Patents by Inventor Dale Nickels

Dale Nickels 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).

  • Patent number: 8765017
    Abstract: Gasification systems and associated processes are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a gasification process includes simultaneously supplying a carbonaceous material and steam to a gasifier, the gasifier containing a liquid volume containing at least about 10% by weight of iron oxide (FexOy where x and y are positive integers). The gasification process also includes performing a gasification reaction between the carbonaceous material and steam in the liquid volume, facilitating the gasification reaction with the iron oxide in the liquid volume, and producing a gas from the gasification reaction, the gas containing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventors: Dale Nickels, Jerry D. Stephenson, Steven W. Schenk, Tom Weyand
  • Publication number: 20100283009
    Abstract: Gasification systems and associated processes are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a gasification process includes simultaneously supplying a carbonaceous material and steam to a gasifier, the gasifier containing a liquid volume containing at least about 10% by weight of iron oxide (FexOy where x and y are positive integers). The gasification process also includes performing a gasification reaction between the carbonaceous material and steam in the liquid volume, facilitating the gasification reaction with the iron oxide in the liquid volume, and producing a gas from the gasification reaction, the gas containing carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Dale Nickels, Jerry D. Stephenson, Steven W. Schenk, Tom Weyand
  • Publication number: 20070110648
    Abstract: A process of producing magnetite with a high purity of greater than 90% magnetite, more typically greater than 98% magnetite, by reducing powdered hematite into magnetite under maximum temperatures of about 700 to 1300° C. against a counter-current of or concurrent with methane or natural gas in a heating device. The amount of methane used to reduce the hematite may be about 0.18 and 1.8 standard cubic feet of methane per pound of hematite. A product of high purity methane produced from the process is also provided, where the magnetite is below 1 ?M in diameter and has a magnetic saturation greater than 90.0 emu/g. Corresponding apparatus using an improved feeder system for powdered hematite is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Dale Nickels, Michael Sawayda, Thomas Weyand
  • Patent number: 7048779
    Abstract: A method of removing mercury from a coal fired power plant exhaust gas includes passing the exhaust gas through a bulk particle filter to remove coarse particles, introducing powdered activated carbon into the exhaust gas downstream of the bulk particle filter, introducing mercury laden powdered activated carbon containing exhaust gas into a fine particle filter to separate the mercury containing powdered activated carbon from the exhaust gas, separating the powdered activated carbon from the mercury at an elevated temperature in an inert gas environment and recirculating the separating powdered activated carbon into the exhaust gas upstream from the fine particle filter. The desorption is preferably effected at a temperature of about 300 to 500° C. for about 5 to 60 minutes. The method is adapted to remove mercury which may be on the order of about 1 to 1000 ppm to 1 to 10 micrograms/cubic meter of exhaust gas. Corresponding apparatus is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Pittsburgh Mineral and Environmental Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Weyand, Dale Nickels, Michael Sawayda