Patents by Inventor Koji Fukami

Koji Fukami 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: 20140234113
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a wind turbine generator includes a cutting step of cutting a base blade at m cutting planes into (m+1) sections where m is an even number, the m cutting planes being at different positions in a blade length direction; and joining step of joining (m/2+1) sections of the (m+1) sections together to obtain a wind turbine blade which is shorter than the base blade, the (m/2+1) sections including a blade-root section which is closest to a blade root and a blade-tip section which is closest to a blade tip, the blade-root and blade-tip sections being non-adjacent to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji FUKAMI
  • Patent number: 8801387
    Abstract: Provided is a wind turbine blade that can improve aerodynamic performance in a blade-tip region and reduce aerodynamic noise. A wind turbine blade includes a blade body having a chord length that decreases from a blade root side to a blade tip side, wherein the blade body includes a blade-tip region in which a dimensionless radial position is within the range of 0.6 to 1.0, inclusive, the dimension less radial position being the ratio of radial position to blade radius (½ of a blade diameter), and a blade-body region in which the dimensionless radial position is smaller than 0.6, and wherein a maximum-blade-thickness position of a blade cross-section in the blade-tip region is closer to a leading edge than a maximum-blade-thickness position of a blade cross-section in the blade-body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Publication number: 20140169965
    Abstract: An operating method for a two-bladed wind turbine which comprises a rotor including two blades and a hub to which the two blades are coupled, the operating method includes a pitch-angle adjusting step of adjusting pitch angles of the two blades such that chords of the two blades are substantially parallel to a perpendicular direction to a rotational plane of the rotor during violent wind and a rotor holding step of holding the rotor at an azimuth angle such that the two blades are substantially parallel to a horizontal direction during the violent wind.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji FUKAMI, Akihiro HONDA
  • Publication number: 20130272890
    Abstract: When a distance from a front edge along a blade chord line is represented by X and a distance from the blade chord line to a blade back side is represented by Y, a blade back shape of a wind turbine blade includes a first region extending from the maximum blade thickness position toward the rear edge with dY/dX as a primary derivative amount of Y to X decreasing by a first amount of change, a second region on a side of the rear edge of the first region and extending toward the rear edge with dY/dX having a second amount of change smaller than the first amount of change, and a third region on the side of the rear edge of the second region and connected to the rear edge with dY/dX decreasing by a third amount of change larger than the second amount of change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 8509238
    Abstract: A communication network of the present invention includes: a plurality of superordinate nodes 110 to 1m0 forming a cascade type topology; and a plurality of terminal nodes 111 to 11n, connected to at least one superordinate node from among said plurality of superordinate nodes and forming a star type topology with the superordinate node connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Aoki, Tohru Kimura, Hitoshi Yano, Nobuhide Yoshida, Daigo Taguchi, Akitake Mitsuhashi, Jun Noda, Teruki Sukenari, Kunihiro Suzuki, Koji Fukami
  • Publication number: 20130183159
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a blade body whose chord length increases from a blade tip toward a blade root. The blade body includes a blade tip region located near the blade tip and whose chord length increases gradually toward the blade root, the blade tip region having a substantially constant first design lift coefficient, a maximum-chord-length position located near the blade root and having a maximum chord length, the maximum-chord-length position having a second design lift coefficient higher than the first design lift coefficient, and a transition region located between the blade tip region and the maximum-chord-length position. The transition region has a design lift coefficient increasing gradually from the first design lift coefficient to the second design lift coefficient in a direction from the blade tip toward the blade root.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 8450867
    Abstract: There is provided a yaw control technique for a wind turbine generator that can decrease the magnitude of the wind direction deviation even though the wind direction changes gradually over an extended period of time while suppressing an increase in the number of yaw rotations. Further, there is provided a yaw control technique for a wind turbine generator that can improve the efficiency of a wind turbine generator by performing yaw rotation at an appropriate timing through early detection of transitional changes in the wind direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Fukami, Atsushi Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20130094970
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a wind turbine blade with superior aerodynamic characteristics and rigidity, a wind turbine generator equipped with the wind turbine blade, and a method of designing the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade 1 is provided with a blade tip part 2, a blade root part 4 connected to a hub 112, and an airfoil part 6 disposed between the blade tip part 2 and the blade root part 4. The airfoil part 6 includes a flatback airfoil 10 with a blunt trailing edge 8 at least in an area in a longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade 1 where a blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%. X indicates a ratio of a maximum thickness tMAX to a chord length LC. In the area where the blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%, the flatback airfoil has a trailing edge thickness ratio Y which is 5% to YH%, Y indicating a ratio of a trailing edge thickness tTE to the maximum thickness tMAX and YH has a relationship of YH=1.5X?30 with the blade thickness ratio X.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji FUKAMI
  • Patent number: 8419373
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a wind turbine blade with superior aerodynamic characteristics and rigidity, a wind turbine generator equipped with the wind turbine blade, and a method of designing the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade 1 is provided with a blade tip part 2, a blade root part 4 connected to a hub 112, and an airfoil part 6 disposed between the blade tip part 2 and the blade root part 4. The airfoil part 6 includes a flatback airfoil 10 with a blunt trailing edge 8 at least in an area in a longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade 1 where a blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%. X indicates a ratio of a maximum thickness tMAX to a chord length LC. In the area where the blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%, the flatback airfoil has a trailing edge thickness ratio Y which is 5% to YH%, Y indicating a ratio of a trailing edge thickness tTE to the maximum thickness tMAX and YH has a relationship of YH=1.5X?30 with the blade thickness ratio X.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Publication number: 20120280509
