Patents by Inventor Kenji Nagura
Kenji Nagura 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).
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Patent number: 11300355Abstract: A boil-off gas supply device is provided with: a storage tank configured to store a liquefied gas; a first compression mechanism configured to suck in the boil-off gas of the liquefied gas stored in the storage tank and compress the sucked boil-off gas; a second compression mechanism configured to compress the boil-off gas after being compressed by the first compression mechanism; a discharge path in which the boil-off gas discharged from the second compression mechanism flows; a first drive source configured to drive the first compression mechanism; and a second drive source that is different from the first drive source and configured to drive the second compression mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2016Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)Inventors: Satoshi Tezuka, Katsuhiro Seyama, Kenji Nagura
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Patent number: 11208081Abstract: The present application discloses a hydrogen station for supplying hydrogen to a tank of a tank-equipped device. The hydrogen station includes: an integrated controller for integrally controlling devices provided in the hydrogen station; a sensing portion for sensing leaked hydrogen which has leaked inside the integrated controller; a ventilation device performing a high ventilation measure of performing ventilation for air inside the integrated controller or an explosion prevention device performing an internal pressure-based explosion protection measure of creating a pressure-increased state inside the integrated controller; and a compressor unit including a compressor, which is used as one of the devices, and a housing, in which the compressor is stored. The integrated controller is mounted on the housing, and is electrically connected to the compressor via a through-hole formed in the housing to control the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2018Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Fukuda, Kenji Nagura
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Patent number: 11168620Abstract: A gas supply system includes a first tank, a first path into which a first gas generated by vaporization of a first low-temperature liquefied gas flows, a gas boosting mechanism being disposed in the first path, a second path that is a path configured to extract the first low-temperature liquefied gas from the first tank, a pump and a vaporization mechanism being disposed in the second path and a reliquefaction path that is a path configured to liquefy at least part of the first gas extracted from an upstream side of the gas boosting mechanism in the first path and to cause the liquefied first gas to flow into an upstream side of the pump in the second path, a cooling heat exchanger configured to cool the first gas by a second low-temperature liquefied gas or a second gas being disposed in the reliquefaction path.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2019Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Naofumi Kanei, Kenji Nagura
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Patent number: 11079071Abstract: A hydrogen station operation method capable of adjusting pressure in a reservoir to the pressure suitable for liquid hydrogen replenishment while cutting hydrogen waste is for replenishing liquid hydrogen into the reservoir in a hydrogen station including: a gasification path partially gasifying liquid hydrogen out of the reservoir and returning it; and a gas delivery path delivering gasified hydrogen in the reservoir into a path between a vaporizer and a compressor or the vaporizer, when the remainder of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir becomes a first threshold or less, by reducing the liquid hydrogen amount flowing through the gasification path by a valve therein, reducing the gasification amount of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir, and increasing the hydrogen gas amount delivered through the gas delivery path from the reservoir by a valve therein, pressure in the reservoir is reduced, thereby performing operation where suction pressure of the compressor is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Tomohiro Ootsuka
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Patent number: 11035520Abstract: A method for controlling a compression system that includes a compressor for compressing gas, a first on-off valve provided on a suction flow passage connected to a suction side of the compressor, a pressure reducing valve provided on a portion of the suction flow passage upstream of the first on-off valve, a second on-off valve provided on a discharge flow passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, a bypass flow passage connecting the suction flow passage and the discharge flow passage to detour the compressor, and a bypass valve provided on the bypass flow passage, includes closing the first on-off valve while driving the compressor, opening the bypass valve simultaneously with or after the closing of the first on-off valve, closing the second on-off valve after the opening of the bypass valve, and continuing to drive the compressor after the closing of the second on-off valve.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2020Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Hashimoto, Masashi Takano, Takuro Uba, Takayuki Fukuda, Kenji Nagura
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Patent number: 11028839Abstract: The present application includes a compressor having a cylinder forming a compression chamber in which gas is compressed, a housing having a peripheral wall forming an internal space in which the compressor is stored, and a supporting member situated above the compressor in the internal space. The peripheral wall includes an opening wall in which a carry-out port is formed through which the cylinder is carried out. The supporting member extends to guide movement of a first lifting device between a position above the compressor and a position above the carry-out port. The cylinder is hung from the first lifting device.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2019Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Hashimoto, Kenji Nagura, Takuya Washio, Ryosuke Mori, Daisuke Wada
