Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090147246 | OPTICAL DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS - A laser beam oscillated from a laser source is folded in its path by first and second plane mirrors and enters a beam expander. The surface of each plane mirror is deteriorated with illumination by the laser beam and the reflectance is reduced. To avoid a light quantity of the laser beam entering the beam expander from being reduced below a reference value, when the laser beam is illuminated over a certain time, a position on each of the first and second plane mirrors at which the laser beam is illuminated is changed by a structure for rotating and/or translating a reflecting surface of each plane mirror on a plane, which includes the plane mirror, while an optical axis is kept same. Thus the useful life of each plane mirror can be prolonged without displacing the optical axis. | 06-11-2009 |
20100141936 | OPTICAL DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS - A laser beam oscillated from a laser source is folded in its path by first and second plane mirrors and enters a beam expander. The surface of each plane mirror is deteriorated with illumination by the laser beam and the reflectance is reduced. To avoid a light quantity of the laser beam entering the beam expander from being reduced below a reference value, when the laser beam is illuminated over a certain time, a position on each of the first and second plane mirrors at which the laser beam is illuminated is changed by a structure for rotating and/or translating a reflecting surface of each plane mirror on a plane, which includes the plane mirror, while an optical axis is kept same. Thus, the useful life of each plane mirror can be prolonged without displacing the optical axis. | 06-10-2010 |
20100225907 | SURFACE INSPECTION WITH VARIABLE DIGITAL FILTERING - A semiconductor wafer, which is an inspection object, is stuck by vacuum on a chuck and this chuck is mounted on an inspection object movement stage consisting of a rotational stage and a translational stage, located on a Z-stage. The rotational stage provides a rotational movement and the translational stage provides a translational movement. And when a foreign particle or a defect on an inspection object surface is detected, the parameter of digital filtering is dynamically changed during inspection, and the foreign particle or the defect is differentiated using the result after removing a low frequency fluctuation component to be a noise component. | 09-09-2010 |
20100231900 | OPTICAL DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS - A laser beam oscillated from a laser source is folded in its path by first and second plane mirrors and enters a beam expander. The surface of each plane mirror is deteriorated with illumination by the laser beam and the reflectance is reduced. To avoid a light quantity of the laser beam entering the beam expander from being reduced below a reference value, when the laser beam is illuminated over a certain time, a position on each of the first and second plane mirrors at which the laser beam is illuminated is changed by a structure for rotating and/or translating a reflecting surface of each plane mirror on a plane, which includes the plane mirror, while an optical axis is kept same. Thus, the useful life of each plane mirror can be prolonged without displacing the optical axis. | 09-16-2010 |
20110102781 | OPTICAL DEFECT INSPECTION APPARATUS - A laser beam oscillated from a laser source is folded in its path by first and second plane mirrors and enters a beam expander. The surface of each plane mirror is deteriorated with illumination by the laser beam and the reflectance is reduced. To avoid a light quantity of the laser beam entering the beam expander from being reduced below a reference value, when the laser beam is illuminated over a certain time, a position on each of the first and second plane mirrors at which the laser beam is illuminated is changed by a structure for rotating and/or translating a reflecting surface of each plane mirror on a plane, which includes the plane mirror, while an optical axis is kept same. Thus, the useful life of each plane mirror can be prolonged without displacing the optical axis. | 05-05-2011 |
20110299088 | EXAMINATION METHOD AND EXAMINATION DEVICE - A change in surface state can be dealt with by setting threshold values different for respective regions of an object to be examined in accordance with a magnitude of noises, thereby improving a detection sensitivity. | 12-08-2011 |
20120327403 | SURFACE INSPECTION APPARATUS AND SURFACE INSPECTION METHOD - A surface inspection apparatus includes a blocking unit included in a subsequent processing unit that groups data items into having an arbitrary number of data items. The subsequent processing unit acquires a data item from each of the blocks. The blocking unit changes, in accordance with an instruction transmitted from a state monitoring unit, the number of data items to be blocked. A threshold processing unit acquires data items from the blocking unit that have values larger than a threshold, and transmits the data items to a memory. The state monitoring unit monitors an available capacity of the memory. When the state monitoring unit detects a reduction in the available capacity of the memory, it causes the blocking unit to increase the number of data items to be blocked into each of the blocks so that data does not overflow from the memory. | 12-27-2012 |
