Patents by Inventor Masanobu Sakai

Masanobu Sakai 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: 11867432
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system includes a first well having a first upper opening and a first lower opening, and a second well having a second upper opening and a second lower opening. The geothermal heat utilization system further includes a first pipe, a second pipe, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of an upper aquifer from the first upper opening to the second upper opening via the first pipe, and the geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of a lower aquifer from the second lower opening to the first lower opening via the second pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., UNIVERSITY PUBLIC CORPORATION OSAKA
    Inventors: Rinnichi Sai, Masanobu Sakai, Toru Yamaguchi, Masaki Nakao, Yasuhisa Nakaso
  • Patent number: 11859871
    Abstract: The geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of an upper aquifer from the first upper opening to the second upper opening via the first pipe, and capable of supplying underground water of a lower aquifer from the second lower opening to the first lower opening via the second pipe. Further, the geothermal heat utilization system is configured to pump hot water and at the same time, pump cold water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., UNIVERSITY PUBLIC CORPORATION OSAKA
    Inventors: Rinnichi Sai, Masanobu Sakai, Toru Yamaguchi, Masaki Nakao, Yasuhisa Nakaso
  • Patent number: 11629889
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system (10) includes a pumping well (20), a water injection well (30), a pipe (13) having two ends which are immersed in water stored in the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) so as to connect the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) to each other, a pump (21) and a pump (31) which are respectively provided inside the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) and pump up stored water through the pipe (13), a valve (25) and a valve (35) which are respectively provided on a pressurization side of the pump (21) inside the pumping well (20) and a pressurization side of the pump (31) inside the water injection well (30), and a heat exchanger (14) which is configured to exchange heat with the pipe (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, NEWJEC INC., THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., MORIKAWA SAKUSEN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Sakai, Takeshi Fuchimoto, Rinnichi Sai, Masaki Nakao, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Yasuhisa Nakaso, Toshihide Morikawa, Shinsuke Sakae
  • Publication number: 20220034552
    Abstract: The geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of an upper aquifer from the first upper opening to the second upper opening via the first pipe, and capable of supplying underground water of a lower aquifer from the second lower opening to the first lower opening via the second pipe. Further, the geothermal heat utilization system is configured to pump hot water and at the same time, pump cold water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., UNIVERSITY PUBLIC CORPORATION OSAKA
    Inventors: Rinnichi SAI, Masanobu SAKAI, Toru YAMAGUCHI, Masaki NAKAO, Yasuhisa NAKASO
  • Publication number: 20210318035
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system includes a well that includes an upper opening, a lower opening, a water chamber capable of storing underground water inside, and a pump provided inside the water chamber and capable of pumping underground water; and a water suction pipe that extends from the pump toward a heat exchanger, wherein the water chamber includes an upper suction valve capable of being opened and closed toward the upper opening and a lower suction valve capable of being opened and closed toward the lower opening, and wherein the geothermal heat utilization system is configured such that, when any one of the upper suction valve and the lower suction valve is opened, the other is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., University Public Corporation Osaka
    Inventors: Rinnichi SAI, Masanobu SAKAI, Toru YAMAGUCHI, Masaki NAKAO, Yasuhisa NAKASO
  • Publication number: 20210293456
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system includes a first well having a first upper opening and a first lower opening, and a second well having a second upper opening and a second lower opening. The geothermal heat utilization system further includes a first pipe, a second pipe, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of an upper aquifer from the first upper opening to the second upper opening via the first pipe, and the geothermal heat utilization system is capable of supplying underground water of a lower aquifer from the second lower opening to the first lower opening via the second pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., University Public Corporation Osaka
    Inventors: Rinnichi SAI, Masanobu SAKAI, Toru YAMAGUCHI, Masaki NAKAO, Yasuhisa NAKASO
  • Patent number: 10845129
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system includes a heat source well facility, a heat source device having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expanded portion, and an evaporator, a primary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a first unit which is one of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the first unit and the well-side pipe, a secondary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a second unit which is the other of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the second unit and a load, and a mode switching unit that switches between a cold heat storage operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and a cold heat discharge operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and the secondary refrigerant cir
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, NEWJEC INC.
