Patents Represented by Attorney Richard G. Besha
  • Patent number: 4425136
    Abstract: A minimally refined fluid composition, suitable as a fuel mixture and derived from biomass material, is comprised of one or more water-soluble carbohydrates such as sucrose, one or more alcohols having less than four carbons, and water. The carbohydrate provides the fuel source; water solubilizes the carbohydrates; and the alcohol aids in the combustion of the carbohydrate and reduces the vicosity of the carbohydrate/water solution. Because less energy is required to obtain the carbohydrate from the raw biomass than alcohol, an overall energy savings is realized compared to fuels employing alcohol as the primary fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Richard K. Pearson, Tomas B. Hirschfeld
  • Patent number: 4424896
    Abstract: The invention is a dust feed device for delivery of a uniform supply of dust for long periods of time to an aerosolizing means for production of a dust suspension. The device utilizes at least two tandem containers having spiral brushes within the containers which transport the dust from a supply to the aerosolizer means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Edward M. Milliman
  • Patent number: 4424491
    Abstract: A device for indicating and preventing damage to voltage cells such as galvanic cells and fuel cells connected in series by detecting sequential voltages and comparing these voltages to adjacent voltage cells. The device is implemented by using operational amplifiers and switching circuitry is provided by transistors. The device can be utilized in battery powered electric vehicles to prevent galvanic cell damage and also in series connected fuel cells to prevent fuel cell damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bobbett, J. Byron McCormick, William J. Kerwin
  • Patent number: 4422209
    Abstract: A tool guide that makes possible the insertion of cleaning and/or inspection tools into a manifold pipe that will dislocate and extract the accumulated sediment in such manifold pipes. The tool guide basically comprises a right angled tube (or other angled tube as required) which can be inserted in a large tube and locked into a radially extending cross pipe by adjustable spacer rods and a spring-loaded cone, whereby appropriate cleaning tools can be inserted into to cross pipe for cleaning, inspection, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Aleksandar Djordjevic
  • Patent number: 4421556
    Abstract: The invention is a process for decontaminating particulate nickel contaminated with actinide-metal fluorides. In one aspect, the invention comprises contacting nickel-fluoride-coated nickel with gaseous ammonia at a temperature effecting nickel-catalyzed dissociation thereof and effecting hydrogen-reduction of the nickel fluoride. The resulting nickel is heated to form a melt and a slag and to effect transfer of actinide metals from the melt into the slag. The melt and slag are then separated. In another aspect, nickel containing nickel oxide and actinide metals is contacted with ammonia at a temperature effecting nickel-catalyzed dissociation to effect conversion of the nickel oxide to the metal. The resulting nickel is then melted and separated as described. In another aspect nickel-fluoride-coated nickel containing actinide-metal fluorides is contacted with both steam and ammonia. The resulting nickel then is melted and separated as described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Norman F. Windt, Joe L. Williams
  • Patent number: 4421005
    Abstract: 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1962
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Kenneth G. Byrne
  • Patent number: 4421995
    Abstract: A discriminator circuit to recover timing information from slow-rising pulses by means of an output trailing edge, a fixed time after the starting corner of the input pulse, which is nearly independent of risetime and threshold setting. This apparatus comprises means for comparing pulses with a threshold voltage; a capacitor to be charged at a certain rate when the input signal is one-third threshold voltage, and at a lower rate when the input signal is two-thirds threshold voltage; current-generating means for charging the capacitor; means for comparing voltage capacitor with a bias voltage; a flip-flop to be set when the input pulse reaches threshold voltage and reset when capacitor voltage reaches the bias voltage; and a clamping means for discharging the capacitor when the input signal returns below one-third threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Bernard Gottschalk
  • Patent number: 4422044
    Abstract: An ultra-linear ramp generator having separately programmable ascending and descending ramp rates and voltages is provided. Two constant current sources provide the ramp through an integrator. Switching of the current at current source inputs rather than at the integrator input eliminates switching transients and contributes to the waveform precision. The triangular waveforms produced by the waveform generator are characterized by accurate reproduction and low drift over periods of several hours. The ascending and descending slopes are independently selectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Theodore R. Mueller
  • Patent number: 4421982
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to downhole injection of radioactive .sup.82 Br and monitoring its progress through fractured structure to determine the nature thereof. An ampule containing granular .sup.82 Br is remotely crushed and water is repeatedly flushed through it to cleanse the instrument as well as inject the .sup.82 Br into surrounding fractured strata. A sensor in a remote borehole reads progress of the radioactive material through fractured structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Robert M. Potter, Jacobo R. Archuleta, Conrad F. Fink
  • Patent number: 4418989
    Abstract: A light beam is reflected back and forth between a rotating body having a retroreflection corner at opposite ends thereof and a fixed mirror to change the wavelength of the light beam by the Doppler effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: William H. McCulla, John D. Allen, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4416492
    Abstract: Two support rings on a rotatable drum respectively engage conically tapered nd surfaces of support rollers mounted on pivot universally relative to its axis of rotation and translate therealong. Rotation of the drum on differential conical support roller diameters causes pivotal steering and axial translation of support roller until roller is centered on support rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventor: B. Huston Singletary
  • Patent number: 4415858
    Abstract: An assembly for mounting a pH probe in a flowing solution, such as a sanitary sewer line, which prevents the sensitive glass portion of the probe from becoming coated with grease, oil, and other contaminants, whereby the probe gives reliable pH indication over an extended period of time. The pH probe assembly utilizes a special filter media and a timed back-rinse feature for flushing clear surface contaminants of the filter. The flushing liquid is of a known pH and is utilized to check performance of the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Charles J. Hale
