Patents by Inventor Kiyoshi Taguchi

Kiyoshi Taguchi 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: 20050164046
    Abstract: The hydrogen generator includes: a reformer 101 having a reforming catalyst configured to cause a source material and water to react with each other to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas; a reformer heater 104 configured to heat the reformer; a carbon monoxide reducing portion 111,121 having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst configured to reduce carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reduction heater 112,123 configured to heat at least one of the carbon monoxide reducing portion, the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst and the reformed gas passing through the carbon monoxide reducing portion; and a controller 200 capable of control such that the carbon monoxide reduction heater is caused to operate in a stop operation period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Fujihara, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20050153179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell system comprising a hydrogen generator (1) which generates hydrogen gas by allowing a source material to undergo a reforming reaction and a fuel cell (3) which is equipped with a anode and an cathode and which generates electric power by allowing the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20050138863
    Abstract: It was difficult to acquire a good CO cleanup efficiency in a hydrogen refining apparatus, for instance, when the start-up and stop operations are frequently repeated. A hydrogen refining apparatus, including a shifter having a shifting catalyst body containing noble metals and metal oxides, and a reforming section for supplying hydrogen gas containing carbon monoxide to the shifter, (1) the temperature of an upstream side of the shifting catalyst body relative to the hydrogen gas flow being substantially between 300° C. and 500° C. and (2) the temperature of a downstream side of the shifting catalyst body relative to the hydrogen gas flow being substantially at 300° C. or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Seiji Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20050115150
    Abstract: A hydrogen gas station is disclosed comprising, a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas through reforming reaction of an organic compound, a gas supply port configured to communicate with a gas supply pipe to supply the reformed gas to a plurality of fuel cells, and a gas recovery port configured to communicate with a gas recovery pipe to receive an off gas containing hydrogen unconsumed from the fuel cells, the hydrogen gas station being configured to consume the off gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Yukimune Kani
  • Patent number: 6852302
    Abstract: An apparatus of removing carbon monoxide, has: a hydrogen gas supply unit of supplying a hydrogen gas, a catalytic reaction unit provided with a catalyst body carrying a platinum group metal catalyst, a hydrogen gas introducing unit which introduces a hydrogen gas containing carbon monoxide from the hydrogen gas supply unit to the catalytic reaction unit, and an oxidizing gas supply unit of supplying an oxidizing gas containing oxygen to the catalytic reaction unit, wherein the catalyst body is brought into an oxidizing atmosphere for a period of time during operation according to a predetermined condition or when the apparatus is stopped. Thus, carbon monoxide can be eliminated sufficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Akira Maenishi, Tetsuya Ueda
  • Patent number: 6846475
    Abstract: The present specification disclosed a hydrogen refinement apparatus comprising a reformed gas feeding part containing at least a hydrogen gas and water vapor, and a reaction chamber equipped with a carbon monoxide shifting catalyst body downstream said reformed gas feeding part, wherein said carbon monoxide shifting catalyst body comprises a carrier supporting Pt, the carrier being composed of at least one metal oxide having a BET specific surface area of 10 m2/g or more, and a method for operating the apparatus. The present invention provides improved heat-resistance of the CO shifting catalyst body, and can operate stably even if the apparatus is activated and stopped repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Toshiyuki Shono, Kouichiro Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20040241509
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator comprises a reformer configured to generate a reformed gas containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a gas supply portion configured to supply an oxidization gas containing oxygen; a purifier configured to reduce a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas in such a manner that a mixture gas containing the reformed gas and the oxidization gas flows through the purifier such that the mixture gas flows through a catalyst body within the purifier to allow the carbon monoxide and the oxygen contained in the mixture gas to react with each other, wherein the purifier has a first catalyst body that selectively oxidizes the carbon monoxide and a second catalyst body which is lower in CO selectivity and lower in temperature of oxidization reaction than the first catalyst body, and the second catalyst body is disposed in parallel with the first catalyst body and on a downstream side of the first catalyst body or adjacent the first catalyst body in a flow of the mixture
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20040234827
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator of the present invention is provided with: a reformer for generating a reformed gas containing hydrogen from a feed material containing an organic compound at least containing carbon and hydrogen and water; a heater for heating the reformer to a temperature required for generating the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reducing unit having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst for reducing carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas generated in the reformer; and a temperature detector for detecting at least one of a temperature of the reformed gas in the carbon monoxide reducing unit and a temperature of the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst, wherein an amount of the feed material to be supplied to the reformer is controlled based on a comparison between a detected temperature detected by the temperature detector and a reference temperature set in accordance with the amount of the feed material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Fujihara, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita
  • Patent number: 6797420
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric power generator and its operation method, which electric power generator is equipped with a hydrogen generator, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell for generating electric power using hydrogen rich gas from the hydrogen generator, a burner for heating the hydrogen generator, a flow rate controller for controlling the supply amount of a burning fuel to the burner, a communicating pathway connecting the flow rate controller and the burner, a joint where at least a residual fuel gas from a fuel electrode of the fuel cell and/or an incompletely generated gas from the hydrogen generator are combined into the communicating pathway, and a pressure-transferring pipe for releasing the pressure between the joint and the flow rate controller into the flow rate controller; the flow rate controller controls the supply amount of the burning fuel on the basis of the above-mentioned pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Toshiyuki Shono, Koichiro Kitagawa, Tomonori Asou, Masataka Ozeki, Shinji Miyauchi, Akira Maenishi, Yutaka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20040180781
