Patents by Inventor Yasuo Kakinuma
Yasuo Kakinuma 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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Patent number: 10566634Abstract: A fuel cell array comprises a plurality of serially connected fuel cell units. A respective fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell and a cap capped on each end of the fuel cell. The fuel cell unit further comprises an electrically conductive terminal layer forming an outermost laminate of the fuel cell at one end of the fuel cell. The terminal layer is directly laminated on a fuel electrode layer and directly laminated on a solid electrolyte layer. The fuel cell unit further comprises a glass material forming a sealing layer circumferentially around the fuel cell to fill between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the fuel cell. The plurality of fuel cell units are electrically connected in series through the electrically conductive terminal layer, not through the cap.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Yuya Takahashi, Hiroshi Shirahama, Masayuki Yamada, Riku Takeshita, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Publication number: 20180301715Abstract: A fuel cell array comprising a plurality of serially connected fuel cell units. A respective fuel cell unit comprises a fuel cell and a tubular cap capped on each end of the fuel cell. The fuel cell unit further comprises an electrically conductive terminal layer forming an outermost laminate of the fuel cell in one end of the fuel cell and extending in the longitudinal direction from the one end of the fuel cell toward the other end thereof to terminate past a tubular skirt of the tubular cap to form a connection area. The terminal layer is directly laminated on the fuel electrode layer in a fuel electrode layer exposition area and directly laminated on the solid electrolyte layer in a solid electrolyte layer exposition area. The fuel cell unit further comprises a grass material forming a sealing layer circumferentially around the fuel cell to fill between the inner surface of the tubular cap and the outer surface of the fuel cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Yuya TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi SHIRAHAMA, Masayuki YAMADA, Riku TAKESHITA, Yasuo KAKINUMA
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Patent number: 10044049Abstract: To provide SOFC and method for manufacturing same, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. SOFC 1 comprising a cell array composed of fuel cells 16, and current collector 82 connected to electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed; elastic pieces 84a are provided on each attaching hole 84; current collector 82 is attached to the cell array using elastic pieces 84a, by the insertion of fuel cell 16 into attaching holes 84; and elastic pieces 84a are affixed to fuel cells 16 by electrode protective layer 152 so that the positions of elastic pieces 84a are not displaced relative to the electrodes on fuel cells 16.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Tanaka, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Takuya Hoshiko, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Kiyoshi Hayama
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Patent number: 10003088Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements provided on a surface of the support, the plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order, and an interconnector that electrically connects an air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte in adjacent one power generation element is provided between a fuel electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the fuel electrode in the adjacent other power generation element, and an insulating member is provided at a position that is on the solid electrolyte in the adjacent one power generation element and between the air electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the solid electrolyte therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Hironobu Murakami, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Naoki Watanabe, Shuhei Tanaka, Nobuo Isaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Masaki Sato
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Patent number: 9871265Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing SOFC, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. Step for forming electrode protective layers 152 on electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, modularization step for forming a cell array, and attaching step for attaching a current collector 82 to the cell array, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed for the insertion of fuel cells 16, elastic pieces 84a are formed at each attaching hole 84, fuel cells 16 are inserted into attaching holes 84, and current collector 82 is attached to the cell array by the elastic force; and protective layer 152 is constituted to prevent damage to electrodes caused by contact with elastic pieces.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Tanaka, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Takuya Hoshiko, Yutaka Momiyama, Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Patent number: 9755249Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order on the support, and an interconnector electrically connecting an air electrode in one of the two adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte for one of the power generation elements is provided on the downside of the interconnector provided on the downside of the air electrode in the one power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector, and a solid electrolyte for the other power generation element is provided on the upper side of the interconnector provided on the upper side of the fuel electrode for the other power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto, Shigeru Ando, Hironobu Murakami, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Kiyoshi Hayama, Naoki Watanabe, Shuhei Tanaka, Nobuo Isaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Masaki Sato
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Patent number: 9583773Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising an insulating support, and a power generation element comprising, at least, a fuel electrode, an electrolyte and an air electrode, which are sequentially laminated one another, the power generation element being provided on the insulating support, wherein an exposed insulating support portion, an exposed fuel electrode portion, and an exposed electrolyte portion are provided in an fuel electrode cell end portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Naoki Watanabe, Takuya Hoshiko, Shuhei Tanaka, Masaki Sato, Nobuo Isaka, Yutaka Momiyama, Seiki Furuya, Kiyoshi Hayama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Osamu Okamoto