20130010290 | SURFACE INSPECTION DEVICE AND SURFACE INSPECTION METHOD - There are provided a surface inspection device and a surface inspection method which can inspect a surface of a test object with uniform detection sensitivity. A surface inspection device includes a test object moving stage, a lighting device, an inspection coordinate detection device, a light detector, an A/D converter, and a foreign object/defect determination unit. The lighting device is configured to change a dimension of a light spot in a circumferential direction based on a position of the light spot in a radial direction obtained by the inspection coordinate detection device. The density of irradiation light intensity of the light spot is made constant while the light spot is being moved for scanning between an outer peripheral portion and a central portion on the test object. | 01-10-2013 |
20130148113 | INSPECTION APPARATUS AND INSPECTION METHOD - The light scattered from the sample surface and foreign matter is imaged on an image intensifier and detected by a lens-coupled multi-pixel sensor such as a TDI sensor or a CCD sensor. The light scattered by surface roughness is spatially eliminated to detect the light scattered from foreign matter with increased sensitivity. A mechanism for shifting the image intensifier is incorporated to prevent a signal intensity decrease, which may be caused by a decrease in the sensitivity of the image intensifier. | 06-13-2013 |
20130271754 | INSPECTION APPARATUS - This invention implements reduction in the amount of background-scattered light from a semiconductor wafer surface and highly sensitive inspection, without increasing the number of detectors. A surface inspection apparatus that detects defects on the surface of an object (semiconductor wafer surface) to be inspected, by irradiating the surface of the object with a beam of light such as laser light and detecting the light reflected or scattered from the surface; wherein a widely apertured lens with an optical Fourier transform function is disposed between the object to be inspected and a detector, a filter variable in position as well in aperture diameter is provided on a Fourier transform plane, and background-scattered light from the semiconductor wafer surface is effectively blocked, whereby only a signal from a defect such as a foreign substance is detected. | 10-17-2013 |
20130278926 | Measuring Apparatus - Surface states have traditionally been measured with apparatuses such as an atomic force microscope (AFM), and these measurements have been high in resolution but low in speed. In conventional apparatuses for inspecting the foreign matter sticking to a wafer surface, and for inspecting defects present on the wafer surface, the inspection has had a tendency to be restricted in a region of the highest noise level arising from the roughness of the surface, the surface state, and/or crystal orientations, and thereby to reduce detection sensitivity in a region of lower noise levels. In these conventional techniques, signal processing of the light scattered from the object to be inspected has been based only upon the intensity of the light. | 10-24-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090086595 | OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS, OPTICAL INFORMATION REPRODUCING APPARATUS, AND OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING METHOD - A focal follow-up control circuit performs follow-up control for a focal point on the data recording/reproducing region by reciprocating an object lens provided in a pickup with respect to a rotating direction of a data recording/reproducing region of an optical disk. The focal follow-up control circuit outputs a focal follow-up deviation signal indicative of a deviation between a follow-up central position of the object lens and a movable neutral point to a spindle control circuit. The spindle control circuit carries out feedback control of a number of rotations of a spindle motor so as to bring this focal follow-up deviation signal to zero. | 04-02-2009 |
20090116346 | OPTICAL RECORDING/PLAYBACK DEVICE AND MEDIUM DIFFERENTIATION METHOD - There is provided a recording/playback device able to differentiate the type of an optical disc or another such optical recording medium with a high degree of precision while correcting wavefront aberrations. The recording/playback device has a detection part for sequentially detecting the surface of a cover layer and one or a plurality of signal recording surfaces of an object to be detected on the basis of an output signal of a photodetector, a medium differentiation part for differentiating the type of the detected object on the basis of the detection results, an aberration correction element, and an aberration control part for controlling the aberration correction state of the aberration correction element. When the focal point of the light beam moves toward the signal recording surface, the aberration control part sets the aberration correction state of the aberration correction element to a state between a first aberration correction state in which the wavefront aberrations are appropriately corrected in accordance with a surface of a cover layer of a predetermined optical recording medium, and a second aberration correction state in which the wavefront aberrations are appropriately corrected in accordance with a signal recording surface of the predetermined optical recording medium. | 05-07-2009 |
20090252003 | OPTICAL RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND FOCUS SEARCH METHOD - Disclosed is an optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of performing focus search with high reliability even when a wavefront aberration occurs due to a thickness of a protective layer of an optical disk. The optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprises: an optical system which focuses the beam spot into the recording medium; a spot moving section which moves the beam spot at least in a direction parallel to thickness of the protective layer; a surface detector which detects each of a surface of the protective layer and one or more signal recording surfaces based on a returning light; and a focus controller which starts focusing servo control with respect to the one or more signal recording surfaces when the surface detector detects the surface of the protective layer and thereafter detects the one or more signal recording surfaces. | 10-08-2009 |
