaming bodies and high-temperature side foaming bodies. The low-temperature side foaming bodies foam in a low temperature range during a curing step. The high-temperature side foaming bodies foam in a high temperature range corresponding to temperatures higher than the low temperature range during the curing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Kentaro SHINDO, Masami Kamiya
  • Publication number: 20200191001
    Abstract: A leading edge cover member is provided on an outside of a leading edge area including a leading edge serving as a part on an airflow upstream side of a composite blade body containing reinforcement fibers and a resin. The leading edge cover member includes a composite cover base material that contains reinforcement fibers and a resin, and is provided to the outside of the leading edge area in a bonding manner; and a metallic reinforcement layer formed on at least a part of an outside of the composite cover base material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Kentaro SHINDO, Masami Kamiya, Makoto INOMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200173292
    Abstract: A composite blade is formed by laying up composite layers in which reinforced fibers are impregnated with resin. The composite layers are laid up in a blade thickness direction that is a direction connecting a suction side and a pressure side of the composite blade. The composite blade includes a thick part that has a surface layer area from a surface of the thick part to a predetermined depth in the blade thickness direction and a deep layer area at a depth larger than the predetermined depth from the surface in the blade thickness direction. A median value in a predetermined range of thicknesses of each composite layer in the surface layer area is smaller than a median value in a predetermined range of thicknesses of each composite layer in the deep layer area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Kentaro SHINDO, Masami KAMIYA
  • Publication number: 20200124031
    Abstract: A method of evaluating quality of a wind turbine blade which has a hollow structure where an interior space of the wind turbine blade is surrounded by an outer skin which includes a laminated body includes: setting a scanning line on at least a part of an inner wall surface or an outer wall surface of the outer skin; and moving an ultrasound probe along the scanning line; generating a cross-sectional image corresponding to the scanning line, on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe or a reflection echo to detect an indication whose echo level is greater than a first threshold; obtaining an inclination of the indication with respect to a reference line as a first parameter; and evaluating the lifetime or the breakage risk of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the first parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Takao KUROIWA, Kouji ESAKI, Kentaro SHINDO, Masakazu KAMIBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200095873
    Abstract: A composite blade includes an airfoil; and a blade root including a straight section from a blade end part being a connection location with the airfoil to an inclination start part between the blade end part and a base end, and a bearing section from the inclination start part to the base end. A laminate of composite layers with reinforced fibers impregnated with resin is provided across the airfoil and the blade root. A metal body is provided on the blade root. The laminate extends along the longitudinal direction in the airfoil and in the straight section, and extends to be inclined away from a center axis in the bearing section. The metal body is provided on both surfaces of the laminate in the blade root, extends along the longitudinal direction in the straight section, and extends to be inclined away from the center axis in the bearing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Kentaro SHINDO, Masami KAMIYA, Yoshinori NONAKA
  • Publication number: 20190301285
    Abstract: A composite blade is formed by laying up composite material layers in which reinforcement fibers are impregnated with resin in a thickness direction of the blade. The composite blade includes a blade root on a base end side, an airfoil on a tip side, a first lay-up in which some composite material layers are laid up in the blade root so as to space parts of the composite material layers to form spacing parts and to extend from the distal toward the base end side in the thickness direction, and second lay-ups in which some composite material layers are laid up in the spacing parts so as to be lined up in the thickness direction. Among the second lay-ups, a second lay-up closer to a center side than to an outer side in the thickness direction is a larger distance from a proximal position to a top position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Masami Kamiya, Ryoji OKABE, Yoshinori NONAKA, Kentaro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20190301290
    Abstract: A composite blade formed by laying up composite material layers in which reinforced fibers are impregnated with resin in a blade thickness direction includes a blade root provided on a base side, an airfoil extending from a tip side of the blade root, a metal member provided on the blade root, and a fastener configured to fasten the blade root and the metal member. The blade root includes a main body portion, a curved portion that is curved outward in the blade thickness direction from the main body portion, and an extending portion that extends outward in the blade thickness direction from the curved portion. The metal member is fixed to the extending portion with the fastener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Masami Kamiya, Ryoji OKABE, Kentaro SHINDO, Yoshinori NONAKA
  • Publication number: 20190277142
    Abstract: A composite blade includes a composite blade body including reinforced fibers and resin; a metal layer provided on an outer side of a leading edge section including a leading edge that is a part of the composite blade body on an upstream side of an air stream, the metal layer having a thickness of equal to or larger than 5 micrometers and equal to or smaller than 100 micrometers; an adhesive layer provided between the composite blade body and the metal layer to bond the metal layer to the composite blade body; and an electric insulating layer provided in contact with a surface of the leading edge section of the composite blade body, the surface being on the side on which the metal layer is provided, the electric insulating layer having an electric insulating property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Ryoji OKABE, Masami Kamiya, Kentaro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20190105713
