Patents by Inventor Seiji Fujihara

Seiji Fujihara 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: 20060083956
    Abstract: In a hydrogen generator according to the invention, a reformer temperature sensor detects the temperature of a reformer at a start of a stop operation of a hydrogen generator. In a controller, a processing and controlling portion compares the detected temperature with first to fourth reference temperatures pre-stored in a storage portion, and determines which of the following conditions is the temperature condition of the hydrogen generator at the stop; a first condition in which water condensation occurs, a second condition in which water condensation and carbon deposition are avoidable, a third condition in which carbon deposition occurs, a fourth condition in which disproportionation reaction occurs, and a fifth condition in which oxidization of catalyst occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20060084572
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for recovering a catalyst from a catalyst body comprising a carrier having a catalyst layer formed on at least a part of the surface thereof, which comprises (a) a step of forming an overcoat layer on the surface of the catalyst layer, and (b) a step of allowing the catalyst body having the overcoat layer formed thereon to stand under the condition to result in a difference in expansibility or contractility exhibited by the overcoat layer from that exhibited by the carrier, wherein exfoliation of the catalyst layer from the carrier is permitted by means of the resulting difference in expansibility or contractility under the condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRILA CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hidenobu Wakita, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Seiji Fujihara, Kunihiro Ukai
  • Patent number: 6972119
    Abstract: A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Toshiyuki Shono, Koichiro Kitagawa, Tetsuya Ueda, Seiji Fujihara, Yutaka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20050164046
    Abstract: The hydrogen generator includes: a reformer 101 having a reforming catalyst configured to cause a source material and water to react with each other to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas; a reformer heater 104 configured to heat the reformer; a carbon monoxide reducing portion 111,121 having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst configured to reduce carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reduction heater 112,123 configured to heat at least one of the carbon monoxide reducing portion, the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst and the reformed gas passing through the carbon monoxide reducing portion; and a controller 200 capable of control such that the carbon monoxide reduction heater is caused to operate in a stop operation period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Fujihara, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20050153179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell system comprising a hydrogen generator (1) which generates hydrogen gas by allowing a source material to undergo a reforming reaction and a fuel cell (3) which is equipped with a anode and an cathode and which generates electric power by allowing the hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20050115150
    Abstract: A hydrogen gas station is disclosed comprising, a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas through reforming reaction of an organic compound, a gas supply port configured to communicate with a gas supply pipe to supply the reformed gas to a plurality of fuel cells, and a gas recovery port configured to communicate with a gas recovery pipe to receive an off gas containing hydrogen unconsumed from the fuel cells, the hydrogen gas station being configured to consume the off gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20040241509
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator comprises a reformer configured to generate a reformed gas containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a gas supply portion configured to supply an oxidization gas containing oxygen; a purifier configured to reduce a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas in such a manner that a mixture gas containing the reformed gas and the oxidization gas flows through the purifier such that the mixture gas flows through a catalyst body within the purifier to allow the carbon monoxide and the oxygen contained in the mixture gas to react with each other, wherein the purifier has a first catalyst body that selectively oxidizes the carbon monoxide and a second catalyst body which is lower in CO selectivity and lower in temperature of oxidization reaction than the first catalyst body, and the second catalyst body is disposed in parallel with the first catalyst body and on a downstream side of the first catalyst body or adjacent the first catalyst body in a flow of the mixture
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Yukimune Kani
  • Publication number: 20040234827
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator of the present invention is provided with: a reformer for generating a reformed gas containing hydrogen from a feed material containing an organic compound at least containing carbon and hydrogen and water; a heater for heating the reformer to a temperature required for generating the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reducing unit having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst for reducing carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas generated in the reformer; and a temperature detector for detecting at least one of a temperature of the reformed gas in the carbon monoxide reducing unit and a temperature of the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst, wherein an amount of the feed material to be supplied to the reformer is controlled based on a comparison between a detected temperature detected by the temperature detector and a reference temperature set in accordance with the amount of the feed material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Fujihara, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita
  • Publication number: 20040180781
    Abstract: A CO removal catalyst of inducing CO shift reaction for allowing water and carbon monoxide to react to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide, comprising a catalyst carrier having a cerium-zirconium composite oxide and a zirconium oxide and a predetermined noble metal supported on the catalyst carrier, wherein the average particle diameter of the particulate cerium-zirconium composite oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide, the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the predetermined particulate noble metal and the predetermined noble metal is supported on the catalyst carrier more in the outer part thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20040037761
    Abstract: A hydrogen generating part is provided for reacting water and a raw material composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms to generate hydrogen gas, a raw material supply part is provided for supplying a raw material to the hydrogen generating part, a water supply part is provided for supplying water to the hydrogen generating part, a catalyst combustion part is provided, an air supply part is provided for supplying air to the catalyst combustion part, a path switching part is provided for switching raw material supply paths between the raw material supply part and the hydrogen generating part, a bypass path is provided for supplying a raw material to the catalyst combustion part from the path switching part, and a combustion gas path is provided for supplying combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part to the hydrogen generating part. The control part switches the path switching part, and the inside of the hydrogen generating part is replaced with combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Maenishi, Tomonori Asou, Yuji Mukai, Masataka Ozeki, Akinari Nakamura, Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20030198844
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation system comprises are former 1 that contains a reforming catalyst, an evaporator 4 that supplies steam to the reformer 1, a heater 3 that heats the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4, a material feed portion 5 that feeds a feed material containing hydrocarbon compound to the reformer 1 through the evaporator 4, and a water supply portion 6 that has a flow rate switch 6a and supplies water to the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ukai, Kiyoshi Taguchi, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara, Akira Maenishi
  • Publication number: 20030157382
    Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus has
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Kunihiro Ukai, Hidenobu Wakita, Seiji Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20030003033
    Abstract: A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Tomizawa, Kunihiro Ukai, Toshiyuki Shono, Koichiro Kitagawa, Tetsuya Ueda, Seiji Fujihara, Yutaka Yoshida