Patents by Inventor Gerald Luttrell

Gerald Luttrell 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: 11752451
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Publication number: 20200179821
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 10561964
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Publication number: 20180036651
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 9266121
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Patent number: 9238231
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Publication number: 20150151309
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demtri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Publication number: 20140001103
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang