Patents by Inventor Hidekazu Uehara

Hidekazu Uehara 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: 7364165
    Abstract: A leaf seal as a shaft seal mechanism is made compact and enables reduction of manufacturing cost. Plural thin plates 29 lapped one on another in layers have their outer circumferential proximal ends fixed to each other by welding so that an annular thin plate assembly 29A having flexibility is formed. This thin plate assembly 29A is bent and assembled to form the leaf seal 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Hirokazu Shirai, Toshio Asada, Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara
  • Patent number: 7334328
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an axis seal, first, a roll of rolled metal material is cut into metal material plates of a predetermined size. Next, metal material plates are etched from both sides so as to form a predetermined size. Subsequently, the thin metal plates are arranged so as to be in a ring shape, oriented in the same direction, and are welded so as to be fixed. Additionally, during these processes, heat treatment is performed by heating rolls of rolled metal materials or metal material plates or thin metal plates at a predetermined timing, thereby eliminating residual stress (strain).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Sinohara, Takasi Nakano, Sin Nisimoto, Takayuki Kurimura, Yuichi Hirakawa, Tatsuji Takahasi, Sin Koga
  • Patent number: 7261515
    Abstract: A shaft sealing mechanism of an annular shape having at least one divided portion, which is installed in an annular space between a rotor and a stator, includes a group of thin plates. Outer peripheral ends of the thin plates are joined, and inner peripheral free ends come in contact with the rotor in a sliding manner so that a surface of the rotor and the thin plates form an acute angle to partition the annular space into a high-pressure region and a low-pressure region without being joined. At least a low-pressure gap near the divided portion is set to be larger than a low-pressure gap in a circumferential direction other than near the divided portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 7226053
    Abstract: A shaft seal mechanism (leaf seal) by which a desired seal performance can be stably obtained is provided. The shaft seal mechanism comprises a concave groove 71 formed larger than a minimum size of a plate width of thin plates 29 and a fitting piece 61 fitted in a gap between the concave groove 71 and a leaf seal 25. The leaf seal 25 comprises an annular thin plate assembly 29A constructed by the thin plates 29 and a plate spring 56 integrally formed therewith supporting the annular thin plate assembly 29A to be levitated coaxially with a rotating shaft 23. The thin plates 29 have their outer circumferential proximal end side made movable relative to the concave groove 71. A shaft seal mechanism assembling structure is also provided comprising a pressure receiving surface 61b and a lower pressure side plate 54 forming a predetermined gap size between the pressure receiving surface 61b and one side edges of the thin plates 29.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Hirokazu Shirai, Toshio Asada, Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara
  • Publication number: 20070102886
    Abstract: There is provided a shaft sealing mechanism in which, even in a case where eccentricity occurs in a parent machine, flutter behavior of the sheets can be reliably prevented, the sheets can be prevented from failing due to fatigue, and also a long life and reliability of the shaft sealing mechanism can be improved. In a shaft sealing mechanism which prevents fluid from flowing in an axial direction of a rotor through an annular gap between the rotor and a stator, there are provided a high pressure side plate positioned on a high pressure side region of a plurality of sheets, and a low pressure side plate positioned on a low pressure side region of a plurality of sheets, and the construction is such that in a state in which the plurality of sheets is fixed on the stator side, and when under gas pressure, the parts make contact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Takashi Nakano, Shin Nishimoto, Hirokazu Shirai, Toshio Asada
  • Patent number: 7066468
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a shaft seal which reduces the leakage of gas from the high pressure side to the low pressure side, and has excellent corrosion-resistance, and a gas turbine which is equipped with the shaft seal; in order to achieve the object, the present invention provide a shaft seal comprising a plurality of flexible thin plates having width in the axial direction of a rotary shaft, tips thereof sliding against a peripheral face of said rotary shaft, and outer peripheral bases thereof being secured to a casing side maintaining a gap therebetween, said thin plates being laminated in the peripheral direction of said rotary shaft, enabling the outer periphery of said rotary shaft to be sealed, an acute angle being formed between the thin plates and the peripheral face of said rotary shaft; and a low pressure side side-plate and a high pressure side side-plate which are provided on both sides of said thin plates in the axial direction of said rotary shaft, wherein it further c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri
  • Publication number: 20060033285
