Patents by Inventor Takao Kuroiwa
Takao Kuroiwa 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).
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Patent number: 11480156Abstract: A method of evaluating quality of a wind turbine blade which has a hollow structure where an interior space of the wind turbine blade is surrounded by an outer skin which includes a laminated body includes: setting a scanning line on at least a part of an inner wall surface or an outer wall surface of the outer skin; and moving an ultrasound probe along the scanning line; generating a cross-sectional image corresponding to the scanning line, on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe or a reflection echo to detect an indication whose echo level is greater than a first threshold; obtaining an inclination of the indication with respect to a reference line as a first parameter; and evaluating the lifetime or the breakage risk of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the first parameter.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2019Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Takao Kuroiwa, Kouji Esaki, Kentaro Shindo, Masakazu Kamibayashi
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Patent number: 11118563Abstract: A wind turbine blade is reinforced while suppressing possible stress concentration resulting from a load imposed on a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade in a flap direction. The wind turbine blade includes a blade main body extending from the blade root portion toward a blade tip portion and an FRP reinforcing layer formed so as to cover at least a part of the outer surface of the blade root portion of the blade main body. The FRP reinforcing layer includes a plurality of laminated fiber layers and a resin with which the plurality of fiber layers is impregnated. The FRP reinforcing layer is formed such that, in a cross section along a longitudinal direction of the blade main body, both ends of the plurality of laminated fiber layers in the longitudinal direction are tapered.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2018Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yasutaka Kimura, Takao Kuroiwa, Keisuke Ota
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Patent number: 10697440Abstract: A method of detecting a damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor includes: a light input step of inputting light into a fiber-optic sensor mounted to the wind turbine blade; a light detection step of detecting reflection light from the grating portion; an obtaining step of obtaining a wavelength fluctuation index representing a fluctuation amount of a wavelength of the reflection light detected in the light detection step; and a detection step. The detection step includes detecting the presence or the absence of the damage of the wind turbine blade based on the wavelength fluctuation index taking account of a correlation between the wavelength fluctuation index of the wind turbine blade and a load index related to a load applied to the wind turbine blade, or a correlation between the wavelength fluctuation index and a temperature index related to a temperature of the wind turbine blade.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2017Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yoshikatsu Ikawa, Katsuhiko Takita, Takao Kuroiwa, Mitsuya Baba, Kazunari Ide, Takuya Koyanagi
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Publication number: 20200124031Abstract: A method of evaluating quality of a wind turbine blade which has a hollow structure where an interior space of the wind turbine blade is surrounded by an outer skin which includes a laminated body includes: setting a scanning line on at least a part of an inner wall surface or an outer wall surface of the outer skin; and moving an ultrasound probe along the scanning line; generating a cross-sectional image corresponding to the scanning line, on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe or a reflection echo to detect an indication whose echo level is greater than a first threshold; obtaining an inclination of the indication with respect to a reference line as a first parameter; and evaluating the lifetime or the breakage risk of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the first parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Inventors: Takao KUROIWA, Kouji ESAKI, Kentaro SHINDO, Masakazu KAMIBAYASHI
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Patent number: 10514022Abstract: A wind turbine blade is reinforced while suppressing possible stress concentration resulting from a load imposed on a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade in a flap direction. The wind turbine blade includes a blade main body extending from the blade root portion toward a blade tip portion and an FRP reinforcing layer formed so as to cover at least a part of the outer surface of the blade root portion of the blade main body. The FRP reinforcing layer includes a plurality of laminated fiber layers and a resin with which the plurality of fiber layers is impregnated. The FRP reinforcing layer is formed such that, in a cross section along a longitudinal direction of the blade main body, both ends of the plurality of laminated fiber layers in the longitudinal direction are tapered.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yasutaka Kimura, Takao Kuroiwa, Keisuke Ota
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Patent number: 10213996Abstract: An anti-wear sheet for improving anti-wear performance of an object to be protected includes: a release film; a resin layer disposed on the release film and including photo-curable resin and hard particles supported by the photo-curable resin; and a light-shielding film disposed on an opposite side of the resin layer from the release film.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2014Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., FUJI RESIN CO., LTD.Inventors: Kentaro Shindo, Takao Kuroiwa, Hidehiko Gensui, Manabu Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 10167853Abstract: A method for detecting damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor having at least one wind turbine blade comprises: a light incident step of allowing light to enter an optical fiber sensor being mounted on each of the wind turbine blade and having a diffraction grating part having a refractive index which is periodically varied in a longitudinal direction of the diffraction grating part; a light detection step of detecting reflected light from the diffraction grating part; an obtaining step of obtaining, from a temporal change of a wavelength of the reflected light received in the light receiving step, a wavelength variation index representing a variation amount of the wavelength; and a damage determination step of determining presence or absence of a damage of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the wavelength variation index calculated in the obtaining step.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Kazunari Ide, Katsuhiko Takita, Takao Kuroiwa, Mitsuya Baba, Hiroshi Nishino, Takuya Koyanagi
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Publication number: 20180306167Abstract: A wind turbine blade is reinforced while suppressing possible stress concentration resulting from a load imposed on a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade in a flap direction. The wind turbine blade includes a blade main body extending from the blade root portion toward a blade tip portion and an FRP reinforcing layer formed so as to cover at least a part of the outer surface of the blade root portion of the blade main body. The FRP reinforcing layer includes a plurality of laminated fiber layers and a resin with which the plurality of fiber layers is impregnated. The FRP reinforcing layer is formed such that, in a cross section along a longitudinal direction of the blade main body, both ends of the plurality of laminated fiber layers in the longitudinal direction are tapered.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: Yasutaka KIMURA, Takao KUROIWA, Keisuke OTA
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Publication number: 20180230971Abstract: A method of detecting a damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor includes: a light input step of inputting light into a fiber-optic sensor mounted to the wind turbine blade; a light detection step of detecting reflection light from the grating portion; an obtaining step of obtaining a wavelength fluctuation index representing a fluctuation amount of a wavelength of the reflection light detected in the light detection step; and a detection step. The detection step includes detecting the presence or the absence of the damage of the wind turbine blade based on the wavelength fluctuation index taking account of a correlation between the wavelength fluctuation index of the wind turbine blade and a load index related to a load applied to the wind turbine blade, or a correlation between the wavelength fluctuation index and a temperature index related to a temperature of the wind turbine blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: Yoshikatsu IKAWA, Katsuhiko TAKITA, Takao KUROIWA, Mitsuya BABA, Kazunari IDE, Takuya KOYANAGI
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Publication number: 20180223799Abstract: A wind turbine blade is reinforced while suppressing possible stress concentration resulting from a load imposed on a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade in a flap direction. The wind turbine blade includes a blade main body extending from the blade root portion toward a blade tip portion and an FRP reinforcing layer formed so as to cover at least a part of the outer surface of the blade root portion of the blade main body. The FRP reinforcing layer includes a plurality of laminated fiber layers and a resin with which the plurality of fiber layers is impregnated. The FRP reinforcing layer is formed such that, in a cross section along a longitudinal direction of the blade main body, both ends of the plurality of laminated fiber layers in the longitudinal direction are tapered.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2017Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: Yasutaka KIMURA, Takao KUROIWA, Keisuke OTA
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Publication number: 20180223793Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine blade, with which effective reinforcement against possible flexural deformation in a longitudinal direction is realized, and a reinforcing method for the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade includes a hollow blade main body having a cylindrical blade root portion and extending from the blade root portion along a blade length direction, and a reinforcing plate provided in contact with an inside surface of the blade root portion and formed of an elongated member having a dimension along the blade length direction that is larger than a dimension along a circumferential direction of the blade root portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2017Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: Yasutaka KIMURA, Takao KUROIWA, Kouji ESAKI, Toshiyuki HIRANO, Kentaro SHINDO, Takeshi FUJITA, Keisuke OTA
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Patent number: 10041471Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine blade, with which effective reinforcement against possible flexural deformation in a longitudinal direction is realized, and a reinforcing method for the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade includes a hollow blade main body having a cylindrical blade root portion and extending from the blade root portion along a blade length direction, and a reinforcing plate provided in contact with an inside surface of the blade root portion and formed of an elongated member having a dimension along the blade length direction that is larger than a dimension along a circumferential direction of the blade root portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yasutaka Kimura, Takao Kuroiwa, Kouji Esaki, Toshiyuki Hirano, Kentaro Shindo, Takeshi Fujita, Keisuke Ota
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Publication number: 20160354999Abstract: An anti-wear sheet for improving anti-wear performance of an object to be protected includes: a release film; a resin layer disposed on the release film and including photo-curable resin and hard particles supported by the photo-curable resin; and a light-shielding film disposed on an opposite side of the resin layer from the release film.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2014Publication date: December 8, 2016Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., FUJI RESIN CO., LTD.Inventors: Kentaro SHINDO, Takao KUROIWA, Hidehiko GENSUI, Manabu YAMAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20160245262Abstract: A method for detecting damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor having at least one wind turbine blade comprises: a light incident step of allowing light to enter an optical fiber sensor being mounted on each of the wind turbine blade and having a diffraction grating part having a refractive index which is periodically varied in a longitudinal direction of the diffraction grating part; a light detection step of detecting reflected light from the diffraction grating part; an obtaining step of obtaining, from a temporal change of a wavelength of the reflected light received in the light receiving step, a wavelength variation index representing a variation amount of the wavelength; and a damage determination step of determining presence or absence of a damage of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the wavelength variation index calculated in the obtaining step.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2015Publication date: August 25, 2016Inventors: Kazunari IDE, Katsuhiko TAKITA, Takao KUROIWA, Mitsuya BABA, Hiroshi NISHINO, Takuya KOYANAGI
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Patent number: 9327456Abstract: It is intended to provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced base material, which is capable of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced base material of high quality while preventing generation of defects such as wrinkles during stacking of the base material sheet. The method for manufacturing the fiber-reinforced base material formed by stacking a base material sheet including a reinforcement fiber onto a mold having a double-curved surface shape, includes steps of: supplying the base material sheet onto the mold from a base material roll while applying distribution varying in a width direction (X direction) to a length of the base material sheet in a sheet-supplying direction of the base material sheet (Y direction) in correspondence with the double-curved surface shape of the mold; and applying pressure to the base material sheet in contact with the mold.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Kentaro Shindo, Takao Kuroiwa, Kouji Esaki
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Publication number: 20150240788Abstract: A method for detecting a damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor including a plurality of wind turbine blades includes: a strain data acquiring step of acquiring strain data representing strain of each of the plurality of wind turbine blades; a difference calculation step of calculating a difference between the strain data of a detection target wind turbine blade which is one of the wind turbine blades and a reference value reflecting the strain data of at least one comparison target wind turbine blade of other wind turbine blades; and a detection step of detecting the damage of the detection target wind turbine blade based on a trend of the difference calculated in the difference calculation step.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2014Publication date: August 27, 2015Inventors: Hiroyuki KAYAMA, Takao KUROIWA, Keisuke OTA, Yoshiyuki HAYASHI
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Patent number: 8789275Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a spar cap disposed between layers constituting an outer skin or disposed on an inner side of the outer skin and a method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade are provided, wherein in manufacture of the wind turbine blade, generation of manufacturing defects, such as misalignment and wrinkles in fabrics, can be suppressed and the time required for repairing the defects as well as for laminating the layers can be reduced. In the method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade having the spar cap as a main structural member of the blade disposed between the layers constituting the outer skin or disposed on the inner side of the outer skin, the spar cap is formed as a separate piece from the outer skin, and the spar cap, dry fiber fabrics for the layers constituting the outer skin, and a sandwich core member are collectively impregnated with resin under a vacuum process.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2009Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kouji Esaki, Takao Kuroiwa, Nozomu Kawasetsu, Kentaro Shindo, Toru Matsuo
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Patent number: 8739612Abstract: A wind turbine blade used in a wind power generator that receives wind and rotates a rotating shaft of a generator includes at least two layers on a surface of a blade body, one of the layers being colored with a coating material different in color from the blade body and the rest of the layers. The layers are provided at least on a tip, particularly at a front edge of the wind turbine blade. A wind turbine blade monitoring system that monitors the wind turbine blade includes: an imaging unit that images the wind turbine blade in a predetermined position over a predetermined period at timing when the wind turbine blade passes through the predetermined position; and an indication unit that chronologically indicates imaging results of the wind turbine blade imaged by the imaging means.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2013Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Masaya Kawano, Noriyuki Hayashi, Takao Kuroiwa, Nobuyasu Nakamura
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Patent number: 8734110Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a lightning protection function includes an outer shell, a spar arranged in a space inside the outer shell, a spar cap which is formed by a carbon-fiber plastic laminated member disposed on a blade root side and a glass-fiber plastic laminated member disposed on a blade tip side that are connected together, the spar cap supporting the spar to the outer shell, and a lightning protection unit. The lightning protection unit includes a receptor for receiving lightning which is provided in the outer shell on a side where the glass-fiber plastic laminated member is arranged, a down conductor which directs lightning current received by the receptor into the ground or the water, and a conductive metal member which covers the outer shell on a side where the carbon fiber plastic laminated member is arranged.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Takao Kuroiwa, Hideyasu Fujioka
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Patent number: 8700362Abstract: A designing method of a wind turbine rotor includes: providing operation environment data indicative of an operation environment of a wind turbine generator including the wind turbine rotor and design data of the wind turbine blade; calculating a position of a center of mass of the wind turbine blade in each position in a lengthwise direction of the wind turbine blade in the operation environment from the operation environment data and the design data; and calculating an evaluation value which is a value depending on an integral value obtained by integrating a product of the calculated position of the center of mass of the blade and a mass per unit length at each position in a lengthwise direction of the wind turbine blade from a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade to a blade tip end of the same.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2010Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hideyasu Fujioka, Akihiro Nakamura, Takao Kuroiwa, Yoshiyuki Hayashi, Yoshihiko Hayashi