20100085859 | HOLOGRAM RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS - A laser beam emitted from a laser light source is divided into two laser beams, a 2-dimensional spatial modulation is performed to one of the two divided laser beams based on recording information, the modulated laser beam is projected as signal light onto a recording medium, the other laser beam is projected as reference light onto the recording medium, and the recording information is recorded onto the recording medium. The recording information recorded on the recording medium is reproduced based on the laser beam transmitted through or reflected by the recording medium. An optical system includes: a rotatable mirror portion for guiding the reference light to the recording medium at an angle according to the direction of its reflecting surface; a vibration proofing member coupled with a rear surface of the mirror portion; and a driving mechanism which decides an angle position of the mirror portion and is coupled with the mirror portion. | 04-08-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090209334 | INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND SERVER SYSTEM - A league is formed by a given number of teams formed by a plurality of players and having an identical team level, and the teams compete for league ranking based on team points obtained in a given period. A team level of each team is changed based on the league ranking. A player plays a game using a game device to obtain the team points. When the number of teams is less than the given number when forming a league, a mirror team of the team that belongs to another league is added. The team points of the mirror team are calculated separately from the team points of the actual team to determine league ranking in the league of the mirror team. The team level of the actual team of the mirror team is changed based on the league ranking of the actual team and the league ranking of the mirror team. | 08-20-2009 |
20090209351 | INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND SERVER SYSTEM - A league is formed by a given number of teams formed by a plurality of players and having an identical team level, and the teams compete for league ranking based on team points obtained in a given period. A team level of each team is changed based on the league ranking. The player plays a game using a game device to obtain the team points. | 08-20-2009 |
20090255411 | EXTERNAL HEATING TYPE REDUCED PRESSURE FRYER - To provide an external heating type reduced pressure fryer capable of carrying out a cycle of heating and circulating an oil between a frying tank and a heating apparatus even when a frying treatment of a food is carried out in the frying tank, the external heating type reduced pressure fryer includes a frying tank for immersing the food to a heated oil to be subjected to a frying treatment, an oil heating apparatus for heating the oil, an oil transferring path and an oil recirculating path connecting the frying tank and the oil heating apparatus, a circulating pump installed in the oil transferring path, and an oil/water separating portion for removing water in the oil, the oil/water separating portion includes a first baffle plate for forming a flow path of detouring the oil bent in an up and down direction, the water in the oil is interrupted by the baffle plate during a time period of making the oil flow to a downstream side while detouring the first baffle plate to promote the water to evaporate to a gas phase portion by boiling. | 10-15-2009 |
20140216047 | Two-Shaft Gas Turbine - A two-shaft gas turbine having high operability is provided. The two-shaft gas turbine includes: a gas generator having a compressor, a combustor and a high pressure turbine; a power turbine having a low pressure turbine; a load connected to the power turbine; a motor/generator capable of rotatably driving the gas generator and capable of extracting power from the gas generator; electric equipment controlling the rotational driving and the power extraction by delivering electric power between the electric equipment and the motor/generator; and a control device controlling the electric equipment, wherein the combustor has a plurality of combustion regions to which a fuel is supplied through fuel adjustment means which are independent from each other, and the control device controls a delivery amount of the electric power delivered by the electric equipment corresponding to the number of combustion regions to which the fuel is supplied. | 08-07-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080196498 | PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICE, OSCILLATION TYPE GYRO SENSOR, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICE - A piezoelectric device is disclosed. A substrate has an arm portion. A piezoelectric member is disposed on the substrate. A drive electrode oscillates the arm portion by a piezoelectric operation of the piezoelectric member. First and second detection electrodes detect a Coriolis force from the oscillating arm portion. A first lead electrode having a first area is disposed on the substrate and connected to the first detection electrode and connects the first detection electrode to the outside. A second lead electrode has a second area substantially the same as the first area. The second lead electrode is disposed on the substrate asymmetrical to the first lead electrode with respect to an axis in a longitudinal direction of the arm portion and connected to the second detection electrode. The second lead electrode connects the second detection electrode to the outside. A third lead electrode connects the drive electrode to the outside. | 08-21-2008 |
20080222865 | PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR MANUACTURING PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENT - A piezoelectric element with a substrate, a first electrode film disposed on the substrate, a piezoelectric film disposed on the first electrode film, and a second electrode film disposed on the piezoelectric film, and a method of forming same. The piezoelectric film has a laminated structure composed of a plurality of crystallized piezoelectric thin films. The piezoelectric film has a predetermined thickness and is formed by repeated cycles of a film formation step of forming a piezoelectric thin film and a crystallization heat treatment step of heat-treating the piezoelectric thin film to effect crystallization. | 09-18-2008 |
20080257044 | Vibratory Gyrosensor - To improve characteristics by achieving size reduction and high Q value with a simple structure. A vibratory gyrosensor | 10-23-2008 |
20090174292 | VIBRATING GYROSENSOR - A vibrating gyrosensor includes a support substrate on which a wiring pattern having lands is formed. A vibrating element is mounted on a surface of the support substrate. The vibrating element includes a base part having a mounting surface on which a number of terminals connectable to the lands is formed. A vibrator part integrally projects from a side of the base part and has a substrate-facing surface coplanar with the mounting surface of the base part. The vibrator part has a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer which are laminated on the substrate-facing surface. The vibrator part vibrates when an AC signal is applied between the first and second electrode layers. The central electric field strength of the AC signal is set at a position shifting to the positive direction from the center of a hysteresis loop of the piezoelectric layer. | 07-09-2009 |
20110146401 | ANGULAR VELOCITY SENSOR AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - Provided is an angular velocity sensor including a first vibration element, a second vibration element, and a support substrate. The first vibration element detects a first angular velocity about an axis parallel to a first direction. The second vibration element detects a second angular velocity about an axis parallel to a second direction obliquely intersecting with the first direction, and generates an output signal corresponding to a third angular velocity about an axis parallel to a third direction orthogonal to the first direction. The support substrate supports the first vibration element and the second vibration element. | 06-23-2011 |
20110296914 | ANGULAR VELOCITY SENSOR, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DETECTING AN ANGULAR VELOCITY - An angular velocity sensor includes an annular frame, a drive part, and a detection part. The frame has first beams and second beams. The first beams extend in an a-axis direction and are opposed to each other in a b-axis direction orthogonal to the a-axis direction. The second beams extend in the b-axis direction and are opposed to each other in the a-axis direction. The drive part causes the frame to oscillate within an XY plane to which the a-axis and the b-axis belong, in an oscillation mode where, when one of the first and second beams come closer to each other, the other separates from each other. The detection part detects an angular velocity around an axis in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane, based on an amount of deformation of the frame oscillating in the oscillation mode within the XY plane. | 12-08-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090140180 | INSPECTION APPARATUS AND INSPECTION METHOD - Reflected light caused by the state of the surface of a wafer, a foreign material or a defect is superimposed on a haze frequency component caused by the type and thickness of a film or a surface irregularity. It has therefore been difficult to accurately measure the haze frequency component by use of a fixed threshold value. In order to detect a haze frequency component caused by a haze present on the surface of an object to be inspected, light propagating from the object to be inspected is detected and converted into an electric signal. The electric signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling time interval and converted into digital data. A frequency component caused by a foreign material, a defect or the like is separated from the digital data to ensure that a haze frequency component is selected. The haze frequency component is caused by a stain attached to the surface of the wafer, hazy tarnish, a surface irregularity or the like. | 06-04-2009 |
20120154797 | INSPECTION APPARATUS AND INSPECTION METHOD - Reflected light caused by the state of the surface of a wafer, a foreign material, or a defect is superimposed on a haze frequency component caused by the type and thickness of a film or a surface irregularity. In order to detect a haze frequency component caused by a haze present on the surface of an object to be inspected, light propagating from the object to be inspected is detected and converted into an electric signal. The electric signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling time interval and converted into digital data. A frequency component caused by a foreign material, a defect or the like is separated from the digital data to ensure that a haze frequency component is selected. The haze frequency component is caused by a stain attached to the surface of the wafer, hazy tarnish, a surface irregularity or the like. | 06-21-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110188358 | OPTICAL DISK DRIVE DEVICE AND ADDITIONAL RECORDING METHOD - Disclosed herein are an optical recording medium driving device and an additional recording method, which performs tracking servo control for moving an objective lens in a direction orthogonal to a tangential direction of a guide track so that a guide tracking error signal is decreased with respect to a guide track of a guide layer separation type recording medium, detects an additional recording start position subsequent to a recorded track if the recorded track is present in a recording layer of the optical recording medium, generates a tracking correction signal according to the reproduction tracking error signal upon tracking servo control of the recorded track just before the additional recording start position, and corrects tracking servo control according to the tracking correction signal upon additional recording start. | 08-04-2011 |
20120069723 | OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM DRIVE DEVICE AND RECORDING METHOD - An optical recording medium drive device including: a combining prism for combining a recording first laser beam emitted from a first light source with a recording second laser beam emitted from the first light source so as to coaxially guide them; an objective lens for condensing the first and second laser beams from the combining prism toward an optical recording medium; a first photodetecting means for detecting reflected light of the first laser beam from a recording layer; a second photodetecting means for detecting reflected light of the second laser beam from a guide layer; a magnification conversion element disposed on an optical path of the second laser beam between a second light source and the combining prism for diffusing or converging the second laser beam incident upon the objective lens; a first focus error generating means for generating a first focus error signal indicating an error between a condensed spot position of the first laser beam and the recording layer based on an output signal of the first photodetecting means; a second focus error generating means for generating a second focus error signal indicating an error between a condensed spot position of the second laser beam and the guide layer based on an output signal of the second photodetecting means; a first focus control means for controlling the objective lens in an optical axis direction thereof in accordance with the first focus error signal; and a second focus control means for controlling a magnitude of the diffusion or convergence of the second laser beam by the magnification conversion element in accordance with the second focus error signal. | 03-22-2012 |
20120120783 | GUIDE-LAYER SEPARATED OPTICAL DISK, OPTICAL DISK DRIVE APPARATUS, AND TRACKING CONTROL METHOD - A guide-layer separated optical disk which includes a guide layer having a guide structure whose tracking guide tracks are divided into areas by discontinuous portions, the areas each having concentric guide tracks of arc shape at a regular track pitch, the guide tracks in adjoining two of the areas across one of the discontinuous portions deviating from each other in a radial direction of the disk by ¼ the track pitch. An optical disk drive apparatus and a tracking control method in which a servo optical system switches the tracking center of the irradiation spot of a first laser beam between on the guide tracks and in between the guide tracks alternately each time the irradiation spot passes two of the discontinuous portions. | 05-17-2012 |
20120159525 | GUIDE-LAYER SEPARATED OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM, OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM DRIVE APPARATUS, AND RECORDING LAYER ACCESS METHOD - A guide-layer separated optical recording medium includes a guide layer with a guide track formed therein and a plurality of recording layers, these layers being separately deposited from each other. A layer position information region for indicating position information of each of the recording layers, is formed on the guide track within a different range of the guide layer for each of the recording layers. Each of the recording layers includes a preformat region having a predetermined signal written on a record track along the guide track, and the preformat region on each of the recording layers is provided in a region corresponding to the layer position information region. An optical recording medium drive apparatus and a recording layer access method for the guide-layer separated optical recording medium are also provided. The apparatus and method implement: determining whether a reproduced signal has been obtained, based on the detection level of a reflected beam from the preformat region by a read/write optical system; acquiring position information of one of the plurality of recording layers based on the detection level of a reflected beam from a layer position information region by a servo optical system; and causing a second laser beam to access a desired one of the plurality of recording layers in accordance with the determination result of the reproduced signal and the position information. | 06-21-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120055161 | Method and Apparatus for Controlling Gas Turbine Combustor - An apparatus for controlling a gas turbine combustor having a diffusion combustion burner and a premix combustion burner comprising: a rotating speed detector for detecting a rotating speed of gas turbine, a recorder for recording the detected value of the rotating speed of gas turbine detected by the rotating speed detector, an arithmetic unit for calculating a change with time of the rotating speed of gas turbine in accordance with details of the detected value of the rotating speed of gas turbine recorded in the recorder, and a fuel control unit for judging a starting situation of reduction in the rotating speed of gas turbine on the basis of the change with time of the rotating speed of gas turbine calculated by the arithmetic unit and controlling respectively a fuel flow rate for the diffusion combustion burner to be fed to the diffusion combustion burner installed in the gas turbine combustor and a fuel flow rate for the premix combustion to be fed to the premix combustion burner. | 03-08-2012 |
20130174549 | Gas Turbine System, Control Device for Gas Turbine System, and Control Method for Gas Turbine System - Provided is a gas turbine system capable of dealing with a request for output increase even when high-pressure hot water generated using solar thermal energy cannot be used according to the operating state of the gas turbine system. A gas turbine system which sucks in intake air from an air intake duct by a compressor and drives a gas turbine by combustion gas obtained by burning air and fuel by a combustor, said gas turbine system being provided with pipes for generating high-pressure hot water by providing a solar collecting tube that utilizes solar heat and spraying the high-pressure hot water into the intake air sucked in by the compressor, and pipes for spraying normal temperature water into the intake air sucked in by the compressor. | 07-11-2013 |
20130192193 | Solar Assisted Combined Cycle Power Plant - Disclosed is a solar assisted combined cycle power plant having a compressor that pressurizes combustion air, a combustor that mixes and burns the combustion air and gas turbine fuel to generate a high-temperature combustion gas, a gas turbine that drives the compressor by using the combustion gas, an exhaust heat recovery steam generator that obtains steam from thermal energy of a gas exhausted from the gas turbine, and a steam turbine that is driven by using the steam obtained by the exhaust heat recovery steam generator. The solar assisted combined cycle power plant includes a solar collector to turn supplied water to warm water; a heat accumulator that stores pressurized hot water from the solar collector and the exhaust heat recovery steam generator; and a spray device that handles the pressurized hot water as spray water and sprays the spray water onto the air to be taken into the compressor. | 08-01-2013 |
20140033720 | Controller for Gas Turbine Power Plant - A controller for use in a gas turbine power plant includes a compressor that compresses combustion air; a water-atomization cooling apparatus that sprays water drops of atomized water supplied via a water-atomization flow-rate regulating valve over a flow of air drawn in the compressor; a combustor that mixes the compressed combustion air with fuel to thereby burn a fuel-air mixture and generate combustion gas at high temperature and performs combustion switching during operation; a turbine that uses the combustion gas to drive the compressor and a generator; the water-atomization flow-rate regulating valve that controls a flow rate of the atomized water; and a compressor inlet inner blade that controls a flow rate of air drawn in the compressor. The controller includes control means that calculates a fuel-air ratio correction command signal for compensating for reduction in a fuel-air ratio in the combustor occurring during the combustion switching. | 02-06-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120168126 | HEAT-STORAGE DEVICE - Disclosed is a heat-storage device provided with a supply pipe, a discharge pipe, and a heat-storage container that contains a heat-storage material. A heat-storage material layer comprising said heat-storage material is formed in the bottom of the heat-storage container. The supply pipe supplies a heat-carrying oil, which has a lower specific gravity than the heat-storage material, from outside the heat-storage container to the inside of the heat-storage material layer. The discharge pipe discharges the heat-carrying oil, which had been supplied to the inside of the heat-storage material layer, to the outside of the heat-storage container. The heat-storage device is also provided with a plurality of metal plates (members inside the heat-storage material layer) arranged vertically inside the heat-storage material layer. A metal plate is also disposed such that the upper end thereof is at a height greater than or equal to the vicinity of the upper surface level (L) of the heat-storage material layer. The disclosed heat-storage device is better than conventional heat-storage devices at preventing the heat-storage material from escaping the heat-storage container. | 07-05-2012 |
20130081390 | VAPORIZATION METHOD AND VAPORIZATION APPARATUS USED FOR VAPORIZATION METHOD, AND VAPORIZATION SYSTEM PROVIDED WITH VAPORIZATION APPARATUS - A vaporization method includes a preparing step of preparing a vaporizing tube that covers at least a part of a heat exchange unit for cold energy of a Stirling engine and is capable of forming an ascending flow of the liquid flowing from a bottom to a top of the heat exchange unit for cold energy, and a vaporizing step of feeding the liquid in the vaporizing tube to thereby form the ascending flow and bringing the liquid into contact with the Stirling engine to vaporize the liquid. In the preparing step, a flowing direction of the ascending flow is adjusted to suppress occurrence of separated flows of the liquid and gas in the vaporizing tube. In the vaporizing step, the liquid is fed at a flow velocity at which a gas-liquid two-phase flow in which the liquid and the gas are mixed is formed in the vaporizing tube. | 04-04-2013 |
20130091839 | POWER RECOVERY SYSTEM - The power recovery system includes: a Stirling engine; and a vaporization device that stores a liquid therein in such a manner that the liquid is kept in contact with an upper portion of a cylinder and vaporizes the liquid by supplying the cold heat of the liquid to the upper portion of the cylinder. The vaporization device includes a liquid container which stores the liquid therein in such a manner that the liquid is kept in contact with the upper portion of the cylinder, and an outer container embracing the liquid container and defining a space portion around the liquid container. The space portion communicates with the liquid container and an exhaust vent. Gas vaporized in the liquid container passes between the liquid container and an outer wall surface of a heat insulating material during passage thereof from the liquid container to the exhaust vent through the space portion. | 04-18-2013 |