Patents by Inventor Andrea C. Gibbs
Andrea C. Gibbs has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8303683Abstract: Guard layers are employed in the adsorbent beds of rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) devices to protect the adsorbent therein from certain contaminants (e.g. water vapour). Conventional PSA devices typically pack the guard layer with as much guard material as is practical. In RCPSA devices however, the performance of the guard layer can be improved by using a reduced amount of guard material and increasing access to it. Such embodiments are characterized by guard layers with a channel fraction of greater than 50%.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Andre Jason Boulet, Amy Chiu, Brian G. Sellars, Andrea C. Gibbs
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Patent number: 7902114Abstract: Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2007Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Xebec Adsorption Inc.Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Alain A. Carel, Brian G. Sellars, Ian S. D. Shaw, Belinda C. Larisch, David G. Doman, Frederick K. Lee, Andrea C. Gibbs, Bernard H. Hetzler, James A. Sawada, Aaron M. Pelman, Carl F. Hunter
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Publication number: 20100300288Abstract: Guard layers are employed in the adsorbent beds of rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption (RCPSA) devices to protect the adsorbent therein from certain contaminants (e.g. water vapour). Conventional PSA devices typically pack the guard layer with as much guard material as is practical. In RCPSA devices however, the performance of the guard layer can be improved by using a reduced amount of guard material and increasing access to it. Such embodiments are characterized by guard layers with a channel fraction of greater than 50%.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2008Publication date: December 2, 2010Inventors: Andre Jason Boulet, Amy Chiu, Brian G. Sellars, Andrea C. Gibbs
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Patent number: 7763098Abstract: Embodiments of a rapid cycle PSA apparatus are described that are useful for producing a hydrogen enriched product gas comprising not more than about 50 ppm carbon monoxide by volume and with a hydrogen gas recovery of at least about 70% by adsorptive separation from a syngas feed gas mixture comprising at least about 50 percent hydrogen and at least about 1 percent carbon monoxide by volume. One disclosed embodiment of a rapid cycle PSA apparatus comprised at least 3 adsorber elements each having at least one thin adsorbent sheet material which comprises at least one adsorbent material therein, and a bed size factor less than about 4.0 seconds. Embodiments of a rapid cycle PSA process also are described that utilize disclosed embodiments of the rapid-cycle PSA device.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2006Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: Xebec Adsorption Inc.Inventors: Soheil Alizadeh-Khiavi, James A. Sawada, Andrea C. Gibbs, Jeffrey Alvaji
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Patent number: 7645324Abstract: Improved adsorbent sheet based parallel passage adsorbent structures for enhancing the kinetic selectivity of certain kinetic-controlled adsorption processes, such as PSA, TSA and PPSA processes, and combinations thereof, are provided. The enhancements in kinetic selectivity made possible through the implementation of the present inventive improved adsorbent structures may unexpectedly enable significant intensification of selected kinetic adsorption processes relative to attainable performance with conventional adsorbent materials in beaded or extruded form. Such process intensification enabled by the present inventive adsorbent structures may provide for increased adsorption cycle frequencies, and increased gas flow velocities within the adsorbent beds, which may increase the productivity and/or recovery of a kinetic adsorption system incorporating the inventive adsorbent structures.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2006Date of Patent: January 12, 2010Assignee: Xebec Adsorption Inc.Inventors: Edward J. Rode, Andre J. J. Boulet, Aaron M. Pelman, Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, James A. Sawada, Soheil Alizadeh-Khiavi, Surajit Roy, Andrea C. Gibbs, Steven M. Kuznicki
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Publication number: 20090025553Abstract: Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2007Publication date: January 29, 2009Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Alain A. Carel, Brian G. Sellars, Ian S.D. Shaw, Belinda C. Larisch, David G. Doman, Frederick K. Lee, Andrea C. Gibbs, Bernard H. Hetzler, James A. Sawada, Aaron M. Pelman, Carl F. Hunter
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Patent number: 7300905Abstract: Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2002Date of Patent: November 27, 2007Assignee: QuestAir Technologies Inc.Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Alain A. Carel, Brian G. Sellars, Ian S. D. Shaw, Belinda C. Larisch, David G. Dornan, Frederick K. Lee, Andrea C. Gibbs, Bernard H. Hetzler, James A. Sawada, Aaron M. Pelman, Carl F. Hunter
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Patent number: 7160367Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2004Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: QuestAir Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. LaCava, Frank R. Fitch
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Patent number: 7037358Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2001Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignees: The BOC Group, Inc., QuestAir Technologies Inc.Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. IaCava, Frank Fitch
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Publication number: 20040261618Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2004Publication date: December 30, 2004Applicants: QuestAir Technologies Inc., The BOC Group, Inc.Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. laCava, Frank Fitch
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Publication number: 20020170436Abstract: Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2002Publication date: November 21, 2002Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Alain A. Carel, Brian G. Sellars, Ian S.D. Shaw, Belinda C. Larisch, David G. Doman, Frederick K. Lee, Andrea C. Gibbs, Bernard H. Hetzler, James A. Sawada, Aaron M. Pelman, Carl F. Hunter
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Publication number: 20020134246Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2001Publication date: September 26, 2002Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. IaCava, Frank Fitch