    Inventors: Masanobu Sakai, Takeshi Fuchimoto, Rinnichi Sai, Yasuhisa Nakaso, Shinsuke Sakae, Masaki Nakao, Masatoshi Nishioka, Kazuhiro Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20200025419
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system (10) includes a pumping well (20), a water injection well (30), a pipe (13) having two ends which are immersed in water stored in the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) so as to connect the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) to each other, a pump (21) and a pump (31) which are respectively provided inside the pumping well (20) and the water injection well (30) and pump up stored water through the pipe (13), a valve (25) and a valve (35) which are respectively provided on a pressurization side of the pump (21) inside the pumping well (20) and a pressurization side of the pump (31) inside the water injection well (30), and a heat exchanger (14) which is configured to exchange heat with the pipe (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, NEWJEC INC., THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., MORIKAWA SAKUSEN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu SAKAI, Takeshi FUCHIMOTO, Rinnichi SAI, Masaki NAKAO, Kazuhiro NAKAMURA, Yasuhisa NAKASO, Toshihide MORIKAWA, Shinsuke SAKAE
  • Publication number: 20190301777
    Abstract: A heat source system includes a heat source machine, a cooling tower side outward path and a cooling tower side return path that are connected to the heat source machine, a load side outward path and a load side return path that are connected to the heat source machine, a heat exchange path provided in one of the load side return path and the cooling tower side outward path, a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the heat exchange path and the other one of the load side return path and the cooling tower side outward path, and a heat exchange adjustment valve capable of adjusting a flow rate of the heat exchange path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu SAKAI, Satoru TANI, Kiyokazu TSUJI
  • Patent number: 10305128
    Abstract: A cell system includes a laminated battery, a plurality of battery cells being laminated in the laminated battery, a first switch connected to a positive electrode of the laminated battery and configured to switch connection to the positive electrode to a shut-off state, and a second switch connected to a negative electrode of the laminated battery and configured to switch connection to the negative electrode to a shut-off state. Furthermore, the cell system includes a circuit to be connected at least either between the positive electrode and the first switch or between the negative electrode and the second switch; and a controller configured to shift control timings of the first switch and the second switch from the shut-off state to a connected state according to an electrical capacitance generated between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Sato, Kotaro Akashi, Masanobu Sakai, Hidetaka Nishimura, Kenji Kobayashi, Keita Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20180283799
    Abstract: A geothermal heat utilization system includes a heat source well facility, a heat source device having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expanded portion, and an evaporator, a primary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a first unit which is one of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the first unit and the well-side pipe, a secondary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a second unit which is the other of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the second unit and a load, and a mode switching unit that switches between a cold heat storage operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and a cold heat discharge operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and the secondary refrigerant cir
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD., THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC., OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY, NEWJEC Inc.
    Inventors: Masanobu SAKAI, Takeshi FUCHIMOTO, Rinnichi SAI, Yasuhisa NAKASO, Shinsuke SAKAE, Masaki NAKAO, Masatoshi NISHIOKA, Kazuhiro NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10044054
    Abstract: A separator of a fuel cell to be laminated while sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly forming a power generation region includes a source connection point tab for inputting and outputting an alternating current for internal resistance measurement, a sense connection point tab for detecting a potential of the alternating current input and output to and from the source connection point tab and separation portion configured to separate the sense connection point tab from a current path of the alternating current for internal resistance measurement from the source connection point tab to the power generation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoki, Masanobu Sakai, Kei Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9874612
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an impedance of a laminated battery includes a laminated battery in which a plurality of power generating elements is laminated; a load connected to both ends of the laminated battery; a resistance component provided between the superimposing unit and the load; and a potential difference suppressing circuit that suppresses a pulsating potential difference between both ends of the resistance component. A superimposing unit superimposes a pulsating current or a pulsating voltage on an output of the laminated battery. An impedance measuring unit measures an internal impedance of the laminated battery on the basis of when the pulsating current is superimposed, the pulsating current and a pulsating voltage generated by superimposing the pulsating current, or on the basis of, when the pulsating voltage is superimposed, the pulsating voltage and a pulsating current generated by superimposing the pulsating voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanobu Sakai
  • Patent number: 9817075
