Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Usuki

Kazuhiro Usuki 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: 20250146146
    Abstract: An electrolytic cell power supply device is provided, the electrolytic cell power supply device includes: a first converter configured to convert alternating current power supplied from a power system into direct current power; a storage element configured to store direct current power output from the first converter; a second converter configured to convert the direct current power stored in the storage element into other direct current power corresponding to the electrolytic cell, and supply the direct current power after the conversion between the anode and the cathode of the electrolytic cell; and a control device configured to control operations of the first and second converters, the control device includes a corrosion prevention operation mode In a power interruption of the power system, the corrosion prevention operation mode controlling the operation of the second converter to suppress a generation of a reverse current by supplying, to the electrolytic cell, a direct current power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: May 8, 2025
    Applicant: TMEIC Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi KEIMOTO, Manabu SOUDA, Kazuhiro USUKI, Chihiro HASEGAWA, Kensuke KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20250141341
    Abstract: A power supply device according to an embodiment is configured to supply DC power to an electrolytic cell producing hydrogen by electrolysis. The power supply device includes a power converter, a reactor, and a filter circuit; the power converter is self-commutated and includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal; the second output terminal is configured to output a positive voltage with respect to the first output terminal; the reactor is connected in series to at least one of the first output terminal or the second output terminal; and the filter circuit is connected between an anode and a cathode of the electrolytic cell. The filter circuit is a low-pass filter. A cutoff frequency of the filter circuit is set to be less than a switching frequency of the power converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: TMEIC Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi TOMITA, Chihiro HASEGAWA, Kazuhiro USUKI
  • Patent number: 10461660
    Abstract: A control device of a power converter includes first and second switching circuits. The device converts AC power supplied from an AC power supply into DC power, and supplies the DC power to the DC circuit. First converter arms are connected in series in the first switching circuit. Second converter arms are connected in series in the second switching circuit. The device further includes first and second control circuits connected to the first and the second switching circuits and control gate pulses of each of the first and the second arms respectively. A first and a second power interruption compensation circuits supply power to the first and the second control circuits for prescribed durations in power interruptions of the first and the second control circuits respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Usuki, Tomohisa Ohkami
  • Publication number: 20190123660
    Abstract: A control device of a power converter includes first and second switching circuits. The device converts AC power supplied from an AC power supply into DC power, and supplies the DC power to the DC circuit. First converter arms are connected in series in the first switching circuit. Second converter arms are connected in series in the second switching circuit. The device further includes first and second control circuits connected to the first and the second switching circuits and control gate pulses of each of the first and the second arms respectively. A first and a second power interruption compensation circuits supply power to the first and the second control circuits for prescribed durations in power interruptions of the first and the second control circuits respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro USUKI, Tomohisa OHKAMI
  • Patent number: 8097981
    Abstract: An AC/DC power converter which charges a secondary battery from an AC power supply and also converts power from the secondary battery to the AC voltage is provided. A capacitor C is connected to DC terminals of the four reverse-conductive type semiconductor switches in a single-phase bridge structure, and a secondary battery is connected via a DC inductance to the semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are connected via an AC inductance L with an AC power supply and opposing pairs of the semiconductor switches are alternately turned ON/OFF in synchronization with the phase of the supply voltage. When an AC power supply with a frequency which is lower than the resonance frequency of the LC is connected, the switching will be carried out in a zero-voltage-zero-current condition and AC/DC reversible power conversion is possible just through the control of the gate phase of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Ryuichi Shimada, Kazuhiro Usuki
  • Publication number: 20100090533
    Abstract: An AC/DC power converter which charges a secondary battery from an AC power supply and also converts power from the secondary battery to the AC voltage is provided. A capacitor C is connected to DC terminals of the four reverse-conductive type semiconductor switches in a single-phase bridge structure, and a secondary battery is connected via a DC inductance to the semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are connected via an AC inductance L with an AC power supply and opposing pairs of the semiconductor switches are alternately turned ON/OFF in synchronization with the phase of the supply voltage. When an AC power supply with a frequency which is lower than the resonance frequency of the LC is connected, the switching will be carried out in a zero-voltage-zero-current condition and AC/DC reversible power conversion is possible just through the control of the gate phase of the switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Ryuichi Shimada, Kazuhiro Usuki