Patents Examined by Alexa A. Doroshenk
  • Patent number: 6511636
    Abstract: Five combustion exhaust gas treatment systems capable of removing dust and selenium (Se) in combustion exhaust gas and making harmless are proposed: (1) combustion exhaust gas is cooled to 350° C. or less, dust is separated, Se is transformed into insoluble compound, and Se is separated; (2) combustion exhaust gas is cooled to 350° C. or less, dust is separated, Se elution preventive agent is added, and dust is formed into scale; (3) dust in combustion exhaust gas is collected by dust collector, dust is formed into slurry by making use of part of circulation liquid in desulfurization apparatus, and tetravalent Se in dust slurry is transformed into insoluble compound, which is separated into solid and liquid; (4) dust is separated from combustion exhaust gas by dust collector, and it is heated to gasify Se, and is led into desulfurization apparatus, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taku Shimizu, Kazuaki Kimura, Kiyoshi Okazoe, Atsushi Tatani, Naohiko Ukawa, Masao Hino, Susumu Okino, Takashi Haruki, Toru Takashina, Eiji Ochi
  • Patent number: 6506348
    Abstract: There is provided a heavy oil fired boiler exhaust gas treatment apparatus which removes soot and dust and SO3 in the heavy oil fired boiler exhaust gas efficiently at a low cost without using an excessively large apparatus. The treatment apparatus comprises a charging device 3 provided at the inlet of an absorption tower of a wet type exhaust gas desulfurizer 4 and neutralizer pouring means A provided on the upstream side of the charging device 3 to pour a neutralizer into exhaust gas and neutralize SO3 in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Ochi, Takeo Shinoda, Toru Takashina, Masakazu Onizuka
  • Patent number: 6503460
    Abstract: Staged combustion in a single regenerator of a FCC unit is disclosed. The regenerator has a spent catalyst distributor at the top of the catalyst bed, and an air grid at the lower end of the bed. A baffle separates the catalyst bed into upper and lower stages. Excess oxygen is present in the lower bed; partial CO combustion mode is maintained in the upper bed. The baffle inhibits backmixing flux to achieve sufficient staging to burn the catalyst clean under partial CO combustion. This achieves a clean burn of the catalyst in a single regenerator vessel in the partial CO combustion operating mode. Surprisingly, the baffle also reduces catalyst entrainment in the dilute phase, thereby cutting particulate emissions from the regenerator and reducing cyclone wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard B. Miller, Yong-Lin Yang
  • Patent number: 6471919
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing fluorinated and chlorinated compounds contained in waste gas streams from semiconductor etch and deposition processes. The apparatus has a treatment chamber in which a plurality of liquid films are formed to absorb the fluorinated and chlorinated compounds contained in the waste gas streams that pass through the liquid films. The apparatus includes a tank for receiving the mixture of the absorbed fluorinated and chlorinated compounds and the liquid, and a dehumidifying device for stabilizing and dehumidifying the humidified waste gas streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Chih Wang, Jerry Sun, Wu-Chung Wen
  • Patent number: 6455008
    Abstract: A shift reaction section 32 is designed to have a maximum capacity of about 40% of the maximum capacity of reforming section 30. When hydrogen-rich gas is supplied to the shift reaction section 32 in excess of its maximum capacity, a blower 46 supplies air to the hydrogen-rich gas in an amount corresponding to the supply of hydrogen-rich gas, and oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide is performed in addition to the shift reaction. By controlling the amount of air supplied, the carbon monoxide concentration at the exit of the shift reaction section 32 is maintained at a concentration less than a predetermined value. As a result, a fuel reformer 20 can be made compact, and at the same time, the energy required to increase the temperature at the time of start up can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Aoyama, Yasushi Araki
  • Patent number: 6455016
    Abstract: Selective production of a dialkanolamine is attained by controlling the volume preceding the entrance to a catalyst bed and the temperature prevailing under respectively fixed levels subsequent. to the mixture of an alkylene oxide thereby repressing a reaction occurring in the absence of a catalyst and curbing the formation of trialkanolamine. The reactant fluid is prevented from generating a channeling by disposing an exportable structure in a reactor thereby creating the state of a false shell-and-tube type reactor. The reaction is initiated with the inlet temperature set at a higher level than the prescribed level and the alkylene oxide concentration set at a lower level than the prescribed level and thereafter the inlet temperature and the alkylene oxide concentration are gradually changed toward the respectively prescribed levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideaki Tsuneki
  • Patent number: 6455009
    Abstract: An NOx removal system has a combustion apparatus for applying energy to a load based on a predetermined combustion control process, an NOx remover for reacting NOx emitted from the combustion apparatus with NH3 to produce N2 and H2O, an NH3 and/or urea introducing apparatus connected upstream of the NOx remover, for introducing NH3 and/or urea into a gas passage extending from the combustion apparatus to the NOx remover, and sensor, which is also sensitive connected downstream of the NOx remover, for generating a detected signal based on NH3 and NOx contained in a gas discharged from the NOx remover. A controller controls a rate at which NH3 and/or urea is introduced into the gas passage by the NH3 and/or urea introducing apparatus while repeatedly increasing and reducing the rate, in response to the detected signal generated by the NOx sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhide Kato, Hiroshi Kurachi
  • Patent number: 6436356
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for self-propagating high temperature synthesis of an inorganic compound from a combustible charge mixture of initial ingredients. The apparatus comprises mechanisms for continuously feeding the combustible charge into a reaction chamber and removing the synthesized compound therefrom. The apparatus also contains sensors to control and contain the combustion inside a combustion zone of the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Comsyntech Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuri Kopyt
  • Patent number: 6432149
    Abstract: A gas impermeable vessel carrying a molten metal bath within the vessel bottom includes a downwardly directed baffle from a top wall of the vessel, which penetrates the bath to separate the vessel into a burner feed chamber and an outlet chamber with gas spaces above the level of the molten metal bath. A burner having a combustion chamber receiving an oxidant under pressure and fuel gas and pitch, combusts the pitch and passes the products of combustion at high velocity through a nozzle which opens directly or indirectly to the gas space above in the burner feed chamber such that a stream of carbon soot impinges against the surface of the molten metal bath and penetrates the same, thereby dissolving the carbon soot and disassociating gases such as carbon monoxide in the molten metal. Water may be supplied to the stream to effect disassociation of the hydrogen content in the molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC
    Inventor: Charles B. Miller
  • Patent number: 6432369
    Abstract: An apparatus for contacting reactants with a particulate catalyst while indirectly contacting the reactants with a heat exchange medium amid simultaneous exchange of catalyst particles by an operation that sequentially restricts reactant flow while moving catalyst through reaction stacks in which the reactant flow has been restricted. The apparatus permits a change out of catalyst in a channel type reactor arrangement that would normally restrict catalyst flow during operation. Moving catalyst through a heat exchange type reactor having reactant and heat exchange channels permits control of catalyst activity as well as temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Mulvaney, III, Kevin J. Brandner, Steven T. Arakawa, Paul Anderson
  • Patent number: 6428758
    Abstract: A reformation reactor, especially suitable for the reformation of methanol, includes a reaction zone in which a reformation catalyst is located and to which a gas mixture to be reformed can be supplied. The reactor includes an evaporator body that adjoins the reaction zone in a flush manner. The evaporator body has a porous, heat-conducting structure for providing the gas mixture to be reformed by mixing and evaporating the gas mixture components supplied to it and for two-dimensionally distributed supply of the gas mixture thus prepared and into the reaction zone. A starting phase can be provided for the operation of the reactor, in which the evaporator body is wetted by a fuel liquid film and, following the addition of oxygen, a flammable mixture results in the reaction zone that is catalytically oxidized. The evaporator body can be heated to operating temperature by the resultant combustion heat, after which a switch can be made to continuous operation of the reformation reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Xcellsis GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schuessler, Detlef Zur Megede
  • Patent number: 6419884
    Abstract: A reactor unit in a system for the production of hydrogen-rich gas from a liquid raw fuel includes (1) a reaction chamber for a reaction medium and which contains a catalyst material; and (2) two tempering chambers separated from one another. The two tempering chambers are associated with different areas of the reaction chamber, so that within the reaction chamber two reaction zones are formed, which can be held at different temperature levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Xcellsis GmbH
    Inventors: Barbara Strobel, Matthias Wolfsteiner
  • Patent number: 6416721
    Abstract: Fluidized bed reactors having centrally positioned heating means, as well as methods for their use, are provided. The subject reactors comprise a centrally positioned heating means (e.g. a susceptor rod) that, during operation, is at least partially immersed in a fluidized bed of particles. The subject reactors are further characterized in that, during use, a temperature gradient is produced within the reactor. The subject reactors find use in a variety of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Angel Sanjurjo, Kai Hung Lau
  • Patent number: 6409976
