Patent Grant
10094567
The present application claims priority from Japanese patent application serial No. 2013-195007, filed on Sep. 20, 2013, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a gas turbine combustor and, more particularly, to a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor which is a multi-burner type gas turbine combustor including a plurality of burners and corresponds to both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel.
Background Art
Due to a recent critical demand for electric power in the power generation business, there is an increasing need for the use of various types of fuels including liquid fuels, which can be relatively easily supplied, so gas turbine power generation facilities that use a liquid fuel combustor are demanded.
An available gas turbine combustor uses a pre-evaporation/pre-mixing combustion method, in which a liquid fuel is mixed with air before the fuel is burned from the viewpoint of environment protection.
Technologies related to a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor that corresponds to both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel are disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2007-327338 and 2003-148734.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-148734 relates to a gas turbine combustor in which a diffusive combustion burner is placed at the center and a plurality of pre-mixing combustion burners, each of which has a cylindrical mixing chamber to mix a fuel with combustion air, are provided around the outer circumference of the diffusive combustion burner.
The diffusive combustion burner disposed in the gas turbine combustor disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-148734 has air holes to swivel combustion air. Combustion gas at a high temperature is spread toward the outer circumferential to use it as a firing source of the pre-mixing combustion burner, making its combustion more stable.
The pre-mixing combustion burner disposed in the gas turbine combustor has a liquid fuel nozzle substantially at the center of the axis and the mixing chamber is disposed downstream of the liquid fuel nozzle.
{Patent Literature 1} Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-327338
{Patent Literature 2} Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-148734
If a liquid fuel nozzle is placed at the center of a multi-burner in a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor which is a multi-burner type gas turbine combustor and supports both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel as, for example, described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-148734, a gaseous fuel nozzle needs to be placed outside the center of the axis of the multi-burner.
To prevent a gaseous fuel from leaking to the outside, a method in which an O-ring or the like is used for a tight seal can be considered. However, since combustion air has been pressurized with a compressor, the air is at a high temperature, whereas a gaseous fuel is supplied at room temperature. Accordingly, a difference in temperature occurs between the combustion air and the gaseous fuel, so the O-ring cannot follow thermal deformation caused by the difference in temperature at the time of gaseous fuel supply. As a result, the gaseous fuel may leak to the outside.
If a single-tube sleeve is used instead of the O-ring, a method is available in which the sleeve is welded to an end cover and the pre-mixing combustion burner to prevent the gaseous fuel from leaking to the outside; however, when the sleeve is welded, the single-tube sleeve may be thermally contracted due to a rapid temperature change in the sleeve and excessive thermal stress may be exerted on the welded portion.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor that suppresses thermal contraction caused due to a difference in temperature when a gaseous fuel is supplied and reduces stress exerted on a welded portion by which a sleeve is attached, while having high reliability and corresponding both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel.
The dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor in the present invention is a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor corresponds to both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel, in which a diffusive combustion burner that burns a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel is placed at the center of the axis of the gas turbine combustor and a plurality of pre-mixing combustion burners are placed on the outer circumferential side of the diffusive combustion burner, each pre-mixing combustion burner having a liquid fuel nozzle through which the liquid fuel is supplied, a plurality of gaseous fuel spray holes through which the gaseous fuel is supplied, a plurality of air holes through which a combustion air is supplied, and the fuel spray holes and the air holes are being placed on an outer circumferential side of the liquid fuel nozzle, and a pre-mixing chamber in which the gaseous fuel and combustion air are mixed together, characterized in that: each pre-mixing combustion burner has a double pipe sleeve at a connected portion between a flow path through which the gaseous fuel is led, the flow path being provided on an end cover disposed on the upstream side of the gas turbine combustor, and a gaseous fuel flow path through which the gaseous fuel is led to the pre-mixing combustion chamber, the gaseous fuel flow path being provided in the pre-mixing combustion burner; and the double pipe sleeve has an inner sleeve having a gaseous fuel flow path through which the gaseous fuel flows down, an outer sleeve positioned on the outer circumferential side of the inner sleeve, and a circular spacing formed between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.
According to the present invention, there can be achieved a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor that suppresses thermal contraction caused due to a difference in temperature when a gaseous fuel is supplied and reduces stress exerted on a welded portion by which a sleeve is attached, while having high reliability and corresponding both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel.
A dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor, in an embodiment of the present invention, that can use both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel will be described below with reference to the drawings.
A dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor, in a first embodiment of the present invention, that can use both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel will be described below with reference to
In
The combustion chamber 50, which is substantially cylindrical, is formed in the interior of the body of the gas turbine combustor 1. The liquid fuel 100 and gaseous fuel 200 are supplied from the diffusive combustion burner 20 and pre-mixing combustion burner 30 to the combustion chamber 50, where the liquid fuel 100 and gaseous fuel 200 are burned.
A combustion gas generated as a result of combustion in the combustion chamber 50 of the gas turbine combustor 1 is supplied from the gas turbine combustor 1 to a turbine 3 and drives the turbine 3 to rotate a power generator 4 connected to the turbine 3, generating electric power.
When the turbine 3 is driven, a compressor 2 connected to the turbine 3 is also rotated to supply combustion air 300 to be used in the gas turbine combustor 1 is supplied from the compressor 2 to the gas turbine combustor 1.
The diffusive combustion burner 20 disposed at the center of the axial direction of the gas turbine combustor 1 includes a liquid fuel nozzle 27 through which the liquid fuel 100 is supplied, a gaseous fuel nozzle 22 through which the gaseous fuel 200 is supplied, the gaseous fuel nozzle 22 being placed on the outer circumferential side of the liquid fuel nozzle 27, and a cone plate 25 that has many gaseous fuel spray holes 23 through which the gaseous fuel 200 supplied from the gaseous fuel nozzle 22 is supplied to a mixing chamber 21, and many air holes 24 through which the combustion air 300 is supplied to the mixing chamber 21.
The mixing chamber 21 formed by the cone plate 25 is formed at the top of the diffusive combustion burner 20 so as to face the combustion chamber 50 of the gas turbine combustor 1.
Specifically, the substantially conical mixing chamber 21 partitioned by the cone plate 25 is formed at the top of the diffusive combustion burner 20 to mix the gaseous fuel 200 sprayed from the gaseous fuel nozzle 22 and supplied from the gaseous fuel spray holes 23 in the cone plate 25 with the combustion air 300 supplied from the air holes 24 in the cone plate 25.
After the gaseous fuel 200 supplied from the gaseous fuel spray holes 23 in the cone plate 25 to the mixing chamber 21 has been mixed with the combustion air 300 supplied from the air holes 24 in the cone plate 25 in the mixing chamber 21, the gaseous fuel 200 flows into the combustion chamber 50 of the gas turbine combustor 1, the combustion chamber 50 being disposed downstream of the mixing chamber 21, and is then burned.
Each of the six pre-mixing combustion burners 30 placed on the outer circumferential side of the diffusive combustion burner 20 of the gas turbine combustor 1 has a liquid fuel nozzle 60 from which the liquid fuel 100 is sprayed. A wall surface on which a substantially cylindrical pre-mixing chamber 31 is formed, the chamber 31 being disposed on a member of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 at the top of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 disposed downstream of the liquid fuel nozzle 60, includes a plurality of gaseous fuel spray holes 32 through which the gaseous fuel 200 is supplied to the pre-mixing chamber 31 and a plurality of air holes 33 through which the combustion air 300 is supplied to the pre-mixing chamber 31. In the pre-mixing chamber 31, the gaseous fuel 200 supplied from the gaseous fuel spray holes 32 to the pre-mixing chamber 31 is mixed with the combustion air 300 supplied from the air holes 33 to the pre-mixing chamber 31, after which the resulting mixed gas flows into the combustion chamber 50 on the downstream side and is then burned.
In this dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 that supplies the liquid fuel 100 and gaseous fuel 200 as fuels, a plurality of liquid fuel supply paths 110 are included as fuel supply paths, each of which supplies the liquid fuel 100 from a fuel tank (not illustrated) to the liquid fuel nozzle 27 of the diffusive combustion burner 20 and to the liquid fuel nozzles 60 of the six pre-mixing combustion burners 30 disposed on the outer circumferential side of the diffusive combustion burner 20.
The dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 also has a plurality of gaseous fuel supply paths 210, each of which supplies the gaseous fuel 200 from a gaseous fuel tank (not illustrated) through the gaseous fuel spray holes 32 of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 to the pre-mixing chamber 31. Furthermore, the combustion air 300 is supplied through the air holes 33 of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 to the pre-mixing chamber 31 so that the gaseous fuel 200 and combustion air 300 are mixed together in the pre-mixing chamber 31, after which the resulting mixed gas flows into the combustion chamber 50 and is then burned.
The liquid fuel supply paths 110 and gaseous fuel supply paths 210 are connected to an end cover 40 disposed on the upstream side of the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1. The gaseous fuel 200 that has been supplied through the gaseous fuel supply paths 210 is supplied to the diffusive combustion burner 20 and pre-mixing combustion burners 30, which are disposed in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1, and is then burned in the combustion chamber 50 on the downstream side.
