Patents by Inventor Minoru Matsuo

Minoru Matsuo 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: 20170307247
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to avoid frequent repetition of an increase/decrease stage caused by the inclusion, in a heat source system, of a machine the capacity of which has been degraded. A heat source system of the present invention is provided with a plurality of heat source machines. A higher-level control device (20) controls each of the heat source machines so that a heat medium delivery temperature, which is the temperature of a heat medium being supplied to an external load, will be a set temperature. The higher-level control device (20) is provided with a number-of-machines control unit (22), a degraded machine detection unit (24), and a priority ranking modification unit (25). The number-of-machines control unit (22) controls the number of heat source machines in accordance with operational priority ranking information in which each of the heat source machines and an operational priority ranking are associated together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi NIKAIDO, Toshiaki OUCHI, Minoru MATSUO, Koki TATEISHI
  • Publication number: 20170284386
    Abstract: A condition monitoring device for an extracted-gas compression system including a compressor which increases pressure of extracted gas includes: a sensor for detecting a state quantity of the extracted gas flowing into the compressor; an erosion progression level calculation unit for calculating an erosion progression level of the compressor on the basis of the state quantity of the extracted gas; and a service life evaluation unit for evaluating a service life of the compressor on the basis of the erosion progression level of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro NAKANIWA, Minoru MATSUO, Takaaki KAIKOGI
  • Patent number: 9689730
    Abstract: A required-circulated-refrigerant flow-rate calculating portion provided in a chilled-water flow-rate estimation calculation portion calculates an evaporator exchanged heat quantity exchanged between a refrigerant and chilled water at an evaporator based on a planned chilled-water-flow-rate value and a measured value of the temperature of the chilled water flowing in the evaporator, and calculates an evaporator-refrigerant flow rate based on that evaporator exchanged heat quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Kenji Ueda, Toshihiko Niinomi, Hitoi Ono
  • Patent number: 9664415
    Abstract: A hot-water heat pump that is capable of reducing installation costs and installation space and also reducing the heating time of a hot-water route, and a method of controlling the same are provided. The hot-water heat pump (1) is provided with a hot-water-heat-pump main unit (2) that includes a thermal output heat exchanger that absorbs heat from a heat-source route and outputs heat; hot-water route (5 and 6) that receive heat outputted from the thermal output heat exchanger; a three-way valve (4) provided in the outlet-side hot-water route (6); and a controller that controls the hot-water-heat-pump main unit (2) and the three-way valve (4), wherein the controller controls the size of openings of the three-way valve (4) so that a portion of the outlet-side hot-water route (6) leading out of the thermal output heat exchanger is guided to an upstream side of the thermal output heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kishi, Minoru Matsuo, Seiichi Okuda, Masaharu Nitta, Tatsuru Nagai
  • Patent number: 9541318
    Abstract: A flow rate of a heat transfer medium is computed without a flow meter. In a control apparatus (30), a storing portion (36) stores an aerodynamic characteristic map indicating a line causing a rotating stall and lines showing a sonic velocity in a refrigerant sucked in by a compressor (12) on a map displaying a variable ? reflecting a suction volume of the compressor (12) and a variable ? reflecting a head of the compressor (12); a estimation portion of chilled water flow rate (30b) computes the variable ?, derives the variable ? according to the variable ? from the map, computes a heat amount exchanged between the refrigerant and the chilled water in an evaporator (24) based on the suction volume of the compressor (12) according to the computed variable ?, and computes the flow rate of the chilled water based on the heat amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Kenji Ueda, Toshihiko Niinomi, Hitoi Ono
  • Publication number: 20170003679
    Abstract: This chiller control device (74) is provided with: a storage unit (18) which stores operation data detected at each site in a turbo chiller; a compression unit (34) which, when the size of the operation data accumulated over time in the storage unit (18) becomes too large, converts the operation data each time a condition depending on the type of operation data is met, thereby compressing the data size; and a diagnostic unit (36) which evaluates the state of the turbo chiller on the basis of the operation data converted by the compression unit (34). By this means, the state of the chiller can be diagnosed without increasing the storage capacity of the storage medium that stores operation data of the turbo chiller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki MIURA, Kenji UEDA, Yoshie KANKI, Minoru MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20160341440
    Abstract: A method for controlling number of pumps includes a process of increasing or decreasing the number of operating pumps based on a flow rate of a heat medium that is forcibly fed to a load (40) by a plurality of pumps connected in parallel or a heat load required by the load and a frequency command value commanded to each pump in operation among the plurality of pumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki OUCHI, Satoshi NIKAIDO, Minoru MATSUO, Koki TATEISHI
