Patents by Inventor Osamu Nohara

Osamu Nohara 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: 20240077056
    Abstract: A wind power generation device control system includes: a blade wind detecting device for detecting at least one of a wind direction or a wind speed on at least one blade of a wind power generation device; and a blade control device for controlling at least one of (i) a pitch angle of the at least one blade or (ii) a yaw angle of the wind power generation device, based on at least one of the wind direction or the wind speed detected by the blade wind detecting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Hirofumi KOMORI
  • Patent number: 11885304
    Abstract: A wind turbine system includes: a ring gear; a yaw drive unit including a pinion gear meshing with the ring gear, the yaw drive unit being configured to rotate the pinion gear; a yaw brake unit configured to generate a braking force for inhibiting rotation of the ring gear; a load information acquiring unit configured to acquire an external load applied to the ring gear; and a control unit configured to release the braking force of the yaw brake unit when a rotational torque generated on the ring gear by the yaw drive unit has been larger than the external load acquired by the load information acquiring unit, in switching the ring gear from a stationary state to a rotating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Nohara
  • Publication number: 20230407847
    Abstract: A backlash measuring method is provided for measuring backlash at a plurality of different times. The backlash measuring method includes: a rotation amount calculating step of braking a ring gear relative to a second portion while contact between a target tooth and the ring gear achieved in a contacting step is maintained, causing a target pinion to rotate toward a second side in a rotation direction opposite to the first side with a driving force less than a braking force applied to brake the ring gear relative to the second portion until the target tooth touches the ring gear at a tooth surface facing the second side, and calculating an amount of rotation of the target pinion; and a measuring step of measuring backlash between the ring gear and the target pinion based on the amount of rotation of the target pinion calculated in the rotation amount calculating step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Hirofumi KOMORI
  • Publication number: 20230243335
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wind turbine drive control device for controlling at least one drive device for moving two structures included in a wind power generation device relative to each other, the wind turbine drive control device including: an obtaining unit for obtaining information related to a load occurring between the at least one drive device and one of the two structures that receives a force generated by the at least one drive device; and a control unit for controlling the at least one drive device so as to cause a force generated by the at least one drive device to be reduced or zero based on the information related to the load obtained by the obtaining unit during a stop period in which the two structures are stopped relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventor: Osamu NOHARA
  • Patent number: 11619208
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive system includes a plurality of drive devices, a state quantity detection unit, and a control unit. The plurality of drive devices are provided in a first structure (a nacelle), and a ring gear is provided in a second structure (a tower). Each of the drive devices includes a motor drive portion, a speed reducing portion, and a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion. The state quantity detection unit detects a load between a meshing portion of each of the drive devices and the ring gear. Based on the thus detected load for the each of the drive devices, the control unit controls at least one of the motor drive portion and the motor braking portion so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the drive devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Haruna Osako
  • Patent number: 11614072
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wind turbine drive control device for controlling at least one drive device for moving two structures included in a wind power generation device relative to each other, the wind turbine drive control device including: an obtaining unit for obtaining information related to a load occurring between the at least one drive device and one of the two structures that receives a force generated by the at least one drive device; and a control unit for controlling the at least one drive device so as to cause a force generated by the at least one drive device to be reduced or zero based on the information related to the load obtained by the obtaining unit during a stop period in which the two structures are stopped relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Nohara
  • Publication number: 20220268257
    Abstract: A wind turbine system includes: a ring gear; a yaw drive unit including a pinion gear meshing with the ring gear, the yaw drive unit being configured to rotate the pinion gear; a yaw brake unit configured to generate a braking force for inhibiting rotation of the ring gear; a load information acquiring unit configured to acquire an external load applied to the ring gear; and a control unit configured to release the braking force of the yaw brake unit when a rotational torque generated on the ring gear by the yaw drive unit has been larger than the external load acquired by the load information acquiring unit, in switching the ring gear from a stationary state to a rotating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventor: Osamu NOHARA
