Patents by Inventor Tetsuya Morikawa

Tetsuya Morikawa 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).

  • Publication number: 20220013801
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell stack, including alternately disposing a plurality of single fuel cells, and a plurality of interconnectors disposed alternately and holding the alternately disposed plurality of single fuel cells and plurality of interconnectors between a pair of end members, forming a space between a first end member and a first interconnector, disposing a junction member composed of an elastic member and an electrically conductive member in the space, and urging a portion of an electrically conductive member and another portion of the electrically member against the first end member and the first interconnector so that a total thickness of the portion of the electrically conductive member, the another portion of the electrically conductive member, and the elastic member prior to being disposed in the space between the first end member and the first interconnector is greater than a height of the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: MORIMURA SOFC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya MORIKAWA, Nobuyuki HOTTA
  • Patent number: 10693174
    Abstract: A flat-plate-type fuel cell stack including a plurality of plate-shaped stacked fuel cells each including an electrolyte layer, an anode, and a cathode. The fuel cell stack includes at least one of a fuel manifold communicating with a space adjacent to the anode and an oxidant manifold communicating with a space adjacent to the cathode. A compression seal member and a glass seal member are disposed around the at least one manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: MORIMURA SOFC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hotta, Tetsuya Morikawa, Hayato Katsuda, Hiroshi Sumi
  • Patent number: 10476087
    Abstract: A fuel cell electricity generation unit including a single cell; first and second interconnectors; a separator; a metal frame member disposed between the separator and the first interconnector; and a gas sealing member having a contact portion in contact with the surfaces of the separator and the second interconnector. The unit has a contact overlap region overlapping with the contact portion in a first direction, and each of the gas sealing member, the separator, the frame member, the first interconnector, and the second interconnector is present in the contact overlap region. At least one of a first weld portion sealing between the separator and the frame member and a second weld portion sealing between the frame member and the first interconnector is formed at a position whose distance from the periphery of the single cell is greater than the distance between the periphery and the contact overlap region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Morikawa
  • Patent number: 10396389
    Abstract: A fuel gas supply path in a fuel cell stack includes in series a first path, a second path, and a third path. In the second path, two inlets of the fuel gas in each of power generating cells included in the second path are located at a first position PA and a second position PB, and the position of one outlet of the fuel gas in each power generating cell is located at a third position PC. In the third path, an inlet of the fuel gas in each of power generating cells included in the third path is located at a position coinciding with the third position PC when the power generating cells are viewed in the stacking direction, and an outlet of the fuel gas in each power generating cell is located at a position between the first position PA and the second position PB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Tsuga, Takafumi Shichida, Tetsuya Morikawa, Nobuyuki Hotta
  • Patent number: 10181608
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack according to one aspect of the present invention has a plurality of fuel cells stacked together and a plurality of manifolds passing through the fuel cells in a stacking direction thereof so as to allow at least one of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to flow therethrough. The manifolds include cold gas manifolds adapted to introduce the fuel gas or oxidant gas from the outside into the fuel cell stack, hot gas manifolds adapted to discharge the fuel gas or oxidant gas from the fuel cells, and a heat-exchanged gas manifold adapted to feed the fuel gas or oxidant gas that has been heat-exchanged in a heat exchange part. Every one of the cold gas manifolds is adjacent to any of the hot gas manifolds. One of the hot gas manifolds is non-adjacent to any other one of the hot gas manifolds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Morikawa, Nobuyuki Hotta
  • Publication number: 20180294489
    Abstract: A fuel cell electricity generation unit including a single cell; first and second interconnectors; a separator; a metal frame member disposed between the separator and the first interconnector; and a gas sealing member having a contact portion in contact with the surfaces of the separator and the second interconnector. The unit has a contact overlap region overlapping with the contact portion in a first direction, and each of the gas sealing member, the separator, the frame member, the first interconnector, and the second interconnector is present in the contact overlap region. At least one of a first weld portion sealing between the separator and the frame member and a second weld portion sealing between the frame member and the first interconnector is formed at a position whose distance from the periphery of the single cell is greater than the distance between the periphery and the contact overlap region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuya MORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 10010857