The liquid fuel 100 supplied through the liquid fuel supply paths 110 is supplied to the liquid fuel nozzle 27 of the diffusive combustion burner 20 disposed in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 and to the liquid fuel nozzles 60 disposed in the pre-mixing combustion burner 30, and is then burned in the combustion chamber 50 disposed on the downstream side.
The diffusive combustion burner 20 disposed in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment includes the gaseous fuel nozzle 22 through which the gaseous fuel 200 is supplied to the substantially conical mixing chamber 21 formed in the diffusive combustion burner 20 in the gas turbine combustor 1 and also has the gaseous fuel spray holes 23 formed in the cone plate 25 so that the gaseous fuel 200 sprayed from the gaseous fuel nozzle 22 is led to the interior of the substantially conical mixing chamber 21.
The gaseous fuel nozzle 22 is placed at a position close to the upstream side of the air holes 24, which are formed so that the combustion air 300 is led to the cone plate 25 of the diffusive combustion burner 20.
The gaseous fuel 200 is supplied to the combustion chamber 50 while being mixed with the combustion air 300 in the air holes 24 and mixing chamber 21.
In the substantially conical pre-mixing chamber 31 formed in the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 disposed in the gas turbine combustor 1, the gaseous fuel spray holes 32, through which the gaseous fuel 200 is supplied, and the air holes 33, through which the combustion air 300 is supplied, are formed on the wall surface of the pre-mixing chamber 31, and the liquid fuel nozzle 60, through which the liquid fuel 100 is supplied, is disposed at the center of the axis of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30.
The gaseous fuel 200 supplied from the gaseous fuel spray holes 32 is supplied to the combustion chamber 50 while being mixed with the combustion air 300 in the air holes 33 and pre-mixing chamber 31.
As in the case in which the liquid fuel 100 is supplied, the mixed gas of the gaseous fuel 200 and combustion air 300 is burned in the combustion chamber 50 and the resulting combustion gas at a high temperature drives the turbine 3.
The end cover 40, to which both the liquid fuel 100 and the gaseous fuel 200 are supplied, is disposed on the upstream side of the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment. The end cover 40 is used as a base to which the diffusive combustion burner 20 and the six pre-mixing combustion burners 30 are attached on the downstream side of the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1.
The layout of the diffusive combustion burner 20 and pre-mixing combustion burners 30 in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to
In the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment, the six pre-mixing combustion burners 30 are secured with bolts around the single diffusive combustion burner 20.
As illustrated in
Next, the flow paths of the liquid fuel 100 and gaseous fuel 200 supplied to the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
That is, a gaseous fuel flow path, through which the gaseous fuel 200 passes, and a liquid fuel flow path, through which the liquid fuel 100 passes, are present in the end cover 40 and pre-mixing combustion burner 30.
A double pipe sleeve 80, which is formed with an inner sleeve 81 and an outer sleeve 82, is attached to a connected portion between a gaseous fuel flow path 40a, through which the gaseous fuel 200 passes, the gaseous fuel flow path 40a being disposed in the end cover 40, and a gaseous fuel flow path 30a, through which the gaseous fuel 200 passes, the gaseous fuel flow path 30a being disposed in the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 attached to the end cover 40. To prevent the gaseous fuel 200 flowing down through the double pipe sleeve 80 from leaking from the double pipe sleeve 80 to the combustion air 300, which is on the outer circumferential side of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30, the double pipe sleeve 80 is secured with an all-around fillet welded portion 10 and an all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11. By the all-around fillet welded portion 10, one end of the outer sleeve 82 of the double pipe sleeve 80 is welded to a side of the end cover 40. By the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11, the other end of the outer sleeve 82 is welded to the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30.
To weld the double pipe sleeve 80 to the side of the end cover 40, a notch 36 is formed at an end of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30, the end facing the side of the end cover 40. The notch 36 is shaped so that a groove is partially formed.
The structure of the double pipe sleeve 80, which is disposed in the end cover 40 and pre-mixing combustion burner 30 to supply the gaseous fuel 200 at a low temperature to the pre-mixing combustion burner 30, will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The inner sleeve 81 of the double pipe sleeve 80 is a sleeve with which the gaseous fuel 200 that flows down from the gaseous fuel flow path 40a formed in the end cover 40 to the gaseous fuel flow path 30a formed in the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 directly comes into contact. When the gaseous fuel 200 at a low temperature is supplied through the inner sleeve 81, the inner sleeve 81 undergoes a rapid temperature change, causing significant thermal contraction.
Part of the inside of the inner sleeve 81 has a role of an orifice. It has a function of suppressing a change in the flow rate of the gaseous fuel 200 flowing down through the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30.
The outer sleeve 82 of the double pipe sleeve 80 does not directly come into contact with the gaseous fuel 200, but is thermally contracted by a heat transmitted from the inner sleeve 81.
The outer sleeve 82 is mainly secured to a side of the end cover 40 and the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 with the all-around fillet welded portion 10 and the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11. Furthermore, the upstream ends of the inner sleeve 81 and outer sleeve 82 are mutually welded through a welded portion 12 so as to be secured, forming the double pipe sleeve 80.
As illustrated in
The downstream ends of the inner sleeve 81 and outer sleeve 82, which constitute the double pipe sleeve 80, are structured so that the outer circumferential side of the inner sleeve 81 fits to the inner circumferential side of the outer sleeve 82.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Furthermore, the downstream ends of the inner sleeve 81 and outer sleeve 82, which constitute the double pipe sleeve 80 disposed in the end cover 40 and pre-mixing combustion burner 30, are structured so that the outer circumferential side of the inner sleeve 81 fits to the inner circumferential side of the outer sleeve 82 as illustrated in
As a result, vibration stress generated by the gaseous fuel 200 when it flows down through the inner sleeve 81 of the double pipe sleeve 80 is lessened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress variations in a change in the flow rate of the gaseous fuel 200 flowing through the inner sleeve 81.
Since the circular spacing 83 is formed between the inner sleeve 81 and the outer sleeve 82, which constitute the double pipe sleeve 80, heat that the inner sleeve 81 receives from the gaseous fuel 200 when it is supplied is not easily transmitted to the outer sleeve 82. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the outer sleeve 82 from being thermally contracted.
Since the circular spacing 83 formed between the inner sleeve 81 and the outer sleeve 82, which constitute the double pipe sleeve 80, suppresses the thermal contraction of the outer sleeve 82, thermal contraction of the upstream side and downstream side of the outer sleeve 82 are also suppressed, the upstream side being welded to a side wall of the end cover 40 with the all-around fillet welded portion 10, and the downstream side being welded to the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 with the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11. Therefore, thermal stress exerted on the all-around fillet welded portion 10 and all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11, which are formed on the outer sleeve 82 of the double pipe sleeve 80, is also mitigated. As a result, the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor becomes superior in safety.
When the gaseous fuel 200 is supplied to the double pipe sleeve 80, the inner sleeve 81 of the double pipe sleeve 80 may be rotated in the circumferential direction due to a fuel eddy caused in the gaseous fuel 200 and the inner sleeve 81 may be thereby worn out. To prevent this wear, the upstream ends of the inner sleeve 81 and outer sleeve 82 are mutually welded through the welded portion 12 so as to be secured as illustrated in
Furthermore, a groove 37 is formed on the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a, which is formed in the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 so that the gaseous fuel 200 flows down. Accordingly, when the gaseous fuel 200 at a low temperature is supplied to the double pipe sleeve 80 disposed in the end cover 40 and pre-mixing combustion burner 30, stress generated due to thermal contraction of the outer sleeve 82 that is caused when the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11, which mutually bonds the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 and the downstream end of the double pipe sleeve 80, is formed is reduced by deforming a groove end 37a of the groove 37 formed on the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30. To deform the groove end 37a, the groove 37 is formed close to the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11 at the downstream end of the double pipe sleeve 80.
That is, since the groove end 37a of the groove 37 formed on the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 is deformed due to thermal contraction of the outer sleeve 82 of the double pipe sleeve 80, which is caused by the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11 formed at the downstream end of the double pipe sleeve 80, the amount of deformation of the outer sleeve 82 can be reduced.
Since the groove 37 having the groove end 37a is formed on the inner wall surface of the gaseous fuel flow path 30a of the pre-mixing combustion burner 30 so as to be close to the all-around single-bevel butt fillet welded portion 11 at the downstream end of the double pipe sleeve 80, stress caused by the thermal contraction of the outer sleeve 82 can be reduced by the deformation of the groove end 37a of the groove 37 and the operating life of the double pipe sleeve 80 can thereby be prolonged. As a result, a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor with high reliability can be achieved.
According to this embodiment, there can be achieved a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor that suppresses thermal contraction caused due to a difference in temperature when a gaseous fuel is supplied and reduces stress exerted on a welded portion by which a sleeve is attached, while having high reliability and corresponding both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel.
A dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor, in a second embodiment of the present invention, that can use both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel will be described below with reference to
The dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1, in this embodiment illustrated in
In the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in
That is, in the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment, the double pipe sleeve 80 is structured in such a way that the inner sleeve 81 and the outer sleeve 82 are fitted to each other without welding them. Specifically, a spacing 85 is formed at one end of the inner sleeve 81 and the outer sleeve 82, which constitute the double pipe sleeve 80 disposed in the end cover 40 and the pre-mixing combustion burner 30, and the inner sleeve 81 and outer sleeve 82 are brought into contact with each other at the other end.
The inner sleeve 81, which is part of the double pipe sleeve 80 of the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment, is fitted to the outer sleeve 82 without being welded to it, so that even when the gaseous fuel 200 at a low temperature is supplied to the inner sleeve 81, the heat transfer coefficient from the inner sleeve 81 to the outer sleeve 82 is further reduced. Therefore, thermal contraction can be further mitigated that is caused in the outer sleeve 82 of the double pipe sleeve 80 when the gaseous fuel 200 at a low temperature flows down through the inner sleeve 81 of the double pipe sleeve 80.
In the double pipe sleeve 80 of the dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor 1 in this embodiment, as illustrated in
According to this embodiment, there can be achieved a dual-fuel burning gas turbine combustor that suppresses thermal contraction caused due to a difference in temperature when a gaseous fuel is supplied and reduces stress exerted on a welded portion by which a sleeve is attached, while having high reliability and supporting both a liquid fuel and a gaseous fuel.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-195007 | Sep 2013 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3662547 | Paine | May 1972 | A |
| 3768251 | Camboulives | Oct 1973 | A |
| 3937011 | Caruel | Feb 1976 | A |
| 4258544 | Gebhart | Mar 1981 | A |
| 5361578 | Donlan | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5488829 | Southall | Feb 1996 | A |
| 5899074 | Komatsu | May 1999 | A |
| 6272840 | Crocker | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6415594 | Durbin | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6543235 | Crocker | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 7513116 | Hebert | Apr 2009 | B2 |
| 8127549 | Miura | Mar 2012 | B2 |
| 8555648 | Khosla | Oct 2013 | B2 |
| 9027349 | Miura | May 2015 | B2 |
| 9074772 | Miura | Jul 2015 | B2 |
| 20010004827 | Vandervort | Jun 2001 | A1 |
| 20030221429 | Laing | Dec 2003 | A1 |
| 20040011054 | Inoue | Jan 2004 | A1 |
| 20040255589 | Yoshida | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040265136 | Martling | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20060127827 | Yoshida | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060191268 | Widener | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20070003897 | Koizumi | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20080245074 | Oda | Oct 2008 | A1 |
| 20080289340 | Oda | Nov 2008 | A1 |
| 20080302105 | Oda | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20090044538 | Pelletier | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20090165435 | Koranek | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090173057 | Yoshida | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20100170248 | Yoshida et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100192586 | Terada et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
| 20110094239 | Koizumi | Apr 2011 | A1 |
| 20110107764 | Bailey | May 2011 | A1 |
| 20110197594 | Khosla | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110314826 | Jordan | Dec 2011 | A1 |
| 20120031102 | Uhm | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120079828 | Saitou | Apr 2012 | A1 |
| 20120186266 | Khan | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120291444 | Oskam | Nov 2012 | A1 |
| 20120291446 | Hirata | Nov 2012 | A1 |
| 20130029277 | Koizumi | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130091824 | Murakami | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130152593 | Oskam | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20130192245 | Miura | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130291546 | Cortes | Nov 2013 | A1 |
| 20140060063 | Boardman | Mar 2014 | A1 |
| 20140069079 | Koizumi | Mar 2014 | A1 |
| 20140144144 | Hirata | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140245738 | Crothers | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| 20140245740 | Wiebe | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| 20150059353 | Asai | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| 20150082797 | Matsuyama | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| 20150128601 | Matsubara | May 2015 | A1 |
| 20160025346 | Hirata | Jan 2016 | A1 |
| 20160146459 | Gibson | May 2016 | A1 |
| 20160305668 | Romig | Oct 2016 | A1 |
| 20160377294 | Wadayama | Dec 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2 236 933 | Oct 2010 | EP |
| 2003-148734 | May 2003 | JP |
| 2006-105488 | Apr 2006 | JP |
| 2007-327338 | Dec 2007 | JP |
| 2013-177988 | Sep 2013 | JP |
| WO 2009028475 | Mar 2009 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| European Search Report dated Jan. 21, 2015 (Five (5) Pages). |
| Japanese-language Office Action issued in counterpart Japanese Application No. 2013-195007 dated Jun. 13, 2017 with English translation (5 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150082770 A1 | Mar 2015 | US |