  • Patent number: 11274655
    Abstract: One object is to promptly and accurately sense an abnormal state of a wind turbine driving device. The wind turbine driving device includes a driving device body and a sensor. The driving device body is installed in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine. The driving device body includes a meshing portion meshing with a ring gear installed in the other structure at the movable section of the wind turbine. The sensor measures a change in installation state of the driving device body with respect to the one structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Shigeru Hosoda, Yuichi Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20210199088
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wind turbine drive control device for controlling at least one drive device for moving two structures included in a wind power generation device relative to each other, the wind turbine drive control device including: an obtaining unit for obtaining information related to a load occurring between the at least one drive device and one of the two structures that receives a force generated by the at least one drive device; and a control unit for controlling the at least one drive device so as to cause a force generated by the at least one drive device to be reduced or zero based on the information related to the load obtained by the obtaining unit during a stop period in which the two structures are stopped relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Osamu NOHARA
  • Patent number: 11047366
    Abstract: Damage to a driving device or a ring gear or both due to an excessive force at a meshing portion therebetween is effectively prevented. In the embodiment described above, a driving device includes a driving device body that is provided in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine and has a drive gear meshing with a ring gear provided in the other structure at the movable section, and an abnormality detection unit that monitors a force generated between the ring gear and the drive gear or the state of the driving device body or monitors both of the face and the state. Output from the drive gear of the driving device body to the ring gear is stopped when the abnormality detection unit detected an abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Shigeru Hosoda, Kei Kato, Haruna Osako
  • Publication number: 20190390651
    Abstract: One object is to promptly and accurately sense an abnormal state of a wind turbine driving device. The wind turbine driving device includes a driving device body and a sensor. The driving device body is installed in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine. The driving device body includes a meshing portion meshing with a ring gear installed in the other structure at the movable section of the wind turbine. The sensor measures a change in installation state of the driving device body with respect to the one structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Shigeru HOSODA, Yuichi ASAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190293055
    Abstract: Damage to a driving device or a ring gear or both due to an excessive force at a meshing portion therebetween is effectively prevented. In the embodiment described above, a driving device includes a driving device body that is provided in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine and has a drive gear meshing with a ring gear provided in the other structure at the movable section, and an abnormality detection unit that monitors a force generated between the ring gear and the drive gear or the state of the driving device body or monitors both of the face and the state. Output from the drive gear of the driving device body to the ring gear is stopped when the abnormality detection unit detected an abnormality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Shigeru HOSODA, Kei KATO, Haruna OSAKO
  • Publication number: 20190203697
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive system includes a plurality of drive devices, a state quantity detection unit, a ring gear braking portion, and a control unit. The plurality of drive devices are provided in a first structure, and a ring gear is provided in a second structure. Each of the drive devices includes a motor drive portion and a speed reducing portion. The state quantity detection unit detects a load between a meshing portion of each of the drive devices and the ring gear. When a degree of variation in the load among the drive devices is outside a permissible range, the control unit performs a first control process of controlling the motor drive portion to prevent an increase in the degree of variation in the load and/or a second control process of controlling the ring gear braking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Haruna OSAKO
  • Publication number: 20190186468
