Patents Examined by Anthony Shumate
  • Patent number: 9943808
    Abstract: A semi-porous composite membrane and a method of manufacturing the semi-porous composite membrane. The semi-porous composite membrane includes a base supporting substrate comprising ?-Al2O3, an outer layer comprising silica, and an intermediate layer comprising crystalline fibers of boehmite, and at least one of a secondary metal oxide and a synthetic polymer, wherein the intermediate layer is disposed between the base supporting substrate and the outer layer. The crystalline fibers of boehmite are a length of 5-150 nm. The semi-porous composite membrane may be employed in membrane reactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Md. Hasan Zahir, Alhooshani Khalid
  • Patent number: 9937464
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for separating and collecting carbon dioxide and a method of separating carbon dioxide, and more particularly, an apparatus and method of selectively separating carbon dioxide from a byproduct gas using a difference in negative pressure and a difference in carbon dioxide concentration between the inside of a separator, which is made of a ceramic-coated porous silicone membrane and in which the byproduct gas flows, and the outside of the separator in which carbon dioxide is collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: ARSTROMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gwan Shig Kim, Ky Yeong Shin
  • Patent number: 9932125
    Abstract: An air separation module includes a plurality of fibers located within a casing. A fiber membrane defines an exterior of each of the plurality of fibers. The fiber membrane also forms an interior passage along a length of each of the plurality of fibers. The fiber membrane is configured to permeate a gas through the fiber membrane. At least one perforated canister is placed between the plurality of fibers. The at least one perforated canister is configured to collect a permeated gas from the plurality of fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher McAuliffe, Haralambos Cordatos
  • Patent number: 9925497
    Abstract: An air separation module includes a shell configured to house an air separation membrane, an inlet configured to receive supply air, an oxygen-enriched air outlet configured to exhaust oxygen from the air separation module, and a nitrogen-enriched air outlet configured to supply a stream of nitrogen-enriched air to a fuel tank of an aircraft. The air separation module also includes a condition monitoring sensor integral with the air separation module and configured to measure at least one of a plurality of conditions; and a connector integral with the air separation module and configured to join the condition monitoring sensor with an electrical system of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sunstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Daniello
  • Patent number: 9919274
    Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) immobilized membranes for harvesting pure water from air include CNTs incorporated into a layer of super-absorbing polymer. The super-absorbing polymer may be cast over a porous substrate. The super-absorbing polymer binds strongly to water and generates water clusters while the CNTs are operable to interrupt the specific water-polymer and water-water interactions to generate more free water which permeates more easily through the membrane. Methods of forming the CNT immobilized membranes are provided. The CNT immobilized membranes disclosed herein exhibit improved water vapor extraction efficiency, water vapor removal and mass transfer coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: New Jersey Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Somenath Mitra, Sagar Roy
  • Patent number: 9919264
    Abstract: A method for making a graphene oxide membrane and a resulting free-standing graphene oxide membrane that provides desired qualities of water permeability and selectivity at larger sizes, thinner cross sections, and with increased ruggedness as compared to existing membranes and processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yongsoon Shin, David W. Gotthold, Leonard S. Fifield, Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 9901880
    Abstract: Provided is a composition for use in fabricating a carbon molecular sieve membrane, including a fluorine-containing polymer matrix and polysilsesquioxane. The composition shows high selectivity to the gas to be separated and high separation quality by controlling the mixing ratio of the fluorine-containing polymer matrix with polysilsesquioxane as well as the type of fluorine-containing polymer matrix and polysilsesquioxane. Ancillary selective pore formation is enhanced by a so-called “autogenous fluorinated gas induced siloxane etching” (A-FISE) mechanism of fluorine-containing polymer/polysilsesquioxane blend precursors during carbonization. Therefore, it is possible to effectively separate gases having a small difference in particle size, which, otherwise, are difficult to be separated with the conventional polymer membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Jong Suk Lee, Seung Sang Hwang, Sunghwan Park, Albert Sung Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 9901867
