Patents by Inventor James Scott Kain

James Scott Kain 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: 9533899
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes gasifying a fuel source using a first oxygen stream supplied from an air separation unit (ASU), discharging a gasifier blowdown from a gasification and scrubbing system configured to gasify the fuel source, generating a grey water from the gasifier blowdown, and biologically treating the grey water in a reactor using a second oxygen stream supplied by the ASU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anindra Mazumdar, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain, Paul Roberts Scarboro
  • Patent number: 9108869
    Abstract: A gasification system includes a water source, a downstream system configured to receive a first stream having water from the water source, and a carbon a carbon dioxide injector configured to adjust a pH of the water using a second stream having carbon dioxide to form pH-adjusted water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anindra Mazumdar, James Scott Kain
  • Patent number: 9080768
    Abstract: Gasifier preheater fuel and moderator injection apparatus, systems and methods are provided. A preheater distributor ring is securely mounted within the shell dome of a gasification vessel, for the selective discharge of preheat fuel and oxidizer into the vessel during preheating operations, or for the selective discharge of moderating agents into the vessel during normal gasification operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Caleb Wilson, Jennifer Lucia Ramirez, James Scott Kain, Shaoping Shi, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, Edward Pan
  • Publication number: 20150014142
    Abstract: A method for processing wastewater is provided. The method includes pretreating a flow of the wastewater using at least one of a softening/clarification system, a sludge handling system, a filtration system, and an ammonia stripping system, evaporating the pretreated flow to produce at least a distillate and an evaporator brine; separating the evaporator brine to produce a liquid recycle stream and salt crystal mixture; and channeling the liquid recycle stream to a feed stream. The method eliminates the salt drying process that significantly reduces the costs of construction and operation of the standard zero process water discharge process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain
  • Publication number: 20140263045
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes gasifying a fuel source using a first oxygen stream supplied from an air separation unit (ASU), discharging a gasifier blowdown from a gasification and scrubbing system configured to gasify the fuel source, generating a grey water from the gasifier blowdown, and biologically treating the grey water in a reactor using a second oxygen stream supplied by the ASU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Anindra Mazumdar, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain, Paul Roberts Scarboro
  • Patent number: 8728328
    Abstract: A method of removing suspended solids from a gasification process water stream includes, in an exemplary embodiment, providing a gasification process water stream containing process derived suspended solids, settling at least a portion of the suspended solids from the process water stream in a settling apparatus, providing a filter apparatus having a plurality of filter elements, and removing a portion of the settled solids from the settling apparatus. The method also includes precoating the filter elements with the settled solids removed from the settling apparatus, directing a portion of the process water stream from the settling apparatus to the filter apparatus, and filtering the portion of the process water stream directed from the settling apparatus through the precoated filter elements to remove suspended solids particles to form a filtrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Kain, Priyadharshini Swaminathan, Dinh-Cuong Vuong
  • Publication number: 20140127089
    Abstract: Gasifier preheater fuel and moderator injection apparatus, systems and methods are provided. A preheater distributor ring is securely mounted within the shell dome of a gasification vessel, for the selective discharge of preheat fuel and oxidizer into the vessel during preheating operations, or for the selective discharge of moderating agents into the vessel during normal gasification operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Caleb Wilson, Jennifer Lucia Ramirez, James Scott Kain, Shaoping Shi, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, Edward Pan
  • Publication number: 20140047975
    Abstract: A gasification system includes a water source, a downstream system configured to receive a first stream having water from the water source, and a carbon a carbon dioxide injector configured to adjust a pH of the water using a second stream having carbon dioxide to form pH-adjusted water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Anindra Mazumdar, James Scott Kain
  • Publication number: 20130270181
    Abstract: Selenium in the form of a reduced species such as selenocyanate is oxidized to produce an oxidized selenium species such as selenate or selenite, and then a biological reduction process is used to remove selenium from the oxidized selenium species. In an example, a chemical oxidant is added to a wastewater containing selenocyanate to produce selenate and selenite. The partially treated wastewater is then fed to a reactor containing a fixed media supporting a biofilm with selenium reducing organisms. The selenium in the selenate and selenite is reduced to an insoluble form of selenium, such as elemental selenium, which precipitates from the wastewater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Timothy Michael PICKETT, Yanguo MA, Jill SONSTEGARD, James Scott KAIN, Dinh-Cuong VUONG, David Brian FRASER
  • Patent number: 8557118
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a grey water treatment system includes an oxidation reactor for oxidizing grey water. The grey water treatment system also includes a biological reduction and precipitation system with microbes designed to remove one or more target components from the oxidized grey water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Kain, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, David Brian Fraser, Timothy Michael Pickett
  • Patent number: 8425636
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a gasification system configured to output grey water. The system also includes a grey water zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system configured to receive the grey water and to generate a first stream of distillate. The grey water ZLD system comprises an ammonia stripping system. An amount of water into and out of the grey water ZLD system is approximately equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sampath K. Bommareddy, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain, Anil Dhansukh Amlani, Robert Henry Weed
  • Publication number: 20110186489
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a grey water treatment system includes an oxidation reactor for oxidizing grey water. The grey water treatment system also includes a biological reduction and precipitation system with microbes designed to remove one or more target components from the oxidized grey water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Kain, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, David Brian Fraser, Timothy Michael Pickett
  • Publication number: 20110108405
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a gasification system configured to output grey water. The system also includes a grey water zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system configured to receive the grey water and to generate a first stream of distillate. The grey water ZLD system comprises an ammonia stripping system. An amount of water into and out of the grey water ZLD system is approximately equal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sampath K. Bommareddy, Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain, Anil Dhansukh Amlani, Robert Henry Weed
  • Publication number: 20100089740
    Abstract: A method for processing wastewater is provided. The method includes pretreating a flow of the wastewater using at least one of a softening/clarification system, a sludge handling system, a filtration system, and an ammonia stripping system, evaporating the pretreated flow to produce at least a distillate and an evaporator brine; separating the evaporator brine to produce a liquid recycle stream and salt crystal mixture; and channeling the liquid recycle stream to a feed stream. The method eliminates the salt drying process that significantly reduces the costs of construction and operation of the standard zero process water discharge process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Dinh-Cuong Vuong, James Scott Kain
  • Publication number: 20090188867
    Abstract: A method for processing wastewater is provided. The method includes concentrating a flow of the wastewater using a reverse osmosis process membrane, and evaporating the concentrated flow to produce at least distillate and solids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Dinh-Cuong Vuong, David M. Polizzotti, James Scott Kain, Robert Henry Weed
  • Publication number: 20090101598
    Abstract: A method of removing suspended solids from a gasification process water stream includes, in an exemplary embodiment, providing a gasification process water stream containing process derived suspended solids, settling at least a portion of the suspended solids from the process water stream in a settling apparatus, providing a filter apparatus having a plurality of filter elements, and removing a portion of the settled solids from the settling apparatus. The method also includes precoating the filter elements with the settled solids removed from the settling apparatus, directing a portion of the process water stream from the settling apparatus to the filter apparatus, and filtering the portion of the process water stream directed from the settling apparatus through the precoated filter elements to remove suspended solids particles to form a filtrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: James Scott Kain, Priyadharshini Swaminathan, Dinh-Cuong Vuong