Patents Assigned to Heartland Technology Partners LLC
  • Patent number: 8808497
    Abstract: A reservoir evaporation system for evaporating fluid from an open reservoir of effluent containing a contaminant includes a fluid evaporator, an air pump, and an air supply conduit functionally connecting the fluid evaporator with the air pump. The fluid evaporator includes a vessel adapted to be positioned in an operative position partially submerged on the top surface of the effluent in the reservoir with a lower chamber submerged in the effluent and an upper chamber extending above the top surface of the effluent. In operation, air from the air pump mixes with the effluent inside the fluid evaporator and subsequently is discharged through exhaust openings. A fluid discharge pipe can also simultaneously discharge aerated effluent back down into the reservoir. Fluid is thereby separated from the effluent in the lower chamber by evaporation in a controlled manner that minimizes spread of contaminants to surrounding environments by wind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8801897
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator and contaminant scrubber includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. A reagent may be mixed with the liquid to react with contaminants in the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20140216033
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for treating wastewater produced at a thermoelectric power plant, other industrial plants, and/or other industrial sources are disclosed. The wastewater is directed through a wastewater concentrator including a direct contact adiabatic concentration system. A stream of hot feed gases is directed through the wastewater concentrator. The wastewater concentrator mixes the hot feed gases directly with the wastewater and evaporates water vapor from the wastewater. The wastewater concentrator separates the water vapor from remaining concentrated wastewater. A contained air-water interface liquid evaporator may be arranged to pre-process the wastewater before being treated by the wastewater concentrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, JR., Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8790496
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20140166211
    Abstract: A liquid evaporation system for evaporating clean water from a reservoir of wastewater includes a liquid evaporator to evaporate and separate water vapor from the wastewater in a confined space, an air blower to supply air to the liquid evaporator, and a wastewater heating system arranged to collect heat to heat the wastewater in the reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, JR., Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20140159259
    Abstract: An exhaust gas plume mitigation process and system includes either mixing secondary heat into a moisture rich exhaust gas stream, or diverting a moisture rich exhaust gas stream into a primary exhaust stack having hot exhaust gases flowing therethrough. Moisture rich exhaust gas from a liquid concentrator may be diverted into a high temperature exhaust stack of an engine, a generator, or a flare. The high temperature exhaust gases from the engine, the generator, or the flare raise the temperature of the moisture rich exhaust gas from the concentrator. The high temperature exhaust gases from the engine, the generator, or the flare are also lower in moisture content, so that the moisture rich exhaust gas from the concentrator is diluted by the drier high temperature exhaust gas. As a result, the mixed gas is less likely to develop a moisture plume upon exit to the atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Heartland Technology Partners, LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, JR., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8741100
    Abstract: A liquid concentrator having an evaporator assembly and a cyclonic separator includes features designed to improve the performance of the liquid concentrator. A settling chamber is separated from a sump of the cyclonic separator. A liquid inlet opening into a mixing chamber of the evaporator injects wastewater at low pressures. Features to aid in the cleaning of the liquid concentrator include easy open doors and clean water injection ports for cleaning interior portions of the liquid concentrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventor: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8741101
    Abstract: A liquid concentrator having an evaporator assembly and a cyclonic separator includes features designed to improve the performance of the liquid concentrator. A settling chamber is separated from a sump of the cyclonic separator. A liquid inlet opening into a mixing chamber of the evaporator injects wastewater at low pressures. Features to aid in the cleaning of the liquid concentrator include easy open doors and clean water injection ports for cleaning interior portions of the liquid concentrator. In one feature a settling tank is disposed below the cyclonic separator and has a width that is larger than the width of the cyclonic separator. In another variation, the cyclonic separator has a tubular body with an interior that is substantially unobstructed between an inlet from the evaporator assembly and an exhaust outlet. In yet another variation, the cyclonic separator has an upper chamber that is separated from a lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventor: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8721771
    Abstract: An exhaust gas plume mitigation process and system includes either mixing secondary heat into a moisture rich exhaust gas stream, or diverting a moisture rich exhaust gas stream into a primary exhaust stack having hot exhaust gases flowing therethrough. Moisture rich exhaust gas from a liquid concentrator may be diverted into a high temperature exhaust stack of an engine, a generator, or a flare. The high temperature exhaust gases from the engine, the generator, or the flare raise the temperature of the moisture rich exhaust gas from the concentrator. The high temperature exhaust gases from the engine, the generator, or the flare are also lower in moisture content, so that the moisture rich exhaust gas from the concentrator is diluted by the drier high temperature exhaust gas. As a result, the mixed gas is less likely to develop a moisture plume upon exit to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8679291
    Abstract: A process for concentrating wastewater includes combining heated gas and liquid wastewater to form a mixture of heated gas and entrained liquid wastewater, breaking the entrained liquid wastewater into fine entrained liquid wastewater droplets, transferring heat from the heated gas to the entrained liquid wastewater to partially evaporate the entrained liquid wastewater, and removing a portion of the fine entrained liquid wastewater droplets from the mixture to provide a demisted gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20140041811
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, JR., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20140014278
    Abstract: A liquid concentrator having an evaporator assembly and a cyclonic separator includes features designed to improve the performance of the liquid concentrator. A settling chamber is separated from a sump of the cyclonic separator. A liquid inlet opening into a mixing chamber of the evaporator injects wastewater at low pressures. Features to aid in the cleaning of the liquid concentrator include easy open doors and clean water injection ports for cleaning interior portions of the liquid concentrator. In one feature a settling tank is disposed below the cyclonic separator and has a width that is larger than the width of the cyclonic separator. In another variation, the cyclonic separator has a tubular body with an interior that is substantially unobstructed between an inlet from the evaporator assembly and an exhaust outlet. In yet another variation, the cyclonic separator has an upper chamber that is separated from a lower chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventor: Bernard F. Duesel, JR.
