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).

  • Publication number: 20200266460
    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: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsushi NODA, Tatsuya YAGUCHI, Hayato CHIKUGO
  • Publication number: 20200212458
    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: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsushi NODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Tatsuya YAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200168933
    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: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya YAGUCHI, Hayato CHIKUGO
  • Patent number: 10581096
    Abstract: A fuel cell system calculates a target value of a flow rate of cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell stack according to a request of the fuel cell stack, controls a flow rate of the cathode gas to be supplied by the compressor according to an operating state of the fuel cell system, controls a bypass valve based on a target fuel cell supply flow rate so that the flow rate of the cathode gas to be supplied from the compressor to the fuel cell stack reaches the target fuel cell supply flow rate, and limits the flow rate of the cathode gas to be supplied by the compressor when the bypass valve has a predetermined opening and the flow rate of the cathode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack is not smaller than the target fuel cell supply flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yousuke Tomita, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 10522866
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack obtained by stacking a plurality of fuel cells has an internal manifold that extends in a stacking direction of the fuel cells to externally discharge a gas used in the fuel cell, and an extension member that adjoins an inner wall surface of the internal manifold and extends in the stacking direction. The extension member is a bar-shaped member provided in an opposite side to a side where a gas from the fuel cells flows to the inside of the internal manifold and has a sloping surface making an acute angle with an inner-wall lower surface of the internal manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daigo Iwasaki, Hidetaka Nishimura, Hayato Chikugo, Ryoichi Shimoi, Keiji Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20190379069
    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: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicants: 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: 10305127
    Abstract: Provided is a wet state control method for a fuel cell system in which cathode gas is supplied to a fuel cell while the cathode gas partially bypasses the fuel cell, the wet state control method being for controlling a wet state of the fuel cell by adjusting wet control parameters including a bypass valve opening degree, a cathode gas pressure, and a cathode gas flow rate. When the fuel cell is controlled to a wet side, at least either one of the cathode gas flow rate and the cathode gas pressure is adjusted in priority to adjustment of the bypass valve opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Yousuke Tomita, Tetsuya Aoki
  • Patent number: 10256484
    Abstract: A fuel cell system supplies anode gas and cathode gas to a fuel cell and generates electric power in accordance with a load. The fuel cell system configured to include a cathode gas control unit controls a pressure of the cathode gas on the basis of the load, an anode gas control unit configured to cause a pressure of the anode gas to pulsate on the basis of the pressure of the cathode gas and a pulsation amplitude. The pulsation amplitude is determined on the basis of an operating condition of the fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes an anode gas partial pressure maintenance control unit configured to increase the pressure of the anode gas in accordance with a condition of an impurity within the fuel cell. The cathode gas control unit configured to make the pressure of the cathode gas higher when a pressure difference between the pressure of the anode gas and the pressure of the cathode gas is large than when the pressure difference is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hayato Chikugo
  • Publication number: 20190088962
    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: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato CHIKUGO, Yousuke TOMITA
  • Publication number: 20190081340
    Abstract: Provided is a wet state control method for a fuel cell system in which cathode gas is supplied to a fuel cell while the cathode gas partially bypasses the fuel cell, the wet state control method being for controlling a wet state of the fuel cell by adjusting wet control parameters including a bypass valve opening degree, a cathode gas pressure, and a cathode gas flow rate. When the fuel cell is controlled to a wet side, at least either one of the cathode gas flow rate and the cathode gas pressure is adjusted in priority to adjustment of the bypass valve opening degree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato CHIKUGO, Yousuke TOMITA, Tetsuya AOKI
  • Publication number: 20190074526
    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: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato CHIKUGO, Yousuke TOMITA
  • Patent number: 10181606
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a compressor configured to adjust a flow rate of cathode gas to be supplied to a fuel cell and a pressure regulating valve configured to adjust a pressure of the supplied cathode gas. The fuel cell system further includes a controller programmed to calculate a target pressure of the supplied cathode gas while taking into consideration a load of the fuel cell and a heat protecting requirement of the fuel cell system, calculate a target flow rate of the supplied cathode gas in accordance with the load of the fuel cell and the target pressure of the cathode gas, and control the compressor and the pressure regulating valve in accordance with the target pressure and the target flow rate. The controller is further programmed to increase the target flow rate of the cathode gas as the target pressure of the cathode gas becomes lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Tomita, Hayato Chikugo, Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 9954238
