Patents by Inventor Fuminori Yamanashi
Fuminori Yamanashi 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).
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Patent number: 6828051Abstract: A fuel-cell system for a moving body comprising a reforming reactor (120) for reforming fuel to generate gas including hydrogen, a carbon monoxide removing reactor (130) for removing carbon monoxide included in a reformed gas generated in the reforming reactor, a fuel-cell (200) for generating electric power using the reformed gas and gas including oxygen which passed through the carbon monoxide removing reactor, and a compressor (400) for supplying the gas including oxygen to the reforming reactor, the carbon monoxide removing reactor and the fuel-cell, wherein when it is judged that the moving body was running and the accelerator was closed, fuel, water and gas including oxygen, or fuel and the gas including oxygen is supplied to the reforming reactor such that minimum hydrogen required for maintaining a temperature of the reforming reactor is generated, and minimum gas including oxygen required for maintaining a temperature of the carbon monoxide removing reactor is supplied to the carbon monoxide removingType: GrantFiled: January 25, 2002Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Fuminori Yamanashi
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Patent number: 6767518Abstract: A fuel reforming apparatus quickly heats the temperature of a catalyst to an activation temperature to shorten a startup time. The apparatus supplies a hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidizer upstream from a second catalyst (2), and steam upstream from a first catalyst (1). The second catalyst starts a rapid oxidation reaction to generate a high-temperature gas which heats the first catalyst. When the apparatus changes a startup operation or an accelerating operation to a steady operation after a predetermined period, the apparatus supplies the hydrocarbon fuel and steam upstream from the second catalyst, and the oxidizer upstream from the first catalyst. As a result, the second catalyst starts a steam reforming reaction to absorb heat from the second catalyst. And the second catalyst rapidly cools to stop reactions and pass the hydrocarbon fuel and steam with out reactions. Then, a hydrogen-rich reformed gas is generated from the passed hydrocarbon fuel and steam.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Ichikawa, Fuminori Yamanashi, Masakazu Hanawa
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Patent number: 6632552Abstract: In a fuel cell system for use in a vehicle and a method controlling the system, the system includes a fuel cell, a first flow control valve controlling the flow rate of oxygen containing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell, and a second flow control valve controlling the flow rate of hydrogen containing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell. A control unit supplies purge fluid into the fuel cell to remove water in response to a load condition of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Fuminori Yamanashi
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Publication number: 20030012990Abstract: A fuel-cell system for a moving body comprising a reforming reactor (120) for reforming fuel to generate gas including hydrogen, a carbon monoxide removing reactor (130) for removing carbon monoxide included in a reformed gas generated in the reforming reactor, a fuel-cell (200) for generating electric power using the reformed gas and gas including oxygen which passed through the carbon monoxide removing reactor, and a compressor (400) for supplying the gas including oxygen to the reforming reactor, the carbon monoxide removing reactor and the fuel-cell, wherein when it is judged that the moving body was running and the accelerator was closed, fuel, water and gas including oxygen, or fuel and the gas including oxygen is supplied to the reforming reactor such that minimum hydrogen required for maintaining a temperature of the reforming reactor is generated, and minimum gas including oxygen required for maintaining a temperature of the carbon monoxide removing reactor is supplied to the carbon monoxide removingType: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2002Publication date: January 16, 2003Inventor: Fuminori Yamanashi
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Patent number: 6447735Abstract: Plural hydrocarbon HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) and plural three-way catalysts (B1-B3) are accommodated in a shell (2). The HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) and three-way catalysts (B1-B3) are disposed alternately in series, and one of the HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) is disposed in the position nearest to an inlet (14) of the shell (2). The HC contained in exhaust gas when the engine is started cold is first adsorbed by the HC adsorbing units (A1-A3), and the HC desorbed from the HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) with temperature rise is oxidized by the adjacent three-way catalysts (B1-B3) situated downstream. The heat capacities of the HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) and the three-way catalysts (B1-B3) are set so that the timing at which HC starts to be desorbed from the HC adsorbing units (A1-A3) is later than the timing at which HC starts to be oxidized by the three-way catalysts (B1-B3) situated downstream. In this way, HC which are discharged from the engine during a cold start are efficiently purified.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1999Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fuminori Yamanashi, Kimiyoshi Nishizawa
