Patents by Inventor Yoshio Kusano

Yoshio Kusano 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: 8298710
    Abstract: A humidifier for humidifying a fuel cell composed of an anode side humidifier and a cathode side humidifier each possessing a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules for migrating moisture between a supply gas, which is supplied to a fuel cell, and an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the fuel cell to thereby humidify the supply gas, the humidifier comprising: a pair of heads which hold both ends of the hollow fiber membrane modules, a connecting member which connects each of heads, and a device for warming the supply gas composed of conduits through which a cooling medium exhausted from the fuel cell is passed. The device for warming the supply gas is configured so that first warms a humidifier at an outlet side of the supply gas, and then warms a humidifier at an inlet side of the supply gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Motohiro Suzuki, Kenji Nagumo
  • Patent number: 8048575
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110129741
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7906241
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7838160
    Abstract: A humidifier of the present invention includes a humidifier main body for humidifying a second fluid, using a humidified first fluid discharged from a fuel cell; a head portion of which one end is connected to an end of the humidifier main body and the other end is connected to the fuel cell or a supply passage extending from the fuel cell, and which supplies the second fluid after humidification to the fuel cell; and a chamber for communicating a bottom portion of a humidified gas flow passage formed within the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohiro Suzuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Kenji Nagumo
  • Publication number: 20080152977
    Abstract: A humidifier for humidifying a fuel cell composed of an anode side humidifier and a cathode side humidifier each possessing a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules for migrating moisture between a supply gas, which is supplied to a fuel cell, and an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the fuel cell to thereby humidify the supply gas, the humidifier comprising: a pair of heads which hold both ends of the hollow fiber membrane modules, a connecting member which connects each of heads, and a device for warming the supply gas composed of conduits through which a cooling medium exhausted from the fuel cell is passed. The device for warming the supply gas is configured so that first warms a humidifier at an outlet side of the supply gas, and then warms a humidifier at an inlet side of the supply gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Motohiro Suzuki, Kenji Nagumo
  • Patent number: 7344790
    Abstract: A humidifier for humidifying a fuel cell composed of an anode side humidifier and a cathode side humidifier each possessing a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules for migrating moisture between a supply gas, which is supplied to a fuel cell, and an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the fuel cell to thereby humidify the supply gas, the humidifier comprising: a pair of heads which hold both ends of the hollow fiber membrane modules, a connecting member which connects each of heads, and a device for warming the supply gas composed of conduits through which a cooling medium exhausted from the fuel cell is passed. The device for warming the supply gas is configured so that first warms a humidifier at an outlet side of the supply gas, and then warms a humidifier at an inlet side of the supply gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Motohiro Suzuki, Kenji Nagumo
  • Patent number: 7302969
    Abstract: A first valve body is disposed in a first opening defined in a valve housing, and a second valve body is disposed in a second opening defined in the valve housing. The first valve body is fastened to a first shaft by screws, and the second valve body is fastened to the first shaft by screws. The first valve body and the second valve body are coupled to the first shaft substantially perpendicularly to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuji Hasegawa, Masakazu Murai, Junichi Sugamori, Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri
  • Patent number: 7264233
    Abstract: Disclosed is a humidifier for humidifying dry gas by transferring moisture from moist gas. A humidifier comprising: a housing having a first area for passing a first gas and a second area for passing a second gas having higher water content than that of said first gas; a moisture permeable means for transferring moisture from said second gas to said first gas to humidify the first gas; and a communicating path formed on the housing through which the first area and the second area communicate with each other, to transfer condensed water formed in the first area to the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20070122669
    Abstract: A fuel cell system that is compact and has stabilized performance is provided. The fuel cell system includes two fuel cell stacks or a first fuel cell stack (31) and a second fuel cell stack (32), a high-pressure hydrogen tank (11) as a hydrogen supplying device for supplying hydrogen to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32), a compressor (12) as an air supplying device for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, and a humidifier (20) for humidifying air to be supplied to the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32). The humidifier (20) is disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32); a supply air exhaust port of the humidifier (20) and air supply ports (Q1) of the first and second fuel cell stacks (31, 32) are connected by air supply pipes (51) having the same length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7087328
    Abstract: The invention provides a fuel cell system, which has a humidifying apparatus to supply the sufficient moisture to the solid electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell and is capable of preventing the mixture of fuel and oxidant gases in the apparatus. The hydrogen gas supplied to the anode of the fuel cell is humidified in the first humidifier and the air Ad supplied to the cathode is humidified in the second humidifier. The first humidifier has the non-porous water permeable membrane, which is permeable only to the moisture of the cathode off-gas discharged from the cathode of the fuel cell, on the other hand the second humidifier has the porous water permeable membrane, which is permeable to the moisture of the cathode off-gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shimanuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20060144450
    Abstract: A first valve body is disposed in a first opening defined in a valve housing, and a second valve body is disposed in a second opening defined in the valve housing. The first valve body is fastened to a first shaft by screws, and the second valve body is fastened to the first shaft by screws. The first valve body and the second valve body are coupled to the first shaft substantially perpendicularly to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Applicant: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuji Hasegawa, Masakazu Murai, Junichi Sugamori, Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri
  • Publication number: 20060147774
    Abstract: A humidifier of the present invention includes a humidifier main body for humidifying a second fluid, using a humidified first fluid discharged from a fuel cell; a head portion of which one end is connected to an end of the humidifier main body and the other end is connected to the fuel cell or a supply passage extending from the fuel cell, and which supplies the second fluid after humidification to the fuel cell; and a chamber for communicating a bottom portion of a humidified gas flow passage formed within the head portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Motohiro Suzuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Kenji Nagumo
  • Publication number: 20050280166
    Abstract: Disclosed is a humidifier for humidifying dry gas by transferring moisture from moist gas. A humidifier comprising: a housing having a first area for passing a first gas and a second area for passing a second gas having higher water content than that of said first gas; a moisture permeable means for transferring moisture from said second gas to said first gas to humidify the first gas; and a communicating path formed on the housing through which the first area and the second area communicate with each other, to transfer condensed water formed in the first area to the second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Kenji Nagumo, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6953635
    Abstract: A humidifier for fuel cell of the present invention comprises a hollow fiber membrane module in which a hollow fiber membrane bundle, comprising hollow fiber membranes bundled together, is accommodated inside a housing. The module comprises an entrance head which supplies off-gas inside the hollow fiber membranes, an exit head which converges off-gas, which has passed through the hollow fiber membranes, at another end of the hollow fiber membrane module, and an exhaust exit which exhausts liquid, accumulated in the entrance head. According to this humidifier, it is possible to prevent the hollow fiber membranes from becoming blocked by water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motohiro Suzuki, Hiroshi Shimanuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano
  • Patent number: 6808832
    Abstract: The fuel cell humidifying system is to prevent freezing and clogging of a water permeable type humidifier by providing a gas passage switching device for changing the gas flow paths communicating with the humidifier. To direct the flow of dry air exiting from the supercharger to the exhaust passage in the humidifier, the gas passage switching device includes a first three-way valve, a second three-way valve, a flow adjusting valve and a sweep piping. In this system, water vapor in the humidifier which causes freezing can be swept off by flowing dry air through the exhaust gas passage in the humidifier, and therefore, clogging caused by ice particles which plug up the pores of the hollow thread membrane in the humidifier can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motohiro Suzuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Hiroshi Shimanuki, Yoshio Kusano
  • Patent number: 6805988
    Abstract: A more compact humidifying apparatus for a fuel cell can be implemented. In the present invention, hydrogen humidifying modules 30A and 30B are disposed so as to be separated vertically on the front surface side of the humidifying unit 20, the air humidifying modules 30C and 30D are disposed separated vertically on the back side surface thereof, and the air humidifying modules 30E is disposed at the center, surrounded by the humidifying modules 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D. The axis direction of all of the humidifying modules 30A to 30E are disposed so as to be parallel to each other, only the hydrogen humidifying module 30A is disposed so that its position is shifted to the left (the longitudinal direction) of the axial direction of the other humidifying modules 30A to 30E, and the air off gas discharge pipes 43 of the air humidifying modules 30C to 30E are disposed in the space formed by this shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shimanuki, Kouji Katano, Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri
  • Publication number: 20040142218
    Abstract: A humidifier for humidifying a fuel cell composed of an anode side humidifier and a cathode side humidifier each possessing a plurality of hollow fiber membrane modules for migrating moisture between a supply gas, which is supplied to a fuel cell, and an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the fuel cell to thereby humidify the supply gas, the humidifier comprising: a pair of heads which hold both ends of the hollow fiber membrane modules, a connecting member which connects each of heads, and a device for warming the supply gas composed of conduits through which a cooling medium exhausted from the fuel cell is passed. The device for warming the supply gas is configured so that first warms a humidifier at an outlet side of the supply gas, and then warms a humidifier at an inlet side of the supply gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Motohiro Suzuki, Kenji Nagumo
  • Patent number: 6755399
    Abstract: A humidifier having a plurality of water-permeable hollow fiber membranes placed along the lengthwise direction of a housing accommodated within the housing in which gases each having a different moisture content flow inside and outside the hollow fiber membranes to carry out moisture exchange whereby the dry air having a low moisture content is humidified is disclosed. The humidifier comprises a bypass channel having a larger diameter than that of the hollow fiber membrane, in which the gas flowing outside the hollow fiber membrane, formed on an approximately central portion of the cross-lengthwise direction of the housing along the lengthwise direction of the housing, and an inlet which introduces the gas flowing outside the hollow fiber membrane into the housing and an outlet which discharges the gas flowing outside the hollow fiber membrane formed on the bypass channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shimanuki, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Yoshio Kusano, Motohiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6713204
    Abstract: The present invention provides the fuel cell system, in which the decrease in the power generation and the degradation of the durability of the fuel cell can be prevented even if the temperature of fuel cell is low at starting or the ambient temperature is low. On the fuel cell starting electric power generation, the air supplied to the cathode inlet is humidified by the hollow fiber membrane humidifier and the hydrogen gas supplied to be anode inlet is humidified by another hollow fiber membrane humidifier. The cooling fluid of the cooling line, which absorbs the heat from the fuel cell and flows into the heat exchanger, heats the hollow fiber membrane humidifiers. Thus the humidification is promoted by heating the humidified air and hydrogen gas to raise their dew-point temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shimanuki, Yoshio Kusano, Toshikatsu Katagiri, Motohiro Suzuki