    Abstract: A method is for producing a TiAl-based intermetallic sintered compact. The method includes mixing Ti powder, Al powder, and a binder to yield a mixture; molding the mixture into a molded product having a predetermined shape with a metal injection molder; placing the molded product in a preliminary sintering die having a storage space inside; performing sintering at a predetermined preliminary sintering temperature to produce a preliminary sintered compact; releasing the preliminary sintered compact from the preliminary sintering die; and performing sintering at a sintering temperature higher than the preliminary sintering temperature to form the TiAl-based intermetallic sintered compact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji SUZUKI, Kentaro SHINDO, Shuntaro TERAUCHI, Hisashi KITAGAKI, Kazuki HANAMI, Tadayuki HANADA
  • Publication number: 20190076928
    Abstract: A method for producing a TiAl-based intermetallic sintered compact includes sintering TiAl-based powder to produce a TiAl-based intermetallic sintered compact. The TiAl-based powder contains a TiAl-based intermetallic compound in which Ti and Al are bonded and an additional metal. The additional metal is Ni, or Ni and Fe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji SUZUKI, Kentaro SHINDO, Syuntaro TERAUCHI, Hisashi KITAGAKI, Kazuki HANAMI, Tadayuki HANADA
  • Patent number: 10213996
    Abstract: An anti-wear sheet for improving anti-wear performance of an object to be protected includes: a release film; a resin layer disposed on the release film and including photo-curable resin and hard particles supported by the photo-curable resin; and a light-shielding film disposed on an opposite side of the resin layer from the release film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., FUJI RESIN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Shindo, Takao Kuroiwa, Hidehiko Gensui, Manabu Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20180298470
    Abstract: Provided are a nickel-base alloy having high high-temperature strength, a turbine blade using same, and a method for producing an injection molded article of the nickel-base alloy. The nickel-base alloy contains: at least one metal element from among chrome, molybdenum, and niobium; nickel; aluminum; and carbon. The nickel-base alloy comprises a plurality of crystal grains and a plurality of precipitates. The areas between the individual crystal grains in the nickel-base alloy, i.e., the boundaries of the individual crystal grains serve as crystal grain boundaries. The crystal grains are crystals in which nickel is the primary component. The precipitates are precipitated on the crystal grain boundaries. The precipitates are carbides comprising: at least one metal element from among chrome, molybdenum, and niobium; and carbon. The carbides have a diameter of 0.1-10 ?m and an aspect ratio of 3 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Kenji SUZUKI, Kentaro SHINDO, Shuntaro TERAUCHI, Hisashi KITAGAKI, Kazuki HANAMI, Tadayuki HANADA
  • Publication number: 20180223793
    Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine blade, with which effective reinforcement against possible flexural deformation in a longitudinal direction is realized, and a reinforcing method for the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade includes a hollow blade main body having a cylindrical blade root portion and extending from the blade root portion along a blade length direction, and a reinforcing plate provided in contact with an inside surface of the blade root portion and formed of an elongated member having a dimension along the blade length direction that is larger than a dimension along a circumferential direction of the blade root portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Yasutaka KIMURA, Takao KUROIWA, Kouji ESAKI, Toshiyuki HIRANO, Kentaro SHINDO, Takeshi FUJITA, Keisuke OTA
  • Patent number: 10041471
    Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine blade, with which effective reinforcement against possible flexural deformation in a longitudinal direction is realized, and a reinforcing method for the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade includes a hollow blade main body having a cylindrical blade root portion and extending from the blade root portion along a blade length direction, and a reinforcing plate provided in contact with an inside surface of the blade root portion and formed of an elongated member having a dimension along the blade length direction that is larger than a dimension along a circumferential direction of the blade root portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Kimura, Takao Kuroiwa, Kouji Esaki, Toshiyuki Hirano, Kentaro Shindo, Takeshi Fujita, Keisuke Ota
  • Publication number: 20160354999
    Abstract: An anti-wear sheet for improving anti-wear performance of an object to be protected includes: a release film; a resin layer disposed on the release film and including photo-curable resin and hard particles supported by the photo-curable resin; and a light-shielding film disposed on an opposite side of the resin layer from the release film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., FUJI RESIN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro SHINDO, Takao KUROIWA, Hidehiko GENSUI, Manabu YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9327456
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced base material, which is capable of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced base material of high quality while preventing generation of defects such as wrinkles during stacking of the base material sheet. The method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced base material formed by stacking a base material sheet including a reinforcement fiber onto a mold having a double-curved surface shape, includes steps of: supplying the base material sheet onto the mold from a base material roll while applying distribution varying in a width direction (X direction) to a length of the base material sheet in a sheet-supplying direction of the base material sheet (Y direction) in correspondence with the double-curved surface shape of the mold; and applying pressure to the base material sheet in contact with the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Shindo, Takao Kuroiwa, Kouji Esaki