Patents by Inventor Hidetoshi Wakamatsu

Hidetoshi Wakamatsu 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: 9620794
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell to generate electric power; a casing accommodating at least the fuel cell, the casing including an air inlet and an exhaust outlet; a supply passage connected to the air inlet, to introduce external air into the casing; an exhaust passage connected to the exhaust outlet, to exchange heat with the supply passage and discharge at least air inside the casing; an air supply device to introduce the external air into the casing; a temperature detector to detect a temperature; and a controller configured to control at least the air supply device. If the temperature detected by the temperature detector after the controller has caused the air supply device to operate is lower than or equal to a first predetermined temperature, the controller reduces an amount of air supplied by the air supply device and causes the air supply device to continue operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji Morita, Hiroshi Tatsui, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Patent number: 9431668
    Abstract: A power generation system of the present invention comprises a fuel cell system (101), a gas supply device, a controller (102), a combustion device (103), an exhaust passage (70), a gas passage used to supply a gas supplied from the gas supply device to the exhaust passage (70), and a back-flow preventing device (20) placed in the gas passage or the exhaust passage (70), and the controller (102) executes an operation for relieving a state in which a valve element remains incapable of moving away from a valve seat in the back-flow preventing device (20) in such a manner that the gas supply device is operated so that a differential pressure between an upstream side and a downstream side of the back-flow preventing device (20) becomes a value equal to or greater than the predetermined time which can relieve the state in which valve element remains incapable of moving away from the valve seat, during a shut-down state or at start-up of the fuel cell system (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Shiosaki, Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Patent number: 9385384
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: an air intake passage; a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell; a case configured to house the fuel cell, a ventilator (air supply unit), and an air intake temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the intake air supplied to the case; a combustion device that includes a combustor; an exhaust gas passage configured to discharge a flue gas generated in the combustion device to the outside; and a controller. The air intake passage and the exhaust gas passage are configured to allow heat exchange to occur between media flowing through the passages. The controller causes the combustion device to operate when the fuel cell system is activated and the temperature detected by the air intake temperature detector is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Publication number: 20150147672
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a fuel cell unit, a combustion apparatus, and a controller. The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell, a casing, a ventilation fan (an air supply device), and a temperature detector configured to detect the temperature of outside air supplied to the casing. An air supply passage through which the outside air is supplied to the casing, and a discharge passage through which a flue gas from the combustion apparatus is discharged, are configured in such a manner as to allow a medium flowing through the air supply passage and a medium flowing through the discharge passage to exchange heat with each other. When the fuel cell unit is to be started up, if the temperature detected by the temperature detector is lower than or equal to a predetermined first temperature and the combustion apparatus is not in operation, the controller refrains from causing the fuel cell unit to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Patent number: 9023544
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (1A) comprises a casing (2) having a suction port (31) through which air is introduced from outside into an internal space thereof; a fuel cell (4) accommodated within the casing (2) and configured to generate electric power through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas; an air supply unit (6) of a diaphragm type disposed within the casing (2) and configured to take in the air introduced through the suction port (31) and supply the air to the fuel cell (4); and a heating unit (30) disposed within the casing (2) and configured to heat the air in a space from the suction port (31) to the air supply unit (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Hatano, Shigeki Yasuda, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20150044585
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell to generate electric power; a casing accommodating at least the fuel cell, the casing including an air inlet and an exhaust outlet; a supply passage connected to the air inlet, to introduce external air into the casing; an exhaust passage connected to the exhaust outlet, to exchange heat with the supply passage and discharge at least air inside the casing; an air supply device to introduce the external air into the casing; a temperature detector to detect a temperature; and a controller configured to control at least the air supply device. If the temperature detected by the temperature detector after the controller has caused the air supply device to operate is lower than or equal to a first predetermined temperature, the controller reduces an amount of air supplied by the air supply device and causes the air supply device to continue operating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Junji Morita, Hiroshi Tatsui, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Patent number: 8911912
