Patents Represented by Attorney Kenneth H. Johnson

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  • Apparatus and method to control emissions of nitrogen oxide
    Patent number: 6609907
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus and process for improved flue gas recirculation wherein the recirculation line penetrates into an exhaust duct, such as the exhaust stack for capturing and directing a portion of said flue gas through the recirculation line which is connected to an air fan inlet which provides induction of the flue gas into the combustion unit. The portion of the recirculation line that extends into the exhaust stack is preferably aerodynamically configured to capture a portion of a flue gas stream without detrimental impedance of the gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Entropy Technology and Environmental Consultants, LP
    Inventors: Stephen C. Wood, Ravindra K. Agrawal
  • Tetrafunctional initiator
    Patent number: 6608141
    Abstract: The melt of polyvinyl aromatic polymers comprising from 10 to 45 weight % of star branched polymer prepared using a combination of thermal and tetra functional peroxide initiation has an improved melt strength permitting better foam formation for extrusion foam blown with conventional blowing agents and inert gases including CO2 and an improved tensile strength for oriented polystyrene (OPS) articles, e.g. blown film or extruded sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: NOVA Chemicals Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Krupinski, Robert J. Gorka
  • Pilot operated rupture disk
    Patent number: 6604541
    Abstract: A rupture disk assembly comprising two rupture disks which form a chamber. The chamber is connected by a first line to the interior of a vessel on which said rupture disk assembly is mounted and a valve in the line reduces the pressure in the chamber to less than 90% of the pressure of said vessel. A second line connects the vessel and a pilot valve, and a third line connects the chamber to the pilot valve and has a pressure reduction valve in the line to prevent flow from the pilot valve to the chamber. The pressure in the chamber is static and said pilot valve is closed while the pressure in the vessel is at or below the set pressure of the pilot valve and a flow is established through said chamber when the pressure in the vessel exceeds the set pressure of the pilot valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Inventor: David M. Denning
  • Apparatus and method to control emissions of nitrogen oxide
    Patent number: 6599119
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus which has a post combustion hot gas fan and a recirculation duct positioned down stream from the fan to reduce NOx emissions by returning a portion of the exhaust from the combustion zone back to the combustion zone. For example, in one embodiment the increased velocity of the exhaust gas stream from the post combustion hot gas fan which is required to overcome the pressure drop in a post combustion treatment unit is used as the motive force for the recirculation of a portion of the exhaust to the combustion zone to reduce the NOx exiting the apparatus to a level below that of the post combustion treatment alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Entropy Technology and Environmental Consultants, LP
    Inventors: Stephen C. Wood, Ravindra K. Agrawal
  • Recovery of tertiary butyl alcohol
    Patent number: 6596913
    Abstract: A process for the dimerization of isobutene wherein tertiary butyl alcohol is used to enhance the selectivity of the catalyst to the dimer is disclosed wherein the tertiary butyl alcohol is removed from the diisobutene product by water wash. The water/TBA stream is then subjected to reextraction to remove the TBA for recycle to the dimerization reactor. The dimerization is preferably carried out in a reactor wherein the pressure is controlled to maintain the reaction mixture at is boiling point. Additional dimerization is carried out in a distillation column reactor that acts as a debutanizer to separate the unreacted isobutene form the product and the tertiary butyl alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Mitchell E. Loescher
  • Process for the desulfurization of petroleum feeds
    Patent number: 6592750
    Abstract: A process for the hydrodesulfurization of a cracked naphtha stream is disclosed where very little of the valuable olefins are saturated. The process is a two staged process wherein the H2S is removed between the stages to prevent recombinant mercaptans formation. Because the H2S is removed between the stages milder conditions can be used in the second stage polishing reactor to achieve the same desulfurization levels with less olefin loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Gary R. Gildert, Willibrord A. Groten
  • Olefin metathesis in a distillation column reactor
    Patent number: 6583329