  • Patent number: 4415412
    Abstract: A process for producing an anhydrous aluminum chloride composition from a water-based aluminous material such as a slurry of aluminum hydroxide in a multistage extraction process in which the aluminum ion is first extracted into an organic liquid containing an acidic extractant and then extracted from the organic phase into an alkali metal chloride or chlorides to form a melt containing a mixture of chlorides of alkali metal and aluminum. In the process, the organic liquid may be recycled. In addition, the process advantageously includes an electrolysis cell for producing metallic aluminum and the alkali metal chloride or chlorides may be recycled for extraction of the aluminum from the organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: George F. Vandegrift, Michael Krumpelt, E. Philip Horwitz
  • Patent number: 4415237
    Abstract: A radiation detector readout circuit is provided which produces a radiation dose-rate readout from a detector even though the detector output may be highly energy dependent. A linear charge amplifier including an output charge pump circuit amplifies the charge signal pulses from the detector and pumps the charge into a charge storage capacitor. The discharge rate of the capacitor through a resistor is controlled to provide a time-dependent voltage which when integrated provides an output proportional to the dose-rate of radiation detected by the detector. This output may be converted to digital form for readout on a digital display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventor: Richard J. Fox
  • Patent number: 4415536
    Abstract: Apparatus for contacting particles with a fluid includes two tubes having different diameters and each including a straight lower section inclined relative to the horizontal and a straight, vertical upper section, the lower ends of the tubes being joined together. Fluid introduced into the lower ends of the tubes allows particles to drop slowly in the larger diameter tube and fluidizes the same particles in the smaller diameter tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Paul A. Haas, Allen D. Ryon
  • Patent number: 4415524
    Abstract: This invention teaches improved apparatus for the method of detecting a breach in cladded fuel used in a nuclear reactor. The detector apparatus uses a separate bypass loop for conveying part of the reactor coolant away from the core, and at least three separate delayed-neutron detectors mounted proximate this detector loop. The detectors are spaced apart so that the coolant flow time from the core to each detector is different, and these differences are known. The delayed-neutron activity at the detectors is a function of the dealy time after the reaction in the fuel until the coolant carrying the delayed-neutron emitter passes the respective detector. This time delay is broken down into separate components including an isotopic holdup time required for the emitter to move through the fuel from the reaction to the coolant at the breach, and two transit times required for the emitter now in the coolant to flow from the breach to the detector loop and then via the loop to the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Robert V. Strain
  • Patent number: 4414748
    Abstract: A ball mounting fixture for a roundness gage is disclosed. The fixture includes a pair of chuck assemblies oriented substantially transversely with respect to one another and mounted on a common base. Each chuck assembly preferably includes a rotary stage and a wobble plate affixed thereto. A ball chuck affixed to each wobble plate is operable to selectively support a ball to be measured for roundness, with the wobble plate permitting the ball chuck to be tilted to center the ball on the axis of rotation of the rotary stage. In a preferred embodiment, each chuck assembly includes a vacuum chuck operable to selectively support the ball to be measured for roundness. The mounting fixture enables a series of roundness measurements to be taken with a conventional rotating gagehead roundness instrument, which measurements can be utilized to determine the sphericity of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The Unites States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventors: Allen L. Gauler, Donald F. Pasieka
  • Patent number: 4415339
    Abstract: Coal (or other carbonaceous matter, such as biomass) is converted into a duct gas that is substantially free from hydrocarbons. The coal is fed into a solar reactor (10), and solar energy (20) is directed into the reactor onto coal char, creating a gasification front (16) and a pyrolysis front (12). A gasification zone (32) is produced well above the coal level within the reactor. A pyrolysis zone (34) is produced immediately above the coal level. Steam (18), injected into the reactor adjacent to the gasification zone (32), reacts with char to generate product gases. Solar energy supplies the energy for the endothermic steam-char reaction. The hot product gases (38) flow from the gasification zone (32) to the pyrolysis zone (34) to generate hot char. Gases (38) are withdrawn from the pyrolysis zone (34) and reinjected into the region of the reactor adjacent the gasification zone (32). This eliminates hydrocarbons in the gas by steam reformation on the hot char.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventors: William R. Aiman, David W. Gregg
  • Patent number: 4415265
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the absorption spectra, and other properties, of aerosol particles. A heating beam source provides a beam of electromagnetic energy which is scanned through the region of the spectrum which is of interest. Particles exposed to the heating beam which have absorption bands within the band width of the heating beam absorb energy from the beam. The particles are also illuminated by light of a wave length such that the light is scattered by the particles. The absorption spectra of the particles can thus be determined from an analysis of the scattered light since the absorption of energy by the particles will affect the way the light is scattered. Preferably the heating beam is modulated to simplify the analysis of the scattered light. In one embodiment the heating beam is intensity modulated so that the scattered light will also be intensity modulated when the particles absorb energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The united States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Anthony J. Campillo, Horn-Bond Lin
  • Patent number: 4414244
    Abstract: A method of treating the interior surfaces of a waveguide to improve power transmission comprising the steps of mechanically polishing to remove surface protrusions; electropolishing to remove embedded particles; ultrasonically cleaning to remove any residue; coating the interior waveguide surfaces with an alkyd resin solution or electrophoretically depositing carbon lamp black suspended in an alkyd resin solution to form a 1.mu. to 5.mu. thick film; vacuum pyrolyzing the film to form a uniform adherent carbon coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: John R. Timberlake, David N. Ruzic, Richard L. Moore, Samuel A. Cohen, Dennis M. Manos