Patents by Inventor Toyotaka Hirao

Toyotaka Hirao 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: 10571190
    Abstract: A liquefied gas cooling apparatus including: a gas flow path for carrying a liquefied gas that is liquefied by cooling; and a refrigeration unit including a refrigerating cycle formed by an evaporator for cooling the liquefied gas flowing through the gas flow path, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle expansion unit. The compressor is driven through an electric motor contained in a sealed housing together with a compressor mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyotaka Hirao, Kenji Ueda, Yasushi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9957844
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a first on-off valve that, with respect to a maintenance target device including at least one of a circulation pump, an evaporator, an expander, and a condenser in a medium circuit through which a medium with a boiling point lower than that of water circulates, is on an upstream side in a flow direction of the medium in the medium circuit, and is capable of shutting off the flow of the medium; a second on-off valve that is on a downstream side in the flow direction of the medium in the medium circuit, and is capable of shutting off the flow of the medium; a port that is communicable with the medium circuit between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve; and a third on-off valve that is in the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kobayashi, Toyotaka Hirao, Taichi Tateishi
  • Publication number: 20170350649
    Abstract: A liquefied gas cooling apparatus including: a gas flow path for carrying a liquefied gas that is liquefied by cooling; and a refrigeration unit including a refrigerating cycle formed by an evaporator for cooling the liquefied gas flowing through the gas flow path, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle expansion unit. The compressor is driven through an electric motor contained in a sealed housing together with a compressor mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyotaka HIRAO, Kenji UEDA, Yasushi WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170350632
    Abstract: A liquefied gas cooling apparatus includes: a gas flow path for carrying a liquefied gas that is liquefied by cooling; and a refrigeration unit including a refrigerating cycle formed by an evaporator for cooling the liquefied gas flowing through the gas flow path, a compressor, a condenser, and a throttle expansion unit. The refrigeration unit includes: an inlet-side open/close valve and an outlet-side open/close valve provided in an inlet path and an outlet path of the compressor, respectively; and a service open/close valve in a refrigerant path between the inlet-side open/close valve and the outlet-side open/close valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyotaka HIRAO, Kenji UEDA, Yasushi WATANABE
  • Patent number: 9810089
    Abstract: This power generation system (20A) includes a plurality of power generation units (50A, 50B, 50C, . . . ) which are provided in parallel, wherein each of the power generation units (50A, 50B, 50C, . . . ) includes an expander (26) configured to be rotated by a working medium, a power generator (28) configured to generate power through rotation of the expander (26), a rectifier (29), a medium circulation system (22) configured to pump the working medium into the expander (26), a relay (70) configured to interrupt power between the power generator (28) and an external power system (30), an operating unit (40A, 40B) configured to be operated when maintenance starts, and a relay driving unit (71) configured to interrupt power between the power generator (28) and the external power system (30) by the relay (70) when the operating unit (40A, 40B) has been operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kubota, Toyotaka Hirao, Takao Sakurai, Naoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9543808
    Abstract: This power generation system is provided with a medium circuit, a circulation pump, an evaporator which evaporates a medium, an expander configured to be driven using the medium evaporated by the evaporator, a condenser configured to condense the medium discharged from the expander, a generator configured to be driven by the expander to generate power, a cooling system configured to cool the generator using the medium taken out from the medium circuit at a downstream side of the condenser, and a gas-liquid separator configured to separate the medium heated as a consequence of cooling the generator by the cooling system into gas and liquid phases, wherein the gas phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at an upstream side of the condenser, and the liquid phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at the downstream side of the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kubota, Takao Sakurai, Toyotaka Hirao, Naoki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150345340
    Abstract: This power generation system (20A) includes a plurality of power generation units (50A, 50B, 50C, . . . ) which are provided in parallel, wherein each of the power generation units (50A, 50B, 50C, . . . ) includes an expander (26) configured to be rotated by a working medium, a power generator (28) configured to generate power through rotation of the expander (26), a rectifier (29), a medium circulation system (22) configured to pump the working medium into the expander (26), a relay (70) configured to interrupt power between the power generator (28) and an external power system (30), an operating unit (40A, 40B) configured to be operated when maintenance starts, and a relay driving unit (71) configured to interrupt power between the power generator (28) and the external power system (30) by the relay (70) when the operating unit (40A, 40B) has been operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Yutaka KUBOTA, Toyotaka HIRAO, Takao SAKURAI, Naoki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20150330259
    Abstract: This power generation system includes a first on-off valve that, with respect to a maintenance target device including at least one among a circulation pump, an evaporator, an expander, and a condenser that are provided in a medium circuit through which a medium with a boiling point lower than that of water circulates, is provided on the upstream side in a flow direction of the medium in the medium circuit, and is capable of shutting off the flow of the medium; a second on-off valve that is provided on the downstream side in the flow direction of the medium in the medium circuit, and is capable of shutting off the flow of the medium; a port that is communicable with the medium circuit between the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve; and a third on-off valve that is provided in the port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki KOBAYASHI, Toyotaka HIRAO, Taichi TATEISHI
  • Publication number: 20150318810
