Patents by Inventor Shirohiko OKAMOTO

Shirohiko OKAMOTO 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: 10605123
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device includes: a circulation line having an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, and a pump; a power recovery machine; a first on-off valve; a thermal energy introduction line configured to introduce a gas phase working medium into a post-expansion space; a second on-off valve; and a control unit. Until an evaporation condition that a liquid phase working medium accumulated in the post-expansion space has reached an amount equal to or smaller than a reference amount is met, the control unit closes the first on-off valve and opens the second on-off valve, and drives the pump in a state where the expander is stopped, and when the evaporation condition is met, the control unit opens the first on-off valve and closes the second on-off valve, and drives the expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Tsuboi, Masayoshi Matsumura, Shigeto Adachi, Eiji Kanki, Shirohiko Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10060298
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device capable of suppressing a rapid increase of thermal stress generated in an evaporator when the operation is started and a start-up method thereof are provided. The thermal energy recovery device includes an evaporator, a preheater, an energy recovery unit, a circulating flow path, a pump, a heating medium flow path for supplying a heating medium to the evaporator and the preheater, a flow adjustment unit provided in a portion on the upstream side than the evaporator within the heating medium flow path, and a control unit. The control unit controls the flow adjustment unit so that the inflow amount of the heating medium in a gas-phase to the evaporator gradually increases, in a state that the pump is stopped, until the temperature of the evaporator becomes a specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Takahashi, Shigeto Adachi, Yutaka Narukawa, Eiji Kanki, Shirohiko Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20170298780
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device includes: a circulation line having an evaporator, an expander, a condenser, and a pump; a power recovery machine; a first on-off valve; a thermal energy introduction line configured to introduce a gas phase working medium into a post-expansion space; a second on-off valve; and a control unit. Until an evaporation condition that a liquid phase working medium accumulated in the post-expansion space has reached an amount equal to or smaller than a reference amount is met, the control unit closes the first on-off valve and opens the second on-off valve, and drives the pump in a state where the expander is stopped, and when the evaporation condition is met, the control unit opens the first on-off valve and closes the second on-off valve, and drives the expander.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Noboru TSUBOI, Masayoshi Matsumura, Shigeto Adachi, Eiji KANKI, Shirohiko OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170016353
    Abstract: A thermal energy recovery device capable of suppressing a rapid increase of thermal stress generated in an evaporator when the operation is started and a start-up method thereof are provided. The thermal energy recovery device includes an evaporator, a preheater, an energy recovery unit, a circulating flow path, a pump, a heating medium flow path for supplying a heating medium to the evaporator and the preheater, a flow adjustment unit provided in a portion on the upstream side than the evaporator within the heating medium flow path, and a control unit. The control unit controls the flow adjustment unit so that the inflow amount of the heating medium in a gas-phase to the evaporator gradually increases, in a state that the pump is stopped, until the temperature of the evaporator becomes a specified value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Kazuo TAKAHASHI, Shigeto ADACHI, Yutaka NARUKAWA, Eiji KANKI, Shirohiko OKAMOTO