Patents by Inventor Yohito Ito
Yohito Ito 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: 11414331Abstract: Provided is an effluent treatment method based on a membrane separation activated sludge method, the effluent treatment method being characterized in that activated sludge collected from a membrane separation activated sludge tank is observed by an optical means, image processing is performed, and effluent treatment conditions are controlled in accordance with the results thereof.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Seiko Kantani, Kyoya Takemoto, Kazunori Tomioka, Yohito Ito
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Publication number: 20210107817Abstract: Provided is an effluent treatment method based on a membrane separation activated sludge method, the effluent treatment method being characterized in that activated sludge collected from a membrane separation activated sludge tank is observed by an optical means, image processing is performed, and effluent treatment conditions are controlled in accordance with the results thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2018Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Seiko KANTANI, Kyoya TAKEMOTO, Kazunori TOMIOKA, Yohito ITO
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Patent number: 10703657Abstract: In a waste water treatment method using membrane separation-activated sludge, when, during filtration while supplying air using an immersion-type membrane separation unit loaded with multiple flexible membranes, the filtration differential pressure of the membranes at a set filtration flow rate exceeds a specified value P2 with respect to the filtration differential pressure P1 of the initial period of operation, membrane filtration is continued with air supply stopped until the filtration differential pressure P3 becomes P3?P1+20 [kPa]. Then with the filtration flux or filtration pressure being smaller or negative compared to when filtering while supplying air, air is supplied and after the filtration differential pressure P4 during filtration reaches P4?P1+5 [kPa], filtration is returned to filtration while supplying air.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Seiko Kantani, Yohito Ito, Hideaki Ando
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Publication number: 20190345049Abstract: In a waste water treatment method using membrane separation-activated sludge, when, during filtration while supplying air using an immersion-type membrane separation unit loaded with multiple flexible membranes, the filtration differential pressure of the membranes at a set filtration flow rate exceeds a specified value P2 with respect to the filtration differential pressure P1 of the initial period of operation, membrane filtration is continued with air supply stopped until the filtration differential pressure P3 becomes P3?P1+20 [kPa]. Then with the filtration flux or filtration pressure being smaller or negative compared to when filtering while supplying air, air is supplied and after the filtration differential pressure P4 during filtration reaches P4?P1+5 [kPa], filtration is returned to filtration while supplying air.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2017Publication date: November 14, 2019Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Seiko KANTANI, Yohito ITO, Hideaki ANDO
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Publication number: 20170274325Abstract: The present invention relates to a water treatment method including: a filtration step of feeding water to be treated to a membrane filtration device having loaded therein a porous separation membrane and performing filtration treatment to obtain filtrate; a discharging step of discharging the water to be treated in the membrane filtration device, which has been separated and concentrated by the porous separation membrane; and a cleaning step of cleaning the porous separation membrane by at least one treatment of physical cleaning and chemical cleaning, in which a cycle including a combination of the filtration step, the discharging step and the cleaning step is repeated multiple times, thereby obtaining filtrate. In each cycle, the filtration step and the discharging step are repeated multiple times, and the cleaning step is then carried out.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2014Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Tomohiro Maeda, Masahide Taniguchi, Yohito Ito
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Patent number: 9587253Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing a chemical product through continuous fermentation which includes filtering a culture of a microorganism or cultured cells with a separation membrane to recover a product from a filtrate and simultaneously retaining a nonfiltered fluid in, or refluxing it to, the culture, and adding fermentation materials to the culture, wherein a porous membrane having an average pore size of 0.01 ?m or more to less than 1 ?m is used as the separation membrane and the filtration is conducted with a transmembrane pressure difference in the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa. According to this method, the fermentation productivity of the chemical product can be largely elevated at high stability and a low cost.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2007Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada, Takashi Mimitsuka, Kenji Sawai, Tetsu Yonehara, Yohito Ito, Masahiro Henmi