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (100) includes: a hydrogen generator (2) including a reformer (3); a combustor (5) configured to supply heat to the reformer (3); a fuel cell (1); a first channel (10); a second channel (8); a third channel (16) through which an oxidation gas flows, the oxidation gas being supplied to the first channel (10) extending between a branch portion (10a) and the fuel cell (1); a first on-off valve (7a) provided on the first channel (10) located downstream of a meeting portion (10c); a second on-off valve (6) provided on the second channel (8); an oxidation gas supply unit (15) provided on the third channel (16); and a controller (200) configured such that when the first on-off valve (7a) is closed and the second on-off valve (6) is opened, and a hydrogen-containing gas is discharged from the hydrogen generator (2) at the time of start-up, the controller (200) activates the oxidation gas supply unit (15) to supply the oxidation gas through the third channel (16) to the first channel (10) located do
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Shigeki Yasuda, Naohisa Tanabe, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20130337354
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: an air intake passage; a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell; a case configured to house the fuel cell, a ventilator (air supply unit), and an air intake temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the intake air supplied to the case; a combustion device that includes a combustor; an exhaust gas passage configured to discharge a flue gas generated in the combustion device to the outside; and a controller. The air intake passage and the exhaust gas passage are configured to allow heat exchange to occur between media flowing through the passages. The controller causes the combustion device to operate when the fuel cell system is activated and the temperature detected by the air intake temperature detector is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Publication number: 20130252125
    Abstract: A power generation system of the present invention comprises a fuel cell system (101), a gas supply device, a controller (102), a combustion device (103), an exhaust passage (70), a gas passage used to supply a gas supplied from the gas supply device to the exhaust passage (70), and a back-flow preventing device (20) placed in the gas passage or the exhaust passage (70), and the controller (102) executes an operation for relieving a state in which a valve element remains incapable of moving away from a valve seat in the back-flow preventing device (20) in such a manner that the gas supply device is operated so that a differential pressure between an upstream side and a downstream side of the back-flow preventing device (20) becomes a value equal to or greater than the predetermined time which can relieve the state in which valve element remains incapable of moving away from the valve seat, during a shut-down state or at start-up of the fuel cell system (101).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Shiosaki, Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Akinori Yukimasa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Publication number: 20130252122
    Abstract: A power generator according to the present invention includes a fuel cell system (101), a combustion system (102), and a controller (103). The fuel cell system (101) includes: a fuel cell (11); a reformer (10) configured to generate a fuel through a reforming reaction between a first raw material containing a hydrocarbon and a second raw material which is water or an oxidant; a first raw material supply device (12); a second raw material supply device (13); and an oxidant supply device (14). The combustion system (102) includes: a first combustor (21); a third raw material supply device (22); a first air supply device (23); and a frame rod (24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junji Morita, Hiroshi Tatsui, Akinori Yukimasa, Atsutaka Inoue, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20130149618
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (1A) comprises a casing (2) having a suction port (31) through which air is introduced from outside into an internal space thereof; a fuel cell (4) accommodated within the casing (2) and configured to generate electric power through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas; an air supply unit (6) of a diaphragm type disposed within the casing (2) and configured to take in the air introduced through the suction port (31) and supply the air to the fuel cell (4); and a heating unit (30) disposed within the casing (2) and configured to heat the air in a space from the suction port (31) to the air supply unit (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Susumu Hatano, Shigeki Yasuda, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20120164546
    Abstract: A fuel cell system (100) includes: a hydrogen generator (2) including a reformer (3); a combustor (5) configured to supply heat to the reformer (3); a fuel cell (1); a first channel (10); a second channel (8); a third channel (16) through which an oxidation gas flows, the oxidation gas being supplied to the first channel (10) extending between a branch portion (10a) and the fuel cell (1); a first on-off valve (7a) provided on the first channel (10) located downstream of a meeting portion (10c); a second on-off valve (6) provided on the second channel (8); an oxidation gas supply unit (15) provided on the third channel (16); and a controller (200) configured such that when the first on-off valve (7a) is closed and the second on-off valve (6) is opened, and a hydrogen-containing gas is discharged from the hydrogen generator (2) at the time of start-up, the controller (200) activates the oxidation gas supply unit (15) to supply the oxidation gas through the third channel (16) to the first channel (10) located do
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Shigeki Yasuda, Naohisa Tanabe, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20120118292
    Abstract: To provide a compact and low-power-consumption artificial respirator and an operation method therefore including a controller which alternately switches between a first state for feeding inspiratory air stored in the reservoir tank to a patient and a second state for releasing expired air of the patient. A pressurizing pump has a discharge function for reversing a reduction of pressure within the reservoir tank, which is caused due to the inspiration, within an expiration period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicants: National University Corporation Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ulvac Kiko, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Aikawa, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Tomohiko Utsuki