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Publication number: 20210164618Abstract: A method for controlling a compression system that includes a compressor for compressing gas, a first on-off valve provided on a suction flow passage connected to a suction side of the compressor, a pressure reducing valve provided on a portion of the suction flow passage upstream of the first on-off valve, a second on-off valve provided on a discharge flow passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, a bypass flow passage connecting the suction flow passage and the discharge flow passage to detour the compressor, and a bypass valve provided on the bypass flow passage, includes closing the first on-off valve while driving the compressor, opening the bypass valve simultaneously with or after the closing of the first on-off valve, closing the second on-off valve after the opening of the bypass valve, and continuing to drive the compressor after the closing of the second on-off valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2020Publication date: June 3, 2021Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)Inventors: Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Masashi TAKANO, Takuro UBA, Takayuki FUKUDA, Kenji NAGURA
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Patent number: 11015589Abstract: A gas supplying apparatus includes a compressor, a housing having an exhaust port, and an exhaust duct. The housing has a circumferential wall and a top wall. The circumferential wall has an access section. The exhaust port is provided on at least one of the circumferential wall and the top wall at a location higher than the access section. The exhaust duct includes a discharge port for discharging the air, exhausted from the exhaust port, to the outside. The discharge port is opened upward or opened downward in an area overlapping the top wall in an up-and-down direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2018Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Washio, Koichiro Hashimoto, Daisuke Wada, Kenji Nagura, Akitoshi Fujisawa
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Patent number: 10883662Abstract: A gas supply device includes a first compressor that compresses hydrogen gas, an accumulator disposed downstream of the first compressor and supplying the hydrogen gas to a dispenser that fills the hydrogen gas in a vehicle, and a gas flow passage that connects the first compressor, the accumulator, and the dispenser, and a control device. The gas flow passage includes a lead-in line for leading the hydrogen gas into the accumulator, a lead-out line for leading out the hydrogen gas from the accumulator, a lead-in side valve, and a lead-out side valve. The control device is capable of simultaneously bringing the lead-in side valve and the lead-out side valve into an open state.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi, Takuro Uba
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Patent number: 10801671Abstract: A gas supply system (2) includes a compressor unit (21), an accumulator unit (23), a pre-cooling system (24) and a housing (4). In the gas supply system (2), the compressor unit (21) is vertically arranged and the pre-cooling system (24) is arranged above the accumulator unit (23) in the housing (4). The compressor unit (21) and the accumulator unit (23) are covered by one rectangular parallelepiped housing (4).Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2018Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Takashi Okuno, Koji Noishiki, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Shinichi Miura
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Patent number: 10746162Abstract: The present application discloses a compressor including a crank shaft, a first reciprocation converter, a first cylinder body, a first pressurizing portion, a second reciprocation converter, which is connected to the crank shaft with a phase different by 180 degrees from the first reciprocation converter, a second cylinder body, a second pressurizing portion, and a connecting portion configured to interconnect the compression chambers. The compression chambers are arranged so that a timing at which the gas is discharged from a specific compression chamber among the compression chambers becomes the same as a timing at which the discharged gas is suctioned into another compression chamber at a higher side by one stage than the specific compression chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Takayuki Fukuda, Ryosuke Yamasaki, Tomohiro Ootsuka
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Patent number: 10711946Abstract: A combustible gas supply unit includes a high pressure gas facility for handling combustible gas which is compressed and a housing provided with a high pressure gas handling area containing the high pressure gas facility. The housing has a portion that is disposed in a side close to a boundary between premises of a hydrogen station and an outer region of the premises and constitutes the high pressure gas handling area, the portion being substantially composed of a partitioning wall member that resists an impact of an explosion of combustible gas.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2018Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Fukuda, Kenji Nagura, Koichiro Hashimoto, Daisuke Wada, Takuya Washio
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Patent number: 10704284Abstract: A combustible gas supply unit is for supplying compressed combustible gas to a dispenser. The combustible gas supply unit includes a high pressure gas facility for handling compressed combustible gas, a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon and a barrier supported by the base plate to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility. A barrier is shaped to surround at least a part of an outer periphery of the high pressure gas facility and includes a part to be supported by a base plate having the high pressure gas facility installed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Shota Harada, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura, Daisuke Wada, Takayuki Fukuda