    Abstract: The present invention provides an a polyarylene sulfide (PAS) production device provided with a supply tube for loading corrosive materials such as a strong alkali into a reaction vessel, wherein prescribed amounts of various raw materials or the like can be accurately loaded into the reaction vessel without causing decreases in production efficiency due to the replacement of the supply tube or the repair of the reaction vessel in response to the corrosion of the supply tube or the like. The present invention is a production device, and a PAS production device, in particular, provided with a reaction vessel equipped with one or a plurality of supply tubes, at least one of the supply tubes having an insert pipe, which is preferably detachable, to be inserted into an outer supply tube; and a tip opening of the insert pipe being positioned further inward than an inside wall of the reaction vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KUREHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Kobayashi, Tetsuya Morikawa, Kiyotaka Tadano, Yoshihiro Ichinose, Koichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9911987
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack (1) includes a plurality of stacked power generation cells (3), a heat exchange unit (7) provided between adjacent two of the power generation cells, a fuel gas supply path arranged to supply the power generation cells with a fuel gas, and an oxidant gas supply path (3, 7, 33, 34, 38) arranged to supply the power generation cells with an oxidant gas, wherein the fuel gas supply path includes in series a first path (7, 31) passing through the heat exchange unit (7), a second path (3, 32, 35, 37) passing through some of the plurality of power generation cells (3) in parallel, and a third path (3, 32, 36) passing through the other power generation cells in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Tsuga, Takafumi Shichida, Tetsuya Morikawa, Nobuyuki Hotta
  • Publication number: 20180040906
    Abstract: In a fuel cell stack (1), a connection region SR in which a protrusion (67) of a current collecting plate (9) and a second output terminal (15) are electrically connected is formed within a belt-like range, namely, a connectable range SKH, between a first tangential line L1 tangential to the circumference of one through hole (10c) and a second tangential line L2 tangential to the circumference of the other through hole (10d). Therefore, since the flow of electric current generated in the fuel cell stack (1) is unlikely to be obstructed by the through holes (10), electric current is easily supplied to the second output terminal (15) from a current collecting section (65) of the current collecting plate (9) through the protrusion (67). As a result, a voltage loss is small, thereby improving the performance of the fuel cell stack (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki HOTTA, Hiroaki YAGI, Tetsuya MORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20170294673
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack having a structure in which a plurality of single fuel cells C(1) and a plurality of interconnectors (5) are disposed alternately between a pair of end members and such that a junction member J composed of an elastic member (20) and an electrically conductive member (21) is disposed in a space (3a) formed between a first end member (3) and a first interconnector (5(1)). A portion of the electrically conductive member (21) is disposed between the first end member (3) and the elastic member (20), and another portion of the electrically conductive member (21) is disposed between the first interconnector (5(1)) and the elastic member (20); and the first end member (3) and the first interconnector (5(1)) are electrically connected through the electrically conductive member (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya MORIKAWA, Nobuyuki HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20170282150
    Abstract: The present invention provides an a polyarylene sulfide (PAS) production device provided with a supply tube for loading corrosive materials such as a strong alkali into a reaction vessel, wherein prescribed amounts of various raw materials or the like can be accurately loaded into the reaction vessel without causing decreases in production efficiency due to the replacement of the supply tube or the repair of the reaction vessel in response to the corrosion of the supply tube or the like. The present invention is a production device, and a PAS production device, in particular, provided with a reaction vessel equipped with one or a plurality of supply tubes, at least one of the supply tubes having an insert pipe, which is preferably detachable, to be inserted into an outer supply tube; and a tip opening of the insert pipe being positioned further inward than an inside wall of the reaction vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: MASANORI KOBAYASHI, TETSUYA MORIKAWA, KIYOTAKA TADANO, YOSHIHIRO ICHINOSE, KOICHI SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9640804
    Abstract: A fuel cell (3) includes interconnectors (hereinafter, IC) (12, 13), a cell body (20) disposed between the ICs and including an air electrode (14) and a fuel electrode (15) on both surfaces of an electrolyte (2), and current collecting members (18, 19) disposed between at least one of the electrodes (14, 15) and the ICs. The current collecting members (19) include connector contact portions (19a) in contact with the IC (13), cell body contact portions (19b) in contact with the cell body (20), and connecting portions (19c) that are bent approximately 180 degrees and connect both the contact portions. The connector contact portions include asperities (19e) on outside surfaces of the connector contact portions on the side where the connector contact portions are in contact with the IC 13, and a spacer (58) is disposed between the connector contact portions and the cell body contact portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hotta, Ryoji Tanimura, Atsushi Mizuno, Tetsuya Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20160293980
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack according to one aspect of the present invention has a plurality of fuel cells stacked together and a plurality of manifolds passing through the fuel cells in a stacking direction thereof so as to allow at least one of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to flow therethrough. The manifolds include cold gas manifolds adapted to introduce the fuel gas or oxidant gas from the outside into the fuel cell stack, hot gas manifolds adapted to discharge the fuel gas or oxidant gas from the fuel cells, and a heat-exchanged gas manifold adapted to feed the fuel gas or oxidant gas that has been heat-exchanged in a heat exchange part. Every one of the cold gas manifolds is adjacent to any of the hot gas manifolds. One of the hot gas manifolds is non-adjacent to any other one of the hot gas manifolds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya MORIKAWA, Nobuyuki HOTTA