    Abstract: Provided is a wind turbine blade that can improve aerodynamic performance in a blade-tip region and reduce aerodynamic noise. A wind turbine blade includes a blade body having a chord length that decreases from a blade root side to a blade tip side, wherein the blade body includes a blade-tip region in which a dimensionless radial position is within the range of 0.6 to 1.0, inclusive, the dimension less radial position being the ratio of radial position to blade radius (½ of a blade diameter), and a blade-body region in which the dimensionless radial position is smaller than 0.6, and wherein a maximum-blade-thickness position of a blade cross-section in the blade-tip region is closer to a leading edge than a maximum-blade-thickness position of a blade cross-section in the blade-body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji FUKAMI
  • Publication number: 20120217754
    Abstract: Provided is a wind turbine blade realizing enhancement of performance by a winglet provided at a blade tip. The wind turbine blade includes the winglet formed by bending a tip side thereof toward a pressure side of the blade relative to an adjacent portion adjacent on a blade root side, and a CANT angle defined by a blade axial line of the winglet relative to a radial extrapolation line of a blade axial line of the adjacent portion is set to be 15° or more and 55° or less. The winglet includes a tip end located on a tip side thereof, having a substantially linear blade axial line, and a bent portion located on a base end side of the winglet and bent relative to the adjacent portion. This bent portion is bent gradually so as to satisfy the predetermined CANT angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji FUKAMI
  • Patent number: 8172525
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor in which frequency of noise produced by rotation of the impeller does not resonate with natural frequency of vibration of gas in a plurality of axial slots serving to increase gas flow rate in an operation range of increased gas flow rate and broaden stable operation range in an operation range of decreased gas flow rate is provided. The axial slots are formed between the peripheral part of the inlet passage of the compressor housing by the peripheral surface of the inlet passage and an annular ring part of the housing supported by a plurality of struts extending from the peripheral surface, four or more struts are provided to support the annular ring part, and all but one are located at positions determined when all the struts are located at circumferentially equal spacing and the one strut is shifted from the positions by a certain angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 8043055
    Abstract: A wind turbine generator system is provided with a nacelle supporting a wind turbine rotor, a nacelle rotation mechanism, an anemometer, and a control apparatus controlling the nacelle rotation mechanism. Said control apparatus calculates the wind direction deviation from the wind direction measured by the anemometer and the direction of the wind turbine rotor. Said control apparatus performs a yaw rotation of the nacelle by the nacelle rotation mechanism when any of conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied; the condition (1) is a condition under which a state where the absolute value of said wind direction deviation is equal to or more than a first threshold value continues for a first duration predetermined, and the condition (2) is a condition under which a state where the absolute value of said wind direction deviation is equal to or more than a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value continues for a second duration shorter than said first duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsuo, Koji Fukami, Toshihide Noguchi, Kazuki Hayashida, Teppei Fujitsuka, Yuji Yatomi
  • Publication number: 20110127772
    Abstract: There is provided a yaw control technique for a wind turbine generator that can decrease the magnitude of the wind direction deviation even though the wind direction changes gradually over an extended period of time while suppressing an increase in the number of yaw rotations. Further, there is provided a yaw control technique for a wind turbine generator that can improve the efficiency of a wind turbine generator by performing yaw rotation at an appropriate timing through early detection of transitional changes in the wind direction. The wind turbine generator includes a nacelle in which a wind turbine rotor is mounted, a rotating mechanism that performs yaw rotation of the nacelle, a wind direction measuring means that measures a wind direction, and a controller that controls the rotating mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Fukami, Atsushi Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20100085969
    Abstract: A communication network of the present invention includes: a plurality of superordinate nodes 110 to 1m0 forming a cascade type topology; and a plurality of terminal nodes 111 to 11n, connected to at least one superordinate node from among said plurality of superordinate nodes and forming a star type topology with the superordinate node connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Yuuichi Aoki, Tohru Kimura, Hitoshi Yano, Nobuhide Yoshida, Daigo Taguchi, Akitake Mitsuhashi, Jun Noda, Teruki Sukenari, Kunihiro Suzuki, Koji Fukami
  • Publication number: 20100080702
    Abstract: A wind turbine generator system is provided with a nacelle supporting a wind turbine rotor, a nacelle rotation mechanism, an anemometer, and a control apparatus controlling the nacelle rotation mechanism. Said control apparatus calculates the wind direction deviation from the wind direction measured by the anemometer and the direction of the wind turbine rotor. Said control apparatus performs a yaw rotation of the nacelle by the nacelle rotation mechanism when any of conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied; the condition (1) is a condition under which a state where the absolute value of said wind direction deviation is equal to or more than a first threshold value continues for a first duration predetermined, and the condition (2) is a condition under which a state where the absolute value of said wind direction deviation is equal to or more than a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value continues for a second duration shorter than said first duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsuo, Koji Fukami, Toshihide Noguchi, Kazuki Hayashida, Teppei Fujitsuka, Yuji Yatomi
  • Publication number: 20090214334
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor can be provided with which frequency of noise produced by rotation of the impeller having a plurality of blades does not resonate with natural frequency of vibration of gas in a plurality of axial slots which serve to increase gas flow rate in an operation range of increased gas flow rate and broaden stable operation range in an operation range of decreased gas flow rate resulting in reduction of noise caused by rotation of the impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami