Patents by Inventor Kuniaki Aoyama

Kuniaki Aoyama 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: 11085335
    Abstract: A remodeling method of a combined cycle plant including gas turbines; heat recovery steam generators provided corresponding to number of the gas turbines and configured to recover heat of flue gas discharged from the gas turbines and produce steam by the recovered heat; ducts configured to guide the flue gas from the gas turbines toward the respective heat recovery steam generators; and a steam turbine configured to be rotationally driven by the steam produced by the heat recovery steam generators. The remodeling method of a combined cycle plant includes: removing gas turbines and ducts; installing, in place of the two gas turbines, a new gas turbine that is higher in efficiency and smaller in number than the two gas turbines; and installing, in place of the ducts, a distribution duct configured to distribute and guide flue gas from the new gas turbine to two heat recovery steam generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Toyota, Kuniaki Aoyama, Jiro Asakuno, Masaru Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 11060726
    Abstract: A compressor diffuser is disposed between cylindrical combustion chambers that are disposed around a rotational shaft to supply combustion gas to a turbine and a compressor that is rotatable about the rotational shaft to generate compressed air. The compressor diffuser includes one end connected to an outlet of the compressor; and another end connected to an air inlet of one of the combustion chambers. The one end defines an opening and has double arc portions curving about the rotational shaft, and the other end defines an opening shaped in conformance with the cylindrical shape of the one of the combustion chambers. The compressor diffuser is disposed continuously along an extending direction of the rotational shaft from the one end to the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Aoyama, Hiroyuki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20210108999
    Abstract: A state quantity acquisition unit acquires a state quantity of a target apparatus including a temperature of the target apparatus. A load specification unit specifies a load history of the target apparatus, based on the state quantity. A remaining life calculation unit calculates a parameter related to a remaining life of the target apparatus for each of a plurality of degradation types, based on the load history specified by the load specification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kuniaki AOYAMA, Hideaki KANEKO, Masumi NOMURA, Yasuoki TOMITA, Katsuhiko ABE
  • Patent number: 10844753
    Abstract: A boiler including one or more evaporators, an economizer, and a low-temperature heat exchanger. The economizer is located on a downstream side of the most downstream evaporator which is an evaporator at the most downstream side among the one or more evaporators. The low-temperature heat exchanger is located on the downstream side of the economizer, has an inlet for receiving water from the outside, and is configured to heat the water introduced from the inlet and sent to the economizer with the combustion gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Uechi, Hiroyuki Yagita, Kuniaki Aoyama, Hideaki Sugishita, Yukimasa Nakamoto, Yuichi Oka, Naoki Hisada, Tarou Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20200309040
    Abstract: An operation control device for a single shaft gas turbine selects an operation mode based on a load state of a power generator, and controls the turbine based on the operation mode. In a first operation mode, a rotational speed of the turbine is maintained within a first rotational speed range, and in a second operation mode, the rotational speed is maintained within a second rotational speed range set on a lower rotational speed side than the first rotational speed range. The second rotational speed range is set on the lower rotational speed side than the first rotational speed range with a first non-selection rotational speed range set therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Koichiro IIDA, Akihiko SAITO, Hisanobu SHINODA, Kuniaki AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200019150
    Abstract: A collection device includes a reception unit, a first inspection unit, and a first transmission request unit. The reception unit receives a data unit including operation data indicating an operation state of a plant and a guarantee value for guaranteeing authenticity of the operation data. The first inspection unit inspects the authenticity of the data unit by inspecting a quality of the data unit on the basis of the guarantee value and by inspecting the presence or absence of a loss of the data on the basis of a reception interval of the data unit. The first transmission request unit requests a transmission side of the data unit to retransmit the data unit when inspection results of the first inspection unit indicate no authenticity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Masato SHIDA, Yukihiko INOUE, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Ichiro NAGANO, Shun NIIZUMA, Akihisa ENDO, Takahiro YAMAUCHI, Tsuyoshi KINOSHITA, Shinsaku ENDO
  • Publication number: 20190384275
    Abstract: A diagnostic device includes a storage unit that stores first information including a first abnormal event which occurred in the past in a plant, a first attribution event that is a cause of the first abnormal event, and a first occurrence probability of the first attribution event, in which a causal relationship between the first abnormal and attribution events is indicated by a tree structure, and second information including a second abnormal event which is supposed to occur in the plant but does not occur yet, a second attribution event that is a cause of the second abnormal event, and a second occurrence probability of the second attribution event, in which a causal relationship between the second abnormal and attribution events is indicated by a tree structure; and an estimation unit that estimates the cause of the sign of the abnormality, based on the first and second information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Masato SHIDA, Yukihiko INOUE, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Ichiro NAGANO, Shun NIIZUMA, Tomohiro BABA, Akihisa ENDO, Takahiro YAMAUCHI, Tsuyoshi KINOSHITA, Shinsaku ENDO, Yasuoki TOMITA, Katsuhiko ABE
