Patents by Inventor Hayato Chikugo

Hayato Chikugo 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: 11938840
    Abstract: A control method includes acquiring the operation stop request of the fuel cell system, acquiring a next vehicle operation start timing, and calculating a first energy cost and a second energy cost at a predetermined timing after acquiring the operation stop request and the next vehicle operation start timing. The first energy cost is an energy cost required from the predetermined timing to completion of warming up of the fuel cell when a warm-up control is executed using the heater in accordance with the next vehicle operation start timing after the stop control is executed. The second energy cost is an energy cost required when an operation of the fuel cell is continued so as to maintain a temperature of the fuel cell at a warm-up temperature from the predetermined timing to the next vehicle operation start timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Eisuke Fukushima, Hiroshi Takeda, Hayato Chikugo
  • Publication number: 20230395838
    Abstract: An in-vehicle fuel cell system, including a fuel cell, and an auxiliary machine configured to exchange a gas with the fuel cell, the in-vehicle fuel system including an auxiliary machine structure configured to accommodate the auxiliary machine, wherein the fuel cell includes a first fuel cell fixed to an upper surface of the auxiliary machine structure and a second fuel cell fixed to a lower surface of the auxiliary machine structure, the auxiliary machine structure is disposed at substantially the same position in a height direction as a skeleton member of a vehicle body, and the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell are fixed to the skeleton member via the auxiliary machine structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
  • Publication number: 20230395827
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell system that includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks and an exhaust combustor that combusts exhaust gas. The exhaust combustor is located at least between two fuel cell stacks and adjacent to each of the two fuel cell stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
  • Patent number: 11817603
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that raises temperature of fuel cells by supplying heated air to the fuel cells during starting up period. The fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cells, a fuel supply path connected parallelly to the fuel cells to provide fuel thereto, an air supply path connected serially to the fuel cells to provide air thereto, a heat exchanger arranged in the fuel supply path to heat air or fuel, an air heat exchanger arranged in the air supply path to heat air; and a connection path connecting a position of the air supply path upstream to the air heat exchanger with a position of the fuel supply path upstream to the heat exchanger. A first control valve is arranged in the air supply path for controlling the air flowing into to the air heat exchanger. A second control valve arranged in the connection path for controlling the air flowing into the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Bryan Ikeguchi, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 11695130
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided and the fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel processing unit configured to process a raw fuel to produce a fuel gas for the fuel cell; an oxidant gas heating unit configured to heat an oxidant gas for the fuel cell; a combustor configured to combust the raw fuel to produce a combustion gas for use in heating the fuel processing unit and the oxidant gas heating unit; a supply control unit configured to, during a warm-up of the fuel cell, control supply of the raw fuel to the fuel processing unit and the combustor; and a power generation control unit configured to control a power generation state during the warm-up of the fuel cell. When the fuel cell has reached a power generation available temperature, the power generation control unit is configured to cause the fuel cell to perform power generation, and the supply control unit is configured to supply the raw fuel to both the fuel processing unit and the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Noda, Tatsuya Yaguchi, Hayato Chikugo
  • Publication number: 20230197983
    Abstract: The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including a cell stack configured to have a reforming catalyst for generating hydrogen from hydrocarbon, a first flow path configured to supply a fuel containing hydrocarbon to the cell stack, and a second flow path configured to supply an oxidant gas to the cell stack such that the oxidant gas flows oppositely or orthogonally to the fuel. The control method for the fuel cell system including: detecting a temperature of a discharged oxidant gas that is the oxidant gas discharged from the second flow path; and performing a temperature control of the fuel cell based on the temperature of the discharged oxidant gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeaki OBATA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Kazuhide SHIMADA
  • Publication number: 20220340047
    Abstract: A control method includes acquiring the operation stop request of the fuel cell system, acquiring a next vehicle operation start timing, and calculating a first energy cost and a second energy cost at a predetermined timing after acquiring the operation stop request and the next vehicle operation start timing. The first energy cost is an energy cost required from the predetermined timing to completion of warming up of the fuel cell when a warm-up control is executed using the heater in accordance with the next vehicle operation start timing after the stop control is executed. The second energy cost is an energy cost required when an operation of the fuel cell is continued so as to maintain a temperature of the fuel cell at a warm-up temperature from the predetermined timing to the next vehicle operation start timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Eisuke FUKUSHIMA, Hiroshi TAKEDA, Hayato CHIKUGO
