Patents Examined by Alexander W Keeling
  • Patent number: 11753729
    Abstract: A cathodic protection (CP) interruption system includes a metallic structure and a plurality of passive CP units embedded in an electrolytic medium, a plurality of test units electrically coupled with the structure and each of the CP units, and a low-power consumption component arrangement. The arrangement includes a real-time clock (RTC) and a GPS receiver coupled with each test unit for receiving GPS time from a GPS satellite. A controller is communicatively coupled with each RTC and GPS receiver for activating the GPS receiver once the RTC reaches a predetermined time to synchronize a RTC time of each RTC with GPS time. Interruption modules are coupled in electrical and data communication with the controller. The controller selectively changes an activation state of each interruption module once the RTC time reaches a predetermined activation state change time to selectively electrically couple or decouple each CP unit from the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Mobiltex Data Ltd.
    Inventors: Antonio Laranjo da Costa, Lucas Kiese Holzen, Philip James Daum
  • Patent number: 11753733
    Abstract: In a method for producing high-purity electrolytic copper, a first additive (A) containing an aromatic ring of a hydrophobic group and a polyoxyalkylene group of a hydrophilic group, a second additive (B) formed of polyvinyl alcohols, and a third additive (C) formed of tetrazoles are added to a copper electrolyte, copper electrolysis is performed by controlling each concentration of the first additive (A), the second additive (B), and the third additive (C), a current density and a bath temperature, and accordingly, electrolytic copper in which a concentration of Ag is less than 0.2 mass ppm, a concentration of S is less than 0.07 mass ppm, a concentration of all impurities is less than 0.2 mass ppm, and an area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain misorientation (referred to as a GOS value) exceeding 2.5° is 10% or less is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshie Tarutani, Kenji Kubota, Kiyotaka Nakaya, Isao Arai
  • Patent number: 11746427
    Abstract: An electrolyzer stack is configured for high-speed manufacturing and assembly of a plurality of scalable electrolysis cells. Each cell comprises a plurality of water windows configured to maintain a pressure loss, temperature rise and/or oxygen outlet volume fraction below predetermined thresholds. Repeating components of the cells are configured based on a desired roll web width for production and a stack compression system is configured to enable a variable quantity and variable area of said repeating cells in a single stack. A high-speed manufacturing system is configured to produce scalable cells and assemble scalable stacks at rates in excess of 1,000 MW-class stacks per year.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: EVOLOH, INC.
    Inventor: Scott Blanchet
  • Patent number: 11746432
    Abstract: A method and means for application of anode covering material (ACM) in an electrolysis cell for aluminium production where the cell being of Hall-Héroult type with prebaked anodes. The cell contains a cathode pot with a rectangular footprint and a superstructure with a gas collecting hood that lays onto the top of the cathode pot. A floor construction at least substantially surrounds the cell at a level below the top of the cathode pot and ventilation openings provided with grates are arranged in the floor in the close vicinity to the cell. The superstructure's hood is provided with removable lids that are removed for giving access to the cell's anodes through openings. ACM is applied via a feed tube to cover the anodes and the deposit of ACM is supported by a shuttering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NORSK HYDRO ASA
    Inventors: Jostein Magnesen, Per Johnny Teigen, Jan Frode Høines, Odd Erik Jacobsen, Are Dyrøy, Morten Karlsen, Juraj Chmelar
  • Patent number: 11745171
    Abstract: A method of preparing a photocatalyst. The method includes a sulfone-containing conjugated polyimide obtained by solvothermally imidizing 3-sulfonyldianiline 1,4,5, 8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with poly (amic acid) (PAA). The photocatalyst of the present disclosure can be used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Abuzar Khan, Mohd Yusuf Khan
  • Patent number: 11732367
    Abstract: A selectively removable engine anode having a metallic anode base with a threaded configuration disposed proximal to a lower end thereon and on an outer surface, a flanged platform extending radially along a longitudinal length of the base to define an outer flange diameter, and a cantilevered retention member directly coupled to the flanged platform and having a diameter less than the outer flange diameter. The anode includes a galvanic anode with a first anode end coupled to the flanged platform, a second anode free end opposing the first anode end, and an anode length separating the first anode end and the second anode free end, wherein the galvanic anode and the flanged platform encapsulate the cantilevered retention member, the anode base is selectively removably couplable to a plug that is operably configured to be selectively coupled to a marine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ZIMAR INTERNATIONAL, INC
    Inventors: Jose Alegre, Juan Carlos Alegre
  • Patent number: 11732371
