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).
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Publication number: 20230395827Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2020Publication date: December 7, 2023Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
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Publication number: 20230395838Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2020Publication date: December 7, 2023Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., RENAULT s.a.s.Inventors: Hiroyuki ISODA, Hayato CHIKUGO, Masahiro USUDA
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Publication number: 20220399552Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: December 15, 2022Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Masahiro USUDA, Susumu MAESHIMA, Tomokatsu HIMENO
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Publication number: 20220320534Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2020Publication date: October 6, 2022Applicants: 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
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Patent number: 11251440Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 10, 2017Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Masahiro Usuda
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Publication number: 20200220181Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2017Publication date: July 9, 2020Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Masahiro USUDA
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Publication number: 20150107453Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Masahiro Usuda, Shigenori Yazawa
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Publication number: 20150050572Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: February 19, 2015Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Usuda, Shigenori Yazawa
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Patent number: 7624971Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 3, 2006Date of Patent: December 1, 2009Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takayuki Terasaki, Masahiro Usuda, Masaaki Nakata
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Publication number: 20090130495Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2006Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Takayuki Terasaki, Masahiro Usuda, Masaaki Nakata
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Publication number: 20080096063Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2005Publication date: April 24, 2008Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Karuki Hamada, Tadashi Shoji, Masahiro Usuda, Nobuo Sakiyama
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Patent number: 4669307Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 10, 1985Date of Patent: June 2, 1987Assignee: Orion Kikai Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akio Wakui, Masahiro Usuda, Naotake Nishizawa