  • Publication number: 20220336831
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that raises temperature of fuel cells by supplying heated air to the fuel cells during starting up period. The fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cells, a fuel supply path connected parallelly to the fuel cells to provide fuel thereto, an air supply path connected serially to the fuel cells to provide air thereto, a heat exchanger arranged in the fuel supply path to heat air or fuel, an air heat exchanger arranged in the air supply path to heat air; and a connection path connecting a position of the air supply path upstream to the air heat exchanger with a position of the fuel supply path upstream to the heat exchanger. A first control valve is arranged in the air supply path for controlling the air flowing into to the air heat exchanger. A second control valve arranged in the connection path for controlling the air flowing into the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Bryan IKEGUCHI, Hayato CHIKUGO
  • Patent number: 11424459
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell configured to be supplied with a fuel and air to generate an electric power; a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a combustion discharged gas; a fuel heating part configured to heat the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an air heating part configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an anode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the fuel heating part; a cathode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the air heating part; and a discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part configured to adjust a discharged gas distribution ratio, the discharged gas distribution ratio being a ratio of an anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate to a cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate, the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate b
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eisuke Fukushima, Hayato Chikugo
  • Publication number: 20220052359
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell configured to be supplied with a fuel and air to generate an electric power; a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a combustion discharged gas; a fuel heating part configured to heat the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an air heating part configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell by the combustion discharged gas; an anode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the fuel heating part; a cathode-side distribution passage configured to distribute the combustion discharged gas to the air heating part; and a discharged gas distribution ratio adjustment part configured to adjust a discharged gas distribution ratio, the discharged gas distribution ratio being a ratio of an anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate to a cathode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate, the anode-side combustion discharged gas flow rate b
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eisuke FUKUSHIMA, Hayato CHIKUGO
  • Patent number: 11205785
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell, a heat source device configured to heat an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas and configured to heat the reformer, a fuel cell heating device configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell using the heating gas, a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the fuel cell, and a reformer temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Shinichi Miyazaki, Tatsuya Yaguchi, Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 11196059
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system (100) having a fuel supply unit (8) and fuel cells (1, 2) having a cathode (4, 4?) and an anode (3, 3?), wherein the cathode (4, 4?) features a cathode feed line (40), the anode (3, 3?) features an anode feed line (30), and the flow in the anode (3, 3?) is connected with the flow in the fuel supply unit (8) via the anode feed line (30), in which a reforming apparatus (13) is arranged, and having an anode exhaust line (6) provided with at least one burner apparatus (22, 23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: AVL List GmbH, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Reissig, Bernd Reiter, Jörg Mathé, Thomas Krauss, Stefan Planitzer, Vincent Lawlor, Jürgen Rechberger, Masanari Yanagisawa, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hayato Chikugo, Tadaki Mano, Tatsuya Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 11069907
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel treating unit configured to treat a raw fuel and generate fuel gas for the fuel cell; an oxidant-gas heater configured to heat oxidant gas for the fuel cell; a combustor configured to combust the raw fuel and generate combustion gas to heat the fuel treating unit and the oxidant-gas heater; and a control unit configured to control supplying of the raw fuel to the fuel treating unit and the combustor at the time of warming-up of the fuel cell. The control unit supplies the raw fuel to both of the fuel treating unit and the combustor when the fuel treating unit is at an operable temperature of the fuel treating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Noda, Hayato Chikugo, Tatsuya Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 11024863
    Abstract: According to a control method of controlling a fuel cell system, the fuel cell system including a solid oxide fuel cell that is supplied with an anode gas and a cathode gas to generate electric power, a fuel processor that at least reforms fuel to generate the anode gas and supplies the generated anode gas to the fuel cell, and a combustor that combusts the supplied fuel to perform warming of the fuel processor, the method is conducted when warming is performed at least at starting-up of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yaguchi, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 10985387
