Patents Examined by Ana Fortuna
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Patent number: 9776891Abstract: A liquid filter article, including: a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and an adsorbent bed there between, the bed comprising: a first stage having a first adsorbent, the first adsorbent including an activated carbon honeycomb infused with a plurality of zero valent iron nanoparticles (“Fe-AC”); and a second stage having a second adsorbent, the second adsorbent being selected from iron oxide particles supported on activated carbon honeycomb (“FEOX-AC”), iron oxide particles supported on activated alumina honeycomb (“FeOX-AA”), or a combination thereof, wherein the first stage is in fluid communication with the second stage. Also disclosed is a method of using the liquid filter article to remediate heavy metals in water.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2015Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: William Peter Addiego, Benedict Yorke Johnson, Lingyan Wang
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Patent number: 9776138Abstract: A membrane filtration device comprising: a retentate plate, a permeate plate, and a membrane sandwiched between the retentate plate and the permeate plate, wherein the retentate plate comprises at least one feed channel extending from a distribution manifold, and at least one drain channel extending from a collection manifold, wherein a feed channel is fluidly connected to a drain channel via through-holes extending from a first side of the retentate plate, from a feed channel, to an opposing second side of the retentate plate, and through-holes extending from the second side of the retentate plate to the first side of the retentate plate, into a drain channel, wherein ridges extend from the retentate plate and/or the permeate plate for supporting the membrane.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2014Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.Inventors: Fredrik Innings, Tomas Skoglund, Jeanette Lindau, Bengt Palm
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Patent number: 9757670Abstract: To move a filter along a manifold assembly the filter may be seated on a moveable shuttle assembly. Seating the filter on the shuttle assembly may include mating a key portion on the filter with a key portion on the shuttle assembly, each key portion corresponding to a filtration characteristic of the filter. The shuttle assembly and the seated filter may then be moved between a first position, wherein the key portions of the filter and the shuttle assembly are mated to one another and first and second fittings of the filter are spaced from first and second fittings of the manifold assembly, and a second position, wherein the key portions of the filter and the shuttle assembly are mated to one another and the first and second fittings of the filter sealingly engage the first and second fittings of the manifold assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2013Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Pall CorporationInventors: Vincent Lam, Jacob Peter Vanderheyden, Mark William Foohey
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Patent number: 9751778Abstract: Processes and systems are provided for simultaneously recovering coagulant and acid in a water treatment system. Sludge produced by the water treatment system is contacted with acid to form acidified sludge liquids. The acidified sludge liquids flow into a membrane assisted capacitive deionization system having both cation and anion exchange membranes. Metal cations from the acidified sludge liquids diffuse across at least one cation exchange membrane to form recovered coagulant, while anions from the acidified sludge liquids diffuse across at least one anion exchange membrane to form recovered acid. The diffusion rate of the metal cations across the cation exchange membranes is equal to or greater than the diffusion rate of the anions across the anion exchange membranes.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: American Water Works Company, Inc.Inventor: Orren D. Schneider
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Patent number: 9745207Abstract: The invention concerns a treated water purification system (107) comprising a water flow loop (110), said loop (110) being closed onto a tank (10) of treated water to purify, and said loop (110) successively comprising, in the direction of flow of the water downstream of the tank (10), at least one pump means (102), at least one first filtration means (103), at least one second filtration means (104) and at least one point of use (U), the system (107) being characterized in that it further comprises at least one diversionary pipe (112) linking the first filtration means (103) to the tank (10), and a loop return pipe (114) linking the second filtration means (104) to the tank (10). Method for use of such a system.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2012Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: EMD Millipore CorporationInventors: Yves Gaignet, Didier Meyer, Julien Bole
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Patent number: 9744499Abstract: Reverse osmosis membranes made by interfacial polymerization of a monomer in a nonpolar (e.g. organic) phase together with a monomer in a polar (e.g. aqueous) phase on a porous support membrane. Interfacial polymerization process is disclosed for preparing a highly permeable RO membrane, comprising: contacting on a porous support membrane, a) a first solution containing 1,3-diaminobenzene, and b) a second solution containing trimesoyl chloride, wherein at least one of solutions a) and b) contains nanoparticles when said solutions are first contacted, and recovering a highly permeable RO membrane.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: LG NANOH2O, INC.Inventors: Christopher James Kurth, Jeffrey Alan Koehler, Meijuan Zhou, Brett Anderson Holmberg, Robert Leon Burk
