Patents by Inventor Toshiharu OOE

Toshiharu OOE 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
  • Patent number: 9570771
    Abstract: The present invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell system capable of preventing excess temperature rises while increasing overall energy efficiency. The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell system, including: a fuel cell module, a fuel supply device, a heat storing material, and a controller which, based on power demand, increases the fuel utilization rate when output power is high and to lower it when output power is low, and changes the electrical power actually output at a delay after changing the fuel supply amount. The controller has a stored heat estimating circuit for estimating the surplus heat based on fuel supply and on power output at a delay relative thereto. When a utilizable amount of surplus heat is accumulated in the heat storage material, the fuel supply is reduced so that the fuel utilization rate increases relative to the same electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9531018
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a solid oxide fuel cell capable of improving the overall energy efficiency. The present invention is directed to a solid oxide fuel cell and comprising: a fuel cell module; a fuel supply device; a combustion chamber for burning excess fuel and heating; a heat storing material, a power demand detecting sensor; a temperature detection device, and a control device for controlling so that the fuel utilization rate is high when generated power is large, and also for changing output power at a delay to the fuel supply rate; whereby the control device comprises a stored heat amount estimating circuit, and when it is estimated that a utilizable heat amount has accumulated in the heat storing material, the fuel supply rate is reduced so that the fuel utilization rate increases vs. the same generated power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9515335
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a solid oxide fuel cell system including: a fuel cell module, a fuel flow regulator unit, a first power demand detection device, a control section for controlling a fuel supply amount and setting the current value extractable from the fuel cell module, an inverter for extracting current in a range not exceeding the extractable current value, and a power state detecting sensor for detecting actual extracted current value; whereby if actual extracted current value declines, then under circumstances where power demand begins to rise in a state of extra margin in the fuel supply amount after the controller suddenly decreases the extractable current value and suddenly reduces the electrical collector, the controller increases the extractable current value at a high current rise rate of change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9385386
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell system is disclosed. The solid oxide fuel cell system includes a cell stack having multiple adjacent fuel cells; a reformer that reforms raw gas and produces fuel gas supplied to the fuel cells; a combustion section that causes combustion of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel cells and heats the reformer with combustion heat of the fuel gas; an ignition device that ignites the combustion section; a combustion state confirmation device that senses that heating of the entire reformer has started using the advancement of flame transfer between fuel cells in the combustion section; and a controller programmed to start an operation of the system heating the reformer by using combustion heat from the combustion section and reaction heat from the partial oxidation reforming reaction (POX) in the reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9379399
    Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell system capable of efficiently and simply controlling a low speed fuel cell module and a high speed inverter. The invention is a solid oxide fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell module, a fuel flow regulator unit, a control section comprising a first power demand detection circuit for controlling the fuel supply amount and for setting the value of current extractable from the fuel cell module; an inverter for extracting current from fuel cell module; and a second power demand detection circuit; and having an inverter control section for controlling the inverter independently from the fuel cell controller so that a current responsive to power demand is extracted from the fuel cell module in a range not exceeding the extractable current value input from the fuel cell controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9331351
    Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell device capable of smooth transition from a startup state to an electrical generating state. The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell device (1) for generating electricity, having a fuel cell module (2); a reformer (20), a fuel supply device (38); a water supply device (28), a generating oxidant gas supply device (45), and a controller (110) for controlling the fuel supply device and water supply device at the time of startup when the fuel cell module solid oxide fuel cell unit is raised to a temperature at which electrical generation is possible; whereby the controller controls the fuel supply device during the SR operation such that electrical generation is started after reducing the fuel supply flow rate prior to starting electrical generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Toshiharu Otsuka, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Yoshiyuki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9214690
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell device is provided which prevents excessive rising of the temperature inside a fuel cell module during the startup process. In a startup process, control unit controls to cause a transition from a fuel gas reforming reaction process to a POX process, an ATR process, and a SR process, then to a generating process; when the cell stack temperature and reformer temperature in each process satisfy respectively set transition conditions, a transition to the next process takes place; if control unit determines a temperature rise assist state exists, it executes an excess temperature rise suppression control so that during at least the transition to the generating process, the reformer temperature does not exceed a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9209469
    Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell device for preventing excess temperature rises inside a fuel cell module during the startup process. During a startup process, a control unit controls the supplied amounts of fuel gas, oxidant gas, and steam supplied to a reformer based on cell stack temperature and reformer temperature and causes transition to a generating process after transitioning to a POX process, an ATR process, and a SR process, and controls to cause a transition to the next process if in each process the cell stack temperature and reformer temperature meet transition conditions set for each; when control unit determines a temperature rise assist state, it controls to cause a transition to the generating process in a state of reduced fuel gas supply amounts compared to when it does not determine a temperature rise assist state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu Otsuka, Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Kiyotaka Nakano, Takuya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9184457
    Abstract: The SOFC of the present invention has a plurality of individual solid oxide fuel cells (84) disposed within an generating chamber (10), a fuel supply unit (38) for supplying fuel to the individual solid oxide fuel cells, a temperature sensor (142) for measuring the temperature of the generating chamber (T1), and a control section (110) for changing the amount of fuel supplied in response to an amount of generation required based on control characteristics for supplying fuel, wherein the control section is furnished with a temperature band for monitoring purposes, having a minimum temperature value (Ta) and a maximum temperature value (Tb) for adaptive control, predetermined based on a minimum amount and maximum amount of rated electrical generation, and a maximum temperature value for adaptive control in response to anomalies, which is higher than the maximum temperature value (Tb) of the adaptive control temperature band, and a minimum temperature value for adaptive control in response to anomalies, which is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Tsuchiya, Kiyotaka Nakano, Tsukasa Shigezumi, Toshiharu Ooe, Yoshiyuki Kawamura