Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Kobori

Yoshihiro Kobori 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: 10815575
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes an electrode unit, a power control unit, an organic material storage tank, a concentration measurement unit, a water storage tank, a gas-water separation unit, and a control unit. The electrode unit includes an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The control unit controls the power control unit so as to satisfy a relation of VHER?Vallow?VCA?VTRR when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode, the standard redox potential of the aromatic compound, and the potential of the reduction electrode are expressed as VHER, VTRR, and VCA, respectively. Vallow is adjusted according to the concentration of the aromatic compound measured by the concentration measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ENEOS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Patent number: 10174431
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes an electrode unit, a power control unit, a concentration measurement unit, and a control unit. The electrode unit includes an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The control unit controls the power control unit such that a current value I flowing through the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode satisfies Equation, I?Imax (C). In Equation, a maximum current value Imax (C) is defined according to a concentration C of an aromatic compound obtained by the concentration measurement unit such that Faraday efficiency is to be a predetermined value or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: JXTG NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori, Shinji Oshima
  • Publication number: 20180002823
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device comprising: an electrode unit configured to include an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration of an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode; and a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of an organic liquid including an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode per unit time based on the concentration measured by the concentration measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Patent number: 9752239
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device comprises an electrode unit including an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a hydrogen gas generation rate measurement unit that measures a hydrogen gas generation rate F1; and a control unit that controls the power control unit so as to gradually increase the Va within a range that satisfies a relationship of F1?F0 and VCA>VHER?acceptable potential difference (APD), when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode is VHER, the potential of the reduction electrode is VCA, the acceptable upper limit of the hydrogen gas generation rate is F0, and the APD is a potential difference that defines an upper limit of a potential difference between VCA and VHER.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Publication number: 20160177459
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes: an electrolyte membrane; a reduction electrode including a reduction electrode catalyst layer, a diffusion layer, and a dense layer provided between the diffusion layer and the reduction electrode catalyst layer; an oxygen generating electrode; a raw material supplier that supplies the aromatic compound in a liquid state to the reduction electrode; a moisture supplier that supplies water or humidified gas to the oxygen generating electrode; and a power controller that externally applies an electric field such that the reduction electrode has an electronegative potential and the oxygen generating electrode has an electropositive potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori, Shinji Oshima
  • Publication number: 20160177460
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes: an electrolyte membrane; a reduction electrode; an oxygen generating electrode; a raw material supplier; a moisture supplier; and a power controller. The oxygen generating electrode has: an electron conductive metal substrate; a protective layer that contains one or two or more metals or metal oxides, the metal (metals) being selected from the group consisting of Nb, Mo, Ta, and W, and that covers the metal substrate; and a catalyst that contains one or two or more metals or metal oxides, the metal (metals) being selected from the group consisting of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, and Pt, and that is held on the surface of the protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori, Shinji Oshima
  • Publication number: 20160145751
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes an electrode unit, a power control unit, a concentration measurement unit, and a control unit. The electrode unit includes an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The control unit controls the power control unit such that a current value I flowing through the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode satisfies Equation, I?Imax (C). In Equation, a maximum current value Imax (C) is defined according to a concentration C of an aromatic compound obtained by the concentration measurement unit such that Faraday efficiency is to be a predetermined value or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI, Shinji OSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20160010224
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device comprising: an electrode unit configured to include an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode that contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a concentration measurement unit that measures a concentration of an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode; and a raw material supply amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of an organic liquid including an aromatic compound to be supplied to the reduction electrode per unit time based on the concentration measured by the concentration measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Publication number: 20160010223
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device includes an electrode unit, a power control unit, an organic material storage tank, a concentration measurement unit, a water storage tank, a gas-water separation unit, and a control unit. The electrode unit includes an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The control unit controls the power control unit so as to satisfy a relation of VHER?Vallow?VCA?VTRR when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode, the standard redox potential of the aromatic compound, and the potential of the reduction electrode are expressed as VHER, VTRR, and VCA, respectively. Vallow is adjusted according to the concentration of the aromatic compound measured by the concentration measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Patent number: 9206046
    Abstract: A hydrogen production process and a reactor for dehydrogenation in which it is possible to mix hydrogen with a raw material for a dehydrogenation reaction easily and simply and suppress a reduction in the performance of a dehydrogenation reaction catalyst when hydrogen is produced by combining the dehydrogenation reaction of organic hydrides or the like with a hydrogen separation membrane. A flow-type reactor for dehydrogenation of an organic compound includes a hydrogen separation membrane selectively permeable to hydrogen; and a dehydrogenation catalyst for promoting a dehydrogenation reaction of an organic compound which can release hydrogen upon the dehydrogenation reaction, including: a reaction side area through which the organic compound can flow and which includes the dehydrogenation catalyst and a permeation side area which is separated from the reaction side area by the hydrogen separation membrane and through which hydrogen that has passed through the hydrogen separation membrane can flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Publication number: 20150114842