    Abstract: A CO removal catalyst of inducing CO shift reaction for allowing water and carbon monoxide to react to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide, comprising a catalyst carrier having a cerium-zirconium composite oxide and a zirconium oxide and a predetermined noble metal supported on the catalyst carrier, wherein the average particle diameter of the particulate cerium-zirconium composite oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide, the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the predetermined particulate noble metal and the predetermined noble metal is supported on the catalyst carrier more in the outer part thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20040131540
    Abstract: When a hydrogen producing apparatus is stopped, the flow rates of a hydrocarbon-type fuel feedstock, water and an oxygen-containing oxidant gas are decreased respectively. A random decrease of the flow rates, however, invites a rapid increase in the temperature of a catalyst beyond the limit of thermal resistance, resulting in deactivation of the catalyst. Further, this poses a danger, for example, that the residual hydrocarbon-type fuel in the apparatus may be mixed with the oxidant gas after the stopping of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fujii, Masato Hosaka, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Toshiyuki Shono, Yutaka Yoshida, Koichiro Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20040105794
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrogen generator capable of preventing emission of CO and hydrogen, generating hydrogen in a clean and safe manner with high reforming efficiency and accelerating water vaporization immediately after the start-up to reduce the start-up time, the hydrogen generator including: a raw material supply part for supplying a raw material containing a compound formed of at least carbon and hydrogen; a water supply part for supplying water; a water vaporization part for vaporizing water supplied from the water supply part; a reforming part including a reforming catalyst for generating reformed gas from the raw material and the water by steam reforming; a burner for heating the reforming part; a fuel supply part for supplying fuel to the burner; a first air supply part for supplying air for combustion to the burner; and a combustion catalyst arranged in a combustion gas flow path for passing combustion gas discharged from the burner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Maenishi, Tomonori Asou, Motohiro Suzuki, Kiyoshi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 6733552
    Abstract: A hydrogen generating apparatus having a fuel feeding part, a water feeding part for fuel reforming, an oxidant gas feeding part, a reforming catalyst body, a heating part for the reforming catalyst, a CO shifting catalyst body and a CO purification catalyst body is provided wherein the reforming catalyst body, the CO shifting catalyst body and the CO purification catalyst body are sequentially ordered from the fuel feeding part toward the downstream side, and wherein a shifting catalyst of the shifting catalyst body contains as one component at least a platinum group-type catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Toshiyuki Shono, Kouichiro Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20040037757
    Abstract: A clarifying catalyst body in an apparatus of hydrogen purification is such that a first catalyst containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ru and Rh and a second catalyst containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Pd, Ru, Rh and Ni are mixed or integrated, The purifying catalyst body in the apparatus of hydrogen purification consists of (1) an oxide containing at least either Al or Si, (2) at least one kind of transition metal and/or a transition metal oxide and (3) at least one kind of noble metal and/or noble metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Pt, Ru, Pd and Rh.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Seiji Fujiwara, Takeshi Tomizawa, Hidenobu Wakita
  • Publication number: 20040037761
    Abstract: A hydrogen generating part is provided for reacting water and a raw material composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms to generate hydrogen gas, a raw material supply part is provided for supplying a raw material to the hydrogen generating part, a water supply part is provided for supplying water to the hydrogen generating part, a catalyst combustion part is provided, an air supply part is provided for supplying air to the catalyst combustion part, a path switching part is provided for switching raw material supply paths between the raw material supply part and the hydrogen generating part, a bypass path is provided for supplying a raw material to the catalyst combustion part from the path switching part, and a combustion gas path is provided for supplying combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part to the hydrogen generating part. The control part switches the path switching part, and the inside of the hydrogen generating part is replaced with combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Maenishi, Tomonori Asou, Yuji Mukai, Masataka Ozeki, Akinari Nakamura, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20040013917
    Abstract: Many organic raw materials contain sulfur components, and the sulfur component is a catalyst poisoning component for their catalysts to decrease steam reforming reactivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20030198844
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation system comprises are former 1 that contains a reforming catalyst, an evaporator 4 that supplies steam to the reformer 1, a heater 3 that heats the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4, a material feed portion 5 that feeds a feed material containing hydrocarbon compound to the reformer 1 through the evaporator 4, and a water supply portion 6 that has a flow rate switch 6a and supplies water to the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Akira Maenishi
  • Publication number: 20030175562
    Abstract: Conventional hydrogen purification apparatuses cannot be used satisfactorily for applications in which much time is required for startup of the apparatus, and the apparatus is repeatedly started and stopped at frequent intervals because of complicated handling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Seiji Fujiwara, Takeshi Tomizawa, Hidenobu Wakita
  • Publication number: 20030157382
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus has
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Patent number: 6607703
    Abstract: The present specification discloses a hydrogen generator for generating a hydrogen gas, comprising at least a fuel supply part for supplying a hydrocarbon type fuel, a fuel combustion part, a water supply part, a gas, mixing part for mixing the fuel and a water, and a reforming part filled with the reforming catalyst, wherein at least one of the gas mixing part and the reforming part is heated by an exhaust gas generated in the combustion part. The hydrogen generator according to the present invention aims to improve the heat efficiency, reducing the heat loss from the apparatus with a simple constitution and collecting the waste heat for an effective use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Toshiyuki Shono, Kouichiro Kitagawa