Patents by Inventor Shigeto Adachi

Shigeto Adachi 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: 11066961
    Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery system includes an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, a pump, a circulation flow path, a cooling medium pipe, a bypass pipe, a first valve, a second valve for switching between a state in which the working medium can flow into the coolie medium piping and a state in which the working medium cannot flow therein, and a controller for performing the switching control of the valves. When a condition under which the temperature of the working medium flowing into the condenser becomes higher than or equal to a predetermined temperature is satisfied, the controller controls the second valve to switch to the state in which the working medium can flow into the cooling medium pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Kazumasa Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10851678
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device includes a circulation flow path for circulating a working fluid, a thermal fluid circulation flow path for circulating hot water, an evaporator for evaporating the working fluid flowing in the circulation flow path by heat of the hot water flowing in the thermal fluid circulation flow path, a preheater for heating the working fluid before flowing into the evaporator by the heat of the hot water flowing in the thermal fluid circulation flow path, and a control unit for controlling a startup operation of the thermal energy recovery device. The control unit executes a suppression control for suppressing a temperature difference between the hot water and the working fluid in the preheater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Haruyuki Matsuda, Shigeto Adachi
  • Patent number: 10794160
    Abstract: A geothermal heat recovery device includes a circulation flow path provided with a circulation pump, a heat medium pressurized by the circulation pump circulating through the circulation flow path in a hot liquid state; a heat exchanger installed underground and configured to heat the heat medium flowing through the circulation flow path with underground heat; a binary electricity generation device configured to recover, as electrical energy, thermal energy from the heat medium heated in the heat exchanger; a bypass path connected to the circulation flow path; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a flow division ratio between a flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the heat exchanger and a flow rate of the heat medium bypassing the heat exchanger through the bypass path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Shigeto Adachi
  • Patent number: 10794229
    Abstract: A binary cycle power generation system includes a working fluid circulation line, an evaporator, an expander, an energy recovery apparatus, a condenser, and a pump. The pump includes a casing, a rotary shaft, and impellers. The casing is hollow and has an end wall at an end in a longitudinal direction. The rotary shaft has an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing, is supported on the end wall, has at least a part that is in the casing, and rotates owing to a torque. The impellers are attached to the rotary shaft one after another in the longitudinal direction. The pump is arranged in such a way that the axis of the rotary shaft intersects a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Yuji Tanaka, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Kazumasa Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10712060
    Abstract: A power generation method capable of obtaining, even after switching a refrigerant, the equivalent power generation amount before the switching includes: a step of, during reference operation for circulating a reference refrigerant as a working medium within a circulation pathway and operating a binary generator, acquiring information of a control target of superheat of the reference refrigerant evaporated in an evaporator; a step of filling as the working medium, in the circulation pathway, mixed refrigerants by mixing a high-vapor pressure refrigerant and a low-vapor pressure refrigerant than the reference refrigerant in the ratio in which its vapor pressure equals the reference refrigerant; and a step of operating the binary generator while circulating the mixed refrigerants as the working medium within the circulation pathway and controlling superheat of the mixed refrigerants evaporated in the evaporator so as to equal the control target of the superheat of the reference refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeto Adachi, Masayoshi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 10626754
    Abstract: A compression device is equipped with a compressor (102) and a heat energy recovery unit (200) that recovers heat energy from a compressed gas. The heat energy recovery unit (200) is equipped with: a heat exchanger (202) that has an inflow port (202a), and that heats an operating medium by means of the heat from the compressed gas; an expansion device (210); a power recovery unit (212); a condenser (214); and a pump (222). The heat exchanger (202) is arranged closer to the compressor (102) than the expansion device (210), and is oriented such that the inflow port (202a) faces the compressor (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Hashimoto, Kazumasa Nishimura, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Haruyuki Matsuda, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Noboru Tsuboi, Kazunori Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 10605123
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device includes: a circulation line having an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, and a pump; a power recovery machine; a first on-off valve; a thermal energy introduction line configured to introduce a gas phase working medium into a post-expansion space; a second on-off valve; and a control unit. Until an evaporation condition that a liquid phase working medium accumulated in the post-expansion space has reached an amount equal to or smaller than a reference amount is met, the control unit closes the first on-off valve and opens the second on-off valve, and drives the pump in a state where the expander is stopped, and when the evaporation condition is met, the control unit opens the first on-off valve and closes the second on-off valve, and drives the expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Tsuboi, Masayoshi Matsumura, Shigeto Adachi, Eiji Kanki, Shirohiko Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20190383176
