Patents Examined by Anthony R Shumate
  • Patent number: 11883777
    Abstract: Asymmetric hollow fiber membranes, membrane contactors, and related production and use methods. The asymmetric hollow fiber membranes include a porous substrate having a multiplicity of pores, the porous substrate including at least a first semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyolefin copolymer derived by polymerizing at most 3 wt. % of linear or branched alpha olefin monomers with at least 97 wt. % of 4-methyl-1-pentene monomer. The asymmetric hollow fiber membranes also include a skin layer overlaying the porous substrate, the skin layer including a second semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyolefin copolymer derived by polymerizing at least 2 wt. % of linear or branched alpha olefin monomers with at most 98 wt. % of 4-methyl-1-pentene monomer. The skin layer is less porous than the porous substrate and forms an outer surface of the asymmetric hollow fiber membrane, while the porous substrate forms an inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane. The skin layer is preferably nonporous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kuan-Yin Lin, James C. DeLozier, Mark McCormick, Aurore Y. J. Mercelat, Jinsheng Zhou
  • Patent number: 11872424
    Abstract: A system and method fare disclosed for inerting a protected space. Process water is delivered to an anode of an electrochemical cell where a portion of the process water is electrolyzed to form protons and oxygen. The protons are transferred across the separator to the cathode, and process water is directed through a process water fluid flow path including a first side of a membrane. Gas is transferred to a second side of the membrane to form a de-gassed process water on the first side of the membrane, and the de-gassed process water is recycled to the anode. Air is delivered to the cathode and oxygen is reduced at the cathode to generate oxygen-depleted air. The oxygen-depleted air is directed from the cathode of the electrochemical cell along an inerting gas flow path to the protected space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Rheaume, Peter A T Cocks
  • Patent number: 11865493
    Abstract: A flare gas recovery system includes a primary gas sweetening unit; and a liquid-driven ejector in continuous fluid communication with the primary gas sweetening unit. The ejector includes an inlet configured to receive a motive fluid including a regenerable amine solvent in a rich state from the primary gas sweetening unit; a gas inlet configured to receive a suction fluid including a gas; and a fluid outlet configured to either directly or indirectly discharge to the primary gas sweetening unit a two-phase fluid including a mixture of the suction fluid and the amine solvent in a rich state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Ahmed Khalifah Al Muhsen
  • Patent number: 11850558
    Abstract: The present invention provides a composition containing the following components (A)-(C): (A) an alkali metal compound, (B) a polymer having an acidic dissociative group, and (C) a compound having an acidic dissociative group and an amino group, and having ? of more than 0.0 and less than 1.0 as calculated by the formula (I): ?={amount (mol) of alkali metal in component (A)?amount (mol) of acidic dissociative group in component (B)}/amount (mol) of acidic dissociative group in component (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shohei Kasahara, Kosuke Makiguchi, Taigo Kashiwabara
  • Patent number: 11850548
    Abstract: A gas separation element comprising a membrane sheet and a permeate spacer, wherein the membrane sheet comprises a porous support and a discriminating layer, CHARACTERISED IN THAT: (a) the porous support comprises less than 10 mg/m2 of monovalent metal ions; and (b) the discriminating layer has an average thickness of at least 0.7 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignees: Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe B.V., Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Anton Van Der Pluijm, Petrus Henricus Maria Van Kessel, Shigehide Itoh, Yujiro Itami, Davide Bocciardo
  • Patent number: 11826711
    Abstract: A regenerable organic contaminant controller includes a carbon hollow fiber module that includes a passage between an inlet and an outlet, on an opposite end of the carbon hollow fiber module from the inlet, such that organic contaminants in contaminated air flowing through the passage are desorbed into pores of the carbon hollow fiber module. The regenerable organic contaminant controller also includes wires coupled to the inlet of the carbon hollow fiber module and to the outlet of the carbon hollow fiber module. The wires heat the carbon hollow fiber module based on a flow of electricity through the wires. The heat causes release of the organic contaminants from the pores of the carbon hollow fiber module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ping Yu
  • Patent number: 11813578
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a composite membrane in the form of laminated membranes in which a plurality of isoporous membranes are laminated, wherein the plurality of membranes laminated have through-holes having different sizes from each other and each membrane have the through-holes having the same size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Dahl-Young Khang, Yong-Ho Choi, Jia Lee
  • Patent number: 11806642
    Abstract: A filter unit for a mixing apparatus includes a hydrophilic filter and a hydrophobic vent filter. The hydrophilic filter is configured to receive a fluid including a liquid and gas. The hydrophilic filter is further configured to sterilize the liquid. The hydrophobic vent filter is configured to receive the gas from the hydrophilic filter. The hydrophobic vent filter further includes a vent and a membrane configured to separate an interior of the filter unit from an exterior of the filter unit, the gas being vented from the filter unit by flowing across the membrane and out of the vent. In some embodiments, the filter unit further includes a defoaming device configured to receive gas, foam comprised the liquid containing trapped gas, and some of the liquid from the hydrophilic filter and is further configured to release at least some of the gas from the foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM IRVINE SCIENTIFIC, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Reid Fletcher, Wayne Mauro, David Neese
  • Patent number: 11794148
    Abstract: A natural gas processing system is mounted on a mobile platform that is transported to a natural gas source, such as a well. The system supplies retentate gas to operate multi-fuel engines for wellfield equipment such as pumps, compressors, and drills. A liquid drain discharges contaminants. A separator, first and second coalescing filters, and a particulate filter remove particulate matter and fluid contaminant matter from the natural gas. A dryer removes water vapor from the natural gas. Dual membranes separate the natural gas into a retentate gas and a permeate gas. A first heat exchanger adjusts temperature of the natural gas entering the membranes. A second heat exchanger adjusts temperature of the retentate gas output. A thermoelectric generator powered by the natural gas supplies process electricity. A process control monitors and controls the natural gas processing system, including pressure control valves, temperature control valves, and emergency shutdown systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventors: Patrick C. Graney, IV, Gouverneur C. M. Graney, Peter Morcheid