  • Publication number: 20160305702
    Abstract: Provided is a heat pump system that can appropriately manage the number of heat pumps in operation even when any of the heat pumps is defrosting, and that can always operate at a capacity that corresponds to a load. Also provided is an operation method for the heat pump system. A heat pump system (1) wherein a plurality of heat pumps (10A-10C (13A-13D)) are connected to a system load and wherein a system management unit (27) successively calculates the capacity that can be output by the heat pumps (10A-10C (13A-13D)) in operation, compares the calculated capacity value, as a threshold value, to the thermal load of the system load, and manages the number of heat pumps (10A-10C (13A-13D)) in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi NIKAIDO, Takeshi FUCHIMOTO, Minoru MATSUO, Toshiaki OUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160290674
    Abstract: In the present invention pumps for transporting a heat medium to a load device are provided between the load device and heat source devices that supply the heat medium to the load device, and when the number of operating pumps changes, the number of operating heat source devices is determined on the basis of the state of the load device prior to the change in the number of operating pumps, until at least one of a prescribed condition with respect to time or a prescribed condition with respect to a value that varies due to the change in the number of operating pumps is satisfied. By means of this configuration it is possible to control the number of operating heat source devices appropriately without being affected by a transient change in a flow volume measurement value or measured load value caused by a change in the number of secondary pumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki TATEISHI, Satoshi NIKAIDO, Minoru MATSUO, Toshiaki OUCHI
  • Patent number: 9414521
    Abstract: It is possible to realize flow rate control regardless of the scale on a load side or a piping system and to achieve energy saving. In a host control device (20) of a heat source system, a bypass valve opening command value is determined by an opening command value determination unit (22) such that a header differential pressure matches a target differential pressure value, and a target opening value according to the header differential pressure or the behavior of the bypass valve opening is set by a target opening value setting unit (24). A heating medium flow rate set value is determined by a heating medium flow rate setting unit (23) using the target opening value set by the target opening value setting unit (24) and the opening command value determined by the opening command value determination unit (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Satoshi Nikaido, Koki Tateishi, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20160209053
    Abstract: In a heat source control device, a heat source system, and a heat source control method, heat source groups, a plurality of group control units, and a number-of-units control unit are included. The group control units include a first operating-range output unit and a second operating-range output unit. When a requested load exceeds a first proper operating range, the number-of-units control unit increases the number of activated heat source groups and controls the group control units so that the number of activated heat source units is a predetermined number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru MATSUO, Takeshi FUCHIMOTO, Satoshi NIKAIDO, Toshiaki OUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150354849
    Abstract: In order to achieve a reduction in energy consumption in a cooling water supply device without using a database, an equipment control device (70a) of a cooling water supply device: uses the load of a chiller, and a cooling water outlet temperature lower limit setpoint determined in accordance with the set temperature for the cooling water outlet of the chiller, to set a cooling water inlet temperature lower limit setpoint; sets, as the cooling water inlet temperature setpoint, the higher of the lower limit setpoint and the cooling water inlet temperature lower limit value as determined from the outside wet-bulb temperature; and generates a control command for a cooling tower fan and a control command for the cooling water flow volume, so as to match the cooling water inlet temperature and the cooling water outlet temperature respectively with the cooling water inlet temperature setpoint and the cooling water outlet temperature lower limit setpoint which have been set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru MATSUO, Satoshi NIKAIDO, Koki TATEISHI, Toshiaki OUCHI
  • Patent number: 9206994
    Abstract: Upon newly installing a system or installing an additional heat source apparatuses, manual adjustment of a number-of-units control device should be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Kenji Ueda
  • Publication number: 20150292514
    Abstract: To achieve energy saving in the cooling towers as a whole in a heat source system including a plurality of cooling towers connected in parallel to a common chiller. In a heat source system, a plurality of cooling towers are connected in parallel to a common chiller. The cooling towers cool cooling water used and thereby heated in the chiller, and supplies the cooled cooling water to the chiller. A cooling tower control device for controlling the cooling towers starts all the cooling towers at the start of the heat source system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Tateishi, Satoshi Nikaido, Minoru Matsuo, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20150241100