    Abstract: A binary cycle power generation system includes a working fluid circulation line, an evaporator, an expander, an energy recovery apparatus, a condenser, and a pump. The pump includes a casing, a rotary shaft, and impellers. The casing is hollow and has an end wall at an end in a longitudinal direction. The rotary shaft has an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing, is supported on the end wall, has at least a part that is in the casing, and rotates owing to a torque. The impellers are attached to the rotary shaft one after another in the longitudinal direction. The pump is arranged in such a way that the axis of the rotary shaft intersects a vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKAHASHI, Yuji TANAKA, Shigeto ADACHI, Yutaka NARUKAWA, Kazumasa NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20190383177
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device includes a circulation flow path for circulating a working fluid, a thermal fluid circulation flow path for circulating hot water, an evaporator for evaporating the working fluid flowing in the circulation flow path by heat of the hot water flowing in the thermal fluid circulation flow path, a preheater for heating the working fluid before flowing into the evaporator by the heat of the hot water flowing in the thermal fluid circulation flow path, and a control unit for controlling a startup operation of the thermal energy recovery device. The control unit executes a suppression control for suppressing a temperature difference between the hot water and the working fluid in the preheater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKAHASHI, Haruyuki MATSUDA, Shigeto ADACHI
  • Patent number: 10508569
    Abstract: Provided is a thermal energy recovery device in which a site of a circulation flow path between an evaporated portion and an expander can be avoided having too high temperature upon stoppage of power recovery by a power recovery machine. The thermal energy recovery device includes an evaporator (10), an expander (12), a power recovery machine (14), a condenser (16), a pump (18), a circulation flow path (20), a cooling flow path (30) for supplying working medium of liquid phase flowing out of the pump (18) partially to a site of the circulation flow path (20) between the evaporator (10) and the expander (12), an on-off valve (V1) provided in the cooling flow path (30), and a control unit (40), in which upon reception of a stop signal for stopping power recovery by the power recovery machine (14), the control unit (40) opens the on-off valve (V1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Kazumasa Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20190368787
    Abstract: A power generation method capable of obtaining, even after switching a refrigerant, the equivalent power generation amount before the switching includes: a step of, during reference operation for circulating a reference refrigerant as a working medium within a circulation pathway and operating a binary generator, acquiring information of a control target of superheat of the reference refrigerant evaporated in an evaporator; a step of filling as the working medium, in the circulation pathway, mixed refrigerants by mixing a high-vapor pressure refrigerant and a low-vapor pressure refrigerant than the reference refrigerant in the ratio in which its vapor pressure equals the reference refrigerant; and a step of operating the binary generator while circulating the mixed refrigerants as the working medium within the circulation pathway and controlling superheat of the mixed refrigerants evaporated in the evaporator so as to equal the control target of the superheat of the reference refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Shigeto ADACHI, Masayoshi MATSUMURA
  • Patent number: 10408092
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is for use in an energy recovery system to be mounted on a vessel including an engine, a supercharger and an economizer, the heat exchanger including: a first heat section for heating a working medium by supercharged air from the supercharger; a second heat section for heating the supercharged air by steam generated by the economizer before the supercharged air flows into the first heat section; and a third heat section for heating the working medium having been heated in the first section by the supercharged air which is to be heated in the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., ASAHI SHIPPING CO., LTD., TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD., MIURA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeto Adachi, Kazuo Takahashi, Tetsuro Fujii, Kazuya Arahira, Masakazu Yamamoto, Yutaka Kobayashi, Toshio Sageshima
  • Patent number: 10385734
    Abstract: Provided is a thermal energy recovery device in which poor lubrication of a bearing can be inhibited when an expander is driven. The thermal energy recovery device includes an evaporator (10), an expander (20), a power recovery machine (30), a condenser (40), a pump (50), a circulation flow path (60), a cooling flow path (70) for supplying working fluid from the pump (50) partially to the power recovery machine (30), an on-off valve (V1) provided in the cooling flow path (70), and a control unit (80), in which the expander (20) has a rotor (21), a bearing (22), and a primary casing (23), and in which the power recovery machine (30) has a power recovery unit (31) and a secondary casing (35), and in which upon reception of a stop signal for stopping power recovery by the power recovery machine (30), the control unit (80) closes the on-off valve (V1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Kazumasa Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20190234190