  • Patent number: 11786861
    Abstract: A low cost, high selectivity asymmetric polyimide/polyethersulfone (PES) blend hollow fiber membrane, a method of making the membrane and its use for a variety of liquid, gas, and vapor separations such as deep desulfurization of gasoline and diesel fuels, ethanol/water separations, pervaporation dehydration of aqueous/organic mixtures, CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, H2/CH4, He/CH4, O2/N2, H2S/CH4, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins separations, and other light gas mixture separations. The polyimide/PES blend hollow fiber membrane is fabricated from a blend of a polyimide polymer and PES and showed surprisingly unique gas separation property with higher selectivities than either the polyimide hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer or the PES hollow fiber membrane without PES polymer for gas separations such as for H2/CH4, He/CH4, H2S/CH4, CO2/CH4 separations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Chunqing Liu, Xueliang Dong, Jeremy Nolan Webb
  • Patent number: 11779880
    Abstract: A gas separation system for controlling a concentration of a first gas species and a second gas species in an outlet gas comprises a splitter unit. The splitter unit comprises a gas membrane system having a gas inlet port. The gas inlet port is in fluid connection with an air intake. A membrane is a selective barrier and allows some things to pass through but stops others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: 12M INVENT GMBH
    Inventor: Kai Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 11772053
    Abstract: A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignees: Dow Global Technologies LLC, Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Han Chu, William J. Koros, Liren Xu, Mark K. Brayden, Marcos V. Martinez
  • Patent number: 11759753
    Abstract: The present invention provides enthalpy exchanger elements (E, E?) and enthalpy exchangers comprising such elements. Furthermore, the invention discloses a method for producing such enthalpy exchanger elements and enthalpy exchangers, comprising the steps of a) providing an air-permeable sheet element (1); b) laminating at least one side (1a, 1b) of the sheet element (1) with a thin polymer film (3, 4) with water vapor transmission characteristics; and c) forming the laminated sheet element (1) into a desired shape exhibiting a three-dimensional corrugation pattern (5, 5, . . . ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: ZEHNDER GROUP INTERNATIONAL AG, SYMPATEX TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Hirsch, Stefan Brandt, Christian Bier, Martin Mayershofer
  • Patent number: 11752469
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are filtration articles comprising a porous ceramic structure comprising a plurality of channels separated by a plurality of porous interior walls, and a nanomembrane disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous ceramic structure, wherein the nanomembrane comprises nanoparticles of at least one inorganic oxide, and wherein the nanoparticles are present in a concentration ranging from about 0.001 g/L to about 1 g/L based on the total volume of the porous ceramic structure. Methods for making such filtration articles and methods for filtering a particulate from a fluid using such filtration articles are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Guohua Chen, Curtis Robert Fekety, Jianguo Wang, Huiqing Wu
  • Patent number: 11745135
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to the field of heavy metal adsorbents, and a heterogeneous agglomeration adsorbent for heavy metal adsorption, a method for preparing the same, and applications are provided. The heterogeneous agglomeration adsorbent includes the following components according to percentage by weight: 0.005% to 0.01% of polyacrylamide, 0.0005% to 0.001% of calcium chloride, 0.001% to 0.01% of coconut oil fatty acid diethanolamide, and a balance is water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yongchun Zhao, Xiangzheng Cui, Junying Zhang
  • Patent number: 11717787
    Abstract: A gas separation membrane, methods of forming the membrane, and methods of using the membrane for gas separation are provided. An exemplary gas separation membrane includes a cellulosic matrix and a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM). The PIM includes chains coupled by a heat-treating under vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Junyan Yang
  • Patent number: 11718805
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to CO2-philic crosslinked polyethylene glycol membranes useful for natural gas purification processes. Also provided are methods of using the membranes to remove CO2 and H2S from natural gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Benjamin James Sundell, John Alden Lawrence, III, Seth A. Sharber, Sibo Lin, Daniel J. Harrigan
  • Patent number: 11707709
    Abstract: An environmental control system includes an air conditioning subsystem and a contaminant removal subsystem downstream of the environment to be conditioned. The contaminant removal subsystem includes: a first gas-liquid contactor-separator; a second gas-liquid contactor-separator; and a dehumidifier disposed either upstream of the first gas-liquid contactor-separator or downstream of the second gas-liquid contactor-separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jun Isobe, Stephen Yates, Phoebe Henson, Ted Bonk
  • Patent number: 11701619
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to ion-exchange systems and devices that can monitor key parameters related to the performance of the ion-exchange device. Specifically, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can provide real time voltage drop across groups of membrane pairs using diagnostic spacer borders between the pairs. In addition, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can monitor the compression force applied by the compression plates holding the ion-exchange systems and devices together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: MIS IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Connor, Jr., Brian M. McDonald, Ethan Demeter, Thomas Beales
  • Patent number: 11701606
    Abstract: Filter media and media packs that provide robust performance in high-speed rotating coalescer (HSRC) elements for crankcase ventilation systems are described. The fiber media is HSRC fiber media. As such, the filter media has a higher resistance to compressibility then traditional coalescer filter media, such as fiber media used in low-speed rotating coalescer arrangements or stationary coalescer arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: CUMMINS FILTRATION IP, INC.
    Inventors: Brian W. Schwandt, Saru Dawar, Christopher E. Holm, Jerald J. Moy, Barry M. Verdegan