Patents by Inventor Koichi Kuwaba

Koichi Kuwaba 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).

  • Patent number: 8202333
    Abstract: In a shutdown method for a reforming apparatus, shutdown is carried out without exhausting untreated carbon monoxide as it is, the durability of catalyzer is inhibited from being lowered despite the repetition of start-up and shutdown, the shutdown is carried out without lowering the durability of a reforming section, and the shutdown is carried out with a little loss in energy. A control device for the reforming apparatus commences purge of residual gas in the reforming apparatus by stopping the supply of reforming fuel to the reforming section, by stopping the supply of reforming water to an evaporator section, and by supplying the reforming water remaining in the evaporator section to the reforming section while evaporating the reforming water by the utilization of the remaining heat of the reforming apparatus and flows oxidizing air for a predetermined period of time only from the time point of the commencement of the purge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kuwaba
  • Publication number: 20110113688
    Abstract: A reforming apparatus includes: an evaporation part that heats reforming water to generate steam; a reforming part having a reforming catalyst that is supplied with a mixture of the steam generated by the evaporation part and reforming fuel and generates reforming gas; a mixing part that is disposed on the lower side of the reforming part in the gravity direction and mixes the reforming fuel with the steam; a reforming fuel supply pipe having a desulfurizer for removing a sulfur content of the reforming fuel; and a reforming fuel connecting pipe connected at one end to the reforming fuel supply pipe and opened at the other end to the mixing part. A connecting part between the reforming fuel supply pipe and the reforming fuel connecting pipe is disposed above the mixing part in the gravity direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Kuwaba, Satoshi Endo, Hitoshi Yoshiguchi
  • Patent number: 7700053
    Abstract: A reforming device includes a reforming portion generating reformed gas from a mixed gas, in which fuel and steam are mixed and including a reforming portion loop-back channel provided at the reforming portion so as to extend along an axis line thereof, a combusting portion provided at an inner circumference of the reforming portion in order to generate combustion gas, a combustion gas channel including a loop-back channel within which the combustion gas flows, an evaporating portion generating steam by heating water and supply steam to the reforming portion; and a carbon monoxide reducing portion provided at an outer circumferential wall of the evaporating portion in order to reduce a level of carbon monoxide in the reformed gas that has been exhaled by the reforming portion, and in order to supply such reformed gas to a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kuwaba
  • Publication number: 20090087701
    Abstract: In a shutdown method for a reforming apparatus, shutdown is carried out without exhausting untreated carbon monoxide as it is, the durability of catalyzer is inhibited from being lowered despite the repetition of start-up and shutdown, the shutdown is carried out without lowering the durability of a reforming section, and the shutdown is carried out with a little loss in energy. A control device for the reforming apparatus commences purge of residual gas in the reforming apparatus by stopping the supply of reforming fuel to the reforming section, by stopping the supply of reforming water to an evaporator section, and by supplying the reforming water remaining in the evaporator section to the reforming section while evaporating the reforming water by the utilization of the remaining heat of the reforming apparatus and flows oxidizing air for a predetermined period of time only from the time point of the commencement of the purge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kuwaba
  • Publication number: 20080112859
    Abstract: A fuel gas processing apparatus includes a gas supply portion for supplying a fuel gas containing carbon monoxide and a catalytic combustion portion for catalytically oxidizing the fuel gas supplied from the gas supply portion. The fuel gas processing apparatus includes a carbon monoxide reduction portion for reducing the amount of carbon monoxide contained in the fuel gas before the fuel gas is supplied to the catalytic combustion portion to enhance combustibility of the catalytic combustion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Shigenori Onuma, Koichi Kuwaba, Takashi Amano, Takashi Ishikawa, Hitoshi Yoshiguchi, Atsushi Takumi
  • Publication number: 20060107594
    Abstract: A reforming device includes a reforming portion generating reformed gas from a mixed gas, in which fuel and steam are mixed and including a reforming portion loop-back channel provided at the reforming portion so as to extend along an axis line thereof, a combusting portion provided at an inner circumference of the reforming portion in order to generate combustion gas, a combustion gas channel including a loop-back channel within which the combustion gas flows, an evaporating portion generating steam by heating water and supply steam to the reforming portion; and a carbon monoxide reducing portion provided at an outer circumferential wall of the evaporating portion in order to reduce a level of carbon monoxide in the reformed gas that has been exhaled by the reforming portion, and in order to supply such reformed gas to a fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Kuwaba
  • Patent number: 6632409
    Abstract: A reformer includes an evaporation portion for evaporating a raw material, a reforming portion for producing a reformed gas whose principal element is hydrogen from the raw materials, a CO reduction portion for reducing CO involved in the reformed gas, a circulating conduit portion having a storage tank for storing the raw material, a feeding device for feeding the raw material under pressure, a cooling device for cooling the CO reduction portion and a supply device for supplying the raw material to the evaporation portion. The supply device includes a conduit branched from the circulating conduit portion connected to the evaporation portion and a flow control device provided in the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Kuwaba
  • Patent number: 6586125
    Abstract: A combustion heating device for heating a fluid to be heated includes a fuel supply device that supplies the fuel to the device, and a vaporizing device that burns a portion of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply device, and vaporizes a remaining portion of the fuel by using heat generated through combustion of the portion of the fuel. The combustion heating device further includes a first air supply device that supplies air to be used for combustion of the portion of the fuel by the vaporizing device, and a second air supply device that supplies air to be used for combustion of the remaining portion of the fuel vaporized by the vaporizing device. A fuel reforming apparatus incorporating the combustion heating device as vaporizing section, and a fuel cell system including the fuel reforming apparatus are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihiko Takeda, Koichi Kuwaba, Shigeru Ogino, Akira Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20010031387
    Abstract: A combustion heating device for heating a fluid to be heated includes a fuel supply device that supplies the fuel to the device, and a vaporizing device that burns a portion of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply device, and vaporizes a remaining portion of the fuel by using heat generated through combustion of the portion of the fuel. The combustion heating device further includes a first air supply device that supplies air to be used for combustion of the portion of the fuel by the vaporizing device, and a second air supply device that supplies air to be used for combustion of the remaining portion of the fuel vaporized by the vaporizing device. A fuel reforming apparatus incorporating the combustion heating device as vaporizing section, and a fuel cell system including the fuel reforming apparatus are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Yukihiko Takeda, Koichi Kuwaba, Shigeru Ogino, Akira Yamanaka