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air-separation device comprising a generally cylindrical casing housing a filtration element including a bundle of hollow oblong fibers forming a membrane, the longitudinal axis of the fibers being parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) of the cylindrical casing, said casing comprising an air inlet at a first end and an outlet for purified gas at a second end. The device comprises a member for maintaining the fiber bundle in the casing, characterized in that the maintenance member comprises at least one spring member disposed inside the casing, said spring member being loaded between an end-stop formed by the casing and a longitudinal end of the fiber bundle in order to maintain the fiber bundle longitudinally in place while allowing it to dilate and contract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: L'AIR LIQUIDE SOCIETE ANONYME POUR L'ETUDE ET L'EXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
    Inventors: Xavier Roussin-Bouchard, Aurelie Caillaud, Pierre Gianese, Elodie Dumont, Jean-Marc Dejonghe
  • Patent number: 9895655
    Abstract: A drying apparatus housing head for compressed air is connected to a housing wherein a diaphragm filter includes an inlet for humid compressed air and an outlet for dried compressed air. The inlet transitions into an inner pipe surrounded by a housing section. The outlet transitions into a ring-shaped chamber formed between an outer side of the inner pipe and an inner side of the housing. A valve ring guide of a main body surrounds the inner pipe and is held immovably, and a ring-shaped rolling diaphragm is arranged in the chamber, held at the outer side thereof and connected at the inner side thereof to a valve ring which surrounds the valve ring guide and moves along a longitudinal axis. The valve ring guide has a duct through which dry compressed air is conducted in the direction of the diaphragm filter and is closed off by the valve ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: BEKO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Johannes Sinstedten, Thomas Prior, Jörg Rambow
  • Patent number: 9856769
    Abstract: A gas separation process for treating exhaust gases from combustion processes. The invention involves routing a first portion of the exhaust stream to a carbon dioxide capture step, while simultaneously flowing a second portion of the exhaust gas stream across the feed side of a membrane, flowing a sweep gas stream, usually air, across the permeate side, then passing the permeate/sweep gas back to the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Membrane Technology and Research, inc.
    Inventors: Richard W Baker, Timothy C Merkel, Johannes G Wijmans
  • Patent number: 9855530
    Abstract: A water-proof air-permeable filter (1) includes: a resin film (2) having formed therein a plurality of through pores (21); a treated layer (3) having hydrophobicity and oil repellency, and formed on at least one of both surfaces in the thickness direction of the resin film (2) such that the treated layer (3) has openings (31) at positions corresponding to the through pores (21); and a loop-shaped double-sided tape (4) stuck to an edge region of one of both surfaces in the thickness direction of the resin film (2), with the treated layer (3) interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Furuyama, Satoshi Sakuma, Yozo Nagai, Junichi Moriyama
  • Patent number: 9839873
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a breathable product for protective mass transportation and cold chain applications, in particular a reflective sheet for covering temperature sensitive products the reflective sheet having at least a first layer made of a highly reflective moisture vapor permeable substrate having an outer side and an inner side, wherein said inner side comprises in addition at least a metal layer deposited by a PVD process to provide a thermal insulation through high reflection low convection while providing controlled moisture vapor permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: Serge Rebouillat, Malik Zeniti, Guy Hopp, Sylvain Wallerich, Noel Stephen Brabbs, Sabine Gabriel, Ioannis V Bletsos
  • Patent number: 9839882
    Abstract: A solution is to produce an acid gas separation composite membrane provided with an acid gas separation facilitated membrane on a porous support, including; arranging of a coating liquid for acid gas separation formed through dispersing or dissolving into water a polyvinyl acetal compound formed through crosslinking, by an acetal bond, block copolymers formed through bonding of a polymer block formed of polyvinyl alcohol and a polymer block formed of polyacrylate through a linking group, an acid gas carrier and at least one kind of anion other than hydroxide ion, carboxyl ion, carbonate ion and bicarbonate ion, and coating of the coating liquid for acid gas separation onto a hydrophobic surface of the porous support having hydrophobicity at least on one surface to form the acid gas separation facilitated transport membrane thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Aburaya, Makoto Sawada, Satoshi Yoneyama, Yoichi Hosoya
