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).

  • Publication number: 20190368426
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Naofumi KANEI, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20190353306
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Kenji NAGURA, Takuya WASHIO, Ryosuke MORI, Daisuke WADA
  • Patent number: 10480715
    Abstract: A gas supply device for supplying a hydrogen gas to a dispenser of a hydrogen station includes: a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant for cooling the gas before being discharged from the dispenser flows; a refrigerator that can cool the refrigerant; a cooling device that can cool the refrigerant by latent heat when liquid hydrogen changes to the hydrogen gas; and a control unit that performs control to activate the refrigerator while stopping the cooling device when a condition set in advance is satisfied after performing control to activate the cooling device in activation of the hydrogen station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa, Kenji Nagura
  • Patent number: 10473268
    Abstract: A gas supply apparatus includes; a compressor unit including a compression section compressing hydrogen gas and storing pressure accumulators with the compressed hydrogen gas and a drive portion including an electric motor as drive source and driving the compression section; and a control unit controlling the electric motor. The electric motor has output characteristics where rated torque can be maintained against rotational speed changes in a standard rotation region, rotation region at or below standard speed, and output torque decreases from the rated torque as electric motor rotational speed increases in an overspeed region, rotation region above the standard speed. The control unit performs, in at least part of a storage process where the compression section stores the pressure accumulators with the hydrogen gas until set pressure is reached, overspeed operation control for allowing driving of the electric motor in the overspeed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okuno, Koichiro Hashimoto, Kenji Nagura
  • Patent number: 10400954
    Abstract: A gas delivery system including: a feeder for feeding a gas to a tank; a pressure storage container unit which has a plurality of pressure storage containers, and sends out the gas to the feeder; a gas supply unit; and a controller. The controller implements a storing operation that a specified pressure storage among the plurality of pressure storage containers is supplied with the gas until a pressure of the specified pressure storage container reaches a reference pressure or greater, after finish of a delivery of the gas to one tank carrier, and a sending operation that the gas is sent out from another pressure storage container except the specified pressure storage container to the feeder, and then sent out from the specified pressure storage container to the feeder on a receipt of a shift indication from the feeder, at a delivery of the gas to a subsequent tank carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okuno, Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi, Takuro Uba
  • Patent number: 10364810
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor is provided with a compression section which compresses gas, and a crank section which has a crankshaft and drives the compression section. The compression section is provided with a wall body portion which includes a cylinder and constitutes a wall body of the compression section, a cylinder head attached to the cylinder, a piston which reciprocates within the cylinder, a piston rod which couples the crankshaft and the piston, and at least one sealing member fixed to the wall body portion and disposed in the circumference of the piston rod. The wall body portion has a first boundary wall which forms the boundary with the crank section in the crank section side with respect to the at least one sealing member and acts as a division surface when the crank section and the compression section are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Katsuhiro Seyama, Satoshi Tezuka
  • Patent number: 10317011
    Abstract: [Object] To enable a gas supply system to be easily transported and to increase a degree of freedom when the gas supply system is installed. [Solution] A hydrogen station includes: a filling facility for filling a tank-mounted device with a gas; and a gas supply system for supplying the gas to the filling facility. The gas supply system includes: a compressor for compressing the gas; a compressor accommodating body for accommodating the compressor; a refrigerator for cooling the gas flowed into the filling facility or the gas just before being flowed into the filling facility, the refrigerator including an evaporation part, an expansion part, and a compression part; and a cooler accommodating body for accommodating the evaporation part, the expansion part, and the compression part. The compressor accommodating body and the cooler accommodating body are detachable from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okuno, Hitoshi Takagi, Kenji Nagura, Daisuke Wada, Takuro Uba, Akitoshi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20190154022
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kenji NAGURA, Takayuki FUKUDA, Ryosuke YAMASAKI, Tomohiro OOTSUKA
  • Patent number: 10288062
