Patents Assigned to selFrag AG
  • Patent number: 11351556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4). By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Kalke, Reinhard Müller-Siebert
  • Patent number: 10919045
    Abstract: According to a method for fragmenting of pourable material by high-voltage discharges, a material flow of the material, immersed in a process liquid, is guided past an electrode assembly by a conveying device carrying the material flow. By charging the electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, high-voltage punctures through the material of the material flow are produced. The electrodes of the electrode assembly are immersed in the process liquid from above, and those of these electrodes between which the high-voltage punctures are produced face each other with an electrode spacing transverse to the material flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Alexander Weh, Jean-Pierre Aeby, Johannes Käppeler
  • Patent number: 10792670
    Abstract: A method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges is disclosed. Thereby, a material flow of the pourable material is, immersed in a process liquid, guided past a high-voltage electrode assembly with one or more high-voltage electrodes, while high-voltage punctures through the material are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrodes with high-voltage pulses. The zone of the material flow in which the high-voltage punctures through the material are produced is delimited laterally by substantially unmoved zones of the same material as viewed in a guiding-past direction. With the disclosed method, it becomes possible to fragment and/or weaken pourable material in a continuous process by means of high-voltage punctures in a low-wear and low-contamination manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Joel Kolly
  • Patent number: 10730054
    Abstract: A method for fragmenting and/or weakening pourable material includes guiding a material stream of pourable material immersed in a process liquid along an annular or arcuate channel past a high-voltage electrode assembly. The high-voltage electrode assembly, which includes one or more generators, generates high-voltage punctures through the material flow. Material is supplied to the material stream upstream of the high voltage electrode arrangement. Material is guided away from the material stream downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Johannes Käppeler, Reinhard Müller-Siebert
  • Patent number: 10046331
    Abstract: A method for fragmenting and/or weakening material by high-voltage pulses is provided. The material and a processing fluid are arranged in a processing zone formed between two electrodes such that the entire processing zone is flooded with processing fluid, and high-voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes such that high-voltage breakdowns occur between the two electrodes and/or such that predischarge channels are formed without breakdowns. An electrode with a metallic conductor is chosen for at least one of the two electrodes, the conductor being provided partially or completely with an insulator or insulating coating at the working end of the electrode that is in contact with the processing fluid, the permittivity of the insulator/insulating coating being at least 75% of the permittivity of the processing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Fabrice Monti Di Sopra, Harald Giese, Urs Friedli
  • Patent number: 10029262
    Abstract: A method of fragmenting and/or weakening of material is provided that utilizes high voltage discharges. The material is together with a process liquid introduced into a process area, in which two electrodes face each other at a distance, and is arranged therein in such a manner that the area between the two electrodes is filled with the material and process liquid. Between the two electrodes high voltage discharges are generated for fragmenting or weakening of the material. During the fragmenting or weakening, respectively, of the material, process liquid is discharged from the process area and process liquid is fed into the process area. The process liquid which is fed has a lower electrical conductivity than the process liquid which is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Muller-Siebert, Heiko Feitkenhauer, Alexander Weh, Fabrice Monti Di Sopra, Peter Hoppe, Josef Singer, Harald Giese, Klaus Leber
  • Publication number: 20180043368
    Abstract: A method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges is disclosed. Thereby, a material flow of the pourable material is, immersed in a process liquid, guided past a high-voltage electrode assembly with one or more high-voltage electrodes, while high-voltage punctures through the material are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrodes with high-voltage pulses. The zone of the material flow in which the high-voltage punctures through the material are produced is delimited laterally by substantially unmoved zones of the same material as viewed in a guiding-past direction. With the disclosed method, it becomes possible to fragment and/or weaken pourable material in a continuous process by means of high-voltage punctures in a low-wear and low-contamination manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Joel Kolly
  • Patent number: 9604225
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for an electrodynamic fragmentation plant having a passage opening (1) for fragmentation material (3) and having several electrode pairs (4a, 5a; 4a, 5b; 4b, 5c; 4b, 5d; 4c, 5e; 4c, 5f; 4d, 5g; 4d, 5h) by means of which, by charging the electrodes (4a-4d, 5a-5h) thereof with high-voltage pulses, in each case high-voltage discharges can be generated within the passage opening (1), for fragmentation of the fragmentation material (3). The passage opening (1) is formed in such a way and the electrodes (4a-4d, 5a-5h) of the electrode pairs are arranged therein in such a way that for each electrode pair (4a, 5a; 4a, 5b; 4b, 5c; 4b, 5d; 4c, 5e; 4c, 5f; 4d, 5g; 4d, 5h) in the area of a shortest connecting line (L) between the electrodes of the respective electrode pair, a ball (K) can pass through the passage opening (1), the diameter of which is bigger than the length of this respective shortest connecting line (L).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Muller-Siebert, Fabrice Monti Di Sopra, Bernhard Hasler, Harald Giese
  • Publication number: 20150069153