  • Publication number: 20190323519
    Abstract: A compressor diffuser (5) is connected to a compressor (1) generating compressed air by compressing air and a combustion cylinder (21) supplying a combustion gas to a turbine. The compressor diffuser (5) includes a first diffuser (51) and a second diffuser (52). One end of the first diffuser (51) is connected to a part of an annular outlet (16) of the compressor (1) in a circumferential direction and the other end of the first diffuser (5) is connected to an air supply port (24) of the combustion cylinder (21). The second diffuser (52) is connected to the outlet (16) of the compressor (1) at a position different in the circumferential direction from the part where the end of the first diffuser (51) is connected and guides the compressed air to the outside of the first diffuser (51).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Kuniaki AOYAMA, Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190323384
    Abstract: A boiler plant includes a boiler which is configured to heat water by a heating fluid to generate steam, a steam utilization device which is configured to use the steam from the boiler, and a heating device which is configured to heat steam using at least energy excluding thermal energy of the heating fluid. The boiler has one or more evaporators which heat water or steam. A first evaporator having a highest internal pressure from among one or more evaporators is configured to heat water or steam having a temperature lower than a constant pressure specific heat maximum temperature, at which constant pressure specific heat in a pressure in the first evaporator is maximum, to be equal to or higher than the constant pressure specific heat maximum temperature. The heating device is configured to heat the steam having a temperature lower than the constant pressure specific heat maximum temperature to be equal to or higher than the constant pressure specific heat maximum temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Hideyuki UECHI, Kuniaki AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190323432
    Abstract: A turbine-cooling system of a gas turbine system includes first and second intra-vane flow passages formed in stator vanes so as to penetrate them in a radial direction, an intra-rotation-shaft flow passage connecting the first intra-vane flow passage and the second intra-vane flow passage in a rotation shaft, an extra-turbine flow passage connecting the first intra-vane flow passage and the second intra-vane flow passage, a boost compressor configured to make cooling air flow sequentially through the first intra-vane flow passage, the intra-rotation-shaft flow passage, the second intra-vane flow passage, and the extra-turbine flow passage, and a cooling unit configured to cool the cooling air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Kuniaki AOYAMA, Jo MASUTANI
  • Publication number: 20190277140
    Abstract: An impeller includes a plurality of pressurizing flow paths that are defined by a hub, a shroud, and vanes, that cause fluid to flow in from a shaft direction of a turbine shaft, that cause fluid to flow out toward an outer side in a radial direction of the turbine shaft, and that are arranged in a row in the circumferential direction of the turbine shaft. Each of the pressurizing flow paths is a through hole having an inlet and an outlet and formed penetratingly from the inlet to the outlet in a linear manner. The inlet is formed on an end surface of the impeller in the shaft direction of the turbine shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Jo MASUTANI, Kuniaki AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20190264573
    Abstract: An acquisition unit is configured to acquire measurement values of a target device. The measurement values that are acquired include at least a temperature and a flow rate of an input fluid to be input to the target device, and a temperature and a flow rate of an output fluid to be output from the target device. A correction unit is configured to obtain a correction measurement value by which the measurement values are corrected through thermal equilibrium calculations based on the measurement values. A distance calculation unit is configured to calculate a Mahalanobis distance with a factor of the correction measurement value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Ichiro NAGANO, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Mayumi SAITO, Shintaro KUMANO, Katsuhiko ABE, Toru TANAKA, Takahiro YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190187676
    Abstract: An acquisition unit is configured to acquire measurement values of a target device. A likelihood calculation unit is configured to calculate an occurrence likelihood for each of a plurality of phenomena that are liable to occur to the target device based on the measurement values acquired by the acquisition unit. A table storage unit is configured to store a table in which the plurality of phenomena and occurrence causes of abnormalities of the target device are associated to each other. As estimation unit is configured to estimate the occurrence causes based on the occurrence likelihood and the table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Ichiro NAGANO, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Mayumi SAITO, Shintaro KUMANO, Katsuhiko ABE, Toru TANAKA, Takahiro YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190178112
    Abstract: Provided is a remodeling method of a combined cycle plant including gas turbines; heat recovery steam generators provided corresponding to number of the gas turbines and configured to recover heat of flue gas discharged from the gas turbines and produce steam by the recovered heat; ducts configured to guide the flue gas from the gas turbines toward the respective heat recovery steam generators; and a steam turbine configured to be rotationally driven by the steam produced by the heat recovery steam generators. The remodeling method of a combined cycle plant includes: removing gas turbines and ducts; installing, in place of the two gas turbines, a new gas turbine that is higher in efficiency and smaller in number than the two gas turbines; and installing, in place of the ducts, a distribution duct configured to distribute and guide flue gas from the new gas turbine to two heat recovery steam generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Toshihiko TOYOTA, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Jiro ASAKUNO, Masaru TAKAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20190170353