    Abstract: A fuel cell system supplies anode and cathode gases, and generates power through an electrochemical reaction of the gases in accordance with a load. The system includes a compressor that supplies the cathode gas to a fuel cell stack, and a pressure regulator valve that adjusts the pressure of the cathode gas in the fuel cell stack. The system sets a target cathode pressure based on a power generation request to the fuel cell stack, and controls an operation amount of the compressor and an opening degree of a pressure regulator valve based on the target cathode pressure. The temperature of air discharged by the compressor is restricted to an upper temperature limit by restricting the operation amount of the compressor and/or the opening degree of the pressure regulator valve based on two parameters, i.e., the inlet temperature and the torque of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Tomita, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9947948
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a compressor provided in a cathode gas supply passage configured to feed the cathode gas under pressure to the fuel cell, a bypass passage configured to discharge the cathode gas fed under pressure by the compressor to a cathode gas discharge passage while bypassing the fuel cell, a bypass valve provided in the bypass passage and configured to adjust a flow rate of the cathode gas flowing in the bypass passage, a system stopping unit configured to stop the fuel cell system by performing a predetermined stop sequence process when a request to stop the fuel cell system is made, and a stop-time bypass valve control unit configured to control a valve body of the bypass valve to a predetermined initialization position in parallel with the sequence process during the stop sequence process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Shimada, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9853316
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a target pressure setting unit configured to periodically and repeatedly set a target upper limit pressure and a target lower limit pressure as a target pressure of anode gas. An upper limit pressure setting unit is configured to set the smaller one of an upper limit value based on durability performance and an upper limit value based on output performance as an upper limit pressure of the anode gas. The target pressure setting unit sets a value smaller than the upper limit value as the target upper limit pressure when the upper limit value based on the durability performance of the fuel cell is selected as the upper limit pressure of the anode gas, and sets a pressure higher than the upper limit value as the target upper limit pressure when the upper limit value based on the output performance is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeaki Obata, Yoshitomo Asai, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9847538
    Abstract: A fuel cell system including a cathode gas supply system of a cathode gas bypass type includes a first flow rate sensor which detects a cathode gas flow rate to be supplied by the compressor, a second flow rate sensor which detects a cathode gas flow rate to be supplied to the fuel cell, a bypass valve which controls a cathode gas flow rate flowed in the bypass channel, a bypass valve controlling unit configured to execute an open/shut-off control of the bypass valve in accordance with an operation state of the fuel cell system, and a mismatch diagnosing unit configured to detect a mismatch of detected values of the first flow rate sensor and the second flow rate sensor based on the detected values of the both sensors during total shut-off of the bypass valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Yousuke Tomita
  • Patent number: 9806357
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a cathode pressure control unit configured to control a pressure of a cathode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack on the basis of a load of the fuel cell stack; and an anode pressure control unit configured to control a pressure of an anode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack to become higher than the pressure of the cathode gas so that a differential pressure between the pressure of the anode gas and the pressure of the cathode gas becomes a predetermined differential pressure or lower. The anode pressure control unit controls, at a time of recovery from idle stop, the pressure of the anode gas to be supplied to the fuel cell stack to a recovery-time pressure, the recovery-time pressure being obtained by adding the predetermined differential pressure to a predetermined pressure corresponding to an atmosphere pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhisa Ikeda, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9680167
    Abstract: A system for adjusting temperature of cooling-liquid comprises: a radiator; a cooling-liquid circulation flow-channel; a radiator bypass flow-channel; a thermostat valve; and a valve bypass flow-channel through which the cooling-liquid of the radiator bypass flow-channel is allowed to flow in a predetermined amount even if the thermostat valve is completely closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Michihiko Matsumoto, Tetsuya Aoki, Masato Odashima, Shinichiro Takemoto
  • Patent number: 9620796
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a compressor configured to supply the cathode gas to the fuel cell, an intercooler provided downstream of the compressor and configured to cool the cathode gas discharged from the compressor, a pressure regulating valve configured to adjust a pressure downstream of the intercooler, and a controller. The controller computes a first target pressure of the intercooler downstream pressure according to a target output of the fuel cell and computes a second target pressure of the intercooler downstream pressure according to the intercooler downstream temperature. Then, the controller sets smaller one of the first and second target pressures as a target pressure of the intercooler downstream pressure and controls the compressor and the pressure regulating valve according to the target pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yousuke Tomita, Hayato Chikugo
  • Patent number: 9548503
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack (S) formed by stacking multiple unit cells (C) horizontally and having, in the stacked body, manifolds through which to supply and discharge reaction gases to and from each of the unit cells (C); and drainage paths (1A, 1B) extending from an anode-off-gas discharge manifold (M), on both end sides of the fuel cell stack (S) in the stacking direction of the unit cells, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Chikugo, Kenji Yonekura, Ken Nakayama