Patents by Inventor Atsuo Okaichi

Atsuo Okaichi 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: 11515546
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly of an electrochemical device includes a proton conductive solid electrolyte membrane and an electrode including Ni and an electrolyte material which contains as a primary component, at least one of a first compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x1M1x1O3 (M1 represents at least one element selected from trivalent elements each having an ion radius of more than 0.720 A° to less than 0.880 A°, and 0<x1<1 holds) and a second compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x2Tmx2O3 (0<x2<0.3 holds).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Yamauchi, Takehito Goto, Tomoya Kamata, Yuichi Mikami, Tomohiro Kuroha, Atsuo Okaichi, Yoichiro Tsuji, Yuji Okuyama
  • Patent number: 11192064
    Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes: a cell including a proton conductive electrolyte membrane having a first main surface and a second main surface, a cathode disposed on the first main surface of the proton conductive electrolyte membrane, and an anode disposed on the second main surface of the proton conductive electrolyte membrane; a voltage applier that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode; a cooler that cools the cell; and a controller that controls the cooler to increase an amount of cooling per unit time of the cell when a pressure of a cathode gas flow path on the cathode increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Zhang, Hidenobu Wakita, Atsuo Okaichi
  • Publication number: 20210332488
    Abstract: A hydrogen system includes a compressor that includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode on a first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on a second primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode, the compressor producing compressed hydrogen by causing the voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the anode and the cathode to move hydrogen in hydrogen-containing-gas containing steam supplied to the anode to the cathode via the electrolyte membrane; a supply path through which the hydrogen-containing-gas containing steam to be supplied to the anode flows; a cooling mechanism disposed in the supply path; and a heat exchanger disposed in the supply path, the heat exchanger exchanging heat between the hydrogen-containing-gas flowing through the supply path upstream of the cooling mechanism and the hydrogen-containing-gas flowing through the supply path downstream of the cooling mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: OSAMU SAKAI, HIDENOBU WAKITA, ATSUO OKAICHI
  • Publication number: 20210005899
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly of an electrochemical device includes a proton conductive solid electrolyte membrane and an electrode including Ni and an electrolyte material which contains as a primary component, at least one of a first compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x1M1x1O3 (M1 represents at least one element selected from trivalent elements each having an ion radius of more than 0.720 A° to less than 0.880 A°, and 0<x1<1 holds) and a second compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x2Tmx2O3 (0<x2<0.3 holds).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Kosuke YAMAUCHI, Takehito GOTO, Tomoya KAMATA, Yuichi MIKAMI, Tomohiro KUROHA, Atsuo OKAICHI, Yoichiro TSUJI, Yuji OKUYAMA
  • Patent number: 10826075
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly of an electrochemical device includes a proton conductive solid electrolyte membrane and an electrode including Ni and an electrolyte material which contains as a primary component, at least one of a first compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x1M1x1O3 (M1 represents at least one element selected from trivalent elements each having an ion radius of more than 0.720 A° to less than 0.880 A°, and 0<x1<1 holds) and a second compound having a composition represented by BaZr1-x2Tmx2O3 (0<x2<0.3 holds).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Yamauchi, Takehito Goto, Tomoya Kamata, Yuichi Mikami, Tomohiro Kuroha, Atsuo Okaichi, Yoichiro Tsuji, Yuji Okuyama
  • Patent number: 10767513
    Abstract: A thermal electric power generator includes an evaporator, an expander, an electric generator, a condenser, and a pump. A working fluid used in the thermal electric power generator is an organic working fluid. The evaporator includes a heat exchanger, a bypass channel, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism. The bypass channel allows a heat medium to bypass the heat exchanger. The flow rate adjustment mechanism adjusts a flow rate of the heat medium to be supplied to the heat exchanger and a flow rate of the heat medium to be supplied to the bypass channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subaru Matsumoto, Osao Kido, Atsuo Okaichi, Takumi Hikichi, Osamu Kosuda, Noriyoshi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 10722841
    Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes: a controller; and an electrochemical hydrogen pump including: an electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes provided on two surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a current adjuster adjusting a current flowing between the electrodes, the electrochemical hydrogen pump performs a hydrogen supply operation supplying pressure-boosted hydrogen to a hydrogen demander by allowing a current to flow between the electrodes by the current adjuster; and when a cumulative hydrogen supply amount which is supplied to the hydrogen demander from start to completion of the hydrogen supply operation to the hydrogen demander from the electrochemical hydrogen pump is smaller than a cumulative hydrogen supply amount in another hydrogen supply operation, the controller controls the current adjuster so that the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased to be smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Osamu Sakai, Atsuo Okaichi
  • Patent number: 10550486
    Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes: an electrolyte membrane; a cathode catalyst layer provided on one principal surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode catalyst layer provided on the other principal surface of the electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators which include gas flow paths and which are provided so as to sandwich the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer; and a voltage application portion applying a voltage between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer. In the electrochemical hydrogen pump, the one principal surface is disposed at an upper side in the gravity direction, and the cathode catalyst layer has a hydrophilic property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Yakumaru, Atsuo Okaichi
  • Patent number: 10494957
    Abstract: An evaporator which heats working fluid with high-temperature fluid to evaporate the working fluid includes: a working fluid channel arranged in a flow direction of the high temperature fluid and through which the working fluid flows; and a temperature sensor provided for the working fluid channel. A part of the working fluid channel is exposed to outside of a housing of the evaporator, and the temperature sensor is provided in the part of the working fluid channel exposed to the outside of the housing of the evaporator in a region other than an inlet of the working fluid channel into which the working fluid flows from the outside of the evaporator and other than an outlet of the working fluid channel through which the working fluid flows out of the evaporator. The output value of the temperature sensor is used to adjust the temperature of the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Kosuda, Atsuo Okaichi, Osao Kido, Takumi Hikichi, Takahiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10486134
    Abstract: The present invention provides a porous coordination polymer having high ability of storing a gas. The porous coordination polymer according to the present invention comprises zinc cluster ions and one kind of tricarboxylic acid ions selected from the group consisting of the following chemical formula (I), the following chemical formula (II), and the following chemical formula (III); where X represents a natural number of not less than 1 and not more than 3, wherein the tricarboxylic acid ions are bound to the zinc cluster ions as terdentate ligands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaiki Nomura, Hideki Hata, Motomasa Yonezumi, Kazuhito Hato, Atsuo Okaichi
  • Publication number: 20190316603
    Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes: a cell including a proton conductive electrolyte membrane having a first main surface and a second main surface, a cathode disposed on the first main surface of the proton conductive electrolyte membrane, and an anode disposed on the second main surface of the proton conductive electrolyte membrane; a voltage applier that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode; a cooler that cools the cell; and a controller that controls the cooler to increase an amount of cooling per unit time of the cell when a pressure of a cathode gas flow path on the cathode increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: JIN ZHANG, HIDENOBU WAKITA, ATSUO OKAICHI
  • Publication number: 20190292947
    Abstract: A Rankine cycle apparatus includes a pump, an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, and an internal heat exchanger. The internal heat exchanger allows heat exchange to take place between a working fluid discharged from the expander and a working fluid discharged from the pump. A temperature of the working fluid at an inlet of the expander is set so that a temperature of the working fluid at an outlet of the expander be higher than a saturation temperature on a high-pressure side of the cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Takumi HIKICHI, Osao KIDO, Atsuo OKAICHI, Masaya HONMA, Masanobu WADA, Osamu KOSUDA
  • Patent number: 10385836
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor of the disclosure includes a cylinder, a piston, a space for compressing gas, a discharge port for discharging the compressed gas from the space, a discharge valve, and a supplying port for supplying liquid that is different in kind from the gas. The cylinder has an axis extending in a direction of gravity. The piston is disposed to be reciprocable along the axis inside the cylinder. The space is constituted above the piston by being surrounded by the piston and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. The inner peripheral surface of the cylinder includes a straight portion and a throttle portion. The throttle portion is constituted such that an inner diameter of the cylinder decreases toward the discharge valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuo Okaichi, Mio Furui
  • Patent number: 10364708
    Abstract: A Rankine cycle apparatus includes a pump, an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, and an internal heat exchanger. The internal heat exchanger allows heat exchange to take place between a working fluid discharged from the expander and a working fluid discharged from the pump. A temperature of the working fluid at an inlet of the expander is set so that a temperature of the working fluid at an outlet of the expander be higher than a saturation temperature on a high-pressure side of the cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takumi Hikichi, Osao Kido, Atsuo Okaichi, Masaya Honma, Masanobu Wada, Osamu Kosuda
  • Publication number: 20190088964
    Abstract: A hydrogen purifier includes an electrolyte membrane including a proton conductive polymer, an anode having an anode catalyst layer disposed on one side of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode having a cathode catalyst layer disposed on the other side of the electrolyte membrane, a separator which has a fluid channel and through which carbon monoxide, hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to the anode, and a power supply that energizes the anode and the cathode, the anode catalyst layer including Pt, the cathode catalyst layer including Pt and Ru.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Hidenobu WAKITA, Yasuhiko ITOH, Atsuo OKAICHI, Osamu SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20190009209
    Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes: a controller; and an electrochemical hydrogen pump including: an electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes provided on two surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a current adjuster adjusting a current flowing between the electrodes, the electrochemical hydrogen pump performs a hydrogen supply operation supplying pressure-boosted hydrogen to a hydrogen demander by allowing a current to flow between the electrodes by the current adjuster; and when a cumulative hydrogen supply amount which is supplied to the hydrogen demander from start to completion of the hydrogen supply operation to the hydrogen demander from the electrochemical hydrogen pump is smaller than a cumulative hydrogen supply amount in another hydrogen supply operation, the controller controls the current adjuster so that the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased to be smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: KUNIHIRO UKAI, OSAMU SAKAI, ATSUO OKAICHI
  • Patent number: 10161684
    Abstract: An air cooling unit is an air cooling unit used in a Rankine cycle system and includes an expander and a condenser. The expander recovers energy from a working fluid by expanding the working fluid. The condenser cools the working fluid using air. The air cooling unit includes a heat-transfer reducer that reduces heat transfer between the expander and an air path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Kosuda, Osao Kido, Atsuo Okaichi, Takumi Hikichi, Masaaki Konoto, Noriyoshi Nishiyama, Yoshio Tomigashi, Tetsuya Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 9964000
    Abstract: A combined heat and power system according the present disclosure includes a Rankine cycle apparatus including an evaporator that heats a working fluid by heat exchange between the working fluid and a heat source medium, an expansion machine that converts expansion power of the working fluid into rotational power, and a condenser that cools the working fluid by heat exchange between the working fluid and a heat medium, and a thermal circuit for using the heat medium heated by the condenser. An expansion volume ratio of the expansion machine is equal to or less than an expansion ratio in a theoretical Rankine cycle determined based on a state of a temperature and a pressure of the working fluid at a discharge port of the expansion machine and a state of a temperature and a pressure of the working fluid at a suction port of the expansion machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takumi Hikichi, Osao Kido, Atsuo Okaichi, Noriyoshi Nishiyama, Yoshio Tomigashi, Masaaki Konoto, Osamu Kosuda, Subaru Matsumoto, Tetsuya Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 9966756
    Abstract: A thermal power generation apparatus includes a control circuit that selects a single operation mode from among a plurality of modes including a normal mode and a specific mode on the basis of a voltage in a commercial system. The normal mode is an operation mode in which alternating-current power output from an inverter is adjusted so that a direct-current voltage in a direct-current power line follows a target voltage. The specific mode is an operation mode in which direct-current power absorbed by an electric power absorber and/or the amount of heat per unit time supplied to a heat engine are/is adjusted so that the direct-current voltage follows the target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Konoto, Yoshio Tomigashi, Noriyoshi Nishiyama, Takumi Hikichi, Atsuo Okaichi, Osao Kido
  • Publication number: 20180100411
    Abstract: An evaporator which heats working fluid with high-temperature fluid to evaporate the working fluid includes: a working fluid channel arranged in a flow direction of the high temperature fluid and through which the working fluid flows; and a temperature sensor provided for the working fluid channel. A part of the working fluid channel is exposed to outside of a housing of the evaporator, and the temperature sensor is provided in the part of the working fluid channel exposed to the outside of the housing of the evaporator in a region other than an inlet of the working fluid channel into which the working fluid flows from the outside of the evaporator and other than an outlet of the working fluid channel through which the working fluid flows out of the evaporator. The output value of the temperature sensor is used to adjust the temperature of the working fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Osamu KOSUDA, Atsuo OKAICHI, Osao KIDO, Takumi HIKICHI, Takahiro NAKAMURA