Patents by Inventor Hiroyoshi Uematsu

Hiroyoshi Uematsu 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).

  • Publication number: 20110223501
    Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen-recycling MCFC power-generating system that can improve power generation efficiency by effectively utilizing fuel gas having the hydrogen included in anode exhaust as the main component, and that can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by separating and recovering the carbon dioxide. The system is provided with a molten carbonate fuel cell (9), a carbon dioxide separating system (20) that separates and recovers a portion of the carbon dioxide from the anode exhaust (AE) from the fuel cell, a gas mixer that mixes recycled fuel gas (RF) after a portion of the carbon dioxide has been separated from the anode exhaust with new fuel gas (F) that is supplied from outside to make a mixed fuel gas (MF), a fuel gas heater (13) that diverts a portion of the mixed fuel gas, preheats it to a constant temperature and adds reforming steam (STM), and a multistage pre-converter (14) that performs a reforming reaction and a methanation reaction of the mixed fuel gas simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO GAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Hiromichi Kameyama, Akimune Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110223500
    Abstract: Disclosed is an MCFC power generation system and a method for operating the same enabling significant reduction of CO2 emission or substantially zero CO2 emission by minimizing the equipment added to a general power generation facility to a minimum, enabling both high power generation efficiency and high heat recovery efficiency, enabling adjustment of the voltage and output of the fuel cell in a certain range by adjusting the cathode gas composition, enabling great variation of the ratio between the heat and electricity, and thereby enabling variable thermoelectric operation. The MCFC generation system includes a cathode gas circulation system in which the cathode gas is circulated by a cathode gas recycle blower, and a closed loop is formed. Oxygen consumed by power generation is supplied from an oxygen supply plant, and CO2 is supplied from recycled CO2. Combustible components in anode exhaust are burned with oxygen, the resultant gas is cooled, and water is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO GAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Akimune Watanabe, Hiromichi Kameyama
  • Patent number: 5874183
    Abstract: The molten carbonate fuel cell includes (a) an anode current collector formed to be flat rectangular tubular and having a pair of outer surfaces each formed at the center thereof with a recessed portion for receiving an anode therein, the recessed portion being formed with a plurality of holes through which anode gas is supplied to anode from inside of the anode current collector, (b) a pair of cells each disposed on each of the outer surfaces of the anode current collector, and (c) a pair of cathode current collectors each cooperating with the anode current collector to sandwich each of the cells, therebetween, the cathode current collectors being formed with a plurality of holes through which cathode gas is supplied to cathode from outside of the cathode current collector. The anode current collector, the cells and the cathode current collectors constitute a pair of independent parallel cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Uematsu
  • Patent number: 5397656
    Abstract: The method controls a differential pressure of a plate reformer installed in a fuel cell power generation system. In the power generation system, a raw material gas is reformed to a fuel gas in the plate reformer, the fuel gas is fed to an anode of a fuel cell, an anode exhaust gas from the anode is fed to a combustion chamber of the plate reformer a combustion exhaust gas from the combustion chamber is fed to a cathode of the fuel cell together with an air, and part of the air is fed to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Morimoto, Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Satoshi Hatori
  • Patent number: 5232793
    Abstract: A method of recovering carbon dioxide gas from the combustion exhaust gas of fossil fuel, using a combustion equipment, wherein fuel gas is supplied to an anode chamber of a molten carbonate fuel cell and oxidizing gas is supplied to a cathode chamber of the fuel cell, the combustion exhaust gas from the combustion equipment is suuplied to the cathode chamber as part of the oxidizaing gas, CO.sub.2 in the combustion exhaust gas is allowed to react with O.sub.2 in the oxidizing gas at the cathode to produce carbonate ion, which is allowed to pass through the electrolyte of the fuel cell and to reach the anode, which the carbonate ion is allowed to react with hydrogen in the fuel gas to produce CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O, the anode exhaust gas containing CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O generated at the anode is discharged from the anode chamber, H.sub.2 O is separated from the anode discharge gas and high-concentration CO.sub.2 gas is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Miyauchi, Tetsuya Hirata, Hideto Ikeda, Kenzo Nakazawa, Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Satoshi Hatori
  • Patent number: 5221586
    Abstract: The power generation system includes a reformer and two fuel cell stacks. The reformer and the fuel cell stacks are provided in series. Fuel gas produced by the reformer is introduced to a first anode of the first fuel cell stack. Gases discharged from the first anode are directly introduced to a second anode of the second fuel cell stack. Air is introduced to a first cathode of the first fuel cell stack. Gases discharged from the first cathode are cooled by a cooling device and then introduced to a second cathode of the second fuel cell stack. Gases discharged from the second anode and gases discharged from the second cathode are introduced to a heating chamber of the reformer. Gases discharged from the heating chamber are introduced to a steam generator to produce steam used for reformation and then recirculated to the first cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignees: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Toho Gas Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Morimoto, Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Satoshi Hatori, Kazunori Kobayashi, Tomoji Hikita, Kenichi Shinozaka, Shigeto Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 5208114
    Abstract: A reformer includes a reforming chamber for reforming raw material and a heating chamber for heating the reforming chamber. Exhaust gas from a cathode chamber of a fuel cell is directly introduced to the heating chamber such that the exhaust gas is combusted, or the exhaust gas from the cathode chamber is introduced to a catalyst combustor together with exhaust gas discharged from the anode chamber such that these gases undergo combustion. Combustion exhaust gas is introduced to the heating chamber and sensible heat of the cathode exhaust gas is effectively used as heat source for a reforming reaction in the reforming chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Satoshi Hatori
  • Patent number: 5198311
    Abstract: An LNG cryogenic power generation system using a molten carbonate fuel cell is equipped with a CO.sub.2 separator. The CO.sub.2 separator takes advantages of cryogenic LNG in a manner such that CO.sub.2 among gases discharged from an anode chamber of the fuel cell is liquefied with cryogenic LNG and separated from the anode exhaust gas. Cell reactions take place at a cathode chamber and the anode chamber of the fuel cell to cause power generation as the oxidizing gas which contains CO.sub.2 is fed to the cathode chamber and the fuel gas is fed to the anode chamber. LNG is reformed by a reformer of the fuel cell and the reformed gas is fed to the anode chamber. During the cell reaction, CO.sub.2 of the oxidizing gas fed to the cathode chamber is transferred as carbonate ion to the anode chamber and CO.sub.2 is enriched or concentrated before expelled from the anode chamber. This anode gas is introduced to the CO.sub.2 separator. In the CO.sub.2 separator, CO.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenzo Nakazawa, Hiroyoshi Uematsu, Satoshi Hatori