Patents by Inventor Pieter van Nierop
Pieter van Nierop 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).
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Patent number: 9314655Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and using syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Alter NRG Corp.Inventors: Kent Olis Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
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Patent number: 9222038Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor vessel having a top section with a conical wall extending up from a bottom section, containing a carbonaceous bed into which plasma is injected by plasma torches, to a roof of the vessel is arranged in ways that can contribute to characteristics of gas flow and solids residence time that are favorable for thoroughness of reactions and yield of useful reactions products. In some cases, such a conical wall is combined in arrangements with other features such as one or more feed ports arranged to give more uniform distribution including examples with a feed port that has a distributive feed mechanism. The roof of the vessel, in some examples, has vertical outlet ports that include intrusions into the interior volume of the reactor proximate the conical wall of the top section. The configurations of outlet ports with intrusions and the configurations of feed ports for more uniform distribution of feed material are also applicable to reactor vessels with other geometries.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2009Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Alter NRG Corp.Inventors: Shyam V. Dighe, Mark F. Darr, Ivan A. Martorell, Pieter van Nierop, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Richard Dale Bower
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Publication number: 20150112114Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash to a vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash in the vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the vitrification reactor and solidify outside the vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and routing flue gas generated in the vitrification reactor to a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is connected to a heat recovery steam generator that receives exhaust from the incinerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Kent O. Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
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Publication number: 20150112115Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; combusting syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor in a secondary combustion zone in the gasification/vitrification reactor; and supplying products of the syngas combustion to the incinerator to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator. An apparatus used to practice the method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Kent O. Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
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Publication number: 20120264995Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and using syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2012Publication date: October 18, 2012Applicant: ALTER NRG CORP.Inventors: Kent Olis Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
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Publication number: 20100199556Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor vessel having a top section with a conical wall extending up from a bottom section, containing a carbonaceous bed into which plasma is injected by plasma torches, to a roof of the vessel is arranged in ways that can contribute to characteristics of gas flow and solids residence time that are favorable for thoroughness of reactions and yield of useful reactions products. In some cases, such a conical wall is combined in arrangements with other features such as one or more feed ports arranged to give more uniform distribution including examples with a feed port that has a distributive feed mechanism. The roof of the vessel, in some examples, has vertical outlet ports that include intrusions into the interior volume of the reactor proximate the conical wall of the top section. The configurations of outlet ports with intrusions and the configurations of feed ports for more uniform distribution of feed material are also applicable to reactor vessels with other geometries.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2009Publication date: August 12, 2010Inventors: Shyam V. Dighe, Mark F. Darr, Ivan A. Martorell, Pieter van Nierop, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Richard Dale Bower
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Publication number: 20100199557Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor vessel having a top section with a conical wall extending up from a bottom section, containing a carbonaceous bed into which plasma is injected by plasma torches, to a roof of the vessel is arranged in ways that can contribute to characteristics of gas flow and solids residence time that are favorable for thoroughness of reactions and yield of useful reactions products. In some cases, such a conical wall is combined in arrangements with other features such as one or more feed ports arranged to give more uniform distribution including examples with a feed port that has a distributive feed mechanism. The roof of the vessel, in some examples, has vertical outlet ports that include intrusions into the interior volume of the reactor proximate the conical wall of the top section. The configurations of outlet ports with intrusions and the configurations of feed ports for more uniform distribution of feed material are also applicable to reactor vessels with other geometries.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2009Publication date: August 12, 2010Inventors: Shyam V. Dighe, Mark F. Darr, Ivan A. Martorell, Pieter van Nierop, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Richard Dale Bower
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Publication number: 20100199560Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor vessel having a top section with a conical wall extending up from a bottom section, containing a carbonaceous bed into which plasma is injected by plasma torches, to a roof of the vessel is arranged in ways that can contribute to characteristics of gas flow and solids residence time that are favorable for thoroughness of reactions and yield of useful reactions products. In some cases, such a conical wall is combined in arrangements with other features such as one or more feed ports arranged to give more uniform distribution including examples with a feed port that has a distributive feed mechanism. The roof of the vessel, in some examples, has vertical outlet ports that include intrusions into the interior volume of the reactor proximate the conical wall of the top section. The configurations of outlet ports with intrusions and the configurations of feed ports for more uniform distribution of feed material are also applicable to reactor vessels with other geometries.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2009Publication date: August 12, 2010Inventors: Shyam V. Dighe, Mark F. Darr, Ivan A. Martorell, Pieter van Nierop, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Richard Dale Bower