    Abstract: A gas compressor of the present invention includes a reciprocating member, an accommodation portion, and a sealing portion, and the accommodation portion includes a compression chamber that compresses a gas and a non-compression chamber that is separated from the compression chamber by the reciprocating member and the sealing portion. Further, since the compression chamber includes a suction line that suctions a hydrogen gas, a discharge line that discharges a compressed gas, a connection line that is connected to the accommodation portion and is used so that at least a part of a gas flows therethrough when a gas passing through the sealing portion from the compression chamber exists, a flowmeter that is provided in the connection line, and a determination unit that determines whether a flow amount measured by the flowmeter is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, it is possible to easily determine the abrasion state of the sealing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi
  • Publication number: 20190128265
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takuya WASHIO, Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Daisuke WADA, Kenji NAGURA, Akitoshi FUJISAWA
  • Patent number: 10247179
    Abstract: A gas compression device (10) is provided with a compressor (16) and a recovery section (20). The recovery section (20) is provided with a recovery passage (22), an auxiliary compressor (24) which is provided in the recovery passage (22), and a recovery tank (26) which is provided in the recovery passage (22). When gas leaks from the main compressor (16), the auxiliary compressor (24) is driven and the leaked gas is compressed. The leaked gas, the pressure of which has been increased by the auxiliary compressor (24), flows into the recovery tank (26) and is stored therein. The gas within the recovery tank (26) is fed to a suction passage (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi, Takuro Uba
  • Publication number: 20190086031
    Abstract: A gas supply device for supplying a hydrogen gas to a dispenser of a hydrogen station includes: a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant for cooling the gas before being discharged from the dispenser flows; a refrigerator that can cool the refrigerant; a cooling device that can cool the refrigerant by latent heat when liquid hydrogen changes to the hydrogen gas; and a control unit that performs control to activate the refrigerator while stopping the cooling device when a condition set in advance is satisfied after performing control to activate the cooling device in activation of the hydrogen station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20190041003
    Abstract: A gas supply device includes a compressor for compressing gas, an in-flow side flow passage having a buffer tank for storing the gas and linked to the compressor, an in-flow side on-off valve for opening and closing the in-flow side flow passage on an portion of the in-flow side flow passage upstream of the buffer tank, an out-flow side flow passage linked to a discharge side of the compressor, and a control unit for executing a control to close the in-flow side on-off valve upon receipt of a stop signal for the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Takayuki FUKUDA, Daisuke WADA, Takuro UBA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20190035070
    Abstract: Present application discloses portable recording apparatus to be used for recording inspection result for hydrogen station. Recording apparatus includes image generator configured to generate input image, which is configured to receive input of inspection result, and circuit configuration image which represents part of circuit configuration in hydrogen station; display portion configured to display input image and circuit configuration image; and storage in which inspection result is stored, inspection result having been input by using input image which is displayed on display portion. Input image shows icons representing predetermined inspection points in hydrogen station, respectively, and input windows displayed in correspondence to inspection points, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takayuki FUKUDA, Kenji NAGURA, Koichiro HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190032850
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takayuki FUKUDA, Kenji NAGURA, Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Daisuke WADA, Takuya WASHIO
  • Publication number: 20190031156
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takayuki FUKUDA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20190011179
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Satoshi TEZUKA, Katsuhiro SEYAMA, Kenji NAGURA
  • Publication number: 20180371782
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Shota HARADA, Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA, Daisuke WADA, Takayuki FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 10145509
    Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen station that is used to charge hydrogen to a hydrogen tank mounted on a vehicle, the hydrogen station including: a compressor that compresses hydrogen; a lubricant cooling unit that cools the lubricant of the compressor while circulating the lubricant; a hydrogen cooling unit that is capable of cooling hydrogen which is not charged to the hydrogen tank mounted on the vehicle yet and is compressed by the compressor; a sensor that detects whether the vehicle approaches or reaches the hydrogen station; and a startup unit that starts up at least one of the lubricant cooling unit and the hydrogen cooling unit by a signal from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagura, Hitoshi Takagi
  • Publication number: 20180306381
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Akitoshi FUJISAWA, Kenji NAGURA