Patents by Inventor Joseph D. Chwirka

Joseph D. Chwirka 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: 9969639
    Abstract: A system may include a reactor, in which an anaerobic environment exists, that includes a slurry of at least contaminated water and a mixed bacterial culture of facultative bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. The mixed bacterial culture may be suspended within the slurry. The contaminated water may include contaminants associated with a non-metal, a metal, or a metalloid. The mixed bacterial culture may react with the contaminated water to reduce or remove the contaminants from the contaminated water to create a treated slurry. The reactor may output the treated slurry. The system may also include a filtration device to receive the treated slurry; remove, from the treated slurry, the mixed bacterial culture and the contaminants, reduced or removed from the contaminated water, to create treated water; and output the treated water. The system may also include an aeration device to add dissolved oxygen to the treated water, and output the treated water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Inventors: Bruce Merrill Thomson, Jean-Claude Yacoub Younan, Joseph D. Chwirka
  • Publication number: 20150101967
    Abstract: A system may include a reactor, in which an anaerobic environment exists, that includes a slurry of at least contaminated water and a mixed bacterial culture of facultative bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. The mixed bacterial culture may be suspended within the slurry. The contaminated water may include contaminants associated with a non-metal, a metal, or a metalloid. The mixed bacterial culture may react with the contaminated water to reduce or remove the contaminants from the contaminated water to create a treated slurry. The reactor may output the treated slurry. The system may also include a filtration device to receive the treated slurry; remove, from the treated slurry, the mixed bacterial culture and the contaminants, reduced or removed from the contaminated water, to create treated water; and output the treated water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Bruce Merrill Thomson, Jean-Claude Yacoub Younan, Joseph D. Chwirka
  • Publication number: 20150083662
    Abstract: A system may include a reactor, in which an anaerobic environment exists, that includes a slurry of at least contaminated water and a mixed bacterial culture of facultative bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. The mixed bacterial culture may be suspended within the slurry. The contaminated water may include contaminants associated with a non-metal, a metal, or a metalloid. The mixed bacterial culture may react with the contaminated water to reduce or remove the contaminants from the contaminated water to create a treated slurry. The reactor may output the treated slurry. The system may also include a filtration device to receive the treated slurry; remove, from the treated slurry, the mixed bacterial culture and the contaminants, reduced or removed from the contaminated water, to create treated water; and output the treated water. The system may also include an aeration device to add dissolved oxygen to the treated water, and output the treated water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Bruce Merrill Thomson, Jean-Claude Yacoub Younan, Joseph D. Chwirka
  • Patent number: 7514004
    Abstract: A low-cost, water treatment system and method for reducing arsenic contamination in small community water storage tanks. Arsenic is removed by using a submersible pump, sitting at the bottom of the tank, which continuously recirculates (at a low flow rate) arsenic-contaminated water through an attached and enclosed filter bed containing arsenic-sorbing media. The pump and treatment column can be either placed inside the tank (In-Tank) by manually-lowering through an access hole, or attached to the outside of the tank (Out-of-Tank), for easy replacement of the sorption media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick V. Brady, Brian P. Dwyer, James L. Krumhansl, Joseph D. Chwirka