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device is provided with an electrolyte membrane, an electrode unit, a power control unit, hydrogen gas generation amount measuring unit, and a control unit. The electrolyte membrane has ion conductivity. The electrode unit includes both a reduction electrode that is provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane and contains a reduction catalyst for hydrogenating at least one benzene ring of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The control unit releases, when the hydrogen gas generation amount F1 is larger than an acceptable upper limit F0 of a hydrogen gas generation amount in the electrode unit, the application of a voltage by the power control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Publication number: 20150090602
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device comprises an electrode unit including an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a hydrogen gas generation rate measurement unit that measures a hydrogen gas generation rate F1; and a control unit that controls the power control unit so as to gradually increase the Va within a range that satisfies a relationship of F1?F0 and VCA>VHER?acceptable potential difference (APD), when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode is VHER, the potential of the reduction electrode is VCA, the acceptable upper limit of the hydrogen gas generation rate is F0, and the APD is a potential difference that defines an upper limit of a potential difference between VCA and VHER.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Publication number: 20150056526
    Abstract: A fuel cell module of an aspect of the present invention includes: a fuel cell; a dehydrogenation reaction part that performs a dehydrogenation reaction of a hydride of an aromatic compound; a hydrogen separator that separates the hydrogen produced in the dehydrogenation reaction part from a dehydrogenated product of the hydride; a hydrogen supplier that supplies the hydrogen separated in the hydrogen separator to the fuel cell; and a single housing that houses the fuel cell, the dehydrogenation reaction part, the hydrogen separator, and the hydrogen supplier. The dehydrogenation reaction part is heated by at least one of the heat generated in the fuel cell and that generated by combustion of offgas from the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Publication number: 20150008138
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device is provided with an electrode unit, a power control unit, an organic material storage tank, a water storage tank, a gas-liquid separator, and a control unit. The electrode unit has an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The electrolyte membrane is formed of an ionomer. A reduction catalyst used for the reduction electrode contains at least one of Pt and Pd. The oxygen evolving electrode contains catalysts of noble metal oxides such as RuO2, IrO2, and the like. The control unit controls the power control unit such that a relationship, VHER?20 mV?VCA?VTRR, can be satisfied when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode, the standard redox potential of an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or an N-containing heterocyclic aromatic compound, and the potential of the reduction electrode are expressed as VHER, VTRR, and VCA, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Patent number: 8911519
    Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus allowing effective production of high purity hydrogen and recovery of carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Niitsuma, Shunsuke Maekawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Publication number: 20140326610
    Abstract: An electrolysis cell has an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode. The electrolyte membrane is formed of a material having protonic conductivity (ionomer). A reduction catalyst used for the reduction electrode is composed of a composition containing a first catalyst metal (noble metal) that contains at least one of Pt and Pd and containing one or more kinds of second catalyst metals selected from among Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ru, Sn, W, Re, Pb, and Bi. The oxygen evolving electrode contains catalysts of noble metal oxides such as RuO2, IrO2, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENGERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi SATO, Kota MIYOSHI, Kojiro NAKAGAWA, Yoshihiro KOBORI
  • Publication number: 20130313127
    Abstract: The invention provides an organic compound(s) hydrogenation device that allows hydrogen derived from water to be stored essentially without generating hydrogen gas. The organic compound hydrogenation device of the invention comprises an oxidation chamber that holds a water-containing electrolyte, a reduction chamber that holds an organic compound(s) with an unsaturated bond, an electrolyte membrane with ion permeability that separates the electrolyte held in the oxidation chamber from the organic compound(s) held in the reduction chamber, an oxidizing electrode that generates protons from the water held in the oxidation chamber, and a reducing electrode that hydrogenates the organic compound(s) held in the reduction chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Yoshihiro Kobori, Shunsuke Maekawa, Kazunari Domen, Jun Kubota, Masakazu Higuchi, Kazuhiro Takanabe
  • Patent number: 8563465
    Abstract: The hydrogen storage material of the invention is a hydrogen storage material comprising metal fine particles with hydrogen storage capacity, and an organic compound that has at least two specific groups that can bind with the metal fine particles, and that is bonded with the metal fine particles by the specific groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nishihara, Tetsu Yonezawa, Yoshinori Yamanoi, Yuki Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Kobori, Shinji Oshima, Yukio Kobayashi, Shunsuke Maekawa
  • Patent number: 8460630
    Abstract: When the production of hydrogen and the recovery of carbon dioxide are simultaneously performed by using as a raw material a carbon-containing fuel, the increase of the system cost is suppressed and the efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Niitsuma, Shunsuke Maekawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Publication number: 20130022536
    Abstract: A hydrogen production process and a reactor for dehydrogenation in which it is possible to mix hydrogen with a raw material for a dehydrogenation reaction easily and simply and suppress a reduction in the performance of a dehydrogenation reaction catalyst when hydrogen is produced by combining the dehydrogenation reaction of organic hydrides or the like with a hydrogen separation membrane. A flow-type reactor for dehydrogenation of an organic compound includes a hydrogen separation membrane selectively permeable to hydrogen; and a dehydrogenation catalyst for promoting a dehydrogenation reaction of an organic compound which can release hydrogen upon the dehydrogenation reaction, including: a reaction side area through which the organic compound can flow and which includes the dehydrogenation catalyst and a permeation side area which is separated from the reaction side area by the hydrogen separation membrane and through which hydrogen that has passed through the hydrogen separation membrane can flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kobori