Patents by Inventor Karen Fleckner

Karen Fleckner 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).

  • Publication number: 20230114189
    Abstract: A dispensing unit that consists of two or more dispensing solutions, at least one being a fluorine-free foam solution, and at least one hydrogel-based solution, and which involves the dispensing of each solution through one or more compressed air foam system (CAFS), where the CAFS may use compressed air, nitrogen, or other inert gas. The individual solutions may be mixed prior to the CAFS, or one or more solutions mixed after the CAFS, or they may be mixed in separate CAFS chambers. The resulting foam may be dispensed through a single line or through multiple lines, applied simultaneously and/or at different times, and may be controlled manually and/or through automatic controls, or through a combination of the above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventor: Karen FLECKNER
  • Publication number: 20210236867
    Abstract: A dispensing unit that consists of two or more dispensing solutions, at least one being a fluorine-free foam solution, and at least one hydrogel-based solution, and which involves the dispensing of each solution through one or more compressed air foam system (CAFS), where the CAFS may use compressed air, nitrogen, or other inert gas. The individual solutions may be mixed prior to the CAFS, or one or more solutions mixed after the CAFS, or they may be mixed in separate CAFS chambers. The resulting foam may be dispensed through a single line or through multiple lines, applied simultaneously and/or at different times, and may be controlled manually and/or through automatic controls, or through a combination of the above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventor: Karen FLECKNER
  • Publication number: 20190300393
    Abstract: A fluid treatment system that includes a sonic energy generator and an electromagnetic field, generator is described herein. The fluid treatment system may include a controller that independently controls the sonic energy generator and the EMF generator while in use. Also described herein are methods of treating a fluid including applying a sonic signal to at least, a portion of the fluid, and applying an electromagnetic field signal to at least the portion of the fluid by a direct conductive path. Methods of treating water that has been extracted by an atmospheric water generator unit using such a fluid treatment system are also described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Karen FLECKNER, Michael NEYLON
  • Publication number: 20180297867
    Abstract: Provided is a forward osmosis membrane-based water treatment system (including water desalination) using a switchable polar solvent as the draw solvent that is switched through the addition and removal of carbon dioxide. Provided is the use of a membrane system that designed to operate within the chemistry and properties of switchable polar solvents to promote water draw through the forward osmosis membrane, and a method of removing and reintroducing carbon dioxide to the switchable solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Karen Fleckner, Michael K. Neylon
  • Patent number: 9834728
    Abstract: The present invention concerns the production and use of feedstock streams. Specifically, the present invention provides a process for the production of a commodity using two or more feedstock streams. Each feedstock stream is processed into a common intermediate and subsequently processed into a final product, such as electrical energy, a liquid fuel or a liquefied fuel, such as methanol, dimethyl ether, synthetic gasoline, diesel, kerosene, or jet fuel. The common intermediate may be synthetic gas (syngas), producer gas or pyrolysis gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Inventor: Karen Fleckner
  • Publication number: 20160152899
    Abstract: The present invention concerns the production and use of feedstock streams. Specifically, the present invention provides a process for the production of a commodity using two or more feedstock streams. Each feedstock stream is processed into a common intermediate and subsequently processed into a final product, such as electrical energy, a liquid fuel or a liquefied fuel, such as methanol, dimethyl ether, synthetic gasoline, diesel, kerosene, or jet fuel. The common intermediate may be synthetic gas (syngas), producer gas or pyrolysis gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventor: Karen FLECKNER
  • Publication number: 20070280862
    Abstract: A modular fluid processing architecture is provided that consists of a matrix of nested tubes secured between end block manifolds. Multiple chemical reactors may be housed in the annular spaces formed by the nesting of the tubes, and the processes may be integrated through flow splitting, mixing, switching and heat exchange in the manifolds. A flow switching system may provide the ability to switch the flows on or off in individual processors or in banks of such processors. The switching may effect the operation of some or all of the processes. Such switching can facilitate rapid and close following of demand for the processor output while allowing each processor to run within a range of high efficiency, since processors may be turned off or on in response to falling or rising demand for the output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Nu Element, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Davis, J. Bowen, Jeffrey Pedersen, Karen Fleckner
  • Publication number: 20040086768
    Abstract: A novel design and process for: (a) a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with aligned carbon nanotubes as a nano-scale gas distrubutor which yield better gas conversion efficiencies in PEM fuel cells, and (b) doped silicon flow field plates (FFP) which increase electrode conductivity of the membrane-catalyst-gas diffusion layer (GDL)-FFP interfaces of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Also, part of the invention are a stacking configuration and a gas distribution design that also enhance conductivity of carbon/metal catalyst/electrode, GDL, and FFP interface surfaces without crushing the FFPs. Aligned carbon nanoscale gas distributors are employed at the interfaces, thereby increasing the overall performance of th PEMFC. The FFPs are easy to manufacture and mass-producible, yet mechanically sturdy and significantly lighter in weight than their conventional counterparts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: Karen Fleckner, Feng Zheng, Cynthia Buenviaje, Yao Huang, Jeff Pedersen, David Lim, H. Sho Fuji, Jeremy Hergesheimer, Michael Treiber
  • Patent number: 6589682
    Abstract: A novel design and process for: a) a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with aligned carbon nanotubes as a nano-scale gas distributor which yield better gas conversion efficiencies in PEM fuel cells, and (b) doped silicon flow field plates (FFP) which increase electrode conductivity of the membrane-catalyst-gas diffusion layer (GDL)-FFP interfaces of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Also, part of the invention are a stacking configuration and a gas distribution design that also enhance conductivity of carbon/metal catalyst/electrode, GDL, and FFP interfaces surfaces without crushing the FFPs. Aligned carbon nanoscale gas distributors are employed at the interfaces, thereby increasing the overall performance of the PEMFC. The FFPs are easy to manufacture and mass-producible, yet mechanically sturdy and significantly lighter in weigh than their conventional counterparts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Inventors: Karen Fleckner, Feng Zheng, Cynthia Buenviaje, Yao Huang, Jeff Pedersen, David Lim, H. Sho Fuji, Jeremy Hergesheimer, Michael Treiber