Patents Assigned to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • Patent number: 9083187
    Abstract: An electric energy storage apparatus can generate an AC output in a low-loss and low-noise manner without using a DC-DC converter or an inverter. The electric energy storage apparatus comprises: an electric energy storage module group formed by connecting in series electric energy storage modules each comprising one or more electric energy storage elements; a balancing circuit electrically connected to the electric energy storage module group and configured to adjust a voltage to be applied to each of the electric energy storage modules; a first switch group comprising switches each in a path connecting a first terminal and a terminal of one of the series-connected electric energy storage modules; and a second switch group comprising switches each in a path connecting a second terminal and a terminal of one of the series-connected electric energy storage modules. The electric energy storage apparatus may perform a switch changeover in the switch groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignees: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan Capacitor Industrial Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazushige Ito, Tsutomu Sekido, Masatoshi Uno, Akio Kukita
  • Patent number: 9070284
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a turbulence avoidance operation assist device that automatically generates an optimal trajectory of emergency avoidance and reports this trajectory to a pilot when distant turbulence is detected during an aircraft flight. The turbulence avoidance operation assist device in accordance with the present invention includes: means for detecting the presence of a danger region such as a turbulence region ahead of aircraft in a flight direction; means for representing the danger region as an assembly of rectangular solids when the detection means recognizes the danger region, and generating a flight trajectory by a local optimum solution of an avoidance trajectory using a convex quadratic programming method in which deviation from a reference trajectory is the smallest on the basis of an initial estimation solution obtained by a semidefinite programming method; and means for reporting the flight trajectory to a pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Hamaki Inokuchi, Nobuhiro Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9051430
    Abstract: A novel resin-transfer-moldable terminal-modified imide oligomer having a residue of a tetravalent aromatic tetracarboxylic acid and represented by general formula (1), and the imide oligomer contains an oligomer where n is 0 in an amount of 10% by mole or more. In the formula, R1 and R2 are a hydrogen atom or an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and one of R1 and R2 is the aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms; R3 is an aromatic organic group surrounded by four carbonyl groups in the aromatic tetracarboxylic acid, and for a formula where n is 2 or more, Ras are optionally the same as or different from each other; and n is an integer of 0 or more and 6 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignees: KANEKA CORPORATION, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Masahiko Miyauchi, Yuichi Ishida, Toshio Ogasawara, Rikio Yokota
  • Patent number: 9048534
    Abstract: It is possible to obtain a wide-band feeder circuit a lower conductive plate provided substantially in parallel to an upper conductive plate, a short-circuit portion provided in a concave manner at a central portion of the lower conductive plate, and a countersunk portion provided in a convex manner at a central portion of a short-circuit plate forming a bottom of the short-circuit portion. It is also possible to obtain an antenna including such a wide-band feeder circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignees: NEC TOSHIBA SPACE SYSTEMS, LTD., JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Osamu Amano, Shuichi Koreeda, Yukio Kamata, Makoto Ando
  • Patent number: 9031817
    Abstract: In designing supersonic aircrafts, a method of designing a natural laminar flow wing is provided which reduces friction drag by delaying boundary layer transition under flight conditions of actual aircrafts. A target Cp distribution on wing upper surface, suited to natural laminarization in which boundary layer transition is delayed rearward in desired Reynolds number states, is defined by a functional type having as coefficients parameters depending on each spanwise station, a sensitivity analysis employing a transition analysis method is applied to the parameters, and a search is performed for the optimum combination of parameters to delay transition rearward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Kenji Yoshida, Kisa Matsushima, Yoshine Ueda, Hiroaki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9019481
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an optical remote airflow measurement apparatus with which even colored noise corresponding to an external environment of the apparatus can be reduced, thereby reducing measurement reliability deterioration and enabling long-distance measurement in a wide flying speed range. A colored noise reduction method according to the present invention includes: considering a signal strength of scattered light to be substantially non-existent in a remotest region and beyond; calculating a noise distribution by performing processing to average the signal strength in respective Doppler frequency components divided at intervals of a certain frequency in the remotest measurement region and beyond, and performing subtraction processing in each of the Doppler frequency components on all signal strength distributions of the measurement region, which are obtained by dividing the noise distribution at intervals of a certain distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Takashi Asahara, Hamaki Inokuchi
  • Publication number: 20150082797
    Abstract: A fuel injection device for supplying a fuel to a compressed air includes: a pilot fuel injector; a main fuel injector located at an outer periphery of the pilot fuel injector; and an air injection unit located between an outlet end portion of the pilot fuel injector and the main fuel injector. The air injection unit includes: a partition wall plate separating the air injection unit from a combustion chamber; a flame stabilization plate provided at a downstream side of the partition wall plate; a first opening at a downstream side between the flame stabilization plate and the outlet end portion of the pilot fuel injector; and a second opening provided in the partition wall plate and through which the compressed air is supplied. The flame stabilization plate includes an inclined portion inclined in a radially outward and downstream direction with respect to an axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicants: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Ryusuke MATSUYAMA, Masayoshi KOBAYASHI, Atsushi HORIKAWA, Hitoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20150048177
    Abstract: Provided is an exhaust nozzle and a method for changing an exhaust flowpath, whereby noise can be reduced by using a simple and light-weight mechanism without increasing the complexity and size of the structure of the exhaust nozzle, and furthermore, the efficiency during cruising at supersonic speeds can be improved. The rear end side of main nozzle pieces 110 of an exhaust nozzle 100 are provided swingably in an inward and outward direction of an exhaust flow path 101, about an open/close bend section 111 to the rear of an engine, coupling nozzle pieces 120 are coupled bendably to adjacent main nozzle pieces 110 on either side, and when the main nozzle pieces 110 are swung inside the exhaust flow path 101, the coupling nozzle pieces 120 form projecting sections 102 inside the exhaust flow path 101.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Junichi Akatsuka, Yasushi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8956022
    Abstract: A laser light reflection device for an aircraft-installed laser apparatus with which, when a function check is performed on the aircraft-installed laser apparatus by emitting laser light from a parked aircraft to a body exterior, the emitted laser light can be reflected in a desired direction safely and efficiently. A reflection mirror is capable of autorotation about at least an in-plane horizontal axis thereof, and a support ring is attached to the reflection mirror to be capable of rotating about an in-plane vertical axis and the in-plane horizontal axis of the reflection mirror. A laser pointer unit formed by inserting a laser pointer into a sleeve pipe is attached to the support ring so as to be oriented toward an in-plane of the reflection mirror. A guide scope is attached to the support ring such that an optical axis thereof matches an optical axis of the laser pointer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventor: Hamaki Inokuchi
  • Patent number: 8951039
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a lightweight mechanism that changes the distribution of a flow rate of air for combustion supplied into each burner, without providing a mechanical movable part in a passage for high-temperature and high-pressure air for combustion in a combustor having a plurality of burners such as a pilot burner and a main burner. The combustor equipped with an air flow rate distribution control mechanism based on a fluidic element in accordance with the present invention has a plurality of burners such as a main burner and a pilot burner, wherein with the fluidic element being disposed upstream of a passage of air for combustion that is supplied to each burner, and means for sucking out or blowing out air into a control air passage of the fluidic element being provided, the distribution of a flow rate of the air flowing into the burners is controlled by changing a flow direction of the air for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Seiji Yoshida, Yoji Kurosawa, Takeshi Yamamoto, Kazuo Shimodaira
  • Patent number: 8943795
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turbo pump in which a pump impeller is connected to one end of a rotary shaft and a turbine is connected to the other end of the rotary shaft. The turbo pump is designed such that an equivalent region, between a turbine efficiency curve obtained on the basis of a conditional expression where the number of rotations of the rotary shaft is maintained constant regardless of a pump flow rate and a turbine efficiency curve of an actual machine, becomes an operation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignees: IHI Corporation, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Hatsuo Mori, Yoshihiro Naruo, Shinichiro Tokudome, Tsuyoshi Yagishita, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yoshifumi Inatani
  • Patent number: 8922456
    Abstract: A deployable antenna which has a larger aperture diameter by four-side links provided in at least three stages and which includes: six deployment link mechanisms (20) arranged radially from a central shaft so as to support an outer edge portion of a flexible reflector mirror surface; and one deployment driving mechanism (30) arranged at a lower portion of a center of arrangement of the six deployment link mechanisms, for unfolding the six deployment link mechanisms. Each of the six deployment link mechanisms includes a first four-side link (5), a second four-side link (6), and a third four-side link (7) arranged in an order from a position of the central shaft, around which the six deployment link mechanisms are arranged, toward an outer side of the each of the six deployment link mechanisms so that the each of the six deployment link mechanisms is structured to be foldable in three stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: NEC TOSHIBA Space Systems, Ltd., Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Minoru Tabata, Kiyoshi Fujii, Kyoji Shintate, Satoru Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8881501
    Abstract: A propellant tank for storing a liquid propellant A and supplying vapor produced by evaporation of part of the liquid propellant A to an external location comprises a tank body for storing the liquid propellant A, a mesh member arranged inside the tank body to cover a liquid surface of the liquid propellant A to divide an interior of the tank body into a liquid propellant storing area LA and a gas storing area GA by utilizing surface tension of the liquid propellant, and a heater arranged to a gas storing area GA side of the tank body to keep the gas storing area GA at higher temperature than temperature in the liquid propellant storing area LA. The tank body has a propellant inlet open into the liquid propellant storing area LA and a gas outlet open into the gas storing area GA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignees: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamamoto, Osamu Mori, Yoshihiro Kishino, Masayuki Tamura, Shohei Koga, Ryoji Imai
  • Patent number: 8876972
    Abstract: A crystallization device is for protein crystallization with a small amount of a sample in the liquid to liquid diffusion method. It is easy to fill the device with protein solution and precipitant solution and easy to pick up grown crystals from the device. The device comprises a channel plate made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the first and second cover sheets made of polyethylene terephthalate. The channel plate includes at least one elongated channel having one side which extends in the longitudinal direction of the channel, the one side being exposed at the bottom surface of the channel plate. The channel has both ends which communicate with a protein solution inlet and a precipitant solution inlet respectively. The channel also communicates midway with a gel inlet and a vent hole. When picking up grown crystals from the device, the second cover sheet is cut off with a cutter knife so that the channel is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignees: Rigaku Corporation, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Tomokazu Hasegawa, Kensaku Hamada, Masaru Sato, Moritoshi Motohara
  • Publication number: 20140257599
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electric propulsion system control apparatus that uses electric means alone so that effects pertaining to weight and cost are suppressed, is capable of accurate detection even when an airspeed has a binary relationship with a torque and a rotation speed of a propeller, and thereby exhibits improved detection precision and responsiveness. The electric propulsion system control apparatus drives a propulsion propeller to rotate, and is configured to estimate the airspeed from a data set stored in advance in relation to the airspeed and a propeller characteristic, and a plurality of torque and rotation speed estimation values detected under different driving conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kobayashi, Akira Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 8824631
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for X-ray reflection, such as an X-ray reflecting mirror, capable of achieving a high degree of smoothness of a reflecting surface, high focusing (reflecting) performance, stability in a curved surface shape, and a reduction in overall weight. A silicon plate (silicon wafer) is subjected to thermal plastic deformation to form an X-ray reflecting mirror having a reflecting surface with a stable curved surface shape. The silicon wafer can be deformed to any shape by applying a pressure thereto in a hydrogen atmosphere at a high temperature of about 1300° C. The silicon plate may be simultaneously subjected to hydrogen annealing to further reduce roughness of a silicon surface to thereby provide enhanced reflectance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo Manufacturing University
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Mitsuda, Manabu Ishida, Yuichiro Ezoe, Kazuo Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20140240147
    Abstract: When distribution material is distributed over a target site on a ground surface from an aircraft, a distribution supporting apparatus offers support information to a pilot dropping the distribution material to efficiently distribute the distribution material. The distribution supporting apparatus includes: an input section to which information items on at least an aircraft velocity, an aircraft altitude, and a wind velocity are input; a computation section configured to compute a location at which the distribution material dropped from the aircraft arrives on the ground surface and a density distribution of the distribution material on the ground surface based on the information items input to the input section; and a display control section configured to display, on a display, the support information relating to the location and density distribution computed by the computation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicants: ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd., Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Yushi GODA, Tsubasa YAMADA, Masatoshi ARIMOTO, Shinji TAGAWA, Taiki NAKAIE, Jun ADACHI, Takeshi ITO, Koji MURAOKA, Kohei FUNABIKI, Yuichi MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20140196436
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of enlarging a stable operating range of an intake in accordance with an operating condition of an engine without using a complicated control system so that a wide operating range of the engine can be covered. In an operation stabilization method for a supersonic intake according to the present invention, an enlarged duct between a cowl and a ramp of the intake is divided by a splitter plate such that an opening angle of the enlarged duct decreases. Further, in the operation stabilization method for a supersonic intake according to the present invention, when the duct is divided by the splitter plate, the splitter plate is disposed such that, from among a cowl side duct and a ramp side duct, cross-section variation in one duct, in which an effect of a flow is larger, is reduced within an allowable range of total pressure loss in the other duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
    Inventor: Yasushi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8769923
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid-fuel storage vessel for use in a vapor jet system to store liquid fuel, wherein the vapor jet system is adapted to jet the fuel in a state after being vaporized inside the liquid-fuel storage vessel, outside the liquid-fuel storage vessel, to obtain a thrust. The liquid-fuel storage vessel comprises: a hollow tank for storing the liquid fuel, wherein the tank has an ejection port for ejecting the vaporized fuel, outside the liquid-fuel storage vessel therethrough; a heating device for heating the tank; and a porous metal formed to have a plurality of interconnected cells and provided inside the tank, wherein at least a part of the liquid fuel is held in the cells of the porous metal, and heat energy given from the heating device to the tank is transferred to the liquid fuel through the porous metal to cause vaporization of at least a part of the liquid fuel. The liquid-fuel storage vessel of the present invention can obtain a stable thrust level and ensure spacecraft attitude control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamamoto, Osamu Mori, Junichiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8724099
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a device which detects matter suspended in air, represented by, for example, ice crystals, volcanic ash, in the forward direction of the flight of an aircraft. A method of detecting matter suspended in air of this invention is characterized in that, in airborne Doppler LIDAR using laser light, components of matter subjected to laser light reflection and scattering are remotely measured on a basis of an angular difference in planes of polarization of transmitted light which is laser light radiated into the atmosphere, and received light scattered by matter suspended in air in a remote region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Takashi Asahara, Hamaki Inokuchi, Kazuhiro Asai