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus to perform an electrochemical process by manipulating the charge on an electrode involved in the primary circuit of the electrochemical reaction. The amount of charge on the electrode can be manipulated independent of the bias voltage of the primary circuit and is accomplished by coupling the electrode with various different configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: NewSouth Innovations Pty Limited, The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Sean Campbell Smith, Xin Tan, Hassan Tahini, Zhonghua Zhu, Xiaoyong Xu
  • Patent number: 11732369
    Abstract: An electrode including a metal coil and a metal wire is provided. The metal coil includes a metal selected from copper, silver, gold, nickel and aluminium. The turns of the metal coil are separated by a gap. At least part of the metal wire is arranged inside the metal coil. The metal wire and the metal coil are in electrical contact. The metal wire includes a metal selected from copper, silver, gold, nickel and aluminum. The metal wire and the metal coil are made of a same metal. The metal coil has a plurality of turns forming an elongated coil body with a central channel along a central axis of the metal coil. The metal wire extends longitudinally inside the central channel from one end of the metal coil to an other end of the metal coil along the central axis of the metal coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Sumon Bishwas
  • Patent number: 11725289
    Abstract: An array of anode assemblies for insertion at a plurality of locations in a gap between a section of a reinforced concrete structure and another solid structure is provided. Each anode assembly comprises an expandable member, an anode attached to the expandable member for protecting a steel reinforcement in the reinforced concrete structure, and an anode connector for interconnecting the array of anode assemblies. During use, each anode assembly of the array of anode assemblies is inserted into the gap, between the section of the reinforced concrete structure and the solid structure, at the plurality of locations. The expandable member of each anode assembly is configured to expand so as to press the anode into contact with a surface of the reinforced concrete structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: E-CHEM TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Gareth Glass, Stephen Glass, Adrian Roberts, Nigel Davison
  • Patent number: 11725293
    Abstract: A porous transparent electrode is formed where a film comprising of semiconducting nanoparticles is decorated with polyoxometalates (POMs) bonded to their surfaces. The semiconducting nanoparticles are transparent metal oxide. The semiconducting nanoparticles include tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), or titanium dioxide (TiO2). In an embodiment, the POM is [SiW12O40]4?; [?-P2W18O62]6?; or [?2-P2W17O61]10?. The semiconducting nanoparticles bond to the POM through a combination of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The porous transparent electrode can be placed in a protonated form or ion-paired with alkali metal cations or tetraalkylammonium cations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
    Inventor: Christopher J. Dares
  • Patent number: 11713512
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a bismuth vanadate electrode including vanadium-functionalized graphene quantum dots and a method for preparing the same. More particularly, it relates to a technology which is capable of, by adding graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in the process of immersing a bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) electrode in an alkaline solution to remove vanadium oxide (V2O5) excessively formed on the surface of the electrode during its preparation, protecting the electrode from the alkaline solution as the graphene quantum dots are adsorbed onto the surface of BiVO4 while V2O5 is removed, and improving the efficiency of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) when applied to a photoanode due to vanadium (V)-functionalized graphene quantum dots formed as the etched vanadium ions ((VO)43?) are adsorbed onto the graphene quantum dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: S-OIL CORPORATION, UNIST (ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)
    Inventors: Ji-Hyun Jang, Ki-Yong Yoon, Sungwoo Kwon, Nam Hyun Hur, Sang Cheol Paik
  • Patent number: 11708639
    Abstract: Electrochemical cells for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural are provided. Also provided are methods of using the cells to carry out the oxidation reactions. The electrochemical cells and methods use catalytic copper-based anodes to carry out the electrochemical oxidation reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kyoung-Shin Choi, Dohwan Nam
  • Patent number: 11708638
    Abstract: A system consisting of a pencil-type sacrificial anode rod and a companion plug for use in, e.g., marine engines, generators, and other machinery or fluid-containing components requiring the presence of sacrificial anodes to prevent galvanic and electrolytic corrosion. The anode rod is securely held in the plug via a push-to-connect mechanism that allows the anode rod to rotate when acted on by a torsional force. This mechanism allows for extraction of the plug through pure tensile forces on the anode rod, thus preventing the breaking of stuck anode rods through torsional forces or stuck anode rods being left behind in engine components due to unthreading of the anode rod from the plug. Electrical continuity between the anode rod and plug is continuously maintained via metal-to-metal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Inventor: Howard Taitel
  • Patent number: 11694852