  • Patent number: 7521324
    Abstract: In order to provide a semiconductor device having good quality by keeping the relative permittivity of a High-K insulation film in a high state, or to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which the relative permittivity of the High-K insulation film can be kept in a high state, a semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a silicon substrate, a gate electrode layer, and a gate insulation film between the silicon substrate and the gate electrode layer. The gate insulation film is a high relative permittivity (high-k) film being formed by performing a nitriding treatment on a mixture of a metal and silicon. The High-K film itself becomes a nitride so as to prevent SiO2 from being formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Akinobu Teramoto, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Yasuo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7332346
    Abstract: The method is intended to detect with high sensitivity and high accuracy chemically contaminating impurities in which there exist chemically contaminating impurity constituents of basic series, acidic series, and organic substance series, in gaseous and particle states, and constituents of compounds thereof, contained in air inside a clean room, as constituents having every property. To this end, ions composed of various cations and anions, constituting the chemically contaminating impurities in fine particle, gaseous, or molecular state, are caused to continuously undergo dissolution reaction and dissociation reaction in a solution in sequence from those constituting salts having strong solubility or strong dissociative tendency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Wakamatsu
  • Publication number: 20070052042
    Abstract: In order to provide a semiconductor device having good quality by keeping the relative permittivity of a High-K insulation film in a high state, or to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which the relative permittivity of the High-K insulation film can be kept in a high state, a semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a silicon substrate, a gate electrode layer, and a gate insulation film between the silicon substrate and the gate electrode layer. The gate insulation film is a high relative permittivity (high-k) film being formed by performing a nitriding treatment on a mixture of a metal and silicon. The High-K film itself becomes a nitride so as to prevent SiO2 from being formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Akinobu Teramoto, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Yasuo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6949478
    Abstract: A method of forming an oxide film having high insularity capability is performed within an ultra clean environment, using charged particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Takashi Imaoka, Hisayuki Shimada, Nobuhiro Konishi, Mizuho Morita, Takeo Yamashita, Tadashi Shibata, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Jinzo Watanabe, Shintaro Aoyama, Masakazu Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20050206018
    Abstract: Vacuum processing equipment capable of preventing particles from sticking to objects to be processed in vacuum vessels. The vacuum equipment comprises a series of vacuum vessels separated by doors, and the pressure in the vessels are reducible respectively. The vessels are so configured that objects to be processed are moveable among them and there is provided light projection means for projecting ultra rays on gases introduced to at least of the vessels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Takashi Imaoka, Hisayuki Shimada, Nobuhiro Konishi, Mizuho Morita, Takeo Yamashita, Tadashi Shibata, Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Jinzo Watanabe, Shintaro Aoyama, Masakazu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6645273
    Abstract: A method for removing impurity substances in air flowing in a flow passage includes filtering the air in a first filter for removing solid substances; cooling the air in a first cooler to not higher than its dew-point temperature; capturing gaseous substances in the air in a wet-type impurity removing apparatus; cooling the air in a second cooler; and filtering in a second filter. The wet-type impurity removing apparatus includes a first liquid atomizer having two pluralities of nozzle ports for spraying, arranged mutually spaced apart and facing each other in the direction of the air flow passage; first and second condensing and capturing assemblies located across the first atomizer and spaced apart from each other, with the first assembly being upstream and the second assembly being downstream from the first atomizer; a second atomizer for capturing any remaining gaseous substances in the air; and a third condensing and capturing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co, LTD
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Wakamatsu, Mikio Matsuki, Norio Tanaka, Hiroshi Ogata
  • Publication number: 20030194816
    Abstract: The method is intended to detect with high sensitivity and high accuracy chemically contaminating impurities in which there exist chemically contaminating impurity constituents of basic series, acidic series, and organic substance series, in gaseous and particle states, and constituents of compounds thereof, contained in air inside a clean room, as constituents having every property. To this end, ions composed of various cations and anions, constituting the chemically contaminating impurities in fine particle, gaseous, or molecular state, are caused to continuously undergo dissolution reaction and dissociation reaction in a solution in sequence from those constituting salts having strong solubility or strong dissociative tendency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Wakamatsu