    Abstract: A shaft sealing mechanism of an annular shape having at least one divided portion, which is installed in an annular space between a rotor and a stator, includes a group of thin plates. Outer peripheral ends of the thin plates are joined, and inner peripheral free ends come in contact with the rotor in a sliding manner so that a surface of the rotor and the thin plates form an acute angle to partition the annular space into a high-pressure region and a low-pressure region without being joined. At least a low-pressure gap near the divided portion is set to be larger than a low-pressure gap in a circumferential direction other than near the divided portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 6976680
    Abstract: The shaft seal structure is based on a leaf seal that includes springs, disposed between the stator blades and the leaf seal ring, to force the leaf seal ring away from the rotation shaft, and pressure guiding grooves for guiding the fluid pressure, through a boundary of planar plates, to a space between the outer peripheral surface of the leaf seal ring and the inner peripheral surface of the stator blade. Also, a turbine may be provided with the leaf seal so as to reduce gas leakage from the high-pressure-region to the low-pressure-region as well as to control the frictional wear between the planar plates and the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri, Takashi Nakano, Shin Nishimoto
  • Publication number: 20050125983
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an axis seal in accordance with the present invention, first, a roll of rolled metal material is cut out to predetermined size of metal material plates. Next, metal material plates are etched from both sides so as to form a predetermined size. Subsequently, the thin metal plates are arranged so as to be in a ring shape, orienting to the same direction, and are welded to be fixed. Additionally, during these processes, heat treatment is performed by heating rolls of rolled metal materials or metal material plates or thin metal plates at a predetermined timing, thereby eliminating residual stress (strain).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Sinohara, Takasi Nakano, Sin Nisimoto, Takayuki Kurimura, Yuichi Hirakawa, Tatsuji Takahasi, Sin Koga
  • Publication number: 20050012275
    Abstract: A shaft seal mechanism (leaf seal) by which a desired seal performance can be stably obtained is provided. The shaft seal mechanism comprises a concave groove 71 formed larger than a minimum size of a plate width of thin plates 29 aid a fitting piece 61 fitted in a gap between the concave groove 71 and a leaf seal 25. The leaf seal 25 comprises an annular thin plate assembly 29A constructed by the thin plates 29 and a plate spring 56 integrally formed therewith supporting the annular thin plate assembly 29A to be levitated coaxially with a rotating shaft 23. The thin plates 29 have their outer circumferential proximal end side made movable relative to the concave groove 71. A shaft seal mechanism assembling structure is also provided comprising a pressure receiving surface 61b and a lower pressure side plate 54 forming a predetermined gap size between the pressure receiving surface 61b and one side edges of the thin plates 29.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Hirokazu Shirai, Toshio Asada, Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara
  • Publication number: 20040256810
    Abstract: A leaf seal as a shaft seal mechanism is made compact and enables reduction of manufacturing cost. Plural thin plates 29 lapped one on another in layers have their outer circumferential proximal ends fixed to each other by welding so that an annular thin plate assembly 29A having a flexibility is formed. This thin plate assembly 29A is bent and assembled to form the leaf seal 25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Hirokazu Shirai, Toshio Asada, Shin Nishimoto, Tanehiro Shinohara, Hidekazu Uehara
  • Patent number: 6736597
    Abstract: The present invention reduces the amount of gas which leaks and flows from a high pressure side to a low pressure side of the axis and maintains good sealing performance even at high differential pressures. The invention discloses an axis sealing mechanism comprising casings which are supported inside of the stable portion, a plurality of planar plates, which are mutually spaced around the axis, each of which is fixed to the casings, positioned so that an inner end of each planar plate makes an acute angle with a peripheral surface of the axis and contacts the peripheral surface of the axis over a predetermined length in an axial direction, a high pressure side plate which is arranged at a high pressure side and a low pressure side plate which is arranged at a low pressure side so as to hold the planar plates therebetween and a flexible plate which is arranged between the planar plates and the high pressure side plate, and is flexible in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri, Shin Koga, Takashi Nakano, Shin Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 6696034
    Abstract: Hydrophobic silica fine powder is produced by pyrolyzing a silane compound to form a silica fine powder and hydrophobizing the silica fine powder with an organohalosilane as hydrophobizing agent in a fluidization vessel. A portion of the silica fine powder is bypassed to a waste gas line from the fluidization vessel and collected with a cyclone and bag filter, and the collected powder is fed to the fluidization vessel where it is hydrophobized. The amount of unreacted organohalosilane in the waste gases is reduced, alleviating the burden on waste gas treatment. The silica having the unreacted organohalosilane borne thereon is fed back to the fluidization vessel, increasing the reaction efficiency of organohalosilane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Nozawa, Kiyoshi Shirasuna, Hidekazu Uehara, Keiji Shibata, Susumu Ueno