    Abstract: It is an object to reduce variation in load among compressors. A heat source system constituted by connecting multiple heat source machines with respective independent refrigeration cycles in series, includes: an information acquisition unit (21) that acquires measurement values of operation frequencies of compressors from respective heat source machines; a load distribution change unit (22) that changes a load distribution currently assigned to each of the heat source machines such that the compressor's operation frequencies acquired by the information acquisition unit (21) are substantially equal; and a temperature setting unit that sets the hot/chilled water outlet temperatures of respective heat source machines according to the changed load distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Takeshi Fuchimoto
  • Publication number: 20150211753
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to maintain a water supply temperature close to a target water supply temperature at the time of a change in the number of heat source machines operating. A heat source system of the present invention anticipates a case where a prescribed minimum flow rate is set for heat source machines that are subject to addition or removal, and calculates, as compensation temperatures, hot and cold water outlet temperatures of the heat source machines so that the water supply temperature in such a case will match a target water supply temperature, and changes the hot and cold water outlet temperature settings of the operating heat source machines to the compensation temperatures. After that, the heat source machines that are subject to addition or removal are either started up or stopped, and the set flow rate for the heat source machines that are subject to addition or removal is set to the minimum flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ouchi, Minoru Matsuo, Koki Tateishi, Satoshi Nikaido
  • Publication number: 20150039134
    Abstract: To swiftly start, at the time of power recovery after a power failure, heat source machines, the number of which is equal to the number of machines before the power failure, without including an uninterruptible power supply in an apparatus for controlling the number of machines that is adapted to control the number of heat source machines. There is provided a heat source system, in which a host control device (20) includes a nonvolatile first storage unit (22) that stores the number of heat source machines in operation immediately before the power failure. When power is recovered, control on the number of heat source machines at the time of power recovery is performed in accordance with the number of heat source machines stored in the first storage unit (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nikaido, Takaaki Miura, Minoru Matsuo, Koki Tateishi, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20140360714
    Abstract: It is possible to realize flow rate control regardless of the scale on a load side or a piping system and to achieve energy saving. In a host control device (20) of a heat source system, a bypass valve opening command value is determined by an opening command value determination unit (22) such that a header differential pressure matches a target differential pressure value, and a target opening value according to the header differential pressure or the behavior of the bypass valve opening is set by a target opening value setting unit (24). A heating medium flow rate set value is determined by a heating medium flow rate setting unit (23) using the target opening value set by the target opening value setting unit (24) and the opening command value determined by the opening command value determination unit (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Satoshi Nikaido, Koki Tateishi, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20140358253
    Abstract: A control device and method for preventing the start and stop of heat source machines from being frequently repeated. Whether or not basic conditions for decreasing the number of machines are satisfied when the number of currently operating machines is increased by one is determined if a current operational status satisfies basic conditions for increasing the number of machines, and one heat source machine is started if it is determined that the basic conditions for decreasing the number of machines are not satisfied. Additionally, whether or not the basic conditions for increasing the number of machines are satisfied when the number of currently operating machines is decreased by one are satisfied if a current operational status satisfies the basic conditions for decreasing the number of machines, and one heat source machine is stopped if it is determined that the basic conditions for increasing the number of machines are not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Tateishi, Minoru Matsuo, Satoshi Nikaido, Toshiaki Ouchi
  • Patent number: 8812263
    Abstract: Design COP is iteratively computed. Provided is a centrifugal chiller performance evaluation system including a data acquisition section for acquiring operating data from a centrifugal chiller as input data; a storage section storing a design COP estimation formula obtained by adding correction values corresponding to losses occurring in an actual environment to a computational formula for ideal actual-machine COP expressed using COP characteristics of a reverse Carnot cycle; and a computing section for estimating a design COP at a current operating point using the operating data acquired by the data acquisition section and the design COP estimation formula stored in the storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshie Togano, Kenji Ueda, Minoru Matsuo