Patents by Inventor Susumu Maeshima

Susumu Maeshima 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: 11929529
    Abstract: The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a first injection device associated with a supply of a fuel to the fuel cell, and a second injection device provided on an upstream side of the first injection device in a fuel flow passage from a fuel storage unit to the first injection device. The first and second injection devices switch a flow passage extending downstream from the fuel flow passage, between a first flow passage via the first injection device and second flow passage via the second injection device. The second injection device operates at a lower frequency than the first injection device during an operation of the fuel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Akinobu Moriyama, Tatsuya Yaguchi, Masashi Sato, Tadaki Mano, Hiroyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 11898750
    Abstract: A method for controlling a catalytic combustion apparatus having a heater capable of heating fuel to be supplied to a catalyst includes a step of supplying oxidant gas to the catalytic combustion apparatus, and an injection step of injecting the fuel into the catalytic combustion apparatus. The injection step also includes an electric power feeding step of supplying electric power to the heater, and a setting step of setting an injection amount of the fuel to be injected into the catalytic combustion apparatus in response to output of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Tadaki Mano, Hiroyuki Wada, Masamitsu Satake
  • Publication number: 20220399552
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving a working gas, a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell, a heat exchange device configured to supply the working gas to the fuel cell, and perform heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, and a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device. The manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro USUDA, Susumu MAESHIMA, Tomokatsu HIMENO
  • Publication number: 20220320534
    Abstract: A combustor, including: a catalyst bed portion supporting a catalyst capable of promoting a combustion reaction of fuel; a vaporizer which is arranged on the downstream side of the catalyst bed portion with respect to a flow of the fuel going through the catalyst bed portion and is configured to be able to use a combustion gas generated from the combustion reaction as a hot fluid; a manifold portion which is outside the catalyst bed portion and guides air in a direction opposite to the flow of the fuel going through the catalyst bed portion and has a wall portion on which a sidewall of the vaporizer is projected; and a fuel introducing portion configured to penetrate the wall portion of the manifold portion so that the fuel evaporated by the vaporizer can be introduced into the manifold portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., AVL LIST GMBH, RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Masahiro USUDA, Susumu MAESHIMA, Tomokatsu HIMENO, Vincent LAWLOR, Daniel MAIR, Robert POESCHL, Bernd REITER
  • Publication number: 20210262662
    Abstract: A method for controlling a catalytic combustion apparatus having a heater capable of heating fuel to be supplied to a catalyst includes a step of supplying oxidant gas to the catalytic combustion apparatus, and an injection step of injecting the fuel into the catalytic combustion apparatus. The injection step also includes an electric power feeding step of supplying electric power to the heater, and a setting step of setting an injection amount of the fuel to be injected into the catalytic combustion apparatus in response to output of the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu MAESHIMA, Tadaki MANO, Hiroyuki WADA, Masamitsu SATAKE
  • Publication number: 20210202966
    Abstract: The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a first injection device associated with a supply of a fuel to the fuel cell, and a second injection device provided on an upstream side of the first injection device in a fuel flow passage from a fuel storage unit to the first injection device. The first and second injection devices switch a flow passage extending downstream from the fuel flow passage, between a first flow passage via the first injection device and second flow passage via the second injection device. The second injection device operates at a lower frequency than the first injection device during an operation of the fuel system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu MAESHIMA, Akinobu MORIYAMA, Tatsuya YAGUCHI, Masashi SATO, Tadaki MANO, Hiroyuki WADA
  • Patent number: 10847822
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell; a first combustor coupled to a discharged air side of the fuel cell; a heating device that heats the first combustor; and a warming-up control unit that performs a warming-up control of the fuel cell after warming up the first combustor by the heating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu Maeshima
  • Patent number: 10826090
    Abstract: A method for controlling a fuel cell system is a method for controlling a fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell which generates a power upon receiving supplies of an anode gas and a cathode gas. The method for controlling the fuel cell system includes; as a stop control of the fuel cell, stopping a supply of the anode gas while continuing a supply of the cathode gas to the fuel cell, and shutting off a discharge side of an anode of the fuel cell; and carrying out an additional control to supply the anode gas to the fuel cell during the stop control and/or an additional control to decrease the flow rate of the cathode gas during the stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu Maeshima
  • Patent number: 10651486
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack configured to generate power according to a load, a fuel tank configured to store fuel gas, a pressure regulating valve configured to regulate a pressure of the fuel gas supplied from the fuel tank to the fuel cell stack, a purge valve configured to purge the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack and a controller for controlling the system. The controller includes a pulsating unit configured to cause a fuel gas pressure of the fuel cell stack to pulsate, and a pressure increasing rate setting unit configured to set a pressure increasing rate of the pulsation of the fuel gas pressure according to an operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Keigo Ikezoe, Yasushi Ichikawa, Takahiro Fujii, Takashi Naka, Daigo Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10454121
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power. The fuel cell system includes an anode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a cathode discharge passage through which a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join. The fuel cell system further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply a fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage during a system stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentarou Yajima, Masanari Yanagisawa, Susumu Maeshima
  • Publication number: 20180366751
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel cell; a first combustor coupled to a discharged air side of the fuel cell; a heating device that heats the first combustor; and a warming-up control unit that performs a warming-up control of the fuel cell after warming up the first combustor by the heating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu MAESHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180366749