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Patent number: 8759045Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by microbial fermentation, comprising: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in step (A) under a pressure of 1 Pa to atmospheric pressure (inclusive) at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. (inclusive) to recover lactic acid.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2012Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Eri Shimizu, Kenji Sawai, Yohito Ito, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Patent number: 8349597Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by microbial fermentation, comprising: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in step (A) under a pressure of 1 Pa to atmospheric pressure at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Eri Shimizu, Kenji Sawai, Yohito Ito, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20100190222Abstract: Disclosed is a lactic acid production method by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by means of the fermentation culture of a microorganism. Specifically disclosed is a lactic acid production method, which comprises: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in the step (A) under a pressure ranging from 1 Pa to the atmospheric pressure (inclusive) at a temperature ranging from 25 to 200° C. (inclusive) to collect lactic acid. The method can effectively remove an inorganic salt dissolved in a fermentation culture solution or contained in the fermentation culture solution in the form of a poorly soluble solid material by a simple manipulation, enables to prevent the racemization or oligomerization of lactic acid during the process of producing lactic acid, and therefore can produce lactic acid in a high yield.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2008Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Eri Shimizu, Kenji Sawai, Yohito Ito, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20090269812Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing a chemical product through continuous fermentation which includes filtering a culture of a microorganism or cultured cells with a separation membrane to recover a product from a filtrate and simultaneously retaining a nonfiltered fluid in, or refluxing it to, the culture, and adding fermentation materials to the culture, wherein a porous membrane having an average pore size of 0.01 ?m or more to less than 1 ?m is used as the separation membrane and the filtration is conducted with a transmembrane pressure difference in the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa. According to this method, the fermentation productivity of the chemical product can be largely elevated at high stability and a low cost.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2007Publication date: October 29, 2009Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc , a corporation of JapanInventors: Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada, Takashi Mimitsuka, Kenji Sawai, Tetsu Yonehara, Yohito Ito, Masahiro Henmi
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Publication number: 20090266762Abstract: A method for operating a reverse osmosis membrane filtration plant having a raw water intake unit, a pre-treatment unit, and a reverse osmosis membrane filtration unit having a reverse osmosis membrane module in this order, the method including: disposing a biofilm formation base material under conditions that reverse osmosis membrane supply water and/or reverse osmosis membrane non-permeated water in the reverse osmosis membrane filtration unit are/is flowed at a linear speed equal to a non-permeated water linear speed in the reverse osmosis membrane module of the reverse osmosis membrane filtration unit; evaluating a biofilm amount on the biofilm formation base material at a frequency of from once a day to once in six months; and controlling the method for operating a reverse osmosis membrane filtration plant based on results of the evaluation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2007Publication date: October 29, 2009Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INCInventors: Yohito Ito, Seiko Kantani, Tadahiro Uemura, Tamotsu Kitade
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Patent number: 6743363Abstract: In the invention, the pipe lines around permselective membranes and the surfaces of permselective membranes are intermittently disinfected by adding an inexpensive acid such as sulfuric acid or the like to pre-treated crude water so as to make the water have a pH of 4 or lower. Accordingly, the invention provides a method of surely disinfecting the permselective membranes in membrane separation systems.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Takuhei Kimura, Yuichiro Nakaoki, Yohito Ito, Yoshinari Fusaoka, Toshihiro Miyoshi
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Publication number: 20030080058Abstract: In the invention, the pipe lines around permselective membranes and the surfaces of permselective membranes are intermittently disinfected by adding an inexpensive acid such as sulfuric acid or the like to pre-treated crude water so as to make the water have a pH of 4 or lower. Accordingly, the invention provides a method of surely disinfecting the permselective membranes in membrane separation systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2002Publication date: May 1, 2003Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Takuhei Kimura, Yuichiro Nakaoki, Yohito Ito, Yoshinori Fusaoka, Toshihiro Miyoshi
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Patent number: 6468430Abstract: In the invention, the pipe lines around permselective membranes and the surfaces of permselective membranes are intermittently disinfected by adding an inexpensive acid such as sulfuric acid or the like to pre-treated crude water so as to make the water have a pH of 4 or lower. Accordingly, the invention provides a method of surely disinfecting the permselective membranes in membrane separation systems.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2000Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Takuhei Kimura, Yuichiro Nakaoki, Yohito Ito, Yoshinari Fusaoka, Toshihiro Miyoshi