  • Publication number: 20030068224
    Abstract: The present invention reduces the amount of gas which leaks and flows from a high pressure side to a low pressure side of the axis and maintains good sealing performance even at high differential pressures. The invention discloses an axis sealing mechanism comprising casings which are supported inside of the stable portion, a plurality of planar plates, which are mutually spaced around the axis, each of which is fixed to the casings, positioned so that an inner end of each planar plate makes an acute angle with a peripheral surface of the axis and contacts the peripheral surface of the axis over a predetermined length in an axial direction, a high pressure side plate which is arranged at a high pressure side and a low pressure side plate which is arranged at a low pressure side so as to hold the planar plates therebetween and a flexible plate which is arranged between the planar plates and the high pressure side plate, and is flexible in an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri, Shin Koga, Takashi Nakano, Shin Nishimoto
  • Publication number: 20030062686
    Abstract: The shaft seal structure is based on a leaf seal 25 that includes springs, disposed between the stator blades 24a and the leaf seal ring 26, to force the leaf seal ring 26 away from the rotation shaft 23, and pressure guiding grooves 34 for guiding the fluid pressure, through a boundary of planar plates 28, to a space between the outer peripheral surface of the leaf seal ring 26 and the inner peripheral surface of the stator blade 24a. Also, a turbine may be provided with the leaf seal so as to reduce gas leakage from the high-pressure-region to the low-pressure-region as well as to control the frictional wear between the planar plates and the rotation shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri, Takashi Nakano, Shin Nishimoto
  • Publication number: 20020105146
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a shaft seal which reduces the leakage of gas from the high pressure side to the low pressure side, and has excellent corrosion-resistance, and a gas turbine which is equipped with the shaft seal; in order to achieve the object, the present invention provide a shaft seal comprising a plurality of flexible thin plates having width in the axial direction of a rotary shaft, tips thereof sliding against a peripheral face of said rotary shaft, and outer peripheral bases thereof being secured to a casing side maintaining a gap therebetween, said thin plates being laminated in the peripheral direction of said rotary shaft, enabling the outer periphery of said rotary shaft to be sealed, an acute angle being formed between the thin plates and the peripheral face of said rotary shaft; and a low pressure side side-plate and a high pressure side side-plate which are provided on both sides of said thin plates in the axial direction of said rotary shaft, wherein it further c
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Uehara, Tanehiro Shinohara, Kouichi Akagi, Masanori Yuri
  • Publication number: 20020025288
    Abstract: Hydrophobic silica fine powder is produced by pyrolyzing a silane compound to form a silica fine powder and hydrophobizing the silica fine powder with an organohalosilane as hydrophobizing agent in a fluidization vessel. A portion of the silica fine powder is bypassed to a waste gas line from the fluidization vessel and collected with a cyclone and bag filter, and the collected powder is fed to the fluidization vessel where it is hydrophobized. The amount of unreacted organohalosilane in the waste gases is reduced, alleviating the burden on waste gas treatment. The silica having the unreacted organohalosilane borne thereon is fed back to the fluidization vessel, increasing the reaction efficiency of organohalosilane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventors: Yasuaki Nozawa, Kiyoshi Shirasuna, Hidekazu Uehara, Keiji Shibata, Susumu Ueno
  • Publication number: 20010033818
    Abstract: Hydrophobic silica fine powder is prepared by pyrolyzing a silane compound to give silica fine powder, then treating the silica fine powder with a hydrophobizing agent in a fluidization vessel containing at most 3 vol % of oxygen. The process effectively confers the pyrogenic silica with hydrophobicity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Nozawa, Kiyoshi Shirasuna, Masanori Akiyama, Hidekazu Uehara, Susumu Ueno
  • Patent number: 5855860
    Abstract: Crude fumed silica resulting from pyrogenic hydrolysis is purified by continuously feeding particulate silica and steam or a mixture of steam and air in a steam/air volume ratio of at least 1/2 through an upright column from its bottom toward its top for forming a fluidized bed within the column at a gas linear velocity of 1 to 10 cm/sec. and a temperature of 250.degree. to 400.degree. C., whereby steam deprives the particulate silica of the halide borne thereon, and removing fine particulate silica from which the halide has been eliminated from the top of the column. Using a simple apparatus, pure fine particulate silica is collected at a low cost of energy consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nishimine, Yoshio Tomizawa, Hidekazu Uehara, Kiyoshi Shirasuna, Susumu Ueno