Patents by Inventor Hidenobu Wakita
Hidenobu Wakita 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: 11952671Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode separator on the anode, and a cathode separator on the cathode, the at least one hydrogen pump unit transferring, to the cathode, hydrogen supplied to the anode and pressurizing the hydrogen, a first fixing member for preventing movement of the cathode separator in a direction in which the cathode separator is stacked, a first end plate on the anode separator at one end in the stacking direction, a second end plate on the cathode separator at the other end in the stacking direction, and a first gas flow channel through which hydrogen in the cathode is supplied to a first space between the second end plate and the cathode separator.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Norihiko Kawabata, Osamu Sakai, Hidenobu Wakita, Jin Zhang, Yukimune Kani
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Publication number: 20230332078Abstract: A method for operating a food processing apparatus is provided. The food processing apparatus includes a reaction vessel that has a space that accumulates a liquid reactant used for a food product; a catalytic reactor that includes a reaction tube and a light source; and an introducing tube for introducing the reactant into the reaction vessel. The reaction tube has an outer surface where a photocatalyst is provided. The reaction tube transmits light. The light source generates heat at a time of light emission in which the light source emits light from an inner side of the reaction tube. The method for operating the food processing apparatus includes introducing the reactant into the reaction vessel from the introducing tube. In the introducing, the reactant is introduced up to a position at which a liquid surface of the reactant is positioned higher than an opening portion of the introducing tube.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2023Publication date: October 19, 2023Inventors: KUNIHIRO UKAI, DAISUKE INO, YASUHIRO HASHIMOTO, HIDENOBU WAKITA, SATORU YAMAJI
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Publication number: 20230256409Abstract: A method for operating a food processing device includes an irradiation step. The food processing device includes a reaction vessel and a catalyst reactor. The reaction vessel receives a mixture in a liquid form including a raw material for a food product and water. The catalyst reactor is disposed in the reaction vessel. The catalyst reactor includes a reaction tube and a light source disposed in the reaction tube. The reaction tube has an outer surface on which a photocatalyst is provided, and transmits light emitted from the light source. The method for operating the food processing device includes the irradiation step of performing irradiation with light from the light source while water is in contact with the outer surface of the reaction tube in a period after a reaction product is removed from the reaction vessel and before a raw material is subsequently introduced into the reaction vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: KUNIHIRO UKAI, DAISUKE INO, YASUHIRO HASHIMOTO, HIDENOBU WAKITA
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Patent number: 11598013Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen compressor includes: a cell including a proton conductive electrolyte membrane having a pair of principal surfaces, a cathode disposed on a first one of the principal surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode disposed on a second one of the principal surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode; a dew point adjuster that adjusts a dew point of a hydrogen-containing gas to be supplied to the anode; and a controller that, when the temperature of the cell increases, controls the dew point adjuster to increase the dew point of the hydrogen-containing gas.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenobu Wakita, Yuuichi Yakumaru, Kunihiro Ukai
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Publication number: 20230062833Abstract: A dryer includes a dehumidification filter containing a temperature responsive material with an upper critical solution temperature, a fan sending gas through the dehumidification filter, a heater heating the dehumidification filter, and a controller controlling the fan and the heater and switching an operation mode of the fan and the heater between a drying mode and a regeneration mode, wherein, in the drying mode, an object to be dried is dried with the fan sending the gas through the dehumidification filter that is heated by the heater to temperature higher than or equal to the upper critical solution temperature, and in the regeneration mode, the dehumidification filter is regenerated with the fan sending the gas through the dehumidification filter at temperature lower than the upper critical solution temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Inventors: HIDENOBU WAKITA, YASUAKI OKUMURA
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Patent number: 11577196Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, an anode gas diffusion layer, a cathode gas diffusion layer, an anode separator, a cathode separator, a first end plate and a second end plate that are disposed on the respective ends of at least one hydrogen pump unit in which the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layers, the gas diffusion layers, and the separators are stacked on each other, a fastener that fastens the end plates and at least one hydrogen pump unit, and a voltage applier. The electrochemical hydrogen pump transfers hydrogen from the anode catalyst layer to the cathode catalyst layer and pressurizes hydrogen when the voltage applier applies the voltage. The cathode gas diffusion layer includes a water-repellent carbon fiber layer in a main surface thereof that is on a side of the cathode catalyst layer, and is compressed by the fastener.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Takayuki Nakaue, Hidenobu Wakita
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Patent number: 11192064Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Jin Zhang, Hidenobu Wakita, Atsuo Okaichi