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device outputs an alternating current of a prescribed frequency to a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of the laminated type battery. The impedance measuring device detects an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and an intermediate-point terminal, and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal. The impedance measuring device adjusts an amplitude of the alternating current such that the alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal, and the alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal coincide. The impedance measuring device computes an impedance of the laminated type battery on the basis of the alternating current adjusted and the alternating-current potential difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu Sakai, Tetsuya Aoki, Hidetaka Nishimura, Masashi Sato, Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9791518
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device outputs an alternating current of a prescribed frequency to each of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of a laminated type battery and detects an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and an intermediate-point terminal and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal. The impedance measuring device adjusts an amplitude of the alternating current such that the alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal and the alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal coincide, and computes an impedance on the basis of the adjusted alternating current and alternating-current potential differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoki, Masanobu Sakai, Michihiko Matsumoto, Hidetaka Nishimura, Masashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20170141420
    Abstract: A cell system includes a laminated battery, a plurality of battery cells being laminated in the laminated battery, a first switch connected to a positive electrode of the laminated battery and configured to switch connection to the positive electrode to a shut-off state, and a second switch connected to a negative electrode of the laminated battery and configured to switch connection to the negative electrode to a shut-off state. Furthermore, the cell system includes a circuit to be connected at least either between the positive electrode and the first switch or between the negative electrode and the second switch; and a controller configured to shift control timings of the first switch and the second switch from the shut-off state to a connected state according to an electrical capacitance generated between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi SATO, Kotaro AKASHI, Masanobu SAKAI, Hidetaka NISHIMURA, Kenji KOBAYASHI, Keita TSUJI
  • Publication number: 20170104230
    Abstract: A separator of a fuel cell to be laminated while sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly forming a power generation region includes a source connection point tab for inputting and outputting an alternating current for internal resistance measurement, a sense connection point tab for detecting a potential of the alternating current input and output to and from the source connection point tab and separation portion configured to separate the sense connection point tab from a current path of the alternating current for internal resistance measurement from the source connection point tab to the power generation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya AOKI, Masanobu SAKAI, Kei SUGIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170089984
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device includes power supply means configured to output an alternating current to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a laminated battery and detection means configured to detect at least one of an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode and an intermediate point of the laminated battery and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode and the intermediate point of the laminated battery. The impedance measuring device includes computation means configured to compute an impedance of the laminated battery on the basis of the alternating-current potential difference detected by the detection means and the alternating current output from the power supply means, and an element having an impedance of a prescribed value necessary to calculate a measurement error of the impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanobu SAKAI, Michihiko MATSUMOTO, Tetsuya AOKI
  • Publication number: 20170045588
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device outputs an alternating current of a prescribed frequency to each of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of a laminated type battery and detects an alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and an intermediate-point terminal and an alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal. The impedance measuring device adjusts an amplitude of the alternating current such that the alternating-current potential difference between the positive electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal and the alternating-current potential difference between the negative electrode terminal and the intermediate-point terminal coincide, and computes an impedance on the basis of the adjusted alternating current and alternating-current potential differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya AOKI, Masanobu SAKAI, Michihiko MATSUMOTO, Hidetaka NISHIMURA, Masashi SATO
  • Patent number: 9529055
    Abstract: An impedance measuring device for outputs an alternating current to an impedance measurement object, the impedance measurement object including at least a laminated battery and computes an impedance of the laminated battery on the basis of an alternating current applied to the impedance measurement object and at least one of a positive-electrode side AC potential difference and a negative-electrode side AC potential difference. This device includes a filter configured to remove a signal with a frequency of an AC signal to the AC signal, the AC signal indicating the AC potential difference on one electrode side opposite to that of the AC potential difference used by impedance computation, and an adding unit configured to add a filtered signal to the AC signal, the filtered signal being a signal after passing through the filter, the AC signal indicating the AC potential difference used by impedance computation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanobu Sakai