Patents by Inventor Maki KIKUCHI

Maki KIKUCHI 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: 11639667
    Abstract: A rotor support device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a dielectric material, and at least one alternating-current power supply. The dielectric material is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The at least one AC power supply is configured to apply an alternating-current voltage across the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and induce flows of gas by causing dielectric barrier discharge between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. At least one of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes is disposed apart from each other in a static system that is stationary with respect to a rotor provided in an aircraft. The static system is adjacent to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Kato, Maki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11220327
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an airframe, a hollow member, and a plasma actuator. The hollow member has a body and an internal flow passage. The body extends from front of the airframe to rear of the airframe and has a hollow shape. The internal flow passage extends in the body from the front to the rear. The body has an introduction port configured to introduce a fluid into the internal flow passage, and a blow hole provided more toward the rear than the introduction port, and penetrating the body from an inner circumferential surface of the body to an outer circumferential surface of the body. The plasma actuator is provided at the outer circumferential surface of the body, and disposed on one or more sides, in a circumferential direction of the body, of the blow hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Nakano, Takayuki Oguri, Yukinobu Tomonaga, Akitoshi Sakaguchi, Maki Kikuchi, Hiroki Kato
  • Patent number: 11214359
    Abstract: A flow control system includes a movable wing attachable to a wing of an aircraft, and a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of the movable wing. The flow control system is configured to control air flow around the wing by having the changing of the steering angle of the movable wing work in conjunction with the operation of the plasma actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maki Kikuchi, Hiroki Kato, Mitsuru Kono, Kentaro Yoshida, Nobuyuki Nakazato
  • Patent number: 11208201
    Abstract: A wing structure for an aircraft includes a stationary wing, a movable wing and at least one plasma actuator. The movable wing is configured to have a slot between the movable wing and the stationary wing. The at least one plasma actuator is configured to control air flow through the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Kato, Maki Kikuchi, Kentaro Yoshida, Nobuyuki Nakazato, Tomofumi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11174007
    Abstract: A flow control apparatus includes a plasma actuator, a storage device, and a control circuit. The plasma actuator causes discharge in a discharge area by applying an alternating-current (AC) voltage between electrodes to form an induced flow of gas. The electrodes are shifted relatively to each other with a dielectric disposed between them. The storage device stores a changing condition of an AC voltage waveform for changing a gas flow state formed in a flow control area of gas from a first state to a second state by adding the induced flow of gas. The control circuit refers to the changing condition of the AC voltage waveform and control the AC voltage waveform based on the changing condition of the AC voltage waveform, in a case of changing the gas flow state formed in the gas flow control area from the first flow state to the second flow state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maki Kikuchi, Hiroki Kato
  • Publication number: 20190344879
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an airframe, a hollow member, and a plasma actuator. The hollow member has a body and an internal flow passage. The body extends from front of the airframe to rear of the airframe and has a hollow shape. The internal flow passage extends in the body from the front to the rear. The body has an introduction port configured to introduce a fluid into the internal flow passage, and a blow hole provided more toward the rear than the introduction port, and penetrating the body from an inner circumferential surface of the body to an outer circumferential surface of the body. The plasma actuator is provided at the outer circumferential surface of the body, and disposed on one or more sides, in a circumferential direction of the body, of the blow hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kohei NAKANO, Takayuki OGURI, Yukinobu TOMONAGA, Akitoshi SAKAGUCHI, Maki KIKUCHI, Hiroki KATO
  • Publication number: 20190329870
    Abstract: A wing structure for an aircraft includes a stationary wing, a flap extendable so as to form an air flow path between the flap and the stationary wing, and at least one plasma actuator. The plasma actuator is configured to induce, while the flap is extended, air flow for suppressing or reducing separation of air on an upper surface of the flap including air flowing from a lower surface of the stationary wing to the upper surface of the flap via the flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KATO, Nobuyuki NAKAZATO, Kentaro YOSHIDA, Maki KIKUCHI, Tomofumi IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190322358
    Abstract: A wing structure a wing structure for an aircraft includes a stationary wing, a movable wing and at least one plasma actuator. The movable wing is configured to have a slot between the movable wing and the stationary wing. The at least one plasma actuator is configured to control air flow through the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KATO, Maki KIKUCHI, Kentaro YOSHIDA, Nobuyuki NAKAZATO, Tomofumi IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190300159
    Abstract: A flow control system includes a movable wing attachable to a wing of an aircraft, and a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of the movable wing. The flow control system is configured to control air flow around the wing by having the changing of the steering angle of the movable wing work in conjunction with the operation of the plasma actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maki KIKUCHI, Hiroki KATO, Mitsuru KONO, Kentaro YOSHIDA, Nobuyuki NAKAZATO
  • Publication number: 20190193842
    Abstract: A rotor support device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a dielectric material, and at least one alternating-current power supply. The dielectric material is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The at least one AC power supply is configured to apply an alternating-current voltage across the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and induce flows of gas by causing dielectric barrier discharge between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. At least one of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes is disposed apart from each other in a static system that is stationary with respect to a rotor provided in an aircraft. The static system is adjacent to the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KATO, Maki KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190193843
    Abstract: A flow control apparatus includes a plasma actuator, a storage device, and a control circuit. The plasma actuator causes discharge in a discharge area by applying an alternating-current (AC) voltage between electrodes to form an induced flow of gas. The electrodes are shifted relatively to each other with a dielectric disposed between them. The storage device stores a changing condition of an AC voltage waveform for changing a gas flow state formed in a flow control area of gas from a first state to a second state by adding the induced flow of gas. The control circuit refers to the changing condition of the AC voltage waveform and control the AC voltage waveform based on the changing condition of the AC voltage waveform, in a case of changing the gas flow state formed in the gas flow control area from the first flow state to the second flow state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maki KIKUCHI, Hiroki KATO