Patents by Inventor Hideo Kitamura

Hideo Kitamura 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: 9731244
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus capable of recovering heat energy of carbon-dioxide-containing gas which includes an absorbing tower to generate and discharge a rich liquid absorbing carbon dioxide as carbon-dioxide-containing gas is introduced and contacted to an absorbing liquid to absorb carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide release devices to discharge semi-lean liquids which have steam containing a part of carbon dioxide released by heating the rich liquid discharged from the absorbing tower, and a regeneration tower to generate a lean liquid which has steam containing remaining carbon dioxide released and separated by heating the semi-lean liquids discharged from the carbon dioxide release devices and to return the lean liquid to the absorbing tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Yukio Ohashi, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20160346725
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide capture system includes: a washing unit which uses cleaning water to clean absorption unit exhaust gas or stripping unit exhaust gas; and a gas-liquid separation device which allows condensed water generated by cooling washing unit exhaust gas to be separated from the washing unit exhaust gas. The condensed water is mixed into the cleaning water by a condensed water line. If the amount of the cleaning water becomes more than a predetermined amount, the cleaning water is mixed into an absorbing liquid by a cleaning water line. A controller controls a condensed water valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Mitsuru UDATSU, Masatoshi Hodotsuka, Hideo Kitamura, Kiyohiko Iwasa, Keita Nagano, Noriko Chiba, Yusuke Handa, Satoshi Saito
  • Publication number: 20160296880
    Abstract: A method of operating a carbon dioxide recovering apparatus includes introducing flue gas into an absorbing tower, bringing the flue gas into contact with an absorbing solution, and discharging a first rich solution, which is then divided into second and third rich solutions. The second rich solution is heated using a lean solution from a releasing tower. The third rich solution is heated using steam from the releasing tower. The lean solution and the steam are generated in the releasing tower from the second and third rich solutions. The steam used to heat the third rich solution is separated, in a gas-liquid separator, into carbon dioxide and condensate water. The amount of condensate water formed in the gas-liquid separator is measured, and a flow dividing ratio between the second rich solution and the third rich solution is controlled based on a change in the amount of the condensate water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Satoshi SAITO, Hideo KITAMURA, Mitsuru UDATSU, Toshihisa KIYOKUNI
  • Patent number: 9464842
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separating and capturing system includes an absorption tower to allow a gas containing carbon dioxide to contact with an absorption liquid and discharge a first rich liquid which is the absorption liquid having absorbed the carbon dioxide, and a regeneration tower to cause the absorption liquid to release a gas containing the carbon dioxide and discharge a lean liquid whose carbon dioxide concentration is lower than that of the rich liquid. The system further includes a reboiler to heat the absorption liquid in the regeneration tower by using steam, and a flow divider to divide the first rich liquid into second and third rich liquids. The system further includes a first heat exchanger to heat the second rich liquid by using the lean liquid, and a second heat exchanger to heat the third rich liquid by using water discharged from the reboiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Hideo Kitamura
  • Patent number: 9416683
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a carbon-dioxide-recovery-type steam power generation system comprises a boiler that produces steam and generates an exhaust gas, a first turbine that is rotationally driven by the steam, an absorption tower allows carbon dioxide contained in the exhaust gas to be absorbed into an absorption liquid, a regeneration tower that discharges the carbon dioxide gas from the absorption liquid supplied from the absorption tower, a condenser that removes moisture from the carbon dioxide gas, discharged from the regeneration tower, by condensing the carbon dioxide gas using cooling water, a compressor that compresses the carbon dioxide gas from which the moisture is removed by the condenser, and a second turbine that drives the compressor. The steam produced by the cooling water recovering the heat from the carbon dioxide gas in the condenser is supplied to the first turbine or the second turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yuya Murakami, Nobuo Okita, Takeo Takahashi, Mikio Takayanagi, Takeo Suga, Takeshi Sasanuma, Toshihisa Kiyokuni, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20160158688
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide capturing system includes an absorber to discharge an absorption liquid having absorbed carbon dioxide, a regenerator to discharge the absorption liquid having released the carbon dioxide, a first line to introduce the absorption liquid discharged from the absorber to the regenerator, a second line to introduce the absorption liquid discharged from the regenerator to the absorber, and a heat exchanger to exchange heat between absorption liquids flowing in the first and second lines. The system further includes a bypass line to branch from the first line between the absorber and the heat exchanger and introduce the absorption liquid to the regenerator without passing through the heat exchanger, a valve on the bypass line, an instrument to measure a value indicating a state of the regenerator, and a controller to control a degree of opening of the valve based on the measured value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Plant Systems & Services Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru UDATSU, Satoru KASHIMOTO, Masatoshi HODOTSUKA, Hideo KITAMURA, Yukio OOHASHI, Satoshi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20160151742