    Abstract: An electrode (1), the electrode (1) comprises a substrate (4, 5) on which is located a porous layer of a conducting or semi-conducting oxide (6) and having located thereon Ferredoxin NADP Reductase (FNR) (3). The electrode (1) can be used to drive organic synthesis via nicotinamide cofactor regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Fraser Armstrong, Clare Megarity, Thomas Roberts, Bhavin Siritanaratkul
  • Patent number: 11680329
    Abstract: A method for making an electrocatalyst containing manganese oxide nanoparticles present on carbon obtained from Albizia procera (MnOxNPs-C) for electrochemical water oxidation. The method includes a thermal decomposition and forms a product with specific morphological variations, including crystalline structure, elemental composition, and chemical compatibility. The manganese oxide nanoparticles are well dispersed over the carbon. The amount of manganese oxide nanoparticles increases by increasing the amount of precursor. Single-phase formation of the Mn3O4, and Mn3O4 along with MnO phase occurs at low and high amount of the precursor materials, respectively. The electrocatalyst can be used for the purpose electrolytic water splitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Md. Abdul Aziz, Syed Shaheen Shah, Zain Hassan Yamani
  • Patent number: 11676837
    Abstract: One object of this application is to provide an advanced substrate holder including a clamper. A substrate holder holds a substrate by interposing the substrate between frames. The substrate holder includes a front frame, a rear frame, and one or a plurality of clampers. Each of the clampers includes a hook portion including a hook base and a hook main body, and a plate including at least one claw. At least one of the clampers includes the plate including a first claw for a lock and a second claw for a semi-lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Matsutaro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 11668015
    Abstract: A novel magnesium-based alloy is described. The alloy is particularly suitable for the construction of electrodes, especially anodes, that can be used for an electrochemical process, such as the synthesis of struvite. The magnesium-based alloy is an AZXY alloy in which A is aluminium and Z is zinc, X represents the content, expressed in wt. %, of the first element, and Y the content, expressed in wt. %, of the second element. The AZXY alloy according to the invention has 2%?X?4% and 0.5%?Y?2%, and an iron (Fe) content of less than 0.005%, and preferably less than 0.003%. The anodes constituted by this novel alloy have a much slower corrosion speed and improved performances compared to existing anodes. An electrode cartridge comprising said alloy and suitable for being inserted into an electrolytic reactor so as to form, once assembled, an electrocoagulation unit, is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: E2METRIX INC.
    Inventors: Ihsen Ben Salah, Mohamed Laaroussi
  • Patent number: 11668017
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrode comprising a substrate and a coating on the substrate. The coating comprises a plurality of layers, including the following layers in sequence moving outwardly from the substrate: a base layer comprising an oxide of a valve metal; a lower layer comprising an oxide of a platinum group metal and/or an oxide of a precious metal; and a mixed oxide primary layer comprising both: (i) an oxide of a platinum group metal and/or an oxide of a precious metal, and (ii) an oxide of a valve metal and/or an oxide of a group 15 metal. The base layer is devoid of any platinum group metal oxide, and the lower layer is devoid of any valve metal oxide. The present invention also provides methods of manufacturing such electrodes. Also provide are methods of using an electrochemical cell equipped with a certain multilayer coated electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Water Star, Inc.
    Inventor: Satyananda Kishore Pilli
  • Patent number: 11661662
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode comprising an electrically conductive substrate of which at least one portion of the surface is covered with a metal deposit of copper, the surface of said deposit being in an oxidised, sulphurised, selenised and/or tellurised form and the deposit having a specific surface area of more than 1 m2/g; a method for preparing such an electrode; and a method for oxygenising water with dioxygen involving such an electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignees: Paris Sciences et Lettres, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Universite
    Inventors: Marc Fontecave, Victor Mougel, Ngoc Huan Tran
  • Patent number: 11655552
    Abstract: In an aspect, a method of making a composite core-shell nanoparticle comprises forming a nanoparticle core comprising nickel oxide or iron oxide via thermal decomposition of a nickel complex or an iron complex; and forming an oxide shell over the core, the oxide shell comprising nickel, iron or a mixture thereof. In another aspect, a method of making composite nanoparticles comprises providing a mixture comprising nickel complex and iron complex; and thermally decomposing the nickel and iron complexes to provide the composite nanoparticles comprising (Ni,Fe)Ox alloy. In yet another aspect, a composition comprises composite nanoparticles, the composite nanoparticles including a nickel oxide core and oxide shell, the oxide shell comprising a mixture of nickel and iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
    Inventors: Jingyi Chen, Lauren F Greenlee, Ryan Manso, Prashant Acharya, Cameron C Crane