    Abstract: A compressor diffuser is disposed between cylindrical combustion chambers that are disposed around a rotational shaft to supply combustion gas to a turbine and a compressor that is rotatable about the rotational shaft to generate compressed air. The compressor diffuser includes one end connected to an outlet of the compressor; and another end connected to an air inlet of one of the combustion chambers. The one end defines an opening and has double arc portions curving about the rotational shaft, and the other end defines an opening shaped in conformance with the cylindrical shape of the one of the combustion chambers. The compressor diffuser is disposed continuously along an extending direction of the rotational shaft from the one end to the other end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Kuniaki AOYAMA, Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190128190
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a compressor; a combustor; a turbine configured to drive a rotational shaft of the compressor using combustion gas generated by the combustor; a cooling device configured to generate cooling air by bleeding compressed air from the compressor and cooling the compressed air, and to supply the cooling air to the turbine along the rotational shaft; a pressurizing device configured to increase pressure of the cooling air; a pressurizing device diffuser configured to provide a passage continuing in a turbine circumferential direction, on the outer side in the turbine radial direction to guide the cooling air having the increased pressure to the outer side of the pressurizing device; and a manifold disposed between the pressurizing device diffuser and a plurality of turbine vanes so that a ring-shaped passage communicates with the passage in the pressurizing device diffuser and a cooling passage provided inside each turbine vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kuniaki AOYAMA, Jo MASUTANI
  • Publication number: 20180058267
    Abstract: A boiler including one or more evaporators, an economizer, and a low-temperature heat exchanger. The economizer is located on a downstream side of the most downstream evaporator which is an evaporator at the most downstream side among the one or more evaporators. The low-temperature heat exchanger is located on the downstream side of the economizer, has an inlet for receiving water from the outside, and is configured to heat the water introduced from the inlet and sent to the economizer with the combustion gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Hideyuki UECHI, Hiroyuki YAGITA, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Hideaki SUGISHITA, Yukimasa NAKAMOTO, Yuichi OKA, Naoki HISADA, Tarou ICHIHARA
  • Patent number: 9032730
    Abstract: A solar receiver is disposed on a top portion of a tower provided upright on the ground for heating a compressible working fluid by means of heat converted from sunlight collected by heliostats disposed on the ground, to raise the temperature of the compressible working fluid. The solar receiver has modules disposed back-to-back, and each of which includes a casing having a bottom plate to be fixed to the top-portion upper surface of the tower. A heat-transfer-tube unit is accommodated in the casing and includes heat transfer tubes. A sunlight inlet port having a circular shape in front view or an elliptical shape in front view is provided at the center portion of a plate-like member whose lower end is connected to an outer circumferential end of the bottom plate to constitute the casing and that extends obliquely upward from the outer circumferential end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVEY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuta Kobayashi, Masashi Tagawa, Toshiyuki Osada, Kuniaki Aoyama, Masahiro Masuda, Takeshi Okubo, Shuhei Sasaki, Akira Furutani, Jin Kato, Hiromi Nakatani
  • Patent number: 8312703
    Abstract: A solar-thermal gas turbine generator is equipped with a compressor, a heat receiver, and a turbine. Additionally, there is a generator that is driven by the solar-thermal gas turbine to generate power; and a steam power generation cycle in which high-temperature air exhausted from the turbine is introduced into a steam generator and in which a steam turbine that is operated with steam generated at the steam generator drives a generator to generator power, wherein a solar-thermal steam generator that generates steam by being heated with heat collected by the light collector is provided upstream of the steam turbine of the steam power generation cycle, and a distribution ratio for distributing the sunlight collected by the light collector to the heat receiver and the solar-thermal steam generator is adjusted in accordance with the sunlight intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Aoyama, Kei Inoue, Kazuta Kobayashi, Masashi Tagawa, Toshiyuki Osada, Manabu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20120180483
    Abstract: A solar receiver is disposed on a top portion of a tower provided upright on the ground for heating a compressible working fluid by means of heat converted from sunlight collected by heliostats disposed on the ground, to raise the temperature of the compressible working fluid. The solar receiver has modules disposed back-to-back, and each of which includes a casing having a bottom plate to be fixed to the top-portion upper surface of the tower. A heat-transfer-tube unit is accommodated in the casing and includes heat transfer tubes. A sunlight inlet port having a circular shape in front view or an elliptical shape in front view is provided at the center portion of a plate-like member whose lower end is connected to an outer circumferential end of the bottom plate to constitute the casing and that extends obliquely upward from the outer circumferential end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuta KOBAYASHI, Masashi TAGAWA, Toshiyuki OSADA, Kuniaki AOYAMA, Masahiro MASUDA, Takeshi OKUBO, Shuhei SASAKI, Akira FURUTANI, Jin KATO, Hiromi NAKATANI