  • Patent number: 9455453
    Abstract: A fuel cell (3) includes interconnectors (hereinafter, IC) (12, 13), a cell body (20) disposed between the ICs and including an air electrode (14) and a fuel electrode (15) on both surfaces of an electrolyte (2), and current collecting members (18, 19) disposed between at least one of the electrodes (14, 15) and the ICs. The current collecting members (19) include connector contact portions (19a) in contact with the IC (13), cell body contact portions (19b) in contact with the cell body, and connecting portions (19c) that are bent approximately 180 degrees and connect both the contact portions, the connector contact portions, the cell body contact portions, and the connecting portions being formed in line. The current collecting members (19) include asperities (19e) on inside surfaces oriented inward, and a spacer (58) is disposed between the connector contact portions and the cell body contact portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hotta, Ryoji Tanimura, Atsushi Mizuno, Tetsuya Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20160056492
    Abstract: A fuel gas supply path in a fuel cell stack includes in series a first path, a second path, and a third path. In the second path, two inlets of the fuel gas in each of power generating cells included in the second path are located at a first position PA and a second position PB, and the position of one outlet of the fuel gas in each power generating cell is located at a third position PC. In the third path, an inlet of the fuel gas in each of power generating cells included in the third path is located at a position coinciding with the third position PC when the power generating cells are viewed in the stacking direction, and an outlet of the fuel gas in each power generating cell is located at a position between the first position PA and the second position PB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke TSUGA, Takafumi SHICHIDA, Tetsuya MORIKAWA, Nobuyuki HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20150214557
    Abstract: A fuel cell (3) includes interconnectors (hereinafter, IC) (12, 13), a cell body (20) disposed between the ICs and including an air electrode (14) and a fuel electrode (15) on both surfaces of an electrolyte (2), and current collecting members (18, 19) disposed between at least one of the electrodes (14, 15) and the ICs. The current collecting members (19) include connector contact portions (19a) in contact with the IC (13), cell body contact portions (19b) in contact with the cell body (20), and connecting portions (19c) that are bent approximately 180 degrees and connect both the contact portions. The connector contact portions include asperities (19e) on outside surfaces of the connector contact portions on the side where the connector contact portions are in contact with the IC 13, and a spacer (58) is disposed between the connector contact portions and the cell body contact portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hotta, Ryoji Tanimura, Atsushi Mizuno, Tetsuya Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20150200404
    Abstract: A fuel cell (3) includes interconnectors (hereinafter, IC) (12, 13), a cell body (20) disposed between the ICs and including an air electrode (14) and a fuel electrode (15) on both surfaces of an electrolyte (2), and current collecting members (18, 19) disposed between at least one of the electrodes (14, 15) and the ICs. The current collecting members (19) include connector contact portions (19a) in contact with the IC (13), cell body contact portions (19b) in contact with the cell body, and connecting portions (19c) that are bent approximately 180 degrees and connect both the contact portions, the connector contact portions, the cell body contact portions, and the connecting portions being formed in line. The current collecting members (19) include asperities (19e) on inside surfaces oriented inward, and a spacer (58) is disposed between the connector contact portions and the cell body contact portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hotta, Ryoji Tanimura, Atsushi Mizuno, Tetsuya Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20140295308
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack (1) includes a plurality of stacked power generation cells (3), a heat exchange unit (7) provided between adjacent two of the power generation cells, a fuel gas supply path arranged to supply the power generation cells with a fuel gas, and an oxidant gas supply path (3, 7, 33, 34, 38) arranged to supply the power generation cells with an oxidant gas, wherein the fuel gas supply path includes in series a first path (7, 31) passing through the heat exchange unit (7), a second path (3, 32, 35, 37) passing through some of the plurality of power generation cells (3) in parallel, and a third path (3, 32, 36) passing through the other power generation cells in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke TSUGA, Takafumi SHICHIDA, Tetsuya MORIKAWA, Nobuyuki HOTTA
  • Patent number: 6063635
    Abstract: A diluent is discharged by a dispensing device into a dilution bath 11 containing a sample, and a given amount of a diluted sample 12 is sucked from the upper face by the dispensing device and discarded by discharging it into a waste fluid cup to remove many small bubbles 13 generated during the preparation of the diluted sample used for determination. The diluted sample 12 remaining in the dilution bath 11 is used for determination to improve the precision and reproducibility of determination and to prevent failure of the dispensing device due to inclusion of bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
    Inventors: Yumi Ohta, Tetsuya Morikawa, Tetsuya Shiga, Yuko Ishii, Mitsuhiro Saito