  • Patent number: 8623174
    Abstract: A liquid evaporation system for evaporating clean water from a reservoir of wastewater includes a liquid evaporator to evaporate and separate water vapor from the wastewater in a confined space, an air blower to supply air to the liquid evaporator, and a wastewater heating system arranged to collect heat to heat the wastewater in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8585869
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for treating wastewater produced at a thermoelectric power plant, other industrial plants, and/or other industrial sources are disclosed. The wastewater is directed through a wastewater concentrator including a direct contact adiabatic concentration system. A stream of hot feed gases is directed through the wastewater concentrator. The wastewater concentrator mixes the hot feed gases directly with the wastewater and evaporates water vapor from the wastewater. The wastewater concentrator separates the water vapor from remaining concentrated wastewater. A contained air-water interface liquid evaporator may be arranged to pre-process the wastewater before being treated by the wastewater concentrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 8568557
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20130248122
    Abstract: A reservoir evaporation system for evaporating fluid from an open reservoir of effluent containing a contaminant includes a fluid evaporator, an air pump, and an air supply conduit functionally connecting the fluid evaporator with the air pump. The fluid evaporator includes a vessel adapted to be positioned in an operative position partially submerged on the top surface of the effluent in the reservoir with a lower chamber submerged in the effluent and an upper chamber extending above the top surface of the effluent. In operation, air from the air pump mixes with the effluent inside the fluid evaporator and subsequently is discharged through exhaust openings. A fluid discharge pipe can also simultaneously discharge aerated effluent back down into the reservoir. Fluid is thereby separated from the effluent in the lower chamber by evaporation in a controlled manner that minimizes spread of contaminants to surrounding environments by wind.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, JR., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Publication number: 20130213584
    Abstract: An air stripper includes a vessel, a gas delivery tube to deliver a gas into the vessel and a contaminated liquid inlet that provides a contaminated liquid to the vessel at a rate sufficient to maintain a controlled constant level of process fluid within the vessel. A weir is disposed within the vessel adjacent the gas delivery tube to form a first fluid circulation path between a first weir end and a wall of the vessel and a second fluid circulation path between a second weir end and an upper end of the vessel. During operation, gas introduced through the tube mixes with the process fluid and the combined gas and fluid flow at a high rate with a high degree of turbulence along the first and second circulation paths defined around the weir, thereby promoting vigorous mixing and intimate contact between the gas and the process fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventor: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
  • Patent number: 8459984
    Abstract: A waste heat recovery system is coupled to a flare or exhaust stack of, for example, a landfill gas treatment system, to recover at least a portion of the energy within the exhaust produced by the gas treatment system and provides the recovered energy either indirectly or directly to a secondary process, such as a wastewater treatment process, to thereby reduce the amount of energy needed to be otherwise input into the secondary process. For indirect transfer of energy the waste heat recovery system includes a transfer pipe connected between the exhaust stack of a primary process and a heat exchange unit while an induction fan connected to the transfer pipe operates to create a draft within the transfer pipe to facilitate movement of some of the exhaust gas from the exhaust stack of the primary process to the heat exchange unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., David L. Fenton, Michael J. Rutsch
  • Patent number: 8425665
    Abstract: A fluid scrubber in the form of a submerged gas reactor includes a reaction vessel, a gas delivery lube partially disposed within the reaction vessel to deliver a gas into the reaction vessel and a scrubbing liquid inlet that provides a scrubbing liquid to the reaction vessel at a rate sufficient to maintain a controlled, constant level of fluid within the reaction vessel. A weir is disposed within the reaction vessel adjacent the gas delivery tube to form a first fluid circulation path between a first weir end and a wall of the reaction vessel and a second fluid circulation path between a second weir end and an upper end of the reaction vessel. During operation, gas introduced through the tube mixes with the scrubbing liquid and the combined gas and liquid flow at a high rate with a high degree of turbulence along the first and second, circulation paths defined around the weir, thereby promoting vigorous mixing and intimate contact between the gas and the scrubbing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Heartland Technology Partners, LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch
  • Publication number: 20130087487
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. The compact and portable liquid concentrator is mountable on a truck bed or skid for easy transportation to remote sites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventor: Heartland Technology Partners LLC