Patents by Inventor Shinichi Higuchi

Shinichi Higuchi 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: 20150078505
    Abstract: A method of providing an end-capped tubular ceramic composite for containing nuclear fuel (34) in a nuclear reactor involves the steps of providing a tubular ceramic composite (40), providing at least one end plug (14, 46, 48), applying (42) the at least one end plug material to the ends of the tubular ceramic composite, applying electrodes to the end plug and tubular ceramic composite and applying current in a plasma sintering means (10, 50) to provide a hermetically sealed tube (52). The invention also provides a sealed tube made by this method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha /Toshiba, aka Toshiba Corporation, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: PENG XU, Edward J. Lahoda, Lars Hallstadius, Joon Hyung Choi, Shinichi Higuchi, Fumisha Kano
  • Publication number: 20140294557
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade is provided that can reduce a total pressure loss at a blade cross-section on a tip side of the blade and suppress degradation in performance even if cooling air mixes in toward the blade. The rotor blade is mounted to a rotor to form a turbine blade row rotating in a stationary member that includes a platform forming a gas passage through which a mainstream gas flows and an airfoil extending from a gas passage plane in a radial direction vertical to the rotational axis of the rotor, the gas passage plane being a plane of the platform and forming the gas passage. A clearance between the tip-side end face, which is a leading end-side end face of the airfoil, and the stationary member facing the tip-side end face is smaller on the downstream side than on the upstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiro Miyoshi, Shinichi Higuchi, Masami Noda
  • Publication number: 20140056719
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade includes a hollow-blade-form portion formed by a leading edge on an upstream side of an working fluid of a gas turbine in a flow direction, a trailing edge on a downstream side of the working fluid in the flow direction, and a suction surface and a pressure surface reaching the trailing edge from the leading edge, and a shank portion for supporting the blade form portion. The blade also includes a partition for connecting the suction surface and the pressure surface in a hollow region of the blade-form portion, coolant paths formed by the partition, the suction surface, and the pressure surface, an impingement cooling hole formed in the partition for dividing the first path that is a flow path nearest to the leading edge side among the coolant paths and the second path adjacent to the first path, and first and second converter portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro MORISAKI, Hisato TAGAWA, Manabu YAGI, Yasuhiro HORIUCHI, Shinichi HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8613186
    Abstract: Provided in one embodiment is a two-shaft gas turbine that exhibits improved reliability, output power, and efficiency. The turbine operates stably by establishing a balance between the driving force of a compressor and the output power of a high-pressure turbine in the case where the two-shaft gas turbine is applied to a system, in which the flow rate of a fluid flowing into a combustor is higher than a simple cycle gas turbine. A portion of the fluid driving the high-pressure turbine is allowed to flow not into the high-pressure turbine but into a low-pressure turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Koganezawa, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuo Takahashi, Ryo Akiyama, Shinya Marushima
  • Patent number: 8438874
    Abstract: Motive power supply equipment for a natural gas liquefaction plant includes gas turbine equipment having a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for generating combustion gases by burning a fuel and the compressed air from the compressor, and a turbine rotated by the combustion gases from the combustor. A low-temperature heat source supply system is provided which, during rated load operation of the gas turbine equipment, supplies carbon dioxide as a cooling medium to the gas turbine equipment in order to cool the gas turbine equipment. The carbon dioxide supplied is generated by separation from the natural gas in the natural gas purification equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Koganezawa, Hidefumi Araki, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuhiro Horiuchi, Mutsumi Horitsugi
  • Patent number: 8366286
    Abstract: A lower surface and an upper surface are provided in a detection panel 2. Lower electrode layers 11a and 11b, a lower wiring pattern 15, and a lower land portion 13 formed on the lower surface are covered with upper shielding layers 28a and 28c of the upper surface, and an upper electrode layer 21, an upper wiring pattern 25, and an upper land portion 23 formed in the upper surface are covered with lower shielding layers 19a and 19b of the lower surface. Therefore, an effect of a decorative area shielding light may be enhanced, and thus an electrical shielding effect may further be exhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Takashi Asakawa, Shinichi Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20120275911
    Abstract: A gas turbine stator vane is effective for suppressing a secondary flow in a region sandwiched between a suction surface side and a pressure surface side, as well as for suppressing augmentation of a horseshoe-shaped vortex occurring near a leading edge of the vane. The stator vane includes a vane profile portion having a pressure surface concaved to a chord line of the vane, and a suction surface convexed to the chord line; an outer-circumferential end wall positioned at an outer circumferential side of the vane profile portion; and an inner-circumferential end wall positioned at an inner circumferential side of the vane profile portion. An outer-circumferential end wall inner surface that is an inner-circumferential surface of the outer-circumferential end wall has an inward convexed shape and an outward convexed shape, at the suction surface side of the vane profile portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiro Miyoshi, Shinichi Higuchi, Masami Noda
  • Publication number: 20120249451
    Abstract: A touch panel includes a transparent panel, a transparent electrode which is formed in a transparent input region on a first surface of the transparent panel, a decorative layer which is formed in a decorative region on the first surface, a wiring layer which is formed on a surface of the decorative layer, and a transparent conductive connection layer which electrically connects the wiring layer and the transparent electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120170283
    Abstract: A lower surface and an upper surface are provided in a detection panel 2. Lower electrode layers 11a and 11b, a lower wiring pattern 15, and a lower land portion 13 formed on the lower surface are covered with upper shielding layers 28a and 28c of the upper surface, and an upper electrode layer 21, an upper wiring pattern 25, and an upper land portion 23 formed in the upper surface are covered with lower shielding layers 19a and 19b of the lower surface. Therefore, an effect of a decorative area shielding light may be enhanced, and thus an electrical shielding effect may further be exhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi KOBAYASHI, Takashi ASAKAWA, Shinichi HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120075893
    Abstract: An inverter device overvoltage protection method that can appropriately protect an inverter device from an overvoltage condition is disclosed. When the DC voltage rises, and a DC voltage detection value exceeds a second DC voltage level, a protective circuit stops the inverter device by outputting an inhibit signal to a gate drive circuit, but it is assumed at this time that the rise of the DC voltage is temporary and no error output signal is output to the exterior of the inverter device. However, in the event that the DC voltage rises further while the inverter device is temporarily stopped, and the DC voltage detection value exceeds a first DC voltage level, it is determined that protection of the inverter device is necessary, and an error output signal is output to the exterior of the inverter device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120060509
    Abstract: An inner bleed structure of the 2-shaft gas turbine includes a slit for leading part of compressed air to a cavity is formed between a wall surface of a rotor wheel of the compressor equipped with a last stage rotor of the compressor which is connected to a first rotating shaft and end of an inner casing, and a bleed hole for leading part of compressed air after flowing down the last stage of the compressor to a cavity formed in the inner side of the inner casing at the downstream side of the last stage of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chihiro MYOREN, Ryou Akiyama, Shinya Marushima, Yasuo Takahashi, Shinichi Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7960875
    Abstract: There is provided a small-sized vibration generator that resonates at two different frequencies. A movable base is housed inside a case. The movable base has an installation plate, and supporting plates bent at right angles from both ends of the installation plate. A first elastically deformable portion is formed integrally with the installation plate, and a weight body is supported by the first elastically deformable portion. In the movable base, a second elastically deformable portion is provided between the installation plate and the supporting plates, and the supporting plates are fixed to supporting end plates of the case. The bending elastic modulus of the second elastically deformable portion is higher than the bending elastic modulus of the first elastically deformable portion, and resonates at two natural frequencies when a driving force is applied to the weight body by a magnetically-driven portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Higuchi
  • Patent number: 7950897
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Kizuka, Shinya Marushima, Masami Noda, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuhiro Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 7909564
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Kizuka, Shinya Marushima, Masami Noda, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuhiro Horiuchi
  • Publication number: 20100275644
    Abstract: A power supply equipment (71) for natural gas liquefaction plant that supplies power to a natural gas liquefaction plant for liquefying the natural gas having impurities separated by a natural gas purification equipment (70). The power supply equipment comprises an air compressor (74); a combustion unit (75) for burning fuel with compressed air from the compressor to thereby generate a combustion gas; a gas turbine equipment (72) having a turbine rotated by the combustion gas from the combustion unit; and a cold heat source supply system (85) for, during the rated load operation of the gas turbine equipment, supplying carbon dioxide separated from the natural gas by the natural gas purification equipment to the gas turbine equipment as a cooling medium for the gas turbine equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Tomomi Koganezawa, Hidefumi Araki, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuhiro Horiuchi, Mutsumi Horitsugi
  • Publication number: 20100229566
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a highly-reliable two-shaft gas turbine system in which the rotational speed of a compressor exceeds its rated rotational speed when the combustion temperature during rated operation is set to the rated combustion temperature of a simple-cycle gas turbine system and in which the drive force for the compressor can be balanced with the output from a high-pressure turbine without turbine efficiency being compromised. When the rotational speed of a compressor 1 exceeds its rated rotational speed on the condition that the combustion temperature during rated operation is set to the rated combustion temperature of a simple-cycle gas turbine system, part of the working fluid that drives turbines is diverged from a flow path that guides the working fluid to gas paths and used as a coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuo TAKAHASHI, Tomomi KOGANEZAWA, Shinichi HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20090320438
    Abstract: Provided is a two-shaft gas turbine with improved reliability that improves output power and efficiency and is stably operated by establishing a balance between the driving force of a compressor and the output power of a high-pressure turbine in the case where the two-shaft gas turbine is applied to a system in which the flow rate of fluid flowing into a combustor is increased compared with a simple cycle gas turbine. A portion of working fluid driving the high-pressure turbine is allowed to flow not into the high-pressure turbine but into a low-pressure turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Tomomi KOGANEZAWA, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuo Takahashi, Ryo Akiyama, Shinya Marushima
  • Publication number: 20090196738
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Nobuaki KIZUKA, Shinya MARUSHIMA, Masami NODA, Shinichi HIGUCHI, Yasuhiro HORIUCHI
  • Publication number: 20090185896
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Nobuaki KIZUKA, Shinya MARUSHIMA, Masami NODA, Shinichi HIGUCHI, Yasuhiro HORIUCHI
  • Patent number: 7507069
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Kizuka, Shinya Marushima, Masami Noda, Shinichi Higuchi, Yasuhiro Horiuchi