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Publication number: 20210332488Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Inventors: OSAMU SAKAI, HIDENOBU WAKITA, ATSUO OKAICHI
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Publication number: 20210079546Abstract: A hydrogen system includes: a compressor in which protons extracted from an anode fluid supplied to an anode move to a cathode through an electrolyte membrane and compressed hydrogen is generated; and a first eliminator including: a water-permeable membrane; a cathode gas flow path through which a cathode gas discharged from the cathode of the compressor flows, the cathode gas flow path being provided on one main surface of the water-permeable membrane; and an accommodation portion provided on the other main surface of the water-permeable membrane and filled with a liquid at a pressure lower than that of the cathode gas. The first eliminator removes moisture contained in the cathode gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: HIDENOBU WAKITA, TOMOYA KAMATA, OSAMU SAKAI, KUNIHIRO UKAI, YUKIMUNE KANI, KEIICHI YAMAMOTO, MISA YOROZUYA
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Publication number: 20200343567Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen compressor includes: a cell including a proton conductive electrolyte membrane having a pair of principal surfaces, a cathode disposed on a first one of the principal surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode disposed on a second one of the principal surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode; a dew point adjuster that adjusts a dew point of a hydrogen-containing gas to be supplied to the anode; and a controller that, when the temperature of the cell increases, controls the dew point adjuster to increase the dew point of the hydrogen-containing gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: HIDENOBU WAKITA, YUUICHI YAKUMARU, KUNIHIRO UKAI
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Patent number: 10811712Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes an electrochemical hydrogen pump which includes: an electrolyte membrane; an anode provided on a first surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode provided on a second surface of the electrolyte membrane opposite to the first surface; and a current adjuster adjusting a current amount flowing between the anode and the cathode, and which performs a hydrogen supply operation by allowing a current to flow between the anode and the cathode using the current adjuster so as to boost the pressure of hydrogen which is supplied to an anode side at a cathode side and to supply the pressure-boosted hydrogen to a hydrogen demander; and a dew point adjuster adjusting a dew point of a mixed gas in which a hydrogen-containing gas which is discharged from the anode side and a hydrogen-containing gas which is supplied from an outside are mixed together.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Osamu Sakai, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita
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Patent number: 10756376Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes: an electrochemical hydrogen pump including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode provided to a first and second main surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, respectively, an anode flow path and cathode flow path through which hydrogen flows, and a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the anode and cathode, pressurizing and sending hydrogen supplied to the anode via the anode flow path to the cathode by applying a voltage by the voltage applicator, and supplying the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; a pressure adjuster adjusting a cathode flow path pressure; and a controller controlling the pressure adjuster and making the cathode flow path pressure higher than an anode flow path pressure before starting a hydrogen pressurization action for pressurizing and supplying hydrogen supplied to the anode flow path to the cathode flow path.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2019Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenobu Wakita, Kunihiro Ukai, Osamu Sakai, Yoichiro Tsuji
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Patent number: 10661221Abstract: An apparatus includes a proton-conducting electrolyte membrane, an anode, a cathode, a first flow path which is disposed on the anode and through which an anode fluid containing hydrogen as a constituent element flows, a second flow path which is disposed on the cathode and through which hydrogen flows, a voltage applicator, a detector which detects a hydrogen cross leak amount passing through the membrane, where the detector detects the hydrogen cross leak amount from, a natural potential of one electrode of the cathode and the anode after forming a state where hydrogen is present at the one electrode and hydrogen is not present at the other electrode of the cathode and the anode, or a current flowing between the anode and the cathode when the voltage is applied from the voltage applicator in a state where the first flow path and the second flow path are both sealed off.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2017Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenobu Wakita, Yasuhiko Itoh, Yusuke Fujita
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Patent number: 10625198Abstract: A desulfurization apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first desulfurizer filled with a first desulfurization agent that removes a first sulfur compound from a hydrocarbon fuel; and a second desulfurizer filled with a second desulfurization agent that removes a second sulfur compound from the hydrocarbon fuel, the second desulfurizer being provided downstream of the first desulfurizer in a flow direction of the hydrocarbon fuel. The second desulfurization agent is constituted by a porous coordination polymer having a polymeric structure that is a combination of copper ions and organic ligands. A sulfur compound adsorption ability of the second desulfurization agent to adsorb the second sulfur compound is different from a sulfur compound adsorption ability of the first desulfurization agent to adsorb the first sulfur compound. A temperature of the second desulfurization agent is kept to 100° C. or lower.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2019Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignees: PANASONIC CORPORATION, KYOTO UNIVERSITYInventors: Masashi Morita, Jin Zhang, Hidenobu Wakita, Yoichiro Tsuji, Susumu Kitagawa, Masakazu Higuchi