    Abstract: A reactor for the catalytic chemical reaction of a gaseous or liquid reaction starting product to a reaction end product that contains a gaseous or liquid reaction constituent which can be selectively separated by means of a membrane diffusion includes a reaction space into which the reaction starting product flows and which contains a suitable catalyst material. Porous hollow fibers are placed in the reaction space as membranes for the selective separation of the reaction constituent from the residual reaction end product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Poschmann, Steffen Wieland
  • Patent number: 6409977
    Abstract: A loading device for distributing solid particles into a multi-tube reactor in which the reactor tubes are substantially vertical and held together by an upper and a lower tube sheet, the loading device comprising a plurality of discrete polygonal, i.e. triangular, quadrangular or hexagonal, plates, each polygonal plate having from 1 to 30 holes, each hole corresponding to one reactor tube, each hole having an diameter not greater than 95% of the inner diameter of the reactor tube and not smaller than 1.1 times the greatest dimension of a single particle to be loaded, the polygonal plates also comprising fixing means for holding the holes in correspondence with the respective reactor tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jamie Stewart Harper, Karl Barry Thew
  • Patent number: 6409974
    Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for the operation of a compact water gas shift reactor for use in conjunction with fuel cell to generate electric power from a feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon or an alcohol. The fuel cell comprises a proton exchange membrane which produces electric power from a hydrogen product stream which comprises essentially no carbon monoxide. The hydrogen product stream may produced from the feed stream in a steam reforming of autothermal reforming zone. The compact water gas shift reactor comprises a vertically aligned vessel having a top end, a bottom end opposite, which defines an interior space. The interior space contains a first water spray zone for contacting a reforming effluent stream comprising hydrogen with a first water stream. A first dispersion zone is disposed below the first water spray zone and above a high temperature shift zone. The high temperature shift zone contains a high temperature shift catalyst to produce a high temperature shift effluent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gavin P. Towler, Kurt Vanden Bussche
  • Patent number: 6409779
    Abstract: A method for rendering a detonation front harmless. The method includes a pipe extending into a housing and proximate to the flame arresting device. The detonation front is conveyed directly to a portion of the flame-arresting device. The detonation front is expanded in front of the arresting device so as to create a deflagration, which then impinges on the outer cross-section of the flame arresting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Leinemann GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Christoph Leinemann
  • Patent number: 6399030
    Abstract: A combined removal system for separating carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide gases from furnace flue gases employs a single vessel having two chambers. The chambers are separated by a series of baffles and drains. The lower, primary chamber contains reagent and a delivery system for removing sulfur oxides (SO2 and SO3) from the flue gases. The upper, secondary chamber has a reagent, typically an amine solution, for removing carbon dioxide from the flue gases. The baffles and drains permit the flue gases to rise from the primary chamber into the secondary chamber, while collecting the amine solution which is used to trap the carbon dioxide. Alternatively, the primary and secondary chambers may be separated by a horizontal segment or a combination of horizontal and vertical sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventor: Paul S. Nolan
  • Patent number: 6399032
    Abstract: The plant for continuously regenerating foundry sand comprises a combustion chamber, in which a combustible gas is added to the sand, and a cooling chamber, in which the sand coming from the combustion chamber is cooled, both chambers being provided with systems for maintain the sand in a fluidized state. The chambers are also in direct communication with one another in the manner of communicating vessels in such a way that, during normal operation in equilibrium, the free surface of the sand may be at the same level in the two chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Fata Aluminium Division of Fata Group SPA
    Inventor: Bartolomeo Tosco
  • Patent number: 6387221
    Abstract: Garbage and waste of all types that includes or comprises organic matter, particularly including medical waste, plastics, paper, food waste, animal by-products, and the like, can be economically recycled into petroleum products, including oil. Machinery performs a method that mimics natural processes but accomplishes the task in minutes, at rates of about 15 tons per day in a typical processing machine, rather than taking hundreds of thousands of years in nature. The process and apparatus of the invention may chop the waste into small pieces, under negative pressure if appropriate, and then pass the waste into first and then second augers for compression and heating. Destructive distillation occurs, in which large molecular weight hydrocarbons and petrochemicals are heated by hot oil passing through the hollow shaft and by circulating hot, dense, hard material, such as steel balls or fragments or hard rock pieces and such, under pressure with steam, to produce low molecular weight hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventor: James D. Schoenhard