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Publication number: 20170012312Abstract: The solid oxide fuel cell apparatus of the present invention comprises: multiple fuel cells mutually electrically connected to each other; an outside cylindrical member for housing the multiple fuel cells; an oxidant gas supply flow path for supplying oxidant gas to the fuel cells; a fuel gas supply flow path for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cells; a reforming portion for producing fuel gas by reforming raw fuel gas using steam; an evaporating portion for producing steam supplied to the reforming portion; and a fuel gas supply pipe for supplying water evaporated by the evaporating portion; wherein the evaporating portion comprises a sloped plate for dispersing water supplied from the fuel gas supply pipe over the entire evaporating portion using capillary action.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2015Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Shuhei TANAKA, Shigeru ANDO, Osamu OKAMOTO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA
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Publication number: 20160344041Abstract: On the other hand, the possibility of estimating the dopant ratio of a metal element to each ceria crystalline particle using integral-width or half-width obtained by XRD was considered as follows: an XRD peak is shifted depending on the dopant ratio of La to ceria; when La increases, an XRD peak is shifted to a lower angle; in XRD performed on a raw material obtained by mixing ceria crystalline particles having different dopant ratio, peaks corresponding to the respective dopant ratio exist close to each other; as a result, a peak width is widened; accordingly, the dopant ratio of a metal element to each ceria crystalline particles are supposed to vary when integral-width and half-width obtained by XRD are large. Thus, it was revealed for the first time that integral-width and half-width obtained by XRD indicate variations in dopant ratio. It should be noted that from the direct proportional relationship between the dopant ratio x and the integral-width for dopant ratio ranging from 0.35 to 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2016Publication date: November 24, 2016Applicant: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Akira Ishiguro, Akira Kawakami, Megumi Shimazu, Yutaka Momiyama, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Patent number: 9478811Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell which includes a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode, each being sequentially laminated on the surface of a porous support. The porous support comprises forsterite and a nickel element. Ni and/or NiO fine particles are exposed on a surface of a sintered compact of the forsterite constituting the porous support.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Shuhei Tanaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Naoki Watanabe, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Patent number: 9461327Abstract: Disclosed is a solid oxide fuel cell which includes an inner electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an outer electrode, each being sequentially laminated on the surface of a porous support. The porous support contains forsterite, and further has a strontium element concentration of 0.02 mass % to 1 mass % both inclusive in terms of SrO based on the mass of the forsterite.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2014Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigeru Ando, Osamu Okamoto, Kiyoshi Hayama, Seiki Furuya, Yutaka Momiyama, Nobuo Isaka, Masaki Sato, Shuhei Tanaka, Takuya Hoshiko, Naoki Watanabe, Yasuo Kakinuma
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Publication number: 20160133977Abstract: To provide a solid oxide fuel cell with improved durability while obtaining sufficient electricity generating performance. The present invention is a method for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells (16) in which electricity generating elements (16a) are connected by an interconnector (102), including: a support body forming step (S1); surface deposition steps (S4, S9) for forming in sequence a first and second functional layer on a porous support body; an outermost layer deposition step (S13) for forming an outermost functional layer (101) in which slurry in liquid droplet form is continuously jetted to form dots, and an outermost functional layer is formed by the agglomeration of dots to be thicker than a first functional layer (98); and a sintering step (S14) for sintering functional layers; wherein in the outermost functional layer, traces of agglomerated dots remain and ring-shaped cracks surrounding each dot trace are formed by the sintering process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Inventors: Seiki FURUYA, Shigeru ANDO, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Shuhei TANAKA, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Takuya HOSHIKO
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Publication number: 20160133980Abstract: To provide a method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell, capable of obtaining a uniform film thickness. The present invention is a method of manufacturing fuel cells (16), including a support body-forming step (S1) for forming a porous support body (97), a film deposition step for laminating functional layers constituting electricity generating elements on a support body; and a sintering step (S14, S16) for sintering the support body on which functional layers are formed; whereby the film deposition step includes surface deposition steps (S5, S11), in which a masking layer is formed in parts not requiring film deposition, and electricity generating elements first functional layers are simultaneously formed, and a dot deposition step (S15), in which slurry dots are formed by placing a slurry into a liquid droplet state and jetting it, and a second functional layer is formed by the agglomeration of these dots.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Inventors: Seiki FURUYA, Shigeru ANDO, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Shuhei TANAKA, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaru KUBOTA, Shinji SHINOHARA