    Abstract: A geothermal heat recovery device includes a circulation flow path provided with a circulation pump, a heat medium pressurized by the circulation pump circulating through the circulation flow path in a hot liquid state; a heat exchanger installed underground and configured to heat the heat medium flowing through the circulation flow path with underground heat; a binary electricity generation device configured to recover, as electrical energy, thermal energy from the heat medium heated in the heat exchanger; a bypass path connected to the circulation flow path; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a flow division ratio between a flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the heat exchanger and a flow rate of the heat medium bypassing the heat exchanger through the bypass path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKAHASHI, Shigeto ADACHI
  • Patent number: 10358948
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device (1) includes a circulation passage (4) having an evaporator (10), an expander (14), a condenser (6), and pump (8), and a controller (18) controlling the rotational number of the pump (8). The expander (14) is driven upon introduction of a mixed medium of a working medium evaporated in the evaporator (10) and oil into the expander (14). The controller (18) can execute a thermal load control for controlling the rotational number of the pump (8) according to a thermal load in the evaporator (10) and an oil return control for driving the pump (8) at the rotational number higher than that of the pump (8) controlled by the thermal load control. The oil return control is executed if a preset oil accumulation condition regarding an accumulation degree of the oil that is separated from the working medium evaporated in the evaporator (10) is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Tsuboi, Shigeto Adachi
  • Publication number: 20190211713
    Abstract: The exhaust heat recovery system (1) comprises: an evaporator (2); an expander (3); a condenser (5); a circulation pump (7); a circulation flow path (6) for circulating a working medium therethrough; cooling medium piping (8) which is connected to the circulation flow path (6) and causes a portion of the working medium sent out from the circulation pump (7) to be diverted to flow into the condenser (5); a cooling-side opening/closing valve (13) for switching between a state in which the working medium can flow into the cooling medium piping (8) and a state in which the working medium cannot flow thereinto; and a control unit (10) for performing the switching control of the cooling-side opening/closing valve (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKAHASHI, Shigeto ADACHI, Yutaka NARUKAWA, Kazumasa NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10234183
    Abstract: A compressing device of the present invention comprises a compressor, a heat exchanger, an expander, a power recovery unit, a condenser, a pump, a bypass flow passage for bypassing the expander, and a bypass valve. When a bypass condition for allowing a working medium to circulate through the bypass flow passage is satisfied, the bypass valve is caused to be opened, thereby allowing the working medium to circulate between the heat exchanger and the condenser through the bypass flow passage. As a result, a compressed gas discharged from the compressor is cooled by the working medium in the heat exchanger. This configuration makes it possible to cool the compressed gas by the working medium in the heat exchanger regardless of operation conditions of the expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Hashimoto, Kazumasa Nishimura, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Haruyuki Matsuda, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Noboru Tsuboi, Kazunori Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 10184359
    Abstract: A waste heat recovery device including: a heater which evaporates an working medium by exchanging heat between supercharging air supplied to an engine and the working medium; a heat exchanger which heats the working medium by exchanging heat between the working medium which has flowed out from the heater and a heating medium; and an expander into which the working medium which has flowed out from the heat exchanger flows; a motive power recovery device; a condenser which condenses the working medium; and a pump which sends the working medium to a heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., MIURA Co., Ltd., ASAHI SHIPPING CO., LTD., TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryo Fujisawa, Kazuo Takahashi, Yuji Tanaka, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa
  • Publication number: 20180274392
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device (1) includes a circulation passage (4) having an evaporator (10), an expander (14), a condenser (6), and pump (8), and a controller (18) controlling the rotational number of the pump (8). The expander (14) is driven upon introduction of a mixed medium of a working medium evaporated in the evaporator (10) and oil into the expander (14). The controller (18) can execute a thermal load control for controlling the rotational number of the pump (8) according to a thermal load in the evaporator (10) and an oil return control for driving the pump (8) at the rotational number higher than that of the pump (8) controlled by the thermal load control. The oil return control is executed if a preset oil accumulation condition regarding an accumulation degree of the oil that is separated from the working medium evaporated in the evaporator (10) is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Noboru TSUBOI, Shigeto ADACHI
  • Patent number: 10060298
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device capable of suppressing a rapid increase of thermal stress generated in an evaporator when the operation is started and a start-up method thereof are provided. The thermal energy recovery device includes an evaporator, a preheater, an energy recovery unit, a circulating flow path, a pump, a heating medium flow path for supplying a heating medium to the evaporator and the preheater, a flow adjustment unit provided in a portion on the upstream side than the evaporator within the heating medium flow path, and a control unit. The control unit controls the flow adjustment unit so that the inflow amount of the heating medium in a gas-phase to the evaporator gradually increases, in a state that the pump is stopped, until the temperature of the evaporator becomes a specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Eiji Kanki, Shirohiko Okamoto