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Publication number: 20200023306Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, an anode gas diffusion layer, a cathode gas diffusion layer, an anode separator, a cathode separator, a first end plate and a second end plate that are disposed on the respective ends of at least one hydrogen pump unit in which the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layers, the gas diffusion layers, and the separators are stacked on each other, a fastener that fastens the end plates and at least one hydrogen pump unit, and a voltage applier. The electrochemical hydrogen pump transfers hydrogen from the anode catalyst layer to the cathode catalyst layer and pressurizes hydrogen when the voltage applier applies the voltage. The cathode gas diffusion layer includes a water-repellent carbon fiber layer in a main surface thereof that is on a side of the cathode catalyst layer, and is compressed by the fastener.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: KUNIHIRO UKAI, TAKAYUKI NAKAUE, HIDENOBU WAKITA
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Publication number: 20190383283Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode on one main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on the other main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode separator on the anode, and a cathode separator on the cathode, the at least one hydrogen pump unit transferring, to the cathode, hydrogen supplied to the anode and pressurizing the hydrogen, a first fixing member for preventing movement of the cathode separator in a direction in which the cathode separator is stacked, a first end plate on the anode separator at one end in the stacking direction, a second end plate on the cathode separator at the other end in the stacking direction, and a first gas flow channel through which hydrogen in the cathode is supplied to a first space between the second end plate and the cathode separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: KUNIHIRO UKAI, NORIHIKO KAWABATA, OSAMU SAKAI, HIDENOBU WAKITA, JIN ZHANG, YUKIMUNE KANI
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Publication number: 20190368483Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes: an electrochemical hydrogen pump including a proton-conductive electrolyte membrane, an anode provided to a first and second main surfaces of the proton-conductive electrolyte membrane, respectively, an anode flow path and cathode flow path through which hydrogen flows, and a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the anode and cathode, pressurizing and sending hydrogen supplied to the anode to the cathode by applying a voltage by the voltage applicator, and supplying the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; a humidity adjuster adjusting humidity of at least one of the anode and cathode flow paths; and a controller controlling the humidity adjuster to increase the humidity of at least one of the anode and cathode flow paths in supplying hydrogen with relative humidity of less than 100% to the anode flow path and driving the electrochemical hydrogen pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: HIDENOBU WAKITA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, OSAMU SAKAI
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Publication number: 20190363386Abstract: A hydrogen supply system includes: an electrochemical hydrogen pump including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode provided to a first and second main surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, respectively, an anode flow path and cathode flow path through which hydrogen flows, and a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the anode and cathode, pressurizing and sending hydrogen supplied to the anode via the anode flow path to the cathode by applying a voltage by the voltage applicator, and supplying the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; a pressure adjuster adjusting a cathode flow path pressure; and a controller controlling the pressure adjuster and making the cathode flow path pressure higher than an anode flow path pressure before starting a hydrogen pressurization action for pressurizing and supplying hydrogen supplied to the anode flow path to the cathode flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: HIDENOBU WAKITA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, OSAMU SAKAI, YOICHIRO TSUJI
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Publication number: 20190316603Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2019Publication date: October 17, 2019Inventors: JIN ZHANG, HIDENOBU WAKITA, ATSUO OKAICHI
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Publication number: 20190240612Abstract: A desulfurization apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first desulfurizer filled with a first desulfurization agent that removes a first sulfur compound from a hydrocarbon fuel; and a second desulfurizer filled with a second desulfurization agent that removes a second sulfur compound from the hydrocarbon fuel, the second desulfurizer being provided downstream of the first desulfurizer in a flow direction of the hydrocarbon fuel. The second desulfurization agent is constituted by a porous coordination polymer having a polymeric structure that is a combination of copper ions and organic ligands. A sulfur compound adsorption ability of the second desulfurization agent to adsorb the second sulfur compound is different from a sulfur compound adsorption ability of the first desulfurization agent to adsorb the first sulfur compound. A temperature of the second desulfurization agent is kept to 100° C. or lower.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2019Publication date: August 8, 2019Inventors: Masashi MORITA, Jin ZHANG, Hidenobu WAKITA, Yoichiro TSUJI, Susumu KITAGAWA, Masakazu HIGUCHI