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a medium circuit through which a medium is circulated; a circulation pump; an evaporator configured to heat the pressurized medium using heat of an external source so as to evaporate the medium, wherein the external source that the heat quantity is capable of fluctuating; an expander configured to be driven using the medium evaporated by the evaporator; a generator configured to be driven using the expander to generate power; and a flow rate control device configured to control the flow rate of the medium flowing into the expander such that, even when the heat quantity of the external source has fluctuated, the number of rotations of the expander or the generator is within a region in which the number of rotations is preset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Toyotaka HIRAO, Taichi TATEISHI, Takashi WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20150318763
    Abstract: This power generation system is provided with a medium circuit, a circulation pump, an evaporator which evaporates a medium, an expander configured to be driven using the medium evaporated by the evaporator, a condenser configured to condense the medium discharged from the expander, a generator configured to be driven by the expander to generate power, a cooling system configured to cool the generator using the medium taken out from the medium circuit at a downstream side of the condenser, and a gas-liquid separator configured to separate the medium heated as a consequence of cooling the generator by the cooling system into gas and liquid phases, wherein the gas phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at an upstream side of the condenser, and the liquid phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at the downstream side of the condenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Yutaka KUBOTA, Takao SAKURAI, Toyotaka HIRAO, Naoki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20050257547
    Abstract: A vehicular air conditioner includes a reversible heat pump having an air distribution fan positioned upstream of an indoor heat exchanger, a coolant heat exchanger positioned downstream of the indoor heat exchanger, and a damper arranged adjacent to a coolant heat exchanger. An engine cooling water system is connected to the coolant heat exchanger. A subassembly is used for positioning the damper in the fully opened condition such that the coolant heat exchanger is made an air intake flow path in addition to an air flow path of an air bypass space during a cooling operation. The engine cooling water system includes a coolant bypass valve connected between a primary side flow path and a secondary side flow path for engine cooling water to bypass the coolant heat exchanger. When the damper fully opens a full quantity of the engine cooling water flows to the secondary side flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyotaka Hirao, Kazuki Niwa, Ryosaku Akimoto, Gregory Major, Xin Zeng
  • Publication number: 20030182955
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to shorten heating start up time at the time of a heating operation and to improve capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: TOYOTAKA HIRAO, KAZUKI NIWA, RYOSAKU AKIMOTO, GREGORY A. MAJOR, XIN ZENG
  • Patent number: 6394210
    Abstract: The invention provides a temperature controller for a vehicular battery which uses the waste heat of the engine to control the temperature of a high temperature battery, to thereby enable miniaturization of the vehicle and energy savings, and which can accurately control the high temperature battery to an optimum efficiency temperature. The battery temperature controller comprises: a heat exchanger 11 for removing waste heat from a vehicle engine 3; a heating loop K being a coolant circulation path for conveying heat from the heat exchanger 11 to a vehicle high temperature battery 5; a radiator 9 for cooling the high temperature battery 5; a cooling loop R being a coolant circulation path for carrying heat from the high temperature battery 5 to the radiator 9, and connected in parallel with the heating loop K so as to have a common path C, and a first flow control valve 60 and a second flow control valve 61 respectively provided in the heating loop K and the cooling loop R.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuda, Toyotaka Hirao, Hiroshi Mizutani, Gregory A. Major, June Bian
  • Patent number: 6367272
    Abstract: An apparatus and system for manipulating the air temperature within an interior compartment of a vehicle, the apparatus and system includes a HVAC system and an operating system. A compressor receives and circulates a gas through a heat exchanger in order to regulate the air within the vehicle. The compressor has a capacity control valve that is manipulated by the control system in response to a user setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Zeng, Gregory Alan Major, Toyotaka Hirao
  • Patent number: 6357541
    Abstract: A circulation apparatus for coolant in a vehicle, wherein a feature of the invention is that with a circulation apparatus for coolant in a vehicle, it is separated into a coolant circulation system having a first radiator 8 for an engine cooling, and a coolant circulation system having a second radiator 9 for electric motor and engine equipment cooling. With the second radiator 9, various apparatus to be cooled, namely the drive motor and engine equipment are cooled, and there is provided circulation quantity control devices 53, 54, 57 for controlling the quantity of coolant circulated to the various apparatus to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuda, Toyotaka Hirao, Hiroshi Mizutani, Gregory A. Major, June Bian
  • Publication number: 20010040061
    Abstract: The invention provides a temperature controller for a vehicular battery which uses the waste heat of the engine to control the temperature of a high temperature battery, to thereby enable miniaturization of the vehicle and energy savings, and which can accurately control the high temperature battery to an optimum efficiency temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: KENJI MATUDA, TOYOTAKA HIRAO, HIROSHI MIZUTANI, GREGORY A. MAJOR, JUNE BIAN
  • Patent number: 6237357
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioner using a heat pump that can improve heating ability by effective utilization of engine waste heat during a heating operation. The apparatus of the invention is a vehicular air conditioner using a heat pump with a compressor unit 20 equipped with a compressor 31, a throttling resistance 34 and a four way valve 33, connected by a refrigerant path 30 to an indoor heat exchanger 25 for effecting heat exchange between a refrigerant and vehicle cabin air, and an outdoor heat exchanger 21 installed in an engine compartment for effecting heat exchange between a refrigerant and outside air, and equipped with fan 22 for drawing in outside air, and which executes a cooling operation and a heating operation by switching a direction of flow of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Toyotaka Hirao, Makoto Fujitani, Gregory A. Major, Xin Zeng
  • Patent number: 6233957
    Abstract: A vehicular air conditioner which is not influenced by fluctuations in engine RPM and which provides air conditioning with low energy consumption includes a variable demand capacity compressor where the suction pressure is self-controlled and can be set using an external signal. The vehicular air conditioner includes a demand capacity change compressor which self-controls at a target suction pressure set using an external signal and based on a discharge temperature set according to an air conditioning load. The external signal sets the target suction pressure to thereby affect a refrigerating cycle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyotaka Hirao, Makoto Fujitani, Gregory A. Major, Xin Zeng