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Patent number: 9738918Abstract: A rapid one-pass liquid filtration system efficiently concentrates biological particles that are suspended in liquid from a dilute feed suspension. A sample concentrate or retentate suspension is retained while eliminating the separated fluid in a separate flow stream. Suspended biological particles include such materials as proteins/toxins, viruses, DNA, and/or bacteria in the size range of approximately 0.001 micron to 20 microns diameter. Concentration of these particles is advantageous for detection of target particles in a dilute suspension, because concentrating them into a small volume makes them easier to detect. Additional concentration stages may be added in “cascade” fashion, in order to concentrate particles below the size cut of each preceding stage remaining in the separated fluid in a concentrated sample suspension. This process can also be used to create a “band-pass” concentration for concentration of a particular target size particle within a narrow range.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2014Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: InnovaPrep, LLCInventors: David S. Alburty, Andrew E. Page, Zachary A. Packingham, Daniel B. Marske
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Patent number: 9724648Abstract: A hybrid porous structured material may include a porous region and a non-porous region. The porous region may include an imaginary stacked structure, wherein a plurality of imaginary spherical bodies/cavities are stacked so as to contact each other in three-dimensional directions. The non-porous region fills the gaps between the imaginary spherical bodies. A spherical colloid particle is present in each of the plurality of imaginary spherical bodies in the porous region. A separation membrane may include the hybrid porous structured material. A water treatment device may include the membrane.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2014Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan UniversityInventors: Bo Kyung Jung, Sung Soo Han, Pil Jin Yoo, Do Kyung Rhee
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Patent number: 9726002Abstract: A water treatment method includes: withdrawing water from the environment; filtering the withdrawn water in a membrane filtration unit; extracting a production flow from an underground formation containing hydrocarbons; separating and collecting production water from the production flow; filtering the production flow in the membrane filtration unit; collecting a treated water flow from the membrane filtration unit. An installation adapted for applying this method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Total S.A.Inventors: Samuel Heng, Pierre Pedenaud, Philippe Coffin
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Patent number: 9724619Abstract: The claimed invention provides a technique wherein the two column system is combined into a single column. The light components are concentrated on the prefractionation side (feed side) of the column, where they are removed as an overhead top product. The middle boiling components are removed as an overhead product on the opposite side of dividing wall. For the same product specifications, top divided column requires substantially lower capital and operating cost than a conventional two-column system.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: GTC Technology US LLCInventors: Manish Bhargava, Cole Nelson
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Patent number: 9725336Abstract: The present disclosure provides an oil-water separation porous structure including a substrate and an oil-water separation material layer. The substrate has a plurality of pores. The oil-water separation material layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate, which includes a zwitterionic molecule including an organosilane group and a zwitterionic group. A method for manufacturing the oil-water separation porous structure and an oil-water separation device having the oil-water separation porous structure are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2015Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: National Central UniversityInventor: Chun-Jen Huang
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Patent number: 9718709Abstract: Portions of a feed liquid are passed through respective condensers and liquid-liquid heat exchangers. The feed liquid is then heated and injected into a first feed-liquid containment chamber, where vapor from the feed is passed through a first gas-permeable membrane and directed into a first condenser, where the vapor is cooled by the feed liquid passing through the first condenser and condenses as it cools to produce a first liquid permeate. The first liquid permeate is passed through the first liquid-liquid heat exchanger where the first liquid permeate is cooled by the feed liquid passing therethrough. After the vapor is removed from the feed liquid in the first feed-liquid containment chamber, the remaining feed liquid from the first feed-liquid containment chamber is injected into a second feed-liquid containment chamber, where the process is repeated.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Edward K. Summers, John H. Lienhard, V
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Patent number: 9718704Abstract: The group of inventions relates to the field of organic chemistry and can be used for cleaning water, industrial and domestic waste water or waste water sediment, and for the containment and recovery of petroleum and petroleum product spills in large bodies of water, rivers, lakes and seas. In the claimed group of inventions, aqueous solutions of polysaccharide microgels, having a molecular mass of 20000-200000 daltons and a particle size of 50-600 nm, are used as a substance for cleaning water of petroleum and petroleum products. Moreover, low concentrations of polysaccharide microgels in water, ranging from 0.1 to 20 g/l, are used. Said solutions are used as a surface modifier for a filter used in separating water-oil emulsions, as a sorbent for the containment and recovery of oil spills in an aqueous medium, and also as a coagulant for the cleaning of water polluted by petroleum and petroleum products.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoj Otvetstvennostyu “NPO Biomikrogeli”Inventors: Andrey Aleksandrovich Elagin, Maksim Anatolevich Mironov, Vladislav Sergeevich Ponomarev