    Abstract: A wind turbine drive system includes a plurality of drive devices, a state quantity detection unit, and a control unit. The plurality of drive devices are provided in a first structure (a nacelle), and a ring gear is provided in a second structure (a tower). Each of the drive devices includes a motor drive portion, a speed reducing portion, and a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion. The state quantity detection unit detects a load between a meshing portion of each of the drive devices and the ring gear. Based on the thus detected load for the each of the drive devices, the control unit controls at least one of the motor drive portion and the motor braking portion so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the drive devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Haruna OSAKO
  • Patent number: 9790920
    Abstract: A rotation driving mechanism for windmill (1) includes an annular track part (2), a rotation driving part (11), and a plurality of swinging parts (15). The annular track part (2) is disposed on one of a base-side structure and a rotation-side structure, and has a track wall part (3) and first teeth (7). The rotation driving part (11) is fixed on the other of the base-side structure and the rotation-side structure. Each swinging part (15) has a swinging part body (16a) and second teeth (16b). When a rotating shaft (13) of the rotation driving part (11) is rotated so that the swinging parts (15) are swung with maintaining a predetermined phase difference thereamong, the swinging parts (15) are relatively moved with respect to the annular track part (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Yuichi Asakawa
  • Patent number: 9726152
    Abstract: A rotation driving mechanism for windmill (1) includes an annular track part (2), a rotation driving part (11), and a plurality of swinging parts (15). The annular track part (2) is disposed on one of a base-side structure and a rotation-side structure, and has a circumferential wall part (4) and first teeth (7). The rotation driving part (11) is fixed on the other of the base-side structure and the rotation-side structure. Each swinging part (15) has a swinging part body (16a) and second teeth (16b). When a rotating shaft (13) of the rotation driving part (11) is rotated so that the swinging parts (15) are swung with maintaining a predetermined phase difference thereamong, the swinging parts (15) are relatively moved with respect to the annular track part (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Nohara
  • Publication number: 20150377219
    Abstract: A rotation driving mechanism for windmill (1) includes an annular track part (2), a rotation driving part (11), and a plurality of swinging parts (15). The annular track part (2) is disposed on one of a base-side structure and a rotation-side structure, and has a circumferential wall part (4) and first teeth (7). The rotation driving part (11) is fixed on the other of the base-side structure and the rotation-side structure. Each swinging part (15) has a swinging part body (16a) and second teeth (16b). When a rotating shaft (13) of the rotation driving part (11) is rotated so that the swinging parts (15) are swung with maintaining a predetermined phase difference thereamong, the swinging parts (15) are relatively moved with respect to the annular track part (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventor: Osamu NOHARA
  • Publication number: 20150377212
    Abstract: A rotation driving mechanism for windmill (1) includes an annular track part (2), a rotation driving part (11), and a plurality of swinging parts (15). The annular track part (2) is disposed on one of a base-side structure and a rotation-side structure, and has a track wall part (3) and first teeth (7). The rotation driving part (11) is fixed on the other of the base-side structure and the rotation-side structure. Each swinging part (15) has a swinging part body (16a) and second teeth (16b). When a rotating shaft (13) of the rotation driving part (11) is rotated so that the swinging parts (15) are swung with maintaining a predetermined phase difference thereamong, the swinging parts (15) are relatively moved with respect to the annular track part (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Osamu NOHARA, Yuichi ASAKAWA
  • Patent number: 8022564
    Abstract: A yaw drive method of a wind power generation apparatus, in which a second gear engaged with a first gear attached to one of tower or a wind power generation unit supported to the upper end of the tower so as to be capable of yawing and supported to a tower or to the upper end of the tower is rotated by a drive motor attached to the other of the tower or the wind power generation unit for yawing the wind power generation unit. A drive energy, which is supplied to the drive motor for a predetermined time from when the supply of the drive energy to the drive motor begins to start, is made to be smaller than the drive energy supplied to the drive motor in a common yawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Katsuhiko Yokoyama, Sadayuki Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20090243297
    Abstract: A yaw drive method of a wind power generation apparatus, in which a second gear engaged with a first gear attached to one of tower or a wind power generation unit supported to the upper end of the tower so as to be capable of yawing and supported to a tower or to the upper end of the tower is rotated by a drive motor attached to the other of the tower or the wind power generation unit for yawing the wind power generation unit. A drive energy, which is supplied to the drive motor for a predetermined time from when the supply of the drive energy to the drive motor begins to start, is made to be smaller than the drive energy supplied to the drive motor in a common yawing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nohara, Katsuhiko Yokoyama, Sadayuki Tanabe