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide capture system according to an embodiment includes an absorber, a stripper, and a heater. The absorber includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit uses first cleaning liquid to clean combustion exhaust gas discharged from a carbon dioxide capturer and captures amine flowing together with the combustion exhaust gas. The second cleaning unit uses second cleaning liquid to clean the combustion exhaust gas discharged from the first cleaning unit and captures amine flowing together with the combustion exhaust gas. The heater heats the first cleaning liquid to a temperature higher than the temperature of an upper portion of the carbon dioxide capturer and of the second cleaning liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Koshito FUJITA, Hideo KITAMURA, Masatoshi HODOTSUKA
  • Patent number: 9339762
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus includes a heat exchanger which heats a first rich liquid, a flow divider which divides the first rich liquid heated by the heat exchanger into a second rich liquid and a third rich liquid, a first release device which heats the second rich liquid and discharges a first semi-lean liquid, a second release device which heats the third rich liquid and discharges a second semi-lean liquid, and a regeneration tower which heats the first and second semi-lean liquids to generate a lean liquid. The first release device heats the second rich liquid, using the lean liquid. The second release device heats the third rich liquid, using a carbon dioxide-containing steam discharged at the regeneration tower. The heat exchanger heats the first rich liquid, using the lean liquid which has passed through the first release device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hideo Kitamura, Satoshi Saito, Mitsuru Udatsu
  • Patent number: 9314741
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus includes a heat exchanger which heats a first rich liquid, a flow divider which divides the first rich liquid heated by the heat exchanger into a second rich liquid and a third rich liquid, a first release device which heats the second rich liquid and discharges a first semi-lean liquid, a second release device which heats the third rich liquid and discharges a second semi-lean liquid, and a regeneration tower which heats the first and second semi-lean liquids to generate a lean liquid. The first release device heats the second rich liquid, using the lean liquid. The second release device heats the third rich liquid, using a carbon dioxide-containing steam discharged at the regeneration tower. The heat exchanger heats the first rich liquid, using the lean liquid which has passed through the first release device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hideo Kitamura, Satoshi Saito, Mitsuru Udatsu
  • Patent number: 9248403
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a carbon dioxide recovery device includes an absorption tower configured to cause carbon dioxide-containing gas to come in contact with absorbing solution and to generate rich solution absorbing the carbon dioxide, a regeneration tower configured to heat the rich solution, to disperse steam containing the carbon dioxide, and to generate lean solution from which the carbon dioxide is removed, a heat exchanging device configured to exchange heat between the lean solution and the rich solution, to supply the rich solution after the heat exchange to the regeneration tower, and to supply the lean solution after the heat exchange to the absorption tower, and a cooling device configured to cool a part of the rich solution discharged from a first place of the absorption tower and to supply the cooled rich solution to a second place higher than the first place of the absorption tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mitsuru Udatsu, Hideo Kitamura, Masatoshi Hodotsuka, Satoshi Saito, Kensuke Suzuki, Noriko Chiba, Haruki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9248397
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separating and capturing apparatus includes an absorption tower to allow a gas containing carbon dioxide to contact with an absorption liquid and discharge a rich liquid, a regeneration tower to cause the absorption liquid to release a gas containing the carbon dioxide and discharge a lean liquid, and first and second regenerative heat exchangers to heat the rich liquid with the lean liquid. The first regenerative heat exchanger heats the rich liquid with the lean liquid from the second regenerative heat exchanger and discharges the rich liquid in a liquid phase, and the second regenerative heat exchanger heats the rich liquid in the liquid phase with the lean liquid from the regeneration tower. The lean liquid from the first regenerative heat exchanger and the rich liquid from the second regenerative heat exchanger are fed to the absorption and regeneration towers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yukio Oohashi, Takashi Ogawa, Hideo Kitamura
  • Patent number: 9155991
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus capable of recovering heat energy of carbon-dioxide-containing gas which includes an absorbing tower to generate and discharge a rich liquid absorbing carbon dioxide as carbon-dioxide-containing gas is introduced and contacted to an absorbing liquid to absorb carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide release devices to discharge semi-lean liquids which have steam containing a part of carbon dioxide released by heating the rich liquid discharged from the absorbing tower, and a regeneration tower to generate a lean liquid which has steam containing remaining carbon dioxide released and separated by heating the semi-lean liquids discharged from the carbon dioxide release devices and to return the lean liquid to the absorbing tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Yukio Ohashi, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20150258490
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus capable of recovering heat energy of carbon-dioxide-containing gas which includes an absorbing tower to generate and discharge a rich liquid absorbing carbon dioxide as carbon-dioxide-containing gas is introduced and contacted to an absorbing liquid to absorb carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide release devices to discharge semi-lean liquids which have steam containing a part of carbon dioxide released by heating the rich liquid discharged from the absorbing tower, and a regeneration tower to generate a lean liquid which has steam containing remaining carbon dioxide released and separated by heating the semi-lean liquids discharged from the carbon dioxide release devices and to return the lean liquid to the absorbing tower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takashi OGAWA, Yukio OHASHI, Hideo KITAMURA
  • Publication number: 20150209724