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Patent number: 9714183Abstract: A method and associated system for processing waste gases, liquids and solids, produced by human activity, to separate (i) liquids suitable for processing to produce potable water, (ii) solids and liquids suitable for construction of walls suitable for enclosing a habitat volume and for radiation shielding, and (iii) other fluids and solids that are not suitable for processing. A forward osmosis process and a reverse osmosis process are sequentially combined to reduce fouling and to permit accumulation of different processable substances. The invention may be used for long term life support of human activity.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2012Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Michael T. Flynn, Sherwin J. Gormly, Mona Hammoudeh, Tra-My Justine Richardson
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Patent number: 9713792Abstract: A process for making a composite membrane comprising the steps: (i) providing a moving poriferous support (1) impregnated with a curable composition, wherein the composition is present in the pores of the support and on a surface of the support; (ii) scraping or squeezing the poriferous support and thereby removing at least some of the curable composition (2) from the surface of the support; and (iii) after performing step (ii), irradiating the support, thereby curing the composition present therein. Composite membranes are also claimed having a surface layer thickness of below 0,5 microns.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2012Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe BVInventor: Johannes Adrianus Wilhelmus Van Engelen
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Patent number: 9694327Abstract: A hollow porous membrane of the present invention comprises a plurality of porous membrane layers, at least two layers of which are formed using a thermoplastic resin (a) having a mass average molecular weight of 500,000 or more, and the hollow porous membrane having a bursting pressure of 200 kPa or more when an internal pressure is applied and exhibiting virus removal performance of LRV 4 or more in the case of using MS2 phage as a test bacterium.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2013Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Takahashi, Takahito Ooba, Masashi Teramachi
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Patent number: 9688560Abstract: The present invention relates to water purification systems and uses thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of water filtration systems to combat Legionella bacterial contamination of industrial and commercial water systems, such as grocery store misting systems.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2016Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: TOTAL WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Ken Clark, Skip Heffernan
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Patent number: 9683686Abstract: An apparatus having one or more filters positioned by a connection member. The connection member orientates one or more filters at a transverse angle relative to the horizontal to drain contaminants from the filter.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2014Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: American Air Filter Company, Inc.Inventors: Michael W. Osborne, James Ross
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Patent number: 9676639Abstract: Improved systems and processes for forward osmosis water purification or desalination are herein disclosed. According to one embodiment a process for purifying contaminated water is provided wherein a contaminated feed solution stream comprising water and with a first osmotic pressure is passed through a semipermeable membrane to a draw side having a draw solution stream with a second osmotic pressure on a draw side of the semipermeable membrane. The diluted draw solution stream is heated, agglomerated and cooled to produce a cooled single phase water rich stream that is purified to produce a water product stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2015Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: TREVI SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Gary Carmignani, Steve Sitkiewitz, John Wilfred Webley
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Patent number: 9669360Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for contemporaneously recovering ammonia and carbon dioxide from an aqueous solution thereof, possibly comprising their condensates, in a synthesis process of urea, characterized in that it comprises a hydrophobic microporous membrane distillation phase of an aqueous solution comprising ammonia, carbon dioxide and their saline compounds or condensates, said distillation being carried out at a temperature ranging from 50 to 250° C. and a pressure ranging from 50 KPa to 20 MPa absolute, with the formation of a residual aqueous solution, possibly comprising urea, and a gaseous permeate stream, comprising ammonia, carbon dioxide and water. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for effecting the above method and a production process of urea which comprises the above method.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: SAIPEM S.p.A.Inventors: Paolo Casara, Alessandro Gianazza