    Abstract: The metathesis process is carried out in a reaction distillation column for: (A) for the production of propylene from the metathesis of 2-butene and ethylene; (B) for the production of detergent range olefins from the metathesis of C15 and heavier olefins with C9 and lighter olefins; (C) for the production of 2-methyl-2-butene and propylene from the metathesis of 2-butene and isobutylene and (D) for the production of tetramethylethylene from the metathesis of isobutylene with itself and/or the reaction of diisobutylene with the ethylene produced to produce neohexene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Functional organic particles for catalyst supports
    Patent number: 6583082
    Abstract: Functional polymers containing hydroxyl groups as supports for use with catalysts can increase the activity of these catalysts which results in improved ethylene polymerization. The present invention seeks to provide catalysts with improved activity by incorporating 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) into the support of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Peter Phung Minh Hoang, Charles Russell, Jason Roy Kearns, Sieghard E. Wanke, David T. Lynch, Nai-Hong Li
  • Process for the production of tertiary alkyl ethers
    Patent number: 6583325
    Abstract: A process for the production of tertiary ethers from the reaction of isoolefins with lower alcohols, such as methanol, uses two distillation column reactors in series to maximize conversion, especially for isopentenes and isohexenes. The second distillation column reactor may be concurrently used as a C5 polishing reactor and a reactor for producing MTBE or ETBE from isobutene, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Hugh M. Putman, Henry J. Semerak, Clifford S. Crossland
  • Ethylene styrene interpolymers with double reverse styrene incorporation
    Patent number: 6579961
    Abstract: Novel ethylene styrene interpolymers having triads with double reverse styrene incorporation (SSS) may be prepared in the presence of a transition metal phosphinimine compound and an activator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International)S.A.
    Inventors: Qinyan Wang, Patrick Lam, Zengrong Zhang, Garry Yamashita, Lianyou Fan
  • Rain responsive animal feeder
    Patent number: 6575117
    Abstract: An animal feeder having a hopper from which an electrically powered motor dispenser discharges feed to inclined surfaces into a feeding trough, has a rain sensing device attached to it and exposed to receive rain. The rain sensing device is installed in the electrical circuit of the motor. Rain causes the sensing device to break the circuit thereby disengaging the motor from its power source until the sensing device no longer is affected by the rain and the circuit is restored and the motor returned to operability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Inventor: Melvin A. Rasmussen
  • Process for selective hydrogenation of alkynes and catalyst therefor
    Patent number: 6576588
    Abstract: Acetylenic compounds in olefin streams such as mixed 1,3-butadiene were selectively hydrogenated over the supported copper catalysts on highly porous supports such as alumina, silica, etc. The preferred supports have the average pore diameter larger than about 200 Å, no micro pores, total pore volume larger than about 0.65 cc/g, and preferably less than about 230 m2/g BET surface area. The copper catalysts were preferably promoted with the Group VIII metal such as palladium to improve low activity of copper catalyst. The product stream typically contains less than 20 ppm total alkynes. Also the copper catalysts and the palladium promoted copper catalysts may be modified with zinc oxide to improve the performance of the catalysts. The reactor was loaded with two or more copper catalysts promoted with different levels of palladium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: J. Yong Ryu, Gary R. Gildert
  • Combustion gas turbine engine integrated modular temperature cooling and heating process
    Patent number: 6553770
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a modular unit in which all of the components necessary for conditioning the intake air for a combustion gas turbine are contained. The compressors, evaporators condensers and related pumps and control equipment are contained within a weather proof enclosure having sound insulation installed in the walls. The intake air conditioning system includes three loops, a compressed refrigerant loop, a chilled water loop and a condenser cooling water loop with an optional heating loop. The modular unit provides a three loop cooling system for easy connection to both a combustion gas turbine air inlet and to a cooling water tower. The loops comprise a refrigerant loop, a cooling water loop and a chilled water loop and in one embodiment a heating loop to heat the air going to the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: HRT Power, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Lloyd B. Tisdale, Robert L. Hauck, Paul T. Tisdale, Jr.
