Patents by Inventor Tai Furuya
Tai Furuya 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: 7514813Abstract: A power supply system for supplying power to a load is provided. The system comprises power-line carriers for supplying power to the load, and a plurality of power supply units the outputs of which are parallelly connected to power-line carriers. Each of the power supply unit comprises a generator; an inverter for converting a voltage generated by the generator into an AC voltage and outputting the AC voltage; an inverter control unit for controlling the inverter, and a connection apparatus for connecting the AC voltage outputted from the inverter to the power-line carriers. The inverter controller comprises a load sharing adjuster for adjusting a shared load current supplied from the power supply unit, so that at least one of the power supply units in operation can operated at its rating condition, thereby realizing an efficiency operation.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2003Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Ebara Densan Ltd.Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Motoyasu Sato, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya, Seiichi Ishihara, Takahide Ozawa, Noboru Kinoshita, Shaojun Zheng
-
Patent number: 7233082Abstract: To provide an interconnecting power generation system which can detect an abnormality in the utility power supply and can be isolated from a utility power system and can prevent damage to a turbogenerator.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2003Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Ebara Densan Ltd.Inventors: Tai Furuya, Tadashi Kataoka, Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Motoyasu Sato, Takahide Ozawa, Shaojun Zheng, Seiichi Ishihara, Noboru Kinoshita
-
Patent number: 7143584Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus is provided which comprises a turbine, a combustor for burning a mixture of air and fuel and providing the turbine with a combustion gas to drive it, a generator connected to the turbine to receive rotational force therefrom to generate electric power, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of an exhaust gas from the turbine, a temperature setting unit and a power setting unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2003Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Patent number: 7093443Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus has a combustor 2 for combusting fuel to produce a combustion gas, a turbine 1 which is rotated by the combustion gas, an electric generator 5 coupled to the turbine 1, and a fuel flow control valve 10 configured to change an opening thereof The gas turbine apparatus includes a first PID processing unit 16 to adjust the opening of the fuel flow control valve 10 so as to maintain a rotational speed of the turbine 1 substantially at a constant value, and a second PID processing unit 17 to adjust the opening of the fuel flow control valve 10 so as to maintain a temperature of a discharged combustion gas at temperatures lower than a predetermined temperature. The gas turbine apparatus has an electric power controller 21 to control electric power to be generated by the electric generator 5 based on output values of the first PID processing unit 16 and the second PID processing unit 17.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2003Date of Patent: August 22, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20060108988Abstract: A power supply system for supplying power to a load is provided. The system comprises power-line carriers for supplying power to the load, and a plurality of power supply units the outputs of which are parallelly connected to power-line carriers. Each of the power supply unit comprises a generator; an inverter for converting a voltage generated by the generator into an AC voltage and outputting the AC voltage; an inverter control unit for controlling the inverter, and a connection apparatus for connecting the AC voltage outputted from the inverter to the power-line carriers. The inverter controller comprises a load sharing adjuster for adjusting a shared load current supplied from the power supply unit, so that at least one of the power supply units in operation can operated at its rating condition, thereby realizing an efficiency operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2003Publication date: May 25, 2006Applicants: Ebara Corporation, Ebara Densan Ltd.Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Motoyasu Sato, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya, Seiichi Ishihara, Takahide Ozawa, Noboru Kinoshita, Shaojun Zheng
-
Patent number: 7000405Abstract: A gas turbine starting method, comprising the steps of rotatively driving a turbine by a motor coupled to the turbine, while at the same time supplying a compressed air to a combustor by an air compressor operating in interlocking motion with the turbine, starting a fuel supply to the combustor when a revolution speed of the turbine has reached up to a predetermined value, and simultaneously starting an igniting operation on an air-fuel mixture in the combustor, wherein at least during the igniting operation to the air-fuel mixture in the combustor, a quantity of fuel supply per unit time to the combustor is increased while increasing the revolution speed of the turbine, to thereby ensuring the ignition of the air-fuel mixture under various conditions, and depressing the temperature rise of the gas turbine, which may otherwise occur immediately after the ignition.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2003Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Patent number: 6979914Abstract: A power generating apparatus has a power generator 4 for generating AC power, a gas turbine engine 2 for driving the power generator 4, and an inverter device 5 for converting the AC power into commercial AC power. The power generating apparatus includes an interconnection switch S1 for connecting an output of the inverter device 5 with a commercial AC power supply system, a first voltage detector 46 for detecting a DC power supply voltage Vdc-in of the inverter device 5, and a second voltage detector 33, 45 for detecting a full-wave rectification voltage of the commercial AC power supply system. The power generating apparatus also includes an interconnection control part 18 for closing the interconnection switch S1 when the DC power supply voltage of the inverter device 5 exceeds the full-wave rectification voltage of the commercial AC power supply system.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2004Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Ebara Densan Ltd.Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tai Furuya, Tadashi Kataoka, Motoyasu Sato, Seiichi Ishihara, Takahide Ozawa, Noboru Kinoshita, Shaojun Zheng
-
Patent number: 6978597Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus is provided wherein a turbine is driven or rotated by burning a mixture of a fuel and compressed air and supplying a combustion gas generated by the combustion. A flameout determination unit is provided in the apparatus which is adapted to calculate the air/fuel ratio in the air/fuel mixture, correct the calculated air/fuel ratio to calculate a corrected air/fuel ratio which is substantially constant, compare the calculated corrected air/fuel ratio with a predetermined reference air/fuel ratio, and generate a signal indicative of occurrence of a flameout when the corrected air/fuel ratio is smaller than the reference air/fuel ratio.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2003Date of Patent: December 27, 2005Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Patent number: 6847129Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a turbine generation system in which a starting inverter circuit for starting a turbine generator is additionally employed so that the system comprises a high-power generation inverter and the starting inverter with low-power, thereby utilizing the inverter for multiple purposes. To this end, the present invention comprises an inverter control circuit for deactivating a pulse-width modulation inverter for generation connected to a turbine generator, and first switching means for connecting an internal power supply to the turbine generator, wherein the inverter control circuit controls the starting inverter to supply the turbine generator with power to drive it up to a purge speed and accelerate it to a predetermined starting speed.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2002Date of Patent: January 25, 2005Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Terence McKelvey, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040264089Abstract: To provide an interconnecting power generation system which can detect an abnormality in the utility power supply and can be isolated from a utility power system and can prevent damage to a turbogenerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2003Publication date: December 30, 2004Applicants: EBARA CORPORATION, EBARA DENSAN LTD.Inventors: Tai Furuya, Tadashi Kataoka, Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Motoyasu Sato, Takahide Ozawa, Shaojun Zheng, Seiichi Ishihara, Noboru Kinoshita
-
Publication number: 20040237537Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus is provided which comprises a turbine, a combustor for burning a mixture of air and fuel and providing the turbine with a combustion gas to drive it, a generator connected to the turbine to receive rotational force therefrom to generate electric power, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of an exhaust gas from the turbine, a temperature setting unit and a power setting unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040237538Abstract: A gas turbine starting method, comprising the steps of rotatively driving a turbine by a motor coupled to the turbine, while at the same time supplying a compressed air to a combustor by an air compressor operating in interlocking motion with the turbine, starting a fuel supply to the combustor when a revolution speed of the turbine has reached up to a predetermined value, and simultaneously starting an igniting operation on an air-fuel mixture in the combustor, wherein at least during the igniting operation to the air-fuel mixture in the combustor, a quantity of fuel supply per unit time to the combustor is increased while increasing the revolution speed of the turbine, to thereby ensuring the ignition of the air-fuel mixture under various conditions, and depressing the temperature rise of the gas turbine, which may otherwise occur immediately after the ignition.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040222640Abstract: A power generating apparatus has a power generator 4 for generating AC power, a gas turbine engine 2 for driving the power generator 4, and an inverter device 5 for converting the AC power into commercial AC power. The power generating apparatus includes an interconnection switch S1 for connecting an output of the inverter device 5 with a commercial AC power supply system, a first voltage detector 46 for detecting a DC power supply voltage Vdc-in of the inverter device 5, and a second voltage detector 33, 45 for detecting a full-wave rectification voltage of the commercial AC power supply system. The power generating apparatus also includes an interconnection control part 18 for closing the interconnection switch S1 when the DC power supply voltage of the inverter device 5 exceeds the full-wave rectification voltage of the commercial AC power supply system.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2004Publication date: November 11, 2004Applicants: EBARA CORPORATION, Ebara Densan Ltd.Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tai Furuya, Tadashi Kataoka, Motoyasu Sato, Seiichi Ishihara, Takahide Ozawa, Noboru Kinoshita, Shaojun Zheng
-