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a heat-stable salt removing system comprises a desulfurizing unit that causes a sulfur oxide contained in exhaust gas to be absorbed by at least part of an absorbing liquid circulating through a carbon dioxide recovering system, and that emits the exhaust gas from which the sulfur oxide is removed, the absorbing liquid. A heat-stable salt removing system comprises an anion removing unit that removes an anion from the absorbing liquid obtained after the desulfurizing unit causes the sulfur oxide to be absorbed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi OGAWA, Yasuhiro Kato, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20150174531
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus includes a heat exchanger which heats a first rich liquid, a flow divider which divides the first rich liquid heated by the heat exchanger into a second rich liquid and a third rich liquid, a first release device which heats the second rich liquid and discharges a first semi-lean liquid, a second release device which heats the third rich liquid and discharges a second semi-lean liquid, and a regeneration tower which heats the first and second semi-lean liquids to generate a lean liquid. The first release device heats the second rich liquid, using the lean liquid. The second release device heats the third rich liquid, using a carbon dioxide-containing steam discharged at the regeneration tower. The heat exchanger heats the first rich liquid, using the lean liquid which has passed through the first release device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo KITAMURA, Satoshi SAITO, Mitsuru UDATSU
  • Patent number: 8983791
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separation recovery system includes an absorption tower that allows carbon dioxide to be absorbed to an absorption liquid, a regeneration tower that regenerates the absorption liquid, a reboiler that heats the absorption liquid of the regeneration tower, using a heating medium, and a measuring device that measures an amount of heat supplied to the absorption liquid from the heating medium. The measuring device includes a cooler that cools the heating medium discharged from the reboiler, and obtains the amount of heat that is supplied to the absorption liquid from the heating medium by subtracting an amount of heat that is retained by the heating medium cooled by the cooler and an amount of heat, which is removed from the heating medium in the cooler, from an amount of heat that is retained by the heating medium supplied to the reboiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yukio Ohashi, Takashi Ogawa, Hideo Kitamura, Haruhiko Hirata
  • Publication number: 20150027164
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separating and capturing system includes an absorption tower to allow a gas containing carbon dioxide to contact with an absorption liquid and discharge a first rich liquid which is the absorption liquid having absorbed the carbon dioxide, and a regeneration tower to cause the absorption liquid to release a gas containing the carbon dioxide and discharge a lean liquid whose carbon dioxide concentration is lower than that of the rich liquid. The system further includes a reboiler to heat the absorption liquid in the regeneration tower by using steam, and a flow divider to divide the first rich liquid into second and third rich liquids. The system further includes a first heat exchanger to heat the second rich liquid by using the lean liquid, and a second heat exchanger to heat the third rich liquid by using water discharged from the reboiler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi OGAWA, Hideo Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8926919
    Abstract: After absorbing oxygen together with carbon dioxide in an absorber 103, absorbing liquid 104a is supplied to oxygen collecting units 13 and 14. The oxygen collecting units 13 and 14 include silver to collect the oxygen in the absorbing liquid 104a and eliminate the oxygen from the absorbing liquid 104a. A regenerating unit 15 separates and recovers the oxygen collected in one of the two oxygen collecting units 13 and 14 to regenerate the oxygen collecting unit when the other oxygen collecting unit is supplied with the absorbing liquid 104a. A continuous operation can be achieved by switching and using the two oxygen collecting units 13 and 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Manabu Sakurai, Yukio Ohashi, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20140338394
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separating and capturing apparatus includes an absorption tower to allow a gas containing carbon dioxide to contact with an absorption liquid and discharge a rich liquid, a regeneration tower to cause the absorption liquid to release a gas containing the carbon dioxide and discharge a lean liquid, and first and second regenerative heat exchangers to heat the rich liquid with the lean liquid. The first regenerative heat exchanger heats the rich liquid with the lean liquid from the second regenerative heat exchanger and discharges the rich liquid in a liquid phase, and the second regenerative heat exchanger heats the rich liquid in the liquid phase with the lean liquid from the regeneration tower. The lean liquid from the first regenerative heat exchanger and the rich liquid from the second regenerative heat exchanger are fed to the absorption and regeneration towers, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yukio Oohashi, Takashi Ogawa, Hideo Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20140301927
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide capturing system includes an absorption tower configured to bring a treatment target gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with an absorption liquid, and to discharge the absorption liquid having absorbed the carbon dioxide. The system further includes a regeneration tower configured to make the absorption liquid discharged from the absorption tower dissipate the carbon dioxide, and to discharge the absorption liquid having dissipated the carbon dioxide. The system further includes a treatment target gas line configured to introduce the treatment target gas into the absorption tower, a first introduction module configured to introduce a first gas having a higher carbon dioxide concentration than the treatment target gas into the treatment target gas line, and a second introduction module configured to introduce a second gas having a lower carbon dioxide concentration than the treatment target gas into the treatment target gas line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Mitsuru Udatsu, Masatoshi Hodotsuka, Hideo Kitamura, Satoshi Saito, Haruki Fujimoto, Noriko Chiba