    Abstract: A method for controlling a fuel cell system is a method for controlling a fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell which generates a power upon receiving supplies of an anode gas and a cathode gas. The method for controlling the fuel cell system includes; as a stop control of the fuel cell, stopping a supply of the anode gas while continuing a supply of the cathode gas to the fuel cell, and shutting off a discharge side of an anode of the fuel cell; and carrying out an additional control to supply the anode gas to the fuel cell during the stop control and/or an additional control to decrease the flow rate of the cathode gas during the stop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu MAESHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180358639
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell configured to receive a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power. The fuel cell system includes an anode discharge passage through which an anode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a cathode discharge passage through which a cathode off-gas discharged from the fuel cell flows, a joining portion where the anode discharge passage and the cathode discharge passage join. The fuel cell system further includes a gas supply unit configured to supply a fuel gas using a fuel stored in a fuel tank into the anode discharge passage during a system stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., IP Department
    Inventors: Kentarou YAJIMA, Masanari YANAGISAWA, Susumu MAESHIMA
  • Patent number: 9444111
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a control valve and a controller. The fuel cell is configured to receive anode gas and cathode gas to generate electric power. The control valve is configured to control pressure of the anode gas being fed to the fuel cell through an anode flow channel. The controller controls the control valve to periodically increase and decrease the pressure of the anode gas flowing through the anode flow channel in an area downstream of the control valve. The controller sets an anode pressure differential value for the anode gas resulting from periodic increasing and decreasing of the pressure of the anode gas based on a requested fuel cell output. The controller determines a quantity of liquid in the anode flow channel. The controller decreases the anode pressure differential value that was set based on the requested fuel cell output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Ichikawa, Shinichi Makino, Ryouichi Shimoi, Susumu Maeshima, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9147896
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is basically provided with a fuel cell, a pressure adjusting valve, a purge valve and an anode pressure controller. The fuel cell includes an anode that receives an anode gas and a cathode that receives a cathode gas to generate electric power corresponding to a load. The pressure adjusting valve is disposed in a supply path to adjust anode gas pressure to the anode. The purge valve is disposed in a discharging flow path to discharge an anode-off gas containing impurities from the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller is configured to control the pressure adjusting valve to perform a pulsation operation that pulsates the anode gas pressure of the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller decreases a median pressure of the pulsation operation as a wetness level of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell stack is determined to become higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Keigo Ikezoe, Yasushi Ichikawa, Takahiro Fujii, Ryoichi Shimoi, Taiji Nishiyama, Yusuke Ito
  • Publication number: 20150056531
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack configured to generate power according to a load, a fuel tank configured to store fuel gas, a pressure regulating valve configured to regulate a pressure of the fuel gas supplied from the fuel tank to the fuel cell stack, a purge valve configured to purge the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell stack and a controller for controlling the system. The controller includes a pulsating unit configured to cause a fuel gas pressure of the fuel cell stack to pulsate, and a pressure increasing rate setting unit configured to set a pressure increasing rate of the pulsation of the fuel gas pressure according to an operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Keigo Ikezoe, Yasushi Ichikawa, Takahiro Fujii, Takashi Naka, Daigo Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8748049
    Abstract: At a start of a fuel cell, discharge of a generated water is ended at a proper timing. Supply of the reactive gas is started at a first flowrate. Then, in a case that the generated water retained by a reactive electrode is determined to outflow to an internal gas flow channel side among unit cells more than or equal to a preset determination cell number, the flowrate of the reactive gas is changed to a second flowrate that is smaller than the first flowrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Sato, Susumu Maeshima
  • Patent number: 8563189
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a plurality of single-cell units, each of which include an electrolyte membrane disposed between an anode and a cathode and which generate electric power by a reaction of a fuel gas in the anode and an oxidizer gas in the cathode, and a fuel cell in-which the plurality of single-cell units are stacked. A plurality of voltage measurement devices measure the voltages of the single-cell units, respectively. A control unit determines the humidification state of the fuel cell based on the voltage of a second single-cell unit wherein when the voltage of the second single-cell is equal to or lower than an insufficient-humidification-determining voltage which is higher than the predetermined voltage the control unit determines that humidification of the fuel cell is insufficient, disposed in the vicinity of a first single-cell unit, the first single-cell unit having a voltage that is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Maeshima, Yuki Ogawa, Takashi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20130244127
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is basically provided with a fuel cell, a pressure adjusting valve, a purge valve and an anode pressure controller. The fuel cell includes an anode that receives an anode gas and a cathode that receives a cathode gas to generate electric power corresponding to a load. The pressure adjusting valve is disposed in a supply path to adjust anode gas pressure to the anode. The purge valve is disposed in a discharging flow path to discharge an anode-off gas containing impurities from the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller is configured to control the pressure adjusting valve to perform a pulsation operation that pulsates the anode gas pressure of the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller decreases a median pressure of the pulsation operation as a wetness level of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell stack is determined to become higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu MAESHIMA, Keigo IKEZOE, Yasushi ICHIKAWA, Takahiro FUJII, Ryoichi SHIMOI, Taiji NISHIYAMA, Yusuke ITO
  • Patent number: 8470486
    Abstract: A fuel cell system has a plurality of fuel cells stacked in one or more groups of fuel cells. Each fuel cell includes a fuel electrode supplied with fuel gas at a fuel gas supply pressure, an oxidizing electrode supplied with oxidizing gas at an oxidizing gas supply pressure, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the fuel electrode and the oxidizing electrode. A pressure-difference control unit generates a pressure difference across the membrane such that the fuel gas supply pressure is greater than the oxidizing gas supply pressure in each fuel cell, a cell-voltage measuring device measures a cell voltage for each fuel cell or each group of fuel cells in the fuel cell stack, and a leakage determination unit determines the presence or absence of a leaking cell based on the behavior of the cell voltage of each fuel cell while the pressure difference is increased with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Sato, Susumu Maeshima, Kazuo Saito, Ryoichi Shimoi, Takahiro Fujii, Nobuo Matsuba, Hitoshi Igarashi, Kenji Yonekura