Patents by Inventor Noboru Nakao

Noboru Nakao 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: 8372375
    Abstract: For recovering hydrogen with a high recovery from a reformed gas and contributing to downsizing and cost reduction of facilities, a high-purity hydrogen E is obtained by reforming a reformable raw material A through a reforming unit 1 to yield a hydrogen-rich reformed gas B, compressing the hydrogen-rich reformed gas B with a compressor 2, allowing the compressed gas to pass through a PSA unit 3 to remove unnecessary gases other than carbon monoxide by adsorption, and allowing the resulting gas to pass through a carbon monoxide remover 4 packed with a carbon monoxide adsorbent supporting a copper halide to remove carbon monoxide by adsorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Takeshi Yamashita, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Keita Yura
  • Patent number: 7892328
    Abstract: A PSA apparatus for high-purity hydrogen gas production is provided which can recover high purity hydrogen gas at a high recovery rate from a reformed gas (hydrogen-containing gas) produced by a reforming process, for example an autothermal reforming process, and containing, as impurity components, at least CO, CO2, N2 and/or Ar, and can contribute to reducing the equipment size, hence reducing the equipment cost. The PSA apparatus for high-purity hydrogen gas B production by removing CO, CO2 and N2 by adsorption from a hydrogen containing gas A, comprises an adsorption tower 1; and an adsorbent bed 2 in the adsorption tower, wherein, on the occasion of regeneration of the adsorbent bed 2, a purge gas C is passed through in the direction opposite to the direction of passage of the hydrogen-containing gas A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Shinichi Miura, Takeshi Yamashita, Akitoshi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20090223371
    Abstract: A PSA apparatus for high-purity hydrogen gas production is provided which can recover high-purity hydrogen gas at a high recovery rate from a reformed gas (hydrogen-containing gas) produced by a reforming process, for example an autothermal reforming process, and containing, as impurity components, at least CO, CO2, N2 and/or Ar, and can contribute to reducing the equipment size, hence reducing the equipment cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Shinichi Miura, Takeshi Yamashita, Akitoshi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20090117030
    Abstract: For recovering hydrogen with a high recovery from a reformed gas and contributing to downsizing and cost reduction of facilities, a high-purity hydrogen E is obtained by reforming a reformable raw material A through a reforming unit 1 to yield a hydrogen-rich reformed gas B, compressing the hydrogen-rich reformed gas B with a compressor 2, allowing the compressed gas to pass through a PSA unit 3 to remove unnecessary gases other than carbon monoxide by adsorption, and allowing the resulting gas to pass through a carbon monoxide remover 4 packed with a carbon monoxide adsorbent supporting a copper halide to remove carbon monoxide by adsorption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Takeshi Yamashita, Akitoshi Fujisawa, Keita Yura
  • Publication number: 20060260466
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a hydrogen permeable member composed of a metal porous body and a hydrogen permeable membrane placed thereon, with a diffusion preventing layer interposed between them, wherein the metal porous body has those parts on which the diffusion preventing layer is absent and such parts are filled with metal oxide particles and/or porous metal oxide. This structure prevents direct contact between the metal porous body and the hydrogen permeable membrane, thereby relieving the latter from deterioration by diffusion of metal from the former.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takeharu Tanaka, Kazuhisa Kawata, Hiroyuki Mitani, Toshiki Sato, Noboru Nakao, Takeshi Yamashita, Keita Yura
  • Patent number: 6706939
    Abstract: A method for concentrating 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene in a dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture includes supplying the dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture to an adsorption column packed with Y-type zeolite. In this instance, by setting the value derived from the expression (u1/3/&egr;)d−5/3 at 14 (m5/3 s−1/3 kg−1) or more, the concentration ratio of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene to 2,7-dimethylnaphthalene can be 2.0 or more. u here represents the linear velocity (m/s) of the dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture supplied to an adsorption column, &egr; represents the packing density (kg/m3) of Y-type zeolite, and d represents the grain size (m) of the Y-type zeolite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Kobe Steel Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Koji Yamamoto, Masahiro Motoyuki
  • Publication number: 20030028064
    Abstract: A method for concentrating 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene in a dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture includes supplying the dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture to an adsorption column packed with Y-type zeolite. In this instance, by setting the value derived from the expression (u⅓/&egr;)d−5/3 at 14 (m5/3 s−⅓kg−1) or more, the concentration ratio of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene to 2,7-dimethylnaphthalene can be 2.0 or more. u here represents the linear velocity (m/s) of the dimethylnaphthalene isomer mixture supplied to an adsorption column, &egr; represents the packing density (kg/m3) of Y-type zeolite, and d represents the grain size (m) of the Y-type zeolite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Noboru Nakao, Koji Yamamoto, Masahiro Motoyuki
  • Patent number: 4824329
    Abstract: A method comprising the steps of: allowing the directions of a magnetic field, an electric current and the liquid metal flow to perpendicularly intersect to one another; and varying at least one of the magnetic field and the electric current in intensity in response to the temperature of the liquid metal. A force acting on the liquid metal flow is increased and decreased by the interaction between the magnetic field and the electric current. An apparatus for performing the method comprising material varying in electric property with the temperature of the liquid metal. The material is installed in at least one of a path of the magnetic field, a path of the electric current and means for generating the magnetic field. Variation of the electric property of the material allows one of the magnetic field and the electric current to be automatically increased or decreased in intensity in response to the temperature of the liquid metal, so that the force acting on the liquid metal flow is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Yamamoto, Tadashi Gotou, Masanori Yamakawa, Noboru Nakao, Takashi Ikeda