  • Patent number: 9833749
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite separation membrane that is applicable to carbon dioxide separation and recovery processes. The composite separation membrane includes a coating layer composed of graphene oxide and a bile acid or its salt on a porous polymer support. The composite separation membrane of the present invention, which includes a coating layer composed of graphene oxide and a bile acid or its salt, has both high carbon dioxide permeability and high selectivity for carbon dioxide over nitrogen, hydrogen or methane gas, is free of surface defects, and maintains a stable structure without deterioration of its performance even after long-term use. Due to these advantages, the composite separation membrane of the present invention can be applied to industrial fields involving carbon dioxide separation and recovery processes. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the composite separation membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: IUCF-HYU (INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION HANYANG UNIVERSITY)
    Inventors: Ho Bum Park, Hyo Won Kim, Hee Wook Yoon, Byung Min Yoo
  • Patent number: 9833747
    Abstract: Provided is a polymer electrolyte membrane for SF6 separation, using a nitrate electrolyte, where the nitrate is solvated in the membrane to thus form ionic aggregates, whereby polar SF6 has difficulty passing through the membrane due to the barrier effect of the ionic aggregates, thus enabling the separation of SF6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Sangmyung University Industry-Academy Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Sang-Wook Kang, Woong-Gi Lee
  • Patent number: 9833746
    Abstract: Provided is a facilitated CO2 transport membrane having improved CO2 permeance and improved CO2 selective permeability. The facilitated CO2 transport membrane includes a separation-functional membrane comprising a hydrophilic polymer gel membrane which contains a CO2 carrier and a CO2 hydration catalyst, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a copolymer including a first structural unit derived from an acrylic acid cesium salt or an acrylic acid rubidium salt and a second structural unit derived from vinyl alcohol. More preferably, the CO2 hydration catalyst has catalytic activity at a temperature of 100° C. or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: Renaissance Energy Research Corporation, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Okada, Nobuaki Hanai, Peng Yan, Junya Miyata, Takehiro Nakasuji, Hayato Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9834471
    Abstract: A sealing agent for ion transport membranes (ITMs) includes a composition having a glass powder and a ceramic powder. The ceramic powder can include Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3?? (BSCF) or La2NiO4+? (LNO). The ceramic powder can be identical to the ceramic powder from which the ITM is made. The glass powder can include PYREX glass. The sealing agent can be in the form of a paste. The sealing agent can be used to attach an ion transport membrane to one or more support tubes. The sealing agent includes from about 10 wt. % to about 40 wt. % glass powder and from about 60 wt. % to about 90% wt. % (BSCF) ceramic powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Khaled Mezghani, Mohammed Abdel-Aziz Mostafa Habib, Amir Hamza
  • Patent number: 9833750
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for impregnating a filter having pores suitable for retaining particles within them that may be present in a flow of air suitable for passing through the filter, according to which the filter made up of a polymer membrane is impregnated with one or more organometallic salts by applying a treatment using supercritical CO2, the metal M of each salt being chosen from among the group of rare earths, yttrium, scandium, chromium, or a combination thereof. The invention also relates to the obtained filter and an associated method for the collection and quantitative analysis of nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Sylvie Motellier, Simon Clavaguera, Korian Lhaute, Olivier Poncelet
  • Patent number: 9835340
    Abstract: Disclosed are various turbulent, corrosion-resistant heat exchangers used in desiccant air conditioning systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: 7AC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter F. Vandermeulen, Mark Allen, Arthur Laflamme
  • Patent number: 9827530
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for separating nitrogen and oxygen. The device includes an inlet in fluid communication with a source of a gas comprising oxygen and nitrogen, a membrane having a greater permeability to oxygen than to nitrogen. One side of the membrane is in fluid communication with the inlet, and the other side of the membrane is in fluid communication with an outlet for nitrogen-enriched gas. An outlet for oxygen-enriched gas is also in fluid communication with the first side of the membrane. A porous metal foam is disposed between the inlet and the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lubomir A. Ribarov