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of fragmenting and/or weakening of material by means of high voltage discharges. The material is together with a process liquid introduced into a process area, in which two electrodes face each other at a distance, and is arranged therein in such a manner that the area between the two electrodes is filled with material and process liquid. Between the two electrodes high voltage discharges are generated for fragmenting or weakening, respectively, of the material. According to the invention, during the fragmenting or weakening, respectively, of the material, process liquid is discharged from the process area and process liquid is fed into the process area. The process liquid which is fed has a lower electrical conductivity than the process liquid which is discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Helena Ahlqvist Jeanneret, Reinhard Muller-Siebert, Heiko Feitkenhauer, Alexander Weh, Fabrice Monti Di Sopra, Peter Hoppe, Josef Singer, Harald Giese, Klaus Leber
  • Publication number: 20140042146
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for an electrodynamic fragmentation plant having a passage opening (1) for fragmentation material (3) and having several electrode pairs (4a, 5a; 4a, 5b; 4b, 5c; 4b, 5d; 4c, 5e; 4c, 5f; 4d, 5g; 4d, 5h) by means of which, by charging the electrodes (4a-4d, 5a-5h) thereof with high-voltage pulses, in each case high-voltage discharges can be generated within the passage opening (1), for fragmentation of the fragmentation material (3). The passage opening (1) is formed in such a way and the electrodes (4a-4d, 5a-5h) of the electrode pairs are arranged therein in such a way that for each electrode pair (4a, 5a; 4a, 5b; 4b, 5c; 4b, 5d; 4c, 5e; 4c, 5f; 4d, 5g; 4d, 5h) in the area of a shortest connecting line (L) between the electrodes of the respective electrode pair, a ball (K) can pass through the passage opening (1), the diameter of which is bigger than the length of this respective shortest connecting line (L).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Selfrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Muller-Siebert, Fabrice Monti Di Sopra, Bernhard Hasler, Harald Giese
  • Patent number: 8138952
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sample holder having an insulation body (10; 50) and a first electrode (3; 33) and a second electrode (4; 34), wherein the first electrode (3; 33) and the second electrode (4; 34) project into the sample container (2; 32), the first electrode (3; 33) and the second electrode (4; 34) are connected to each other via the insulation body (10; 50), the sample container (2; 32) is filled with a dielectric liquid (5; 35), and the first electrode (3; 33) is assigned to a gas collection chamber (6; 36). The invention further relates to an assembly for the electrodynamic fragmentation of samples (38), having such a sample container (2; 32), a process container (22; 41), and means (24, 27; 39, 39.1, 39.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Christoph Anliker, Peter Hoppe, Josef Singer
  • Patent number: 8125129
    Abstract: The invention relates to working electrode for an electrodynamic fragmenting installation. The working electrode comprises an insulator (1) with a central conductor (2), which axially passes through the insulator (1) and carries at its working end an electrode tip (3) which is formed by an exchangeable changing part (4) and adjoins a stop area (6) of the central conductor (2) with a contact area (5) under axial compressive prestress. The invention makes it possible to provide working electrodes for electrodynamic fragmenting installations in which the electrode tips can be exchanged in a simple manner and which can be operated practically without maintenance over a long period of time even in case of great pressure pulsations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Selfrag AG
    Inventors: Daniel Maurer, Reinhard Muller-Siebert
  • Patent number: 8071876
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement with a high voltage electrode (1) and a process vessel (2) assigned to the high voltage electrode (1), wherein the high voltage electrode (1) and the process vessel (2) can be positioned relative to each other in such a manner that the high voltage electrode (1) with its operational electrode end (5) in an operating position is immersed in the process vessel (2) and in a non-operating position is located outside the process vessel (2). Furthermore, the arrangement includes a grounding device (3), which is designed in such a manner that upon a positioning in the non-operating position it automatically is brought into contact with the operational electrode end (5) for grounding the high voltage electrode (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Christoph Anliker, Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Daniel Maurer
  • Publication number: 20100025240
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sample holder having an insulation body (10; 50) and a first electrode (3; 33) and a second electrode (4; 34), wherein the first electrode (3; 33) and the second electrode (4; 34) project into the sample container (2; 32), the first electrode (3; 33) and the second electrode (4; 34) are connected to each other via the insulation body (10; 50), the sample container (2; 32) is filled with a dielectric liquid (5; 35), and the first electrode (3; 33) is assigned to a gas collection chamber (6; 36). The invention further relates to an assembly for the electrodynamic fragmentation of samples (38), having such a sample container (2; 32), a process container (22; 41), and means (24, 27; 39, 39.1, 39.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: selFrag AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Müller-Siebert, Christoph Anliker, Peter Hoppe, Josef Singer
  • Publication number: 20090236142
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement with a high voltage electrode (1) and a process vessel (2) assigned to the high voltage electrode (1), wherein the high voltage electrode (1) and the process vessel (2) can be positioned relative to each other in such a manner that the high voltage electrode (1) with its operational electrode end (5) in an operating position is immersed in the process vessel (2) and in a non-operating position is located outside the process vessel (2). Furthermore the arrangement comprises a grounding device (3) which is designed in such a manner that upon a positioning in the non-operating position it automatically is brought into contact with the operational electrode end (5) for grounding the high voltage electrode (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SELFRAG AG
    Inventors: Christoph Anliker, Reinhard Muller-Siebert, Daniel Maurer