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Publication number: 20160093897Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements provided on a surface of the support, the plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order, and an interconnector that electrically connects an air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte in adjacent one power generation element is provided between a fuel electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the fuel electrode in the adjacent other power generation element, and an insulating member is provided at a position that is on the solid electrolyte in the adjacent one power generation element and between the air electrode in the adjacent one power generation element and the solid electrolyte therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093910Abstract: There is provided a solid oxide fuel cell stack including a ceramic interconnector that has good electrical conductivity and oxide ion insulating property, that is, power generation efficiency. The solid oxide fuel cell stack includes at least: a plurality of power generation elements, each of which including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order; and an interconnector that electrically connects the air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements in the plurality of power generation elements to the fuel electrode in the other power generation element, the plurality of power generation elements being connected in series, wherein the interconnector is formed of formula (1): SraLabTi1-c-dNbcFedO3-???formula (1) wherein a, b, c, and d are a positive real number that satisfies 0.1?a?0.8, 0.1?b?0.8, 0.05?c?0.2, and 0.2?d?0.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093896Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a support, a plurality of power generation elements connected in series, each including a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order on the support, and an interconnector electrically connecting an air electrode in one of the two adjacent power generation elements to a fuel electrode in the other power generation element. A solid electrolyte for one of the power generation elements is provided on the downside of the interconnector provided on the downside of the air electrode in the one power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector, and a solid electrolyte for the other power generation element is provided on the upper side of the interconnector provided on the upper side of the fuel electrode for the other power generation element so that the solid electrolyte is joined to the interconnector.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Publication number: 20160093909Abstract: There is provided a solid oxide fuel cell stack including an interconnector that has excellent electrical conductivity, gas sealing property, and adhesion to a solid electrolyte. The solid oxide fuel cell stack includes a plurality of power generation elements, each of which including at least a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode stacked in that order; and an interconnector that electrically connects the air electrode in one of adjacent power generation elements in the plurality of the power generation elements to the fuel electrode in the other power generation element, the plurality of power generation elements being connected in series to each other, wherein an intermediate layer having a porosity of not more than 1% and an electrical conductivity of not less than 0.05 S/cm is provided between the interconnector and the fuel electrode in the other power generation element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventors: Yasuo KAKINUMA, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Hironobu MURAKAMI, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA, Naoki WATANABE, Shuhei TANAKA, Nobuo ISAKA, Takuya HOSHIKO, Masaki SATO
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Patent number: 9269980Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell scatters MgO over a grain boundary of an LSGM which is a solid electrolyte layer. Ni components that diffuse from a fuel electrode formed on the other side of an LDC from the LSGM are trapped by the scattered MgO particles and are suppressed from diffusing towards an air electrode in the electrolyte layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2012Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Momiyama, Yasuo Kakinuma, Yuya Takahashi, Akira Ishiguro, Shigeru Ando, Akira Kawakami
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Patent number: 9252435Abstract: In a fuel cell unit 16 that constitutes a fuel cell module 2 of an SOFC device 1, a collector cap 86a is connected to an inner electrode layer 90 via a seal material 96 as an Ag seal portion. A glass coating 30 (dense body) is filled up between the inner electrode layer 90 and an electrolyte layer 94 and the collector cap 86a to cover an upper end surface 96a of the seal material 96. As such, the fuel cell unit 16 includes the seal material 96 constituting as an Ag seal portion that separates a fuel gas from an oxidant gas, and a glass coating 30 at least partially formed to over at least either the fuel gas side surface of the seal material 96 or an the oxidant gas side surface of the seal material 96.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Yasuo Kakinuma, Akira Kawakami, Shuichiro Saigan, Shigeru Ando, Chihiro Kobayashi, Masato Ota, Naoki Watanabe, Nobuo Isaka, Yuya Takahashi, Megumi Shimazu
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Publication number: 20150255805Abstract: To provide SOFC and method for manufacturing same, capable of preventing breakage of fuel cell electrodes, and of securing an electrical connection between fuel cells and a current collector. SOFC 1 comprising a cell array composed of fuel cells 16, and current collector 82 connected to electrodes formed on fuel cells 16, wherein current collector 82 is a metal plate on which attaching holes 84 are formed; elastic pieces 84a are provided on each attaching hole 84; current collector 82 is attached to the cell array using elastic pieces 84a, by the insertion of fuel cell 16 into attaching holes 84; and elastic pieces 84a are affixed to fuel cells 16 by electrode protective layer 152 so that the positions of elastic pieces 84a are not displaced relative to the electrodes on fuel cells 16.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Shuhei TANAKA, Naoki WATANABE, Nobuo ISAKA, Masaki SATO, Takuya HOSHIKO, Osamu OKAMOTO, Shigeru ANDO, Seiki FURUYA, Yutaka MOMIYAMA, Yasuo KAKINUMA, Kiyoshi HAYAMA