  • Countercurrent alkylation process
    Patent number: 6555722
    Abstract: A countercurrent process for the alkylation of aromatic materials with olefins which takes place in a multi-bed system. The aromatic material is in the liquid phase; the olefin in the gaseous phase; and the catalyst in the solid phase. The olefinic material is fed below the catalyst bed in the gaseous phase and aromatic is fed as a liquid phase above the catalyst bed under conditions of temperature and pressure to maintain the aromatic product in the liquid phase and the olefin in the vapor phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Jamin Chen
  • Phosphorus supported carbene transition metal complexes
    Patent number: 6538115
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel complexes of (transition) metals containing ligands having phosphorus centers supporting a carbene atom or heteroalkane radical bonded to the (transition) metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Ronald G. Cavell, Ruppa P. Kamalesh Babu, Aparna Kasani
  • Pry apparatus
    Patent number: 6530559
    Abstract: A pneumatically actuated lever arrangement provides the force to open a pry which operates in cooperation with a fixed wedge to efficiently separate nailed boards to make recovery and reuse of the boards economically feasible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Inventor: Scott Pell
  • Polymer particles
    Patent number: 6528570
    Abstract: Polymer particles containing a polymer of a vinylarene monomer, a porous silicate compound and at least 1.5% by weight of water, based on the weight of vinylarene, water and porous silicate compound, wherein the porous silicate compound is selected from alumino silicates and amorphous silica particles, and a process for the preparation of such polymer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Michel Florentine Jozef Berghmans, Carolus Matthias Anna Maria Mesters, Alphonsus Catharina Gerardus Metsaars, Eric Wilhelmus Johannes Frederik Neijman, Ján Pallay
  • Motion actuated light device
    Patent number: 6527408
    Abstract: The present device is a motion actuated, battery operated LED in which the battery is suspended between two springs in the at rest or off position in which one lead of the LED is connected to negative terminal of the battery through one spring and the other spring is insulated from electrical contact. The second spring's purpose is to position the battery. A second LED lead is provided in close proximity to the positive terminal of the battery such that a force applied to the device and hence to the battery will impart motion to the battery and deform the second spring allowing the positive terminal to contact the second LED terminal thus completing the circuit and lighting the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Inventor: Ronald R. Korenek, Jr.
  • Process for production of MIBK using CD technology
    Patent number: 6518462
    Abstract: A process for producing methyl isobutyl ketone includes introducing acetone into a catalytic distillation. Some of the acetone is converted to mesityl oxide (‘MSO’), water and, optionally, diacetone alcohol (‘DAA’) and/or other by-products. A product stream comprising MSO, water, and, optionally, DAA, other by-products and/or unreacted acetone is withdrawn from the catalytic distillation zone. When the product stream includes DAA, other by-products and/or unreacted acetone, it is treated in a treatment zone to remove at least some of the DAA, other by-products and/or the unreacted acetone therefrom. The product stream and hydrogen are fed into a reaction zone in which MSO present in the product stream and hydrogen react to form methyl isobutyl ketone (‘MIBK’). A MIBK rich product stream is withdrawn from this reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Nelis Saayman, Grant James Lund, Sybrandus Kindermans
  • Process for sulfiding catalyst in a column
    Patent number: 6503864
    Abstract: A process for the sulfiding of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst for example in a distillation column reactor. The catalyst in the distillation column reactor is first dried using nitrogen and the reactor is filled with a sulfiding solvent and circulation begun. The reactor is heated to a temperature above the decomposition temperature of the sulfiding agent to be used and the sulfiding agent charged to the reactor. When sulfiding agent breakthrough is noted in the overheads the temperature is raised and held until sulfiding is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Mitchell E. Loescher, Gary G. Podrebarac, Purvis K. Ho