Patents by Inventor Yasunobu Mizutani
Yasunobu Mizutani 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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Publication number: 20100159355Abstract: This invention provides an electrolyte sheet for solid oxide fuel cells, characterized in: being formed by a doctor blade method or an extrusion molding method; being a scandia partially stabilized zirconia sheet, wherein 4 mol % to 6 mol % scandia is doped in a solid zirconia; a crystal structure thereof has a polycrystalline structure having a main body of tetragonal and including monoclinic phase, wherein a ratio of monoclinic phase (M), calculated by below described formula (1) from a diffraction peak intensity using X-ray diffraction, is 1% to 80%; and a Weibull modulus (m) thereof is not less than 10: a ratio of monoclinic phase(M:%)=[{monoclinic(1,1,1)+monoclinic(?1,1,1)}/{tetragonal and cubic(1,1,1)+monoclinic(1,1,1)+monoclinic(?1,1,1)}]×100??(1).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2006Publication date: June 24, 2010Inventors: Kazuo Hata, Yasunobu Mizutani, Kouji Hisada, Kenji Ukai, Misuzu Yokoyama
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Patent number: 7608357Abstract: A powder material for a fuel electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell is provided, along with a fuel electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell prepared by sintering the fuel electrode powder material, and a solid oxide fuel cell including the fuel electrode. The fuel electrode powder material includes a nickel based powder material containing at least one of nickel and nickel oxide and at least one of titanium oxide (IV) and a titanium source capable of changing into titanium oxide (IV) by heat treatment in air.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignees: Toho Gas Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani, Kouji Hisada, Misuzu Yokoyama, Shoji Futaki, Hiroyuki Toya
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Publication number: 20060110633Abstract: A material for a fuel electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell with which volume change of the fuel electrode can be reduced as compared to the conventional one even if the fuel electrode is exposed to an oxidation-reduction cycle, a fuel electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell prepared by sintering the fuel electrode material, and a solid oxide fuel cell capable of stably maintaining power generation even if a fuel electrode thereof is exposed to an oxidation-reduction cycle. The fuel electrode material includes a material powder containing at least one of nickel and nickel oxide, wherein the material powder further contains at least one of titanium oxide (IV) and a titanium source capable of changing into titanium oxide (IV) by heat treatment in air. The fuel electrode material is sintered to prepare the fuel electrode, which is provided for the solid oxide fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2005Publication date: May 25, 2006Applicants: Toho Gas Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani, Kouji Hisada, Misuzu Yokoyama, Shoji Futaki, Hiroyuki Toya
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Patent number: 6835485Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a solid oxide fuel cell having a supported electrolyte film, which shows sufficiently high reliability, yields a high output, and exhibits high output power density per unit volume. The present invention is characterized by use of a first cermet comprising catalyst and a second solid electrolyte, which has a bending strength of more than 500 MPa and exhibits oxide ion conductivity, for a fuel electrode substrate in an SOFC having a supported electrolyte film equipped with an electrolyte-electrode assembly that is made by bonding the fuel electrode substrate and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte film consisting of the first solid electrolyte capable of exhibiting oxide ion conductivity. As a preferred embodiment, stabilized zirconia containing 2 to 4 mol % yttria or 3 to 6 mol % scandia is preferred for the second solid electrolyte.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2001Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Toho Gas Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani
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Patent number: 6787261Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell in which the catalytic activity of a fuel electrode is high and in which no poisoning by carbon occurs even when internal reforming is performed under a condition of a low S/C ratio and further in which the time course degradation of the fuel electrode is less when internal reforming is performed. In a solid oxide fuel cell having an oxide ion conductive solid electrolyte, and a fuel electrode and an air electrode connected to both faces thereof, a cermet of a catalyst and of the second solid electrolyte whose oxide ion conductivity is more than or equal to 0.2 S/cm at 1000 ° C. is used as the fuel electrode. More specifically, it is desirable that the second solid electrolyte is scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) containing 9 to 12 mol % of scandia. In addition, the second solid electrolyte may further be ScSZ containing yttria or ceria less than or equal to 2 mol %.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2001Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: Toho Gas Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani
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Publication number: 20020076603Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell in which the catalytic activity of a fuel electrode is high and in which no poisoning by carbon occurs even when internal reforming is performed under a condition of a low S/C ratio and further in which the time course degradation of the fuel electrode is less when internal reforming is performed. In a solid oxide fuel cell having an oxide ion conductive solid electrolyte, and a fuel electrode and an air electrode connected to both faces thereof, a cermet of a catalyst and of the second solid electrolyte whose oxide ion conductivity is more than or equal to 0.2 S/cm at 1000° C. is used as the fuel electrode. More specifically, it is desirable that the second solid electrolyte is scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) containing 9 to 12 mol % of scandia. In addition, the second solid electrolyte may further be ScSZ containing yttria or ceria less than or equal to 2 mol %.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2001Publication date: June 20, 2002Applicant: TOHO GAS CO., LTD.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani
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Publication number: 20020048701Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a solid oxide fuel cell having a supported electrolyte film, which shows sufficiently high reliability, yields a high output, and exhibits high output power density per unit volume. The present invention is characterized by use of a first cermet comprising catalyst and a second solid electrolyte, which has a bending strength of more than 500 MPa and exhibits oxide ion conductivity, for a fuel electrode substrate in an SOFC having a supported electrolyte film equipped with an electrolyte-electrode assembly that is made by bonding the fuel electrode substrate and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte film consisting of the first solid electrolyte capable of exhibiting oxide ion conductivity. As a preferred embodiment, stabilized zirconia containing 2 to 4 mol % yttria or 3 to 6 mol % scandia is preferred for the second solid electrolyte.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2001Publication date: April 25, 2002Applicant: Toho Gas Co. Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ukai, Yasunobu Mizutani
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Patent number: 6123452Abstract: An apparatus for testing the thermal shock fracture strength of ceramics. The apparatus includes supporting means for supporting a ceramic test piece shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped at a first side surface thereof, force-detecting means for restraining a predetermined location of a second side surface of the ceramic test piece, the second side surface facing the first side surface, the force-detecting means and the supporting means restraining any deformation of the ceramic test piece when the second side surface of the ceramic test piece is heated, the force-detecting means being adapted to detect a force acting on the force-detecting means from the ceramic test piece, which tends to be deformed, but which deformation is restrained, means for moving the supporting means to press the ceramic test piece against the force-detecting means, and a heat-emissive element, which is an electric heater, for covering and heating the second side surface to cause a thermal shock in the ceramic test piece.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 1999Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignee: Sintokogio, Ltd.Inventors: Shoji Uchimura, Hirohide Ishiguro, Kazuhiro Ohta, Manabu Takatsu, Yasunobu Mizutani