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, an evaporator evaporating the fuel, an off-gas heating device heating an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas, a fuel cell heating device heating the fuel cell using the heating gas, an evaporator heating device heating the evaporator using the heating gas, a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit, an evaporator temperature acquisition unit, and a controller configured to, in a warm-up operation to perform a warm-up of the evaporator and a warm-up of the fuel cell, control at least one of the evaporator heating device and the fuel cell heating device based on the temperature of the evaporator and the temperature of the fuel cell to adjust at least one of a heating amount of the evaporator and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Hayato Chikugo, Masashi Sato, Tatsuya Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 10930948
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to be supplied with an anode gas and a cathode gas and generate electric power, a compressor configured to supply the cathode gas to the fuel cell, a turbine configured to be supplied with a cathode discharged gas discharged from the fuel cell and generate power, an electric motor connected to the compressor and the turbine and configured to perform power running and regeneration, a combustor disposed between the fuel cell and the turbine and configured to mix and combust the cathode gas and the anode gas, a cooler configured to cool the cathode gas that is supplied from the compressor to the fuel cell, a bypass passage configured to supply the cathode gas from an upstream side of the cooler to the combustor by bypassing the cooler and the fuel cell, and a bypass valve disposed in the bypass passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Yousuke Tomita
  • Patent number: 10930946
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an anode gas supply device configured to supply an anode gas to a fuel cell and an ejector configured to merge an anode discharged gas, discharged from the fuel cell; with the anode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes an actuator configured to supply the anode discharged gas to the ejector and a cathode gas supply device configured to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell. A control method for A fuel cell system includes a cathode gas control step of controlling a pressure of the cathode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell according to a magnitude of a load that is required of the fuel cell, and an anode gas control step of increasing a differential pressure between the pressure of the cathode gas and a pressure of the anode gas by the anode gas supply device when the load is low compared to when the load is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Yousuke Tomita
  • Patent number: 10873094
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a coolant circulation passage through which a coolant for cooling a fuel cell circulates; a pump that circulates the coolant; a radiation unit that cools the coolant by discharging heat from the coolant; a bypass passage connected to the coolant circulation passage so as to bypass the radiation unit; and an open/close valve that is provided in a convergence portion where low temperature coolant that has passed through the radiation unit and high temperature coolant that has passed through the bypass passage without passing through the radiation unit converge, and that opens when a temperature of the high temperature coolant reaches or exceeds a predetermined opening temperature, whereby the low temperature coolant and the high temperature coolant converge and are supplied thus to the fuel cell, wherein a basic discharge flow of the pump is calculated in accordance with a condition of the fuel cell, and when the temperature of the low temperature coolant is lower than a predetermin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Hidetaka Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20200388862
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, an evaporator evaporating the fuel, an off-gas heating device heating an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas, a fuel cell heating device heating the fuel cell using the heating gas, an evaporator heating device heating the evaporator using the heating gas, a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit, an evaporator temperature acquisition unit, and a controller configured to, in a warm-up operation to perform a warm-up of the evaporator and a warm-up of the fuel cell, control at least one of the evaporator heating device and the fuel cell heating device based on the temperature of the evaporator and the temperature of the fuel cell to adjust at least one of a heating amount of the evaporator and a heating amount of the air by the heating gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masashi SATO, Tatsuya YAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200365916
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to be supplied with fuel and air to generate electricity, a reformer configured to reform the fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell, a heat source device configured to heat an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell to produce a heating gas and configured to heat the reformer, a fuel cell heating device configured to heat the air to be supplied to the fuel cell using the heating gas, a fuel cell temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the fuel cell, and a reformer temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the reformer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato CHIKUGO, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Tatsuya YAGUCHI, Masashi SATO