Patents by Inventor Taiichiro SAKAMOTO

Taiichiro SAKAMOTO 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: 11081709
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; an electric power generation raw material supply unit; a reforming material supply unit configured to supply at least one of reforming water and reforming air, to the reformer; an oxidizing gas supply unit to supply an oxidizing gas to a cathode of the fuel cell; a combustor to ignite an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and a controller. In an operation stop process of the fuel cell system, the controller causes the oxidizing gas supply unit to supply the oxidizing gas, causes the electric power generation raw material supply unit and the reforming material supply unit to intermittently supply the electric power generation raw material and at least one of the water and the air to the reformer, and causes the ignitor to perform an ignition operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: PANASONIC CORPORATION, MORIMURA SOFC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigenori Onuma, Kunihiro Ukai, Hiroshi Shirahama, Takeshi Saito, Yosuke Akagi, Taiichiro Sakamoto, Toshiharu Ooe, Toshiharu Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20200328436
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; an electric power generation raw material supply unit; a reforming material supply unit configured to supply at least one of reforming water and reforming air, to the reformer; an oxidizing gas supply unit to supply an oxidizing gas to a cathode of the fuel cell; a combustor to ignite an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and a controller. In an operation stop process of the fuel cell system, the controller causes the oxidizing gas supply unit to supply the oxidizing gas, causes the electric power generation raw material supply unit and the reforming material supply unit to intermittently supply the electric power generation raw material and at least one of the water and the air to the reformer, and causes the ignitor to perform an ignition operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Shigenori ONUMA, Kunihiro UKAI, Hiroshi SHIRAHAMA, Takeshi SAITO, Yosuke AKAGI, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OOE, Toshiharu OTSUKA
  • Patent number: 10741858
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; an electric power generation raw material supply unit; a reforming material supply unit configured to supply at least one of reforming water and reforming air, to the reformer; an oxidizing gas supply unit to supply an oxidizing gas to a cathode of the fuel cell; a combustor to ignite an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and a controller. In an operation stop process of the fuel cell system, the controller causes the oxidizing gas supply unit to supply the oxidizing gas, causes the electric power generation raw material supply unit and the reforming material supply unit to intermittently supply the electric power generation raw material and at least one of the water and the air to the reformer, and causes the ignitor to perform an ignition operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: PANASONIC CORPORATION, MORIMURA SOFC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigenori Onuma, Kunihiro Ukai, Hiroshi Shirahama, Takeshi Saito, Yosuke Akagi, Taiichiro Sakamoto, Toshiharu Ooe, Toshiharu Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10629926
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: an igniting portion configured to ignite a raw material when starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system; a raw material supply portion configured to supply the raw material; a reforming air supply portion configured to supply reforming air; and an electric power generation air supply portion configured to supply electric power generation air. When starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system, the raw material supply portion supplies the raw material, and the electric power generation air supply portion supplies the electric power generation air. The igniting portion ignites the raw material. After the ignition, the reforming air supply portion supplies the reforming air. With this, the safety can be increased in consideration of characteristics in respective phases from the start-up of the solid oxide fuel cell system until the electric power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Sakai, Tatsuo Fujita, Kunihiro Ukai, Takashi Kakuwa, Taiichiro Sakamoto, Toshiharu Ooe
  • Publication number: 20180375126
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: an igniting portion configured to ignite a raw material when starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system; a raw material supply portion configured to supply the raw material; a reforming air supply portion configured to supply reforming air; and an electric power generation air supply portion configured to supply electric power generation air. When starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system, the raw material supply portion supplies the raw material, and the electric power generation air supply portion supplies the electric power generation air. The igniting portion ignites the raw material. After the ignition, the reforming air supply portion supplies the reforming air. With this, the safety can be increased in consideration of characteristics in respective phases from the start-up of the solid oxide fuel cell system until the electric power generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Osamu SAKAI, Tatsuo FUJITA, Kunihiro UKAI, Takashi KAKUWA, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OOE
  • Patent number: 10096851
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit including a solid oxide fuel cell and a mixer, the solid oxide fuel cell including an anode gas passage and a cathode gas passage, the mixer mixing an anode off gas discharged from the anode gas passage and a cathode off gas discharged from the cathode gas passage; a power-generating raw material supply device operative to supply a power-generating raw material to the fuel cell unit; a combustible gas passage, which extends from the power-generating raw material supply device to a downstream end of the anode gas passage; an oxidizing gas supply device operative to supply an oxidizing gas to the cathode gas passage; and a controller operative to, after electric power generation by the fuel cell unit is stopped, control the power-generating raw material supply device to supply the power-generating raw material in a volume more than or equal to a volume of the combustible gas passage to the combustible gas passage, and concurrently control the oxidizing g
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: PANASONIC CORPORATION, TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kaneko, Shigenori Onuma, Kunihiro Ukai, Akinori Yukimasa, Hiroshi Shirahama, Toshiharu Otsuka, Hiromi Kita, Taiichiro Sakamoto, Toshiharu Ooe
  • Patent number: 10096849
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: an igniting portion configured to ignite a raw material when starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system; a raw material supply portion configured to supply the raw material; a reforming air supply portion configured to supply reforming air; and an electric power generation air supply portion configured to supply electric power generation air. When starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system, the raw material supply portion supplies the raw material, and the electric power generation air supply portion supplies the electric power generation air. The igniting portion ignites the raw material. After the ignition, the reforming air supply portion supplies the reforming air. With this, the safety can be increased in consideration of characteristics in respective phases from the start-up of the solid oxide fuel cell system until the electric power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Sakai, Tatsuo Fujita, Kunihiro Ukai, Takashi Kakuwa, Taiichiro Sakamoto, Toshiharu Ooe
  • Publication number: 20180145347
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer to generate reformed gas; a solid-oxide fuel cell to generate electric power; a fuel collecting portion provided adjacent to the solid-oxide fuel cell, the reformed gas remaining after the reaction of the solid-oxide fuel cell being collected at the fuel collecting portion; an air flow-through portion; a combustor to mix the reformed gas discharged from a fuel jetting opening of the fuel collecting portion with the air flowing through the air flow-through portion, to combust the reformed gas and operative to mix the reformed gas discharged from a fuel jetting opening of the fuel collecting portion with the air flowing through the air flow-through portion, to combust the reformed gas; and a covering body provided so as to block flow of the air in a direction from the air flow-through portion toward the combustor along the reformer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Takashi KAKUWA, Tatsuo FUJITA, Toshiharu OOE, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OTSUKA, Naoki WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170250418
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; an electric power generation raw material supply unit; a reforming material supply unit configured to supply at least one of reforming water and reforming air, to the reformer; an oxidizing gas supply unit to supply an oxidizing gas to a cathode of the fuel cell; a combustor to ignite an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and a controller. In an operation stop process of the fuel cell system, the controller causes the oxidizing gas supply unit to supply the oxidizing gas, causes the electric power generation raw material supply unit and the reforming material supply unit to intermittently supply the electric power generation raw material and at least one of the water and the air to the reformer, and causes the ignitor to perform an ignition operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Shigenori ONUMA, Kunihiro UKAI, Hiroshi SHIRAHAMA, Takeshi SAITO, Yosuke AKAGI, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OOE, Toshiharu OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20170092969
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell unit including a solid oxide fuel cell and a mixer, the solid oxide fuel cell including an anode gas passage and a cathode gas passage, the mixer mixing an anode off gas discharged from the anode gas passage and a cathode off gas discharged from the cathode gas passage; a power-generating raw material supply device operative to supply a power-generating raw material to the fuel cell unit; a combustible gas passage, which extends from the power-generating raw material supply device to a downstream end of the anode gas passage; an oxidizing gas supply device operative to supply an oxidizing gas to the cathode gas passage; and a controller operative to, after electric power generation by the fuel cell unit is stopped, control the power-generating raw material supply device to supply the power-generating raw material in a volume more than or equal to a volume of the combustible gas passage to the combustible gas passage, and concurrently control the oxidizing g
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Yasushi KANEKO, Shigenori ONUMA, Kunihiro UKAI, Akinori YUKIMASA, Hiroshi SHIRAHAMA, Toshiharu OTSUKA, Hiromi KITA, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OOE
  • Publication number: 20160293981
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: an igniting portion configured to ignite a raw material when starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system; a raw material supply portion configured to supply the raw material; a reforming air supply portion configured to supply reforming air; and an electric power generation air supply portion configured to supply electric power generation air. When starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system, the raw material supply portion supplies the raw material, and the electric power generation air supply portion supplies the electric power generation air. The igniting portion ignites the raw material. After the ignition, the reforming air supply portion supplies the reforming air. With this, the safety can be increased in consideration of characteristics in respective phases from the start-up of the solid oxide fuel cell system until the electric power generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Osamu SAKAI, Tatsuo FUJITA, Kunihiro UKAI, Takashi KAKUWA, Taiichiro SAKAMOTO, Toshiharu OOE