Patents Represented by Attorney Irene S. Croft
  • Patent number: 4031864
    Abstract: A multiple fuel supply or an internal combustion engine wherein phase separation of components is deliberately induced. The resulting separation permits the use of a single fuel tank to supply components of either or both phases to the engine. Specifically, phase separation of a gasoline/methanol blend is induced by the addition of a minor amount of water sufficient to guarantee separation into an upper gasoline phase and a lower methanol/water phase. A single fuel tank holds the two-phase liquid with separate fuel pickups and separate level indicators for each phase. Either gasoline or methanol, or both, can be supplied to the engine as required by predetermined parameters. A fuel supply system for a phase-separated multiple fuel supply contained in a single fuel tank is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: William T. Crothers
  • Patent number: 4029559
    Abstract: Enrichment of carbon, hydrogen and/or oxygen isotopes by means of isotopically selective photo-predissociation of formaldehyde is achieved by irradiation with a fixed frequency ion laser, specifically, a neon, cadmium, or xenon ion laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: John B. Marling
  • Patent number: 4029558
    Abstract: Enrichment of carbon, hydrogen and/or oxygen isotopes by means of isotopically selective photo-predissociation of formaldehyde is achieved by irradiation provided by a frequency-tripled, temperature tuned neodymium laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: John B. Marling
  • Patent number: 4025408
    Abstract: A method for deuterium enrichment by the infrared-induced addition reaction of a deuterium halide with an unsaturated aliphatic compound. A gaseous mixture of a hydrogen halide feedstock and an unsaturated aliphatic compound, particularly an olefin, is irradiated to selectively vibrationally excite the deuterium halide contained therein. The excited deuterium halide preferentially reacts with the unsaturated aliphatic compound to produce a deuterated addition product which is removed from the reaction mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: John B. Marling
  • Patent number: 4010100
    Abstract: An isotope separation method which comprises physically adsorbing an isotopically mixed molecular species on an adsorptive surface and irradiating the adsorbed molecules with radiation of a predetermined wavelength which will selectively excite a desired isotopic species. Sufficient energy is transferred to the excited molecules to desorb them from the surface and thereby separate them from the unexcited undesired isotopic species. The method is particularly applicable to the separation of hydrogen isotopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: Kenneth S. Suslick
  • Patent number: 3987146
    Abstract: A process for the simultaneous removal of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from power plant stack gases comprising contacting the stack gases with a supported iron oxide catalyst/absorbent in the presence of sufficient reducing agent selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and mixtures thereof, to provide a net reducing atmosphere in the SO.sub.x /NO.sub.x removal zone. The sulfur oxides are removed by absorption substantially as iron sulfide, and nitrogen oxides are removed by catalytic reduction to nitrogen and ammonia. The spent iron oxide catalyst/absorbent is regenerated by oxidation and is recycled to the contacting zone. Sulfur dioxide is also produced during regeneration and can be utilized in the production of sulfuric acid and/or sulfur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventors: David T. Clay, Scott Lynn
  • Patent number: 3985658
    Abstract: A low chloride extinguishing agent for combustible metal fires comprising from substantially 75 to substantially 94 weight percent of sodium carbonate as the basic fire extinguishing material, from substantially 1 to substantially 5 weight percent of a water-repellent agent such as a metal stearate, from substantially 2 to substantially 10 weight percent of a flow promoting agent such as attapulgus clay, and from substantially 3 to substantially 15 weight percent of a polyamide resin as a crusting agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventors: John F. Riley, Edgar Eugene Stauffer
  • Patent number: 3984530
    Abstract: A thermochemical reaction cycle for the generation of hydrogen from water comprising the following sequence of reactions wherein M represents a metal:CH.sub.4 + H.sub.2 O .fwdarw. CO + 3H.sub.2 (1)co + 2h.sub.2 .fwdarw. ch.sub.3 oh (2)ch.sub.3 oh + so.sub.2 + mo .fwdarw. mso.sub.4 + ch.sub.4 (3)mso.sub.4 .fwdarw. mo + so.sub.2 + 1/2o.sub.2 (4)the net reaction is the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventors: Robert M. Dreyfuss, Robert G. Hickman
  • Patent number: 3972775
    Abstract: A process for the production of sugar, mainly glucose, by the enzymatic degradation of cellulosic materials, particularly cellulosic wastes, which comprises hydrolyzing the cellulosic material in the presence of cellulase enzyme to produce a sugar solution and recovering from the hydrolysis products a major proportion of the cellulase enzyme used in the hydrolysis reaction for re-use. At least a portion of the required makeup cellulase enzyme is produced in a two-stage operation wherein, in the first stage, a portion of the output sugar solution is utilized to grow a cellulase-secreting microorganism, and, in the second stage, cellulase enzyme formation is induced in the microorganism-containing culture medium by the addition of an appropriate inducer, such as a cellulosic material. Cellulase enzyme is precipitated from the culture liquid by the addition of an organic solvent material, such as a low molecular weight alkyl ketone or alcohol, and the cellulase precipitate is then fed to the hydrolysis reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventors: Charles R. Wilke, Gautam Mitra
  • Patent number: 3969495
    Abstract: A thermochemical reaction cycle for the generation of hydrogen from water comprising the following sequence of reactions wherein M represents a metal and Z represents a metalloid selected from the arsenic-antimony-bismuth and selenium-tellurium subgroups of the periodic system:2MO + Z + SO.sub.2 .fwdarw. MZ + MSO.sub.4 (1)mz + h.sub.2 so.sub.4 .fwdarw. mso.sub.4 + h.sub.2 z (2)2mso.sub.4 .fwdarw. 2mo + so.sub.2 + so.sub.3 + 1/20.sub.2 (3)h.sub.2 z .fwdarw. z + h.sub.2 (4)h.sub.2 o + so.sub.3 .fwdarw. h.sub.2 so.sub.4 (5)the net reaction is the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: Robert M. Dreyfuss
  • Patent number: 3964792
    Abstract: A method for recovering coal from deeply buried deposits comprising drilling a hole down into a coal seam, filling the hole with water, and periodically detonating an explosive charge at the bottom of the water-filled hole. The water transmits the explosive shock wave to the face of the coal seam, thereby fracturing and dislodging the coal. The resulting suspension of loose coal in water is then pumped to the surface where the coal is recovered and the water is recycled to the mining operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: Paul B. Archibald
  • Patent number: 3957956
    Abstract: A method for conducting a chemical reaction in acidic, basic, or neutral solution as required and then regenerating the acid, base, or salt by means of ion exchange in a closed cycle reaction sequence which comprises contacting the spent acid, base, or salt with an ion exchanger, preferably a synthetic organic ion-exchange resin, so selected that the counter ions thereof are ions also produced as a by-product in the closed reaction cycle, and then regenerating the spent ion exchanger by contact with the by-product counter ions. The method is particularly applicable to closed cycle processes for the thermochemical production of hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: Robert M. Dreyfuss
  • Patent number: 3947335
    Abstract: Dissociation products, mainly formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, enriched in a desired isotope of carbon, oxygen, or hydrogen are obtained by the selective photodissociation of glyoxal wherein glyoxal is subjected to electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength such that photon absorption excites and induces dissociation of only those molecules of glyoxal containing the desired isotope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventor: John B. Marling