Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Tatsui

Hiroshi Tatsui 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: 10516176
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: a power generation unit configured to discharge a flue gas; a housing configured to accommodate the power generation unit; a ventilator configured to ventilate the housing; a first gas channel through which a gas discharged from the ventilator flows; a second gas channel through which the flue gas from the power generation unit flows; a merging portion where the first gas channel and the second gas channel merge; a third gas channel through which the gases merged at the merging portion flow; a water trap unit connected to the first gas channel and including a water sealing structure; and a water discharge channel through which water in the water trap unit is discharged to an outside of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Hiroshi Tatsui
  • Patent number: 10026974
    Abstract: A power generation system according to the present invention includes: a fuel cell unit including a fuel cell, a hydrogen generator having a first combustor, and a case; a controller; a combustion unit including a second combustor; and a discharge passage formed to cause the case and the combustion unit to communicate with each other. In a case where the controller causes one of the first combustor and the second combustor to perform the ignition operation, the controller maintains an operating state of the other combustor during the period of the ignition operation of the one combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Shigeki Yasuda, Akinori Yukimasa, Atsutaka Inoue
  • Patent number: 9791154
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: a combustor operative to combust a fuel; a power generator operative to utilize energy obtained from the combustor when generating electric power; a fuel supplier operative to supply the fuel to the combustor; an air supplier operative to supply combustion air to the combustor; a discharged gas passage through which a discharged gas from the combustor flows; a CO detector operative to detect CO in the discharged gas; a temperature detector operative to detect a temperature of the discharged gas; and control circuitry operative to, when the discharged gas is flowing through the discharged gas passage, perform at least one of an operation of detecting a structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on a difference between detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between heated amounts of the discharged gas heated by a heater and an operation of detecting the structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on the differ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Hiroshi Tatsui, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Shigeru Iiyama
  • Patent number: 9685672
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus according to the present invention includes: a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction; a combustor configured to heat the reformer; an air supply device configured to supply air to the combustor; a fuel supply device configured to supply a fuel to the combustor; a CO detector configured to detect a carbon monoxide concentration in a flue gas discharged from the combustor; and a controller configured to control at least one of the air supply device and the fuel supply device to increase an air ratio in the combustor such that the CO concentration in the flue gas increases, and then test the CO detector for abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Iiyama, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Tomonori Aso, Hiroshi Tatsui, Akinori Yukimasa
  • Patent number: 9640820
    Abstract: A power generation system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell unit (101) including a fuel cell (11) and a case (12); a controller (102); a combustion unit (103) provided outside the case (12) and configured to combust a combustible gas to supply heat; and a discharge passage (70) configured to cause the fuel cell unit (101) and the combustion unit (103) to communicate with each other, wherein in a case where an exhaust gas is being discharged to the discharge passage (70) from one of the fuel cell unit (101) and the combustion unit (103) and the controller (102) changes the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the other unit, the controller (102) controls at least the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the other unit such that the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the one unit becomes constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Shigeki Yasuda, Akinori Yukimasa, Atsutaka Inoue
  • 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: 9478813
    Abstract: A power generation system has a power generation unit (1), a casing (2) accommodating the power generation unit (1), a ventilator (3) configured to ventilate the interior of the casing (2), and a first exhaust gas passage (4) configured to pass therethrough an exhaust gas from the ventilator (3) which is discharged out of the casing (2). The first exhaust gas passage (4) merges with a second exhaust gas passage (6) connected to a duct (11) open to outside air before the second exhaust gas passage (6) is connected to the duct (11), the second exhaust gas passage (6) being configured to pass a combustion exhaust gas from a combustion device (5) configured to generate heat to be supplied to a heat load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Junji Morita, Shigeki Yasuda, Atsutaka Inoue, Hiroshi Tatsui
  • Patent number: 9470428
    Abstract: A power generation system of the present invention comprises: a power generation unit (1); a casing (2) that accommodates the power generation unit (1); a ventilator (3) that ventilates the interior of the casing (2); a first gas flow passage (5), arranged inside the casing (2), for a flow therethrough of gas which flows as the ventilator (3) operates; and a second gas flow passage (6), arranged inside the casing (2), for a flow therethrough of combustion exhaust gas from the power generation unit (1), wherein within the casing (2), the second gas flow passage (6) merges into the first gas flow passage (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Shigeki Yasuda, Junji Morita, Atsutaka Inoue, Hiroshi Tatsui
  • 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: 20150349364
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus according to the present invention includes: a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction; a combustor configured to heat the reformer; an air supply device configured to supply air to the combustor; a fuel supply device configured to supply a fuel to the combustor; a CO detector configured to detect a carbon monoxide concentration in a flue gas discharged from the combustor; and a controller configured to control at least one of the air supply device and the fuel supply device to increase an air ratio in the combustor such that the CO concentration in the flue gas increases, and then test the CO detector for abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru IIYAMA, Kiyoshi TAGUCHI, Tomonori ASO, Hiroshi TATSUI, Akinori YUKIMASA
  • Publication number: 20150308689
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: a combustor operative to combust a fuel; a power generator operative to utilize energy obtained from the combustor when generating electric power; a fuel supplier operative to supply the fuel to the combustor; an air supplier operative to supply combustion air to the combustor; a discharged gas passage through which a discharged gas from the combustor flows; a CO detector operative to detect CO in the discharged gas; a temperature detector operative to detect a temperature of the discharged gas; and control circuitry operative to, when the discharged gas is flowing through the discharged gas passage, perform at least one of an operation of detecting an abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on a difference between detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between heated amounts of the discharged gas heated by a heater and an operation of detecting the abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on the difference between the dete
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Akinori YUKIMASA, Hiroshi TATSUI, Kiyoshi TAGUCHI, Shigeru IIYAMA
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20150099202
    Abstract: A power generation system includes: a power generation unit configured to discharge a flue gas; a housing configured to accommodate the power generation unit; a ventilator configured to ventilate the housing; a first gas channel through which a gas discharged from the ventilator flows; a second gas channel through which the flue gas from the power generation unit flows; a merging portion where the first gas channel and the second gas channel merge; a third gas channel through which the gases merged at the merging portion flow; a water trap unit connected to the first gas channel and including a water sealing structure; and a water discharge channel through which water in the water trap unit is discharged to an outside of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Akinori Yukimasa, Hiroshi Tatsui
  • Patent number: 8980488
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a reforming unit, a carbon-monoxide decreasing unit, a fuel cell, a burner unit, and a raw gas supply device. At a start-up operation of the fuel cell system, an amount of raw gas supplied from the raw has supply device is adjusted according to an amount of a desorbed raw gas desorbed out of components of the raw gas adsorbed to at least one of the reforming catalyst and a carbon monoxide decreasing catalyst such that a ratio of an amount of the combustion air to an amount of the raw gas in the burner unit falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Kiyoshi Taguchi
  • 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: 8758950
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a reforming unit, a carbon monoxide decreasing unit, a fuel cell, a burner unit, a raw gas supply device, and a heating unit. The heating unit is controlled at a start-up operation of the fuel cell system, so as to adjust an amount of a desorbed raw gas desorbed out of components of the raw gas adsorbed to at least one of a reforming catalyst and a carbon monoxide decreasing catalyst such that a ratio of an amount of combustion air to an amount of a raw gas in the burner unit falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Kiyoshi Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20130344408
    Abstract: A power generation system according to the present invention includes: a fuel cell unit including a fuel cell, a hydrogen generator having a first combustor, and a case; a controller; a combustion unit including a second combustor; and a discharge passage formed to cause the case and the combustion unit to communicate with each other. In a case where the controller causes one of the first combustor and the second combustor to perform the ignition operation, the controller maintains an operating state of the other combustor during the period of the ignition operation of the one combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tatsui, Junji Morita, Shigeki Yasuda, Akinori Yukimasa, Atsutaka Inoue
  • 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: 20130316293
    Abstract: A gas instrument determiner section (12) included in a flow meter device (10A) determines a kind of a gas instrument (20) in use by utilizing a flow pattern in which a range of increase/decrease in a gas flow is within a flow zone set in a fuel cell (21) as a flow pattern which is a pattern of a gas flow which changes over time when the fuel cell (21) is included in the gas instrument (20) in use. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether or not the gas instrument in use is the fuel cell while effectively suppressing unnecessary gas consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuo Yokohata, Motoyuki Nawa, Hiroshi Tatsui, Akinari Nakamura