Patents by Inventor Kiyoshi HAYAMA
Kiyoshi HAYAMA 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: 10044049Abstract: To provide SOFC and method for manufacturing same, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. SOFC 1 comprising a cell array composed of fuel cells 16, and current collector 82 connected to electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed; elastic pieces 84a are provided on each attaching hole 84; current collector 82 is attached to the cell array using elastic pieces 84a, by the insertion of fuel cell 16 into attaching holes 84; and elastic pieces 84a are affixed to fuel cells 16 by electrode protective layer 152 so that the positions of elastic pieces 84a are not displaced relative to the electrodes on fuel cells 16.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Tanaka, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Takuya Hoshiko, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Kiyoshi Hayama
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Patent number: 10003088Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements provided on a surface of the support, the plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order, and an interconnector that electrically connects an air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte in adjacent one power generation element is provided between a fuel electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the fuel electrode in the adjacent other power generation element, and an insulating member is provided at a position that is on the solid electrolyte in the adjacent one power generation element and between the air electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the solid electrolyte therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Hironobu Murakami, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Naoki Watanabe, Shuhei Tanaka, Nobuo Isaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Masaki Sato
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Patent number: 9871265Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing SOFC, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. Step for forming electrode protective layers 152 on electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, modularization step for forming a cell array, and attaching step for attaching a current collector 82 to the cell array, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed for the insertion of fuel cells 16, elastic pieces 84a are formed at each attaching hole 84, fuel cells 16 are inserted into attaching holes 84, and current collector 82 is attached to the cell array by the elastic force; and protective layer 152 is constituted to prevent damage to electrodes caused by contact with elastic pieces.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Tanaka, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Takuya Hoshiko, Yutaka Momiyama, Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Patent number: 9755249Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order on the support, and an interconnector electrically connecting an air electrode in one of the two adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte for one of the power generation elements is provided on the downside of the interconnector provided on the downside of the air electrode in the one power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector, and a solid electrolyte for the other power generation element is provided on the upper side of the interconnector provided on the upper side of the fuel electrode for the other power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Hironobu Murakami, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Naoki Watanabe, Shuhei Tanaka, Nobuo Isaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Masaki Sato
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Patent number: 9583773Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising an insulating support, and a power generation element comprising, at least, a fuel electrode, an electrolyte and an air electrode, which are sequentially laminated one another, the power generation element being provided on the insulating support, wherein an exposed insulating support portion, an exposed fuel electrode portion, and an exposed electrolyte portion are provided in an fuel electrode cell end portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Naoki Watanabe, Takuya Hoshiko, Shuhei Tanaka, Masaki Sato, Nobuo Isaka, Yutaka Momiyama, Seiki Furuya, Kiyoshi Hayama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto
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Publication number: 20170012312Abstract: The solid oxide fuel cell apparatus of the present invention comprises: multiple fuel cells mutually electrically connected to each other; an outside cylindrical member for housing the multiple fuel cells; an oxidant gas supply flow path for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cells; a fuel gas supply flow path for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cells; a reforming portion for producing fuel gas by reforming raw fuel gas using steam; an evaporating portion for producing steam supplied to the reforming portion; and a fuel gas supply pipe for supplying water evaporated by the evaporating portion; wherein the evaporating portion comprises a sloped plate for dispersing water supplied from the fuel gas supply pipe over the entire evaporating portion using capillary action.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2015Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Shuhei TANAKA, Shigeru ANDO, Osamu OKAMOTO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA
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Patent number: 9543608Abstract: The present invention provides a novel manufacturing method for a solid oxide fuel cell apparatus in which members of the apparatus are joined together with an adhesive, such as a ceramic adhesive. The method implements first and second types of drying and hardening steps. The first type of step may be called a workable hardening step and gives an assembly of members in the solid oxide fuel cell apparatus structural rigidity to go through assembling of the solid oxide fuel cell apparatus. The second type of step may be called a solvent elimination and hardening step and gives the assembled members property to withstand the operation temperature of the solid fuel oxide cell apparatus. The first type of step is performed at a first temperature lower than a second temperature at which the second type of step is performed. The second type of step is performed only after the first type of step is performed at multiple times.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Nobuo Isaka, Naoki Watanabe, Shuhei Tanaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Masaki Sato, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama
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Patent number: 9478811Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell which includes a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode, each being sequentially laminated on the surface of a porous support. The porous support comprises forsterite and a nickel element. Ni and/or NiO fine particles are exposed on a surface of a sintered compact of the forsterite constituting the porous support.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Shuhei Tanaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Naoki Watanabe, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Patent number: 9461327Abstract: Disclosed is a solid oxide fuel cell which includes an inner electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an outer electrode, each being sequentially laminated on the surface of a porous support. The porous support contains forsterite, and further has a strontium element concentration of 0.02 mass % to 1 mass % both inclusive in terms of SrO based on the mass of the forsterite.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Shuhei Tanaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Naoki Watanabe, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Publication number: 20160133977Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell with improved durability while obtaining sufficient electricity generating performance. The present invention is a method for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells (16) in which electricity generating elements (16a) are connected by an interconnector (102), including: a support body forming step (S1); surface deposition steps (S4, S9) for forming in sequence a first and second functional layer on a porous support body; an outermost layer deposition step (S13) for forming an outermost functional layer (101) in which slurry in liquid droplet form is continuously jetted to form dots, and an outermost functional layer is formed by the agglomeration of dots to be thicker than a first functional layer (98); and a sintering step (S14) for sintering functional layers; wherein in the outermost functional layer, traces of agglomerated dots remain and ring-shaped cracks surrounding each dot trace are formed by the sintering process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Inventors: Seiki FURUYA, Shigeru ANDO, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Shuhei TANAKA, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Takuya HOSHIKO
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Publication number: 20160133980Abstract: To provide a method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell, capable of obtaining a uniform film thickness. The present invention is a method of manufacturing fuel cells (16), including a support body-forming step (S1) for forming a porous support body (97), a film deposition step for laminating functional layers constituting electricity generating elements on a support body; and a sintering step (S14, S16) for sintering the support body on which functional layers are formed; whereby the film deposition step includes surface deposition steps (S5, S11), in which a masking layer is formed in parts not requiring film deposition, and electricity generating elements first functional layers are simultaneously formed, and a dot deposition step (S15), in which slurry dots are formed by placing a slurry into a liquid droplet state and jetting it, and a second functional layer is formed by the agglomeration of these dots.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Inventors: Seiki FURUYA, Shigeru ANDO, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Shuhei TANAKA, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaru KUBOTA, Shinji SHINOHARA
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Publication number: 20160093910Abstract: There is provided a solid oxide fuel cell stack including a ceramic interconnector that has good electrical conductivity and oxide ion insulating property, that is, power generation efficiency. The solid oxide fuel cell stack includes at least: a plurality of power generation elements, each of which including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order; and an interconnector that electrically connects the air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements in the plurality of power generation elements to the fuel electrode in the other power generation element, the plurality of power generation elements being connected in series, wherein the interconnector is formed of formula (1): SraLabTi1-c-dNbcFedO3-???formula (1) wherein a, b, c, and d are a positive real number that satisfies 0.1?a?0.8, 0.1?b?0.8, 0.05?c?0.2, and 0.2?d?0.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093897Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements provided on a surface of the support, the plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order, and an interconnector that electrically connects an air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte in adjacent one power generation element is provided between a fuel electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the fuel electrode in the adjacent other power generation element, and an insulating member is provided at a position that is on the solid electrolyte in the adjacent one power generation element and between the air electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the solid electrolyte therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093896Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order on the support, and an interconnector electrically connecting an air electrode in one of the two adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte for one of the power generation elements is provided on the downside of the interconnector provided on the downside of the air electrode in the one power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector, and a solid electrolyte for the other power generation element is provided on the upper side of the interconnector provided on the upper side of the fuel electrode for the other power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093909Abstract: There is provided a solid oxide fuel cell stack including an interconnector that has excellent electrical conductivity, gas sealing property, and adhesion to a solid electrolyte. The solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a plurality of power generation elements, each of which including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order; and an interconnector that electrically connects the air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements in the plurality of the power generation elements to the fuel electrode in the other power generation element, the plurality of power generation elements being connected in series to each other, wherein an intermediate layer having a porosity of not more than 1% and an electrical conductivity of not less than 0.05 S/cm is provided between the interconnector and the fuel electrode in the other power generation element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Patent number: 9190689Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell preventing formation of a diffusion layer containing Ca and other elements, and having an excellent power generation performance at low temperature by preventing breakdown of a crystal structure of an electrolyte by firing. Disclosed is a solid oxide fuel cell which includes an inner electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an outer electrode, each being sequentially laminated on the surface of a porous support. The porous support contains forsterite, and has a Mg/Si molar ratio of 1.90 to 2.2 both inclusive, and an A-to-B ratio (A/B) of 0.0% to 9.0% both inclusive, where A denotes a maximum peak height which appears at a diffraction angle 2?=26.5° to 27.0° and B denotes a maximum peak height which appears at 36.5° to 37.0° in a powder X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using Cu-K? radiation.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2013Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Osamu Okamoto, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato
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Publication number: 20150255825Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing SOFC, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. Step for forming electrode protective layers 152 on electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, modularization step for forming a cell array, and attaching step for attaching a current collector 82 to the cell array, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed for the insertion of fuel cells 16, elastic pieces 84a are formed at each attaching hole 84, fuel cells 16 are inserted into attaching holes 84, and current collector 82 is attached to the cell array by the elastic force; and protective layer 152 is constituted to prevent damage to electrodes caused by contact with elastic pieces.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Shuhei TANAKA, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Takuya HOSHIKO, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Shigeru ANDO, Osamu OKAMOTO, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Seiki FURUYA, Yasuo KAKINUMA
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Publication number: 20150255805Abstract: To provide SOFC and method for manufacturing same, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. SOFC 1 comprising a cell array composed of fuel cells 16, and current collector 82 connected to electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed; elastic pieces 84a are provided on each attaching hole 84; current collector 82 is attached to the cell array using elastic pieces 84a, by the insertion of fuel cell 16 into attaching holes 84; and elastic pieces 84a are affixed to fuel cells 16 by electrode protective layer 152 so that the positions of elastic pieces 84a are not displaced relative to the electrodes on fuel cells 16.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Shuhei TANAKA, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Takuya HOSHIKO, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA
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Patent number: 9070920Abstract: The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell 1 including a reforming section 94, disposed inside a fuel gas supply flow path 20 above a vaporizing section 86 to surround the upper portion of a fuel cell stack 14, for steam reforming raw fuel gas F introduced from a fuel gas introducing portion 90a using steam S produced in a vaporizing section; and a circulating flow path portion 156 disposed in a fuel gas supply flow path between the vaporizing section and the reforming section for circulating rising raw fuel gas introduced from a fuel gas introducing section into a fuel gas supply flow path and rising steam produced in the vaporizing section along the circumferential direction of the fuel gas supply flow path so as to form a flow supplying mixed raw fuel gas and steam uniformly over the entire circumference of the reforming section.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2013Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Masaki Sato, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Shigeru Ando, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Osamu Okamoto
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Publication number: 20150093677Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell stack including: a porous insulating support having a gas permeability and provided with a gas flow path therein; and a plurality of power generating elements which are provided on the insulating support and each of which includes an inner electrode, an electrolyte.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2014Publication date: April 2, 2015Inventors: Shigeru ANDO, Naoki WATANABE, Takuya HOSHIKO, Shuhei TANAKA, Masaki SATO, Nobuo ISAKA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Seiki FURUYA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO