Patents by Inventor Takashi Shigehisa

Takashi Shigehisa 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: 11658326
    Abstract: A cell stack device includes a cell stack, a holding member, and a positive electrode terminal. The cell stack is constructed by stacking a plurality of cells. The holding member holds the cells. The positive electrode terminal functions as a positive electrode when power generated by the cell stack is output to the outside. The potential of the positive electrode terminal is not more than that of the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Shigehisa
  • Publication number: 20220271319
    Abstract: A cell stack device includes a cell stack, a holding member, and a positive electrode terminal. The cell stack is constructed by stacking a plurality of cells. The holding member holds the cells. The positive electrode terminal functions as a positive electrode when power generated by the cell stack is output to the outside. The potential of the positive electrode terminal is not more than that of the holding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventor: Takashi SHIGEHISA
  • Patent number: 10236525
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a control unit which instructs a constant temperature mode to the fuel cell unit as one of operation modes, the constant temperature mode being a mode for performing an control to cover power consumption of the auxiliaries by power supplied from the outside and an control to keep a temperature of the power generation unit constant within a prescribed temperature range. In the constant temperature mode, power output from the power generation unit is at least smaller than the power consumption of the auxiliaries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakamura, Hiroshi Inoue, Kenta Okino, Hirotaka Sato, Takashi Shigehisa, Takashi Ono, Eiji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9564646
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electric power using fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas and combusts fuel gas remaining unused for generation of electric power; a fuel gas supply line that supplies the fuel gas to the fuel cell; and an on-off valve disposed in the fuel gas supply line. A shutdown transition mode in which the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply line downstream from the on-off valve is supplied to the fuel cell at a flow rate smaller than that at a time of generation of electric power and is combusted therein after the on-off valve is closed, and a shutdown mode which is started after the shutdown transition mode are provided as an emergency shutdown mode in which the fuel cell undergoes emergency shutdown when the on-off valve of the fuel gas supply line is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa, Eizou Matsui, Shinpei Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 9502724
    Abstract: A fuel cell system may be capable of reducing an adverse influence which acts on a fuel cell at the time of restarting the fuel cell after emergency shutdown of operation of the fuel cell. A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply unit, an oxygen-containing gas supply unit, a storage unit that stores whether shutdown of operation of the fuel cell is normal shutdown or emergency shutdown, and a control unit that controls at least the fuel gas supply unit and the oxygen-containing gas supply unit. The control unit, in emergency shutdown, controls the fuel gas supply unit at a time of restarting the fuel cell after the shutdown of the fuel cell so as to reduce an amount of fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell to be less than that at a time of restarting the fuel cell after normal shutdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa
  • Publication number: 20150333351
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a control unit which instructs a constant temperature mode to the fuel cell unit as one of operation modes, the constant temperature mode being a mode for performing an control to cover power consumption of the auxiliaries by power supplied from the outside and an control to keep a temperature of the power generation unit constant within a prescribed temperature range. In the constant temperature mode, power output from the power generation unit is at least smaller than the power consumption of the auxiliaries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka NAKAMURA, Hiroshi INOUE, Kenta OKINO, Hirotaka SATO, Takashi SHIGEHISA, Takashi ONO, Eiji TANIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150255808
    Abstract: An EMS (200) is provided with a control unit (230) for instructing a fuel cell unit (150) to operate in one of operation modes including an idling mode for performing a control to cover power consumption of auxiliaries by power other than grid power, and a constant temperature mode for performing a control to cover the power consumption of the auxiliaries by power supplied from the outside and keep a temperature of a cell stack (51B) within a predetermined temperature range. When a power failure occurs while the fuel cell unit (150) is operating in the constant temperature mode, the control unit (230) controls the fuel cell unit (150) to operate in the idling mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakamura, Kenta Okino, Hirotaka Sato, Takashi Shigehisa, Takashi Ono, Eiji Taniguchi, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20150200432
    Abstract: An EMS controls: a fuel cell unit which comprises a cell stack which generates power by chemical reaction, and auxiliaries; and a storage cell unit which comprises a storage cell. The EMS comprises: a control unit which instructs the fuel cell unit to enter one operation mode among a power generation mode and a temperature maintenance mode, said power generation mode being a mode wherein power generation is aggressively performed by the cell stack, and said temperature preservation mode being a mode wherein control is performed so that power consumption by the auxiliaries is covered by power supplied from an external source to keep the temperature of a power generation unit within a predetermined range. If, when charging the storage cell, the unit price of electricity from a grid falls below a predetermined value, the control unit controls the fuel cell unit to operate in the temperature maintenance mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakamura, Kenta Okino, Hirotaka Sato, Takashi Shigehisa, Takashi Ono, Eiji Taniguchi, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8815456
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising a generation chamber, a plurality of fuel cells arranged in the generation chamber, fuel gas feeding means for feeding a fuel gas to the fuel cells, oxygen-containing gas feeding means for feeding an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cells, power converter means for converting the DC output of the fuel cells into an alternating current, power control means for controlling the electric power output to the power converter means from the fuel cells, and generation control means for controlling the flow rate of the fuel gas fed to the fuel cells and the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas fed to the fuel cells. A fuel gas buffer amount specific to the fuel cells is not smaller than a fuel gas amount that is needed within a maximum period of increase-needing time that is necessary until the flow rate of the fuel gas increases to a required amount when the amount of increase in the flow rate of the fuel gas is set to be a maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Shigehisa
  • Publication number: 20130295480
    Abstract: A fuel cell system may be capable of reducing an adverse influence which acts on a fuel cell at the time of restarting the fuel cell after emergency shutdown of operation of the fuel cell. A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply unit, an oxygen-containing gas supply unit, a storage unit that stores whether shutdown of operation of the fuel cell is normal shutdown or emergency shutdown, and a control unit that controls at least the fuel gas supply unit and the oxygen-containing gas supply unit. The control unit, in emergency shutdown, controls the fuel gas supply unit at a time of restarting the fuel cell after the shutdown of the fuel cell so as to reduce an amount of fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell to be less than that at a time of restarting the fuel cell after normal shutdown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa
  • Publication number: 20130273447
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system includes a fuel cell provided with a reforming part, a gas-water supply system for supplying a plurality of kinds of gases and water to the reforming part, and a water tank for storing water. The gas-water supply system includes a reforming gas supply part for supplying a reforming gas, an oxygen-containing has supply part for supplying an oxygen-containing gas, and a water supply part for supplying water from the water tank. A control unit is provided for controlling whether, based on a signal from a stored water volume sensor which detects the volume of water in the water tank for carrying out a reforming reaction in the reforming part, switching between an oxygen-containing gas supply part and the water supply part is carried out, or both the supply parts are used in combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Takashi SHIGEHISA, Naruto TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20130266879
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates electric power using fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas and combusts fuel gas remaining unused for generation of electric power; a fuel gas supply line that supplies the fuel gas to the fuel cell; and an on-off valve disposed in the fuel gas supply line. A shutdown transition mode in which the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply line downstream from the on-off valve is supplied to the fuel cell at a flow rate smaller than that at a time of generation of electric power and is combusted therein after the on-off valve is closed, and a shutdown mode which is started after the shutdown transition mode are provided as an emergency shutdown mode in which the fuel cell undergoes emergency shutdown when the on-off valve of the fuel gas supply line is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Takashi Shigehisa, Eizou Matsui, Shinpei Shiraishi
  • Publication number: 20120270124
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that generates power using an oxidant gas and a fuel gas; estimating means for estimating an electric resistance of the fuel cell in accordance with a voltage and a current of the fuel cell; and temperature controlling means for performing control to raise a temperature of the fuel cell when the electric resistance estimated by the estimating means exceeds a target electric resistance range and reduce the temperature of the fuel cell when the estimated electric resistance falls below the target electric resistance range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicants: KYOCERA CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takatoshi Masui, Takashi Shigehisa
  • Patent number: 8026011
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly in which ends on one side of the cells forming gas passages are gas-tightly fixed to a holding means. Between the peripheries of the ends on one side of the cells and the holding means, there are arranged a fixing member for fixing the cells to the holding means and a sealing member for accomplishing a gas-tight sealing between the ends on one side of the cells and the holding means. The fixing member has a softening temperature of not lower than 1000° C. and the sealing member has a softening temperature of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihide Ooshima, Kazuto Matsukami, Takashi Shigehisa, Akira Kokaji
  • Publication number: 20100167133
    Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell system that can be controlled while taking the influence of the volume of water kept in a water tank into consideration and is fully water self-sustainable. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] The solid oxide fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell (21) provided with a reforming part (22), a gas-water supply system (10) for supplying a plurality of kinds of gases and water to the reforming part (22), and a water tank (50) for storing water. The gas-water supply system (10) comprises a reforming gas supply part (12) for supplying a reforming gas, an oxygen-containing gas supply part (13) for supplying an oxygen-containing gas, and a water supply part (14) for supplying water from the water tank (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Shigehisa, Naruto Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20070281115
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising a generation chamber, a plurality of fuel cells arranged in the generation chamber, fuel gas feeding means for feeding a fuel gas to the fuel cells, oxygen-containing gas feeding means for feeding an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cells, power converter means for converting the DC output of the fuel cells into an alternating current, power control means for controlling the electric power output to the power converter means from the fuel cells, and generation control means for controlling the flow rate of the fuel gas fed to the fuel cells and the flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas fed to the fuel cells. A fuel gas buffer amount specific to the fuel cells is not smaller than a fuel gas amount that is needed within a maximum period of increase-needing time that is necessary until the flow rate of the fuel gas increases to a required amount when the amount of increase in the flow rate of the fuel gas is set to be a maximum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Shigehisa
  • Publication number: 20050164067
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly in which ends on one side of the cells forming gas passages are gas-tightly fixed to a holding means. Between the peripheries of the ends on one side of the cells and the holding means, there are arranged a fixing member for fixing the cells to the holding means and a sealing member for accomplishing a gas-tight sealing between the ends on one side of the cells and the holding means. The fixing member has a softening temperature of not lower than 1000° C. and the sealing member has a softening temperature of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshihide Ooshima, Kazuto Matsukami, Takashi Shigehisa, Akira Kokaji
  • Patent number: 5795502
    Abstract: Electrically conducting ceramics having, as a chief crystalline phase, a perovskite crystalline phase containing La, Cr and Mg and further having, in addition to the chief crystalline phase, an oxide phase containing La, wherein when the atomic ratios among the rare earth element, Mg and Cr in said chief crystalline phase are represented by the following formula,R:Mg:Cr=x:y:zwherein R denotes rare earth elements at least part of which being La, the atomic ratios among the rare earth element, Mg and Cr contained in the whole ceramics are represented by the following formula,R:Mg:Cr=(x+u):(y+v):zwherein R, x to z are as defined above, and u and v are the numbers satisfying the following formulas,0.0001.ltoreq.u/(x+y+z).ltoreq.0.20,0.01.ltoreq.(y+v)/(x+y+z).ltoreq.0.60, and 0.ltoreq.v.The ceramics is dense, exhibits excellent sintering property at low temperatures, has high electric conductivity, and remains stable in a reducing atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitake Terashi, Takashi Shigehisa, Masahide Akiyama, Shoji Yamashita