Patents by Inventor Yuko Sugita

Yuko Sugita 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: 9005317
    Abstract: Modified solid fuel manufacturing method and modified solid fuels manufactured using the manufacturing method. When solid fuels are manufactured by crushing low grade coal, mixing the crushed low grade coal with solvent oil to prepare a slurry, heating the slurry to at least the boiling point of water to evaporate moisture included in the slurry, separating the solvent oil from the slurry to produce charcoal dust and compression compacting said charcoal dust, by heating the slurry to at least the boiling point of water, the non-volatile components included in the low grade coal are extracted with the solvent oil, the outer surface of the low grade coal and the internal surfaces of the pores are coated with the extracted non-volatile components, and the content of heavy oil added from the outside will be less than 0.5 mass % relative to the solid fuel after drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Yutaka Mitou, Shigeru Kinoshita, Yuko Sugita
  • Patent number: 8758602
    Abstract: A method of upgrading coal which comprises: pulverizing low-grade coal; mixing the pulverized low-grade coal with an oil to form a slurry; heating the slurry to or above the boiling point of water to vaporize the water contained in the low-grade coal and dehydrate the coal; compressing a vapor mixture of the steam resulting from the slurry heating and that part of the oil which has vaporized simultaneously and thereby elevating the temperature and pressure of the vapor mixture; and supplying the vapor mixture increased in temperature and pressure by the compression and utilizing this vapor mixture as a high-temperature heat source to heat the slurry. In the method, the vapor mixture before being compressed is brought into contact with an oil in a liquid state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Yutaka Mitou, Shigeru Kinoshita, Yuko Sugita
  • Patent number: 8734544
    Abstract: A solid fuel producing apparatus that even when supply of raw coal (RC) and mixed oil (MO) and supply of slurry to subsequent steps are stopped because of troubling at evaporation step or later, etc., would prevent cloggings of heat exchanger and raw coal supply means. The solid fuel producing apparatus includes a mixing tank (1) for mixing porous coal with a mixed oil having heavy oil and solvent oil contents to thereby obtain a raw slurry; an evaporator (2) for processing evaporation of water from the raw slurry by heating the same to thereby obtain a dewatered slurry; a solid-liquid separator (3) for separation of the mixed oil and upgraded porous coal from the dewatered slurry; and circulation means (4) for returning the mixed oil having been separated and recovered by the solid-liquid separator to the mixing tank. The solid fuel producing apparatus is characterized by having a mixed oil heating heat exchanger (5) for heating the mixed oil to be returned to the mixing tank by the circulation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuo Shigehisa, Yuko Sugita
  • Patent number: 8580000
    Abstract: The present invention provides an indirect heat-drying apparatus that is resistant to adhesion of the substance to be dried on heating pipes and gives a product having a desired and stabilized liquid content. The present invention relates to an indirect heat-drying apparatus, comprising two indirect-heating rotary dryers, i.e., the first and second indirect-heating rotary dryers that are arranged in series so that the dried substance from the first indirect-heating rotary dryer is supplied to and dried in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer as the substance to be dried; and a carrier gas-supplying means of supplying the carrier gas co-currently in the first indirect-heating rotary dryer and counter-currently in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer, with respect to the flow direction from the substance to be dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., Tsukishima Kikai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Deguchi, Takuo Shigehisa, Masayasu Ito, Zenji Kato, Yuko Sugita
  • Patent number: 8523961
    Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method for a briquetted solid fuel that can reduce the briquetting cost while maintaining the strength of the briquetted product. A mixed oil that includes a heavy oil and a solvent oil, and a porous coal are mixed to obtain a slurry. The slurry is dewatered by heating to obtain a dewatered slurry. Solvent oil is separated from the dewatered slurry to obtain a cake, the cake is heated, and solvent oil is further separated from the cake to obtain a modified coal. Moisture is added to the modified coal to obtain a moist modified coal with a moisture content of 3 wt % to 10 wt %, and then the moist modified coal is briquetted under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Mitou, Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Shigeru Kinoshita, Takahiro Shimizu, Yuko Sugita
  • Publication number: 20120291342
    Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method for a briquetted solid fuel that can reduce the briquetting cost while maintaining the strength of the briquetted product. A mixed oil that includes a heavy oil and a solvent oil, and a porous coal are mixed to obtain a slurry. The slurry is dewatered by heating to obtain a dewatered slurry. Solvent oil is separated from the dewatered slurry to obtain a cake, the cake is heated, and solvent oil is further separated from the cake to obtain a modified coal. Moisture is added to the modified coal to obtain a moist modified coal with a moisture content of 3 wt % to 10 wt %, and then the moist modified coal is briquetted under pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd)
    Inventors: Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Yutaka Mitou, Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Shigeru Kinoshita, Takahiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20120011766
    Abstract: Provided are a modified solid fuel manufacturing method that reduces manufacturing costs and environmental impact while also realizing higher strength such as for transport, and modified solid fuels manufactured using the manufacturing method. When solid fuels are manufactured by crushing low grade coal, mixing the crushed low grade coal with solvent oil to prepare a slurry, heating the slurry to at least the boiling point of water to evaporate moisture included in the slurry, separating the solvent oil from the slurry to produce charcoal dust and compression compacting said charcoal dust, by heating the slurry to at least the boiling point of water, the non-volatile components included in the low grade coal are extracted with the solvent oil, the outer surface of the low grade coal and the internal surfaces of the pores are coated with the extracted non-volatile components, and the content of heavy oil added from the outside will be less than 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Yutaka Mitou, Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Shigeru Kinoshita
  • Publication number: 20110284671
    Abstract: A method of upgrading coal which comprises: pulverizing low-grade coal; mixing the pulverized low-grade coal with an oil to form a slurry; heating the slurry to or above the boiling point of water to vaporize the water contained in the low-grade coal and dehydrate the coal; compressing a vapor mixture of the steam resulting from the slurry heating and that part of the oil which has vaporized simultaneously and thereby elevating the temperature and pressure of the vapor mixture; and supplying the vapor mixture increased in temperature and pressure by the compression and utilizing this vapor mixture as a high-temperature heat source to heat the slurry. In the method, the vapor mixture before being compressed is brought into contact with an oil in a liquid state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Takuo Shigehisa, Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Yutaka Mitou, Shigeru Kinoshita
  • Publication number: 20110041393
    Abstract: The present invention provides an indirect heat-drying apparatus that is resistant to adhesion of the substance to be dried on heating pipes and gives a product having a desired and stabilized liquid content. The present invention relates to an indirect heat-drying apparatus, comprising two indirect-heating rotary dryers, i.e., the first and second indirect-heating rotary dryers that are arranged in series so that the dried substance from the first indirect-heating rotary dryer is supplied to and dried in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer as the substance to be dried; and a carrier gas-supplying means of supplying the carrier gas co-currently in the first indirect-heating rotary dryer and counter-currently in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer, with respect to the flow direction from the substance to be dried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), Tsukishima Kikai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Tetsuya Deguchi, Takuo Shigehisa, Masayasu Ito, Zenji Kato
  • Publication number: 20110005126
    Abstract: A solid fuel producing apparatus that even when supply of raw coal (RC) and mixed oil (MO) and supply of slurry to subsequent steps are stopped because of troubling at evaporation step or later, etc., would prevent cloggings of heat exchanger and raw coal supply means. The solid fuel producing apparatus includes a mixing tank (1) for mixing porous coal with a mixed oil having heavy oil and solvent oil contents to thereby obtain a raw slurry; an evaporator (2) for processing evaporation of water from the raw slurry by heating the same to thereby obtain a dewatered slurry; a solid-liquid separator (3) for separation of the mixed oil and upgraded porous coal from the dewatered slurry; and circulation means (4) for returning the mixed oil having been separated and recovered by the solid-liquid separator to the mixing tank. The solid fuel producing apparatus is characterized by having a mixed oil heating heat exchanger (5) for heating the mixed oil to be returned to the mixing tank by the circulation means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Takuo Shigehisa