Publication number: 20040200206Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus is provided wherein a turbine is driven or rotated by burning a mixture of a fuel and compressed air and supplying a combustion gas generated by the combustion. A flameout determination unit is provided in the apparatus which is adapted to calculate the air/fuel ratio in the air/fuel mixture, correct the calculated air/fuel ratio to calculate a corrected air/fuel ratio which is substantially constant, compare the calculated corrected air/fuel ratio with a predetermined reference air/fuel ratio, and generate a signal indicative of occurrence of a flameout when the corrected air/fuel ratio is smaller than the reference air/fuel ratio.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Inventors: Terrence McKelvey, Fishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040200207Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus is provided which prevents a sudden rise in temperature in the event of changing a speed such as upon start-up, thereby obviating a reduction in lifetime. The apparatus comprises a rotational speed control unit, acceleration control unit, low signal selector, and an opening operating unit. The rotational speed control unit receives a current rotational speed and a predetermined target rotational speed of a turbine, and processes them to output a control signal indicative of an opening degree of a fuel control valve to make the turbine rotate at the target rotational speed. The target rotational speed is set as a predetermined downwardly convex monotone increasing function having an elapsed time as a variable during a start-up period to rated condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040119293Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus has a combustor 2 for combusting fuel to produce a combustion gas, a turbine 1 which is rotated by the combustion gas, an electric generator 5 coupled to the turbine 1, and a fuel flow control valve 10 configured to change an opening thereof The gas turbine apparatus includes a first PID processing unit 16 to adjust the opening of the fuel flow control valve 10 so as to maintain a rotational speed of the turbine 1 substantially at a constant value, and a second PID processing unit 17 to adjust the opening of the fuel flow control valve 10 so as to maintain a temperature of a discharged combustion gas at temperatures lower than a predetermined temperature. The gas turbine apparatus has an electric power controller 21 to control electric power to be generated by the electric generator 5 based on output values of the first PID processing unit 16 and the second PID processing unit 17.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2003Publication date: June 24, 2004Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Terence McKelvey, Eishi Marui, Masahiro Miyamoto, Tadashi Kataoka, Tai Furuya
-
Publication number: 20040080164Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a turbine generation system in which a starting inverter circuit for starting a turbine generator is additionally employed so that the system comprises a high-power generation inverter and the starting inverter with low-power, thereby utilizing the inverter for multiple purposes. To this end, the present invention comprises an inverter control circuit for deactivating a pulse-width modulation inverter for generation connected to a turbine generator, and first switching means for connecting an internal power supply to the turbine generator, wherein the inverter control circuit controls the starting inverter to supply the turbine generator with power to drive it up to a purge speed and accelerate it to a predetermined starting speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Inventors: Terence McKelvey, Tai Furuya
-
Patent number: 5950442Abstract: The air conditioning system can lower the cost by saving the energy through the use of a combination of a circulation type unit and outdoor air intake type unit, as well as simplification of mechanical arrangements. The air conditioning system comprises a first air conditioning unit for processing outdoor air and introducing processed outdoor air into indoors while discharging indoor air to outside; and a second air conditioning unit for processing indoor air while circulating the indoor air. The first air conditioning unit comprises: a desiccant device for adsorbing moisture from the outdoor air and being regenerated by the indoor air to be discharged; and a heat pump device functioning as a heat source for regenerating the desiccant device. A high temperature heat source of the heat pump device is used for heating regeneration air and a low temperature heat source of the heat pump device is used for cooling the outdoor air.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1997Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kensaku Maeda, Tai Furuya, Hiroyasu Nowatari
-
Patent number: 5950447Abstract: A desiccant assisted air conditioning system, incorporating desiccant members in each of separate passages for process air and regeneration air, is presented to significantly improve the cooling efficiency to utilize the low and high temperature heat sources of a heat pump device. While one desiccant is dehumidifying so that moisture in the process air is being adsorbed in the one passage while the regeneration air is removing moisture from the desiccant in the other passage. The combined effect of this arrangement enables to produce cooling effect in excess of the cooling capacity of the heat pump device, and to achieve a significantly higher energy efficiency for operating the air conditioning system.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 1997Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kensaku Maeda, Tai Furuya, Hiroyasu Nowatari
-
Patent number: 4645419Abstract: A centrifugal compressor having an improved efficiency is constructed by providing a diffusion channel and vanes downstream of a diffuser, the diffusion channel being coupled to the diffuser through a U-turn channel, the outlet side passage of the U-turn channel being made larger than the inlet side passage and the kinetic energy being recovered at the diffusion channel. Further improvement is achieved by providing guide vanes in the U-turn channel.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 1985Date of Patent: February 24, 1987Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Tai Furuya, Keiji Koike