Patents by Inventor Masahiro Usuda

Masahiro Usuda 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: 20230395827
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell system that includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks and an exhaust combustor that combusts exhaust gas. The exhaust combustor is located at least between two fuel cell stacks and adjacent to each of the two fuel cell stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
  • Publication number: 20230395838
    Abstract: An in-vehicle fuel cell system, including a fuel cell, and an auxiliary machine configured to exchange a gas with the fuel cell, the in-vehicle fuel system including an auxiliary machine structure configured to accommodate the auxiliary machine, wherein the fuel cell includes a first fuel cell fixed to an upper surface of the auxiliary machine structure and a second fuel cell fixed to a lower surface of the auxiliary machine structure, the auxiliary machine structure is disposed at substantially the same position in a height direction as a skeleton member of a vehicle body, and the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell are fixed to the skeleton member via the auxiliary machine structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
  • Publication number: 20220399552
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell configured to generate electricity by receiving a working gas, a combustor configured to combust an off-gas discharged from the fuel cell, a heat exchange device configured to supply the working gas to the fuel cell, and perform heat exchange with a discharged gas from the combustor, and a manifold disposed between the fuel cell and the combustor, and between the fuel cell and the heat exchange device. The manifold includes an off-gas flow path along which the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell is guided to the combustor and a discharged gas flow path along which the discharged gas discharged from the combustor is guided to the heat exchange device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro USUDA, Susumu MAESHIMA, Tomokatsu HIMENO
  • Publication number: 20220320534
    Abstract: A combustor, including: a catalyst bed portion supporting a catalyst capable of promoting a combustion reaction of fuel; a vaporizer which is arranged on the downstream side of the catalyst bed portion with respect to a flow of the fuel going through the catalyst bed portion and is configured to be able to use a combustion gas generated from the combustion reaction as a hot fluid; a manifold portion which is outside the catalyst bed portion and guides air in a direction opposite to the flow of the fuel going through the catalyst bed portion and has a wall portion on which a sidewall of the vaporizer is projected; and a fuel introducing portion configured to penetrate the wall portion of the manifold portion so that the fuel evaporated by the vaporizer can be introduced into the manifold portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., AVL LIST GMBH, RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Masahiro USUDA, Susumu MAESHIMA, Tomokatsu HIMENO, Vincent LAWLOR, Daniel MAIR, Robert POESCHL, Bernd REITER
  • Patent number: 11251440
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack in which cell units are stacked one on top of another, each of the cell units including: a power generation cell; and a separator defining and forming a flow passage portion, being a flow path of the gas, between the separator and the power generation cell, includes a frame body having an insulating property and arranged between at least one set of the cell units adjacent to each other. The frame body includes: as viewed in a stacking direction, outer peripheral beam portions provided to surround an outer peripheral side of a region in which the power generation cell is arranged; a connection beam portion connecting the outer peripheral beam portions to each other; and sealing beam portions formed along sealing portions at least partially sealing a manifold portion through which the gas is allowed to flow to the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Usuda
  • Publication number: 20200220181
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack in which cell units are stacked one on top of another, each of the cell units including: a power generation cell; and a separator defining and forming a flow passage portion, being a flow path of the gas, between the separator and the power generation cell, includes a frame body having an insulating property and arranged between at least one set of the cell units adjacent to each other. The frame body includes: as viewed in a stacking direction, outer peripheral beam portions provided to surround an outer peripheral side of a region in which the power generation cell is arranged; a connection beam portion connecting the outer peripheral beam portions to each other; and sealing beam portions formed along sealing portions at least partially sealing a manifold portion through which the gas is allowed to flow to the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro USUDA
  • Publication number: 20150107453
    Abstract: A water recovery device that allows a first gas to flow inside hollow fiber membranes and a second gas to flow outside the hollow fiber membranes, and that exchanges moisture between the first gas and the second gas, includes a hollow fiber membrane bundle in which plural pieces of the hollow fiber membranes are bundled, a storage case housing the hollow fiber membrane bundle in its inside, and a housing having an introduction hole and a discharge hole of the first gas and an introduction hole and a discharge hole of the second gas, and housing the storage case in its inside. The hollow fiber membrane bundle includes a first gas bypass passage that penetrates through an internal part of the hollow fiber membrane bundle in an axial direction and that has a channel cross-sectional area larger than a channel cross-sectional area inside the hollow fiber membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro Usuda, Shigenori Yazawa
  • Publication number: 20150050572
    Abstract: A water recovery device that allows a first gas to flow inside hollow fiber membranes and a second gas to flow outside the hollow fiber membranes, and that exchanges moisture between the first gas and the second gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Usuda, Shigenori Yazawa
  • Patent number: 7624971
    Abstract: A device includes a housing having a hollow center and a case having a hollow fiber membrane. The case is at least partially located inside the hollow center of the housing. A first gas flow flows to the hollow center through an introducing pipe and exits the housing via a discharging pipe. A second gas flow flows through the hollow fiber membrane in the case. The first gas flow enters the case through an inflow opening in the case from a gap between a wall of the housing and the case and exits the case through a discharging opening in the case to the gap between the wall of the housing and the case. The introducing pipe is located adjacent to a dividing wall. The device provides a humidifying property by transferring moisture from the first gas flow to the second gas flow or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Terasaki, Masahiro Usuda, Masaaki Nakata
  • Publication number: 20090130495
    Abstract: A device includes a housing having a hollow center and a case having a hollow fiber membrane. The case is at least partially located inside the hollow center of the housing. A first gas flow flows to the hollow center through an introducing pipe and exits the housing via a discharging pipe. A second gas flow flows through the hollow fiber membrane in the case. The first gas flow enters the case through an inflow opening in the case from a gap between a wall of the housing and the case and exits the case through a discharging opening in the case to the gap between the wall of the housing and the case. The introducing pipe is located adjacent to a dividing wall. The device provides a humidifying property by transferring moisture from the first gas flow to the second gas flow or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Terasaki, Masahiro Usuda, Masaaki Nakata
  • Publication number: 20080096063
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a fuel cell power generating system that includes a fuel cell having an anode serving as a fuel electrode and a cathode serving as an oxidant electrode a treatment unit configured to treat anode off gas that is discharged from the anode of the fuel cell, by mixing or reacting the anode off gas with air a anode-side discharge passage configured and arranged to supply anode off gas to the treatment unit, and a supply unit configured and arranged to supply air to the treatment unit, said air not being cathode off discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Karuki Hamada, Tadashi Shoji, Masahiro Usuda, Nobuo Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 4669307
    Abstract: A device which measures the amount of milk which has been milked by a combination of a swinging member 2 and a tank 5; and a weight balance section, thereby enhancing accuracy in measurement as well as reducing in size the device. A measuring method for total milk amount by using the measuring device and by measuring the amount of milk which is filled in the tank 5 and the amount of milk which does not flow into the tank 5 at the time of discharging with the rotational cycles of the swinging member 2 to thereby achieve a higher precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Orion Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Wakui, Masahiro Usuda, Naotake Nishizawa