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Publication number: 20010047620Abstract: A fuel reforming apparatus quickly heats the temperature of a catalyst to an activation temperature to shorten a startup time. The apparatus supplies a hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidizer upstream from a second catalyst (2 ), and steam upstream from a first catalyst (1 ). The second catalyst starts a rapid oxidation reaction to generate a high-temperature gas which heats the first catalyst. When the apparatus changes a startup operation or an accelerating operation to a steady operation after a predetermined period, the apparatus supplies the hydrocarbon fuel and steam upstream from the second catalyst, and the oxidizer upstream from the first catalyst. As a result, the second catalyst starts a steam reforming reaction to absorb heat from the second catalyst. And the second catalyst rapidly cools to stop reactions and pass the hydrocarbon fuel and steam with out reactions. Then, a hydrogen-rich reformed gas is generated from the passed hydrocarbon fuel and steam.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2001Publication date: December 6, 2001Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroyuki Ichikawa, Fuminori Yamanashi, Masakazu Hanawa
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Publication number: 20010016276Abstract: In a fuel cell system for use in a vehicle and a method controlling the system, the system includes a fuel cell, a first flow control valve controlling the flow rate of oxygen containing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell, and a second flow control valve controlling the flow rate of hydrogen containing gas to be supplied to the fuel cell. A control unit supplies purge fluid into the fuel cell to remove water in response to a load condition of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2001Publication date: August 23, 2001Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Fuminori Yamanashi
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Patent number: 6220018Abstract: A three-way catalytic converter is provided in the exhaust passage of an engine. An HC trap type catalytic converter which acts as an HC trap and which has a greater oxygen storage capacity than the three-way catalytic converter is disposed downstream of the three-way catalytic converter. It is necessary to create a super-oxygenated atmosphere above an HC emission temperature in order to release HC which has been absorbed by the HC trap type catalytic converter. Since the oxygen storage capacity of the three-way catalytic converter is low, a super-oxygenated atmosphere is immediately created in the HC trap type catalytic converter by varying the air-fuel ratio to a lean air-fuel ratio.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1999Date of Patent: April 24, 2001Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fuminori Yamanashi, Kimiyoshi Nishizawa, Mikio Tsuzuki, Ritsuo Sato
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Patent number: 5570575Abstract: A fuel delivery control apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine including an exhaust system having a catalytic converter containing catalysts operable at a temperature for purifying exhaust gases discharged through the exhaust system. A fuelcut control is performed to interrupt fuel delivery to the engine during engine deceleration. The fuelcut control is inhibited when the catalyst temperature exceeds a predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1994Date of Patent: November 5, 1996Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ritsuo Sato, Kimiyoshi Nishizawa, Fuminori Yamanashi, Katsuhiro Shibata, Hideharu Ehara, Kaoru Ikeda, Keiji Yakushiji, Ken Ouchi, Kiyotaka Baba
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Patent number: 5376610Abstract: A catalyst for exhaust gas purification has at least one monolith carrier, at least one first catalyst layer having a three-way catalytic activity, provided on the carrier, and a second catalyst layer having a hydrocarbon purification activity, provided on the first catalyst layer. In a gasoline engine automobile provided with the above catalyst for exhaust gas purification in the exhaust gas system, the hydrocarbons present in the exhaust gas can be converted at a high efficiency by introducing secondary air into the exhaust gas in front of the catalyst to make the exhaust gas lean, at the engine start when a large amount of unburnt hydrocarbons are present in the exhaust gas. Further, the engine warm-up property of the automobile can be improved by the heat generated by the catalytic reaction of the hydrocarbons. The catalyst further exhibits a three-way catalytic activity even during the steady state engine operation after warm-up.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1993Date of Patent: December 27, 1994Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Toshio Takahata, Hideharu Ehara, Fuminori Yamanashi, Katsuhiro Shibata, Fumio Abe, Tomoharu Kondo, Junichi Suzuki, Naomi Noda