Patents by Inventor Takahide Izutani
Takahide Izutani 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: 9531023Abstract: An exhaust state control device for a fuel cell for a mobile unit includes an exhaust gas temperature sensor (17) that measures the temperature of exhaust gas in a discharge passage that discharges the exhaust gas from the main body of the fuel cell, and an ambient temperature sensor (19A) that measures the temperature of ambient air to which exhaust gas is to be discharged. If, based on the difference between the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient temperature, it is determined that white smoke is generated, it is determined whether a condition to reduce white smoke is satisfied. When a first condition is satisfied, a process to reduce white smoke is activated. When a second condition, which requires further reduction of white smoke than under the first condition, is satisfied, a process to suppress the generation of white smoke is activated.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2013Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiromi Tanaka, Keigo Suematsu, Takahide Izutani
-
Patent number: 8746274Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage means for storing hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition means for adding an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means, and a temperature control means for controlling the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage means, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means and the odorant.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takahide Izutani, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Syuuji Hirakata, Osamu Yumita, Hiroshi Fujitani, Keigo Suematsu, Masaaki Matsusue, Nobuo Watanabe, Katsuhiko Oshikawa, Katsuhiko Hirose, Takumi Kuwahara, Atsushi Matsuba
-
Publication number: 20130289813Abstract: An exhaust state control device for a fuel cell for a mobile unit includes an exhaust gas temperature sensor (17) that measures the temperature of exhaust gas in a discharge passage that discharges the exhaust gas from the main body of the fuel cell, and an ambient temperature sensor (19A) that measures the temperature of ambient air to which exhaust gas is to be discharged. If, based on the difference between the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient temperature, it is determined that white smoke is generated, it is determined whether a condition to reduce white smoke is satisfied. When a first condition is satisfied, a process to reduce white smoke is activated. When a second condition, which requires further reduction of white smoke than under the first condition, is satisfied, a process to suppress the generation of white smoke is activated.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromi TANAKA, Keigo SUEMATSU, Takahide IZUTANI
-
Publication number: 20130189593Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage means for storing hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition means for adding an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means, and a temperature control means for controlling the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage means, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage means and the odorant.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2013Publication date: July 25, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takahide IZUTANI, Tatsuaki YOKOYAMA, Syuuji HIRAKATA, Osamu YUMITA, Hiroshi FUJITANI, Keigo SUEMATSU, Masaaki MATSUSUE, Nobuo WATANABE, Katsuhiko OSHIKAWA, Katsuhiko HIROSE, Takumi KUWAHARA, Atsushi MATSUBA
-
Patent number: 8277999Abstract: A fuel cell system has an apparatus sending gas to the fuel cell; a part calculating an amount of residual water in the fuel cell system based on an operating and an environmental condition; a part judging whether at least one state quantity value that includes a generating duration of the fuel cell, an amount of electric power generated, and an amount of temperature change of a coolant is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value; a part calculating a sending apparatus operating time for decreasing the residual water amount to a prescribed value; and a control part operating the gas sending apparatus until the end of the operating time, wherein the operating time calculating part calculates a different operating time depending on whether one of the state quantity values is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takahide Izutani, Nobuyuki Kitamura
-
Patent number: 8252473Abstract: A vehicle equipped with a fuel cell recognizes an external characteristic of a following mobile unit. Corresponding to the recognized characteristic, the vehicle controls the permission, the amount and the prohibition of discharge of the water produced along with electricity generation of the fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2008Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takahide Izutani
-
Patent number: 8232019Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keigo Suematsu, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Shuji Hirakata, Takahide Izutani, Atsushi Matsuba, Katsuhiko Oshikawa
-
Publication number: 20110053028Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2010Publication date: March 3, 2011Inventors: Keigo Suematsu, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Shuji Hirakata, Takahide Izutani, Atsushi Matsuba, Katsuhiko Oshikawa
-
Patent number: 7851097Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2007Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keigo Suematsu, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Shuji Hirakata, Takahide Izutani, Atsushi Matsuba, Katsuhiko Oshikawa
-
Patent number: 7794888Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2007Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Osamu Yumita, Masaaki Matsusue, Takahide Izutani, Keigo Suematsu, Shuji Hirakata, Hiroshi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20100212979Abstract: A vehicle equipped with a fuel cell recognizes an external characteristic of a following mobile unit. Corresponding to the recognized characteristic, the vehicle controls the permission, the amount and the prohibition of discharge of the water produced along with electricity generation of the fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2008Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takahide Izutani
-
Publication number: 20100190069Abstract: An exhaust state control device for a fuel cell for a mobile unit includes an exhaust gas temperature sensor (17) that measures the temperature of exhaust gas in a discharge passage that discharges the exhaust gas from the main body of the fuel cell, and an ambient temperature sensor (19A) that measures the temperature of ambient air to which exhaust gas is to be discharged. If, based on the difference between the exhaust gas temperature and the ambient temperature, it is determined that white smoke is generated, it is determined whether a condition to reduce white smoke is satisfied. When a first condition is satisfied, a process to reduce white smoke is activated. When a second condition, which requires further reduction of white smoke than under the first condition, is satisfied, a process to suppress the generation of white smoke is activated.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2008Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromi Tanaka, Keigo Suematsu, Takahide Izutani
-
Publication number: 20090317675Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system that is capable of sensing unintended gas leakage from a discharge control means based on odor. A fuel cell system is provided with a bypass passage 32 connecting a fuel offgas passage 30 at inlet of a odorant removal unit 40 to the fuel offgas passage 30 in the vicinity of outlet of the odorant removal unit 40, and the fuel cell system facilitates the removal of odor from the discharged fuel offgas, by closing a bypass valve 33 in conjunction with opening a purge valve 31, and suppresses the removal of odor, by opening the bypass valve 33 in conjunction with stop of discharge of fuel offgas caused by closing the purge valve 31.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2007Publication date: December 24, 2009Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Osamu Yumita, Masaaki Matsusue, Takahide Izutani, Keigo Suematsu, Shuji Hirakata, Hiroshi Fujitani
-
Publication number: 20090110990Abstract: Disclosed is a hydrogen supply apparatus which can mix an odorant with hydrogen gas even at a low temperature and can detect the leakage of the hydrogen gas. The apparatus comprises a gas storage portion which stores hydrogen gas therein, an odorant-addition portion which adds an odorant to the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion, and a temperature control portion which controls the temperature of at least one of the hydrogen gas stored in the gas storage portion, the hydrogen gas fed from the gas storage portion and the odorant.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2006Publication date: April 30, 2009Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHKI KAISHAInventors: Takahide Izutani, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Syuuji Hirakata, Osamu Yumita, Hiroshi Fujitani, Keigo Suematsu, Masaaki Matsusue, Nobuo Watanabe, Katsuhiko Oshikawa, Katsuhiko Hirose, Takumi Kuwahara, Atsushi Matsuba
-
Publication number: 20090029200Abstract: A fuel cell system has an apparatus sending gas to the fuel cell; a part calculating an amount of residual water in the fuel cell system based on an operating and an environmental condition; a part judging whether at least one state quantity value that includes a generating duration of the fuel cell, an amount of electric power generated, and an amount of temperature change of a coolant is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value; a part calculating a sending apparatus operating time for decreasing the residual water amount to a prescribed value; and a control part operating the gas sending apparatus until the end of the operating time, wherein the operating time calculating part calculates a different operating time depending on whether one of the state quantity values is equal to or less than a prescribed threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2007Publication date: January 29, 2009Inventors: Takahide Izutani, Nobuyuki Kitamura
-
Publication number: 20080226957Abstract: The present invention provides a technology related to a fuel cell system capable of adjusting a discharge amount of an odorant discharged to an outside of a moving body according to a state of the moving body. The fuel cell system mounted to a moving body includes: a fuel cell which generates electric power by electrochemically reacting a hydrogen gas with an oxidation gas; and a adjusting portion which adjusts an amount of an odorant to be discharged to an outside of the moving body according to a state of the moving body, the odorant being included in an anode off-gas discharged from an anode side of the fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2007Publication date: September 18, 2008Inventors: Keigo Suematsu, Tatsuaki Yokoyama, Shuji Hirakata, Takahide Izutani, Atsushi Matsuba, Katsuhiko Oshikawa
-
Patent number: 6343499Abstract: Under normal conditions, the temperature of an oxygen ion-conductive element provided in a sensor body is about 700° C., and the element impedance is about 30 &OHgr;. If there is a fault in the sensor body or a sensor body drive circuit, the current becomes zero and the element impedance becomes infinite. If a heater has deteriorated, the element temperature rises only up to, for example, about 550° C., and the element impedance becomes about 150 &OHgr;. If there is a fault in the heater or the heater drive circuit, the element is heated only by exhaust gas, so that the element temperature rises only up to about the temperature of exhaust gas and the element impedance becomes a value corresponding to an element temperature of about 300° C. Three reference values Z1, Z2, Z3 are set for comparison with the detected value of element impedance in order to perform fault diagnosis.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 1999Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinsuke Inagaki, Takahide Izutani, Keiichiro Aoki
-
Patent number: 6082338Abstract: In an evaporated fuel treatment device for an internal combustion engine, various parameters indicating that an engine is currently in a state where a fuel vapor is generated from a fuel tank are detected from moment to moment to estimate in advance that the amount of the fuel vapor is generated more than a capacity of the canister. Then, the purge from the canister is promoted on the basis of that estimation so that the fuel vapor of more than the capacity of canister is prevented from being adsorbed by the canister. With this structure, the overflow of the fuel vapor from the canister is prevented, and also the evaporative emission is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1998Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takahide Izutani, Akinori Osanai
-
Patent number: 6059057Abstract: In an engine mounted on a hybrid vehicle, even in an atmosphere that readily cools down a catalyst by relatively low-temperature gaseous exhausts, for example, under a fuel cut control, the structure of the invention quickly warms up the catalyst and maintains a conversion efficiency of the gaseous exhausts at a high level. When it is determined that an engine is in operation and the fuel cut control is being performed, a reflux valve is turned on to reflux the gaseous exhausts into an intake conduit. This control procedure enables the relatively low-temperature gaseous exhausts to be refluxed to the intake conduit, instead of flowing into the catalyst, thereby preventing the catalyst from being cooled down.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1999Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Suehiro Yamazaki, Kaoru Ohtsuka, Takahide Izutani
-
Patent number: 6032753Abstract: In an engine mounted on a hybrid vehicle, even in an atmosphere that readily cools down a catalyst by relatively low-temperature gaseous exhausts, for example, under a fuel cut control, the structure of the invention quickly warms up the catalyst and maintains a conversion efficiency of the gaseous exhausts at a high level. When it is determined that an engine 10 is in operation and the fuel cut control is being performed, a reflux valve is turned on to reflux the gaseous exhausts into an intake conduit. This control procedure enables the relatively low-temperature gaseous exhausts to be refluxed to the intake conduit, instead of flowing into the catalyst, thereby preventing the catalyst from being cooled down.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1997Date of Patent: March 7, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Suehiro Yamazaki, Kaoru Ohtsuka, Takahide Izutani