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Publication number: 20200182408Abstract: A hydrogen station operation method capable of adjusting pressure in a reservoir to the pressure suitable for liquid hydrogen replenishment while cutting hydrogen waste is for replenishing liquid hydrogen into the reservoir in a hydrogen station including: a gasification path partially gasifying liquid hydrogen out of the reservoir and returning it; and a gas delivery path delivering gasified hydrogen in the reservoir into a path between a vaporizer and a compressor or the vaporizer, when the remainder of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir becomes a first threshold or less, by reducing the liquid hydrogen amount flowing through the gasification path by a valve therein, reducing the gasification amount of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir, and increasing the hydrogen gas amount delivered through the gas delivery path from the reservoir by a valve therein, pressure in the reservoir is reduced, thereby performing operation where suction pressure of the compressor is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)Inventors: Kenji NAGURA, Tomohiro OOTSUKA
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Patent number: 10677235Abstract: This compression device is provided with a reciprocating compressor which compresses a gas, and a heat exchanger which cools gas compressed by the compressor. The heat exchanger is provided with a cooling unit for cooling the gas and with a connection unit which abuts against the outside surface of the compressor and has a gas inlet passage to allow gas discharged from the compression chamber of the compressor to flow into the cooling unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2014Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi, Takuro Uba, Toshio Hirai
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Patent number: 10655784Abstract: A gas supply device includes a storage container that accumulates liquefied gas, a vaporizer for vaporizing liquefied gas derived from the storage container, a compression device that compresses gas vaporized from the liquefied gas in the vaporizer, a pressure accumulator that accumulates gas compressed in the compression device, and a supply path linked to a dispenser from the pressure accumulator.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura
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Patent number: 10634283Abstract: A gas supply system—includes a compressor unit, an accumulator unit, a pre-cooling system and a housing. In the gas supply system, the compressor unit is vertically arranged and the pre-cooling system is arranged above the accumulator unit in the housing. The compressor unit and the accumulator unit are covered by one rectangular parallelepiped housing.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Tetsuya Kakiuchi, Takashi Okuno, Koji Noishiki, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Shinichi Miura
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Patent number: 10563820Abstract: A gas supply device includes a first compressor that compresses hydrogen gas, an accumulator disposed downstream of the first compressor and supplying the hydrogen gas to a dispenser that fills the hydrogen gas in a vehicle, and a gas flow passage that connects the first compressor, the accumulator, and the dispenser, and a control device. The gas flow passage includes a lead-in line for leading the hydrogen gas into the accumulator, a lead-out line for leading out the hydrogen gas from the accumulator, a lead-in side valve, and a lead-out side valve. The control device is capable of simultaneously bringing the lead-in side valve and the lead-out side valve into an open state.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2015Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi, Takuro Uba
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Patent number: 10550968Abstract: A joint unit includes a first joint member, a second joint member, and a gasket. The first joint member has a female screw portion. The second joint member has a second pipe portion and a second fastener. The second pipe portion has a male screw portion. The second fastener has a second fastener body and a second collar having an annular shape. The second fastener body has an external screw portion that is a male screw. The second collar has at an inner circumferential portion thereof an internal screw portion that is a female screw. The external screw portion is engaged with the female screw portion, and the male screw portion is engaged with the internal screw portion. In the joint unit, the second fastener body and the first joint member are fastened so that the second collar presses the second pipe portion toward the gasket.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2015Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko ShoInventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi
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Patent number: 10533708Abstract: The present invention is to properly manage life of an accumulator and extend the life of the accumulator. A gas supply system includes a control section, an acquiring section, a classifying section, and a judging section. The acquiring section acquires stress amplitude of accumulators from a pressure difference between first pressure on the gas storage side and second pressure on the gas lead-out side. The classifying section classifies the stress amplitude into a plurality of groups. The judging section divides the calculated acquirement number ni of the stress amplitude for each of the groups by the predetermined breaking cycle number Ni, and determines a fatigue degree ?ni/Ni. In a case where this value becomes a predetermined threshold value or more, the judging section judges that the accumulator comes to the end of the life.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2016Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Okuno, Kenji Nagura