Patents Examined by Bradley R Spies
  • Patent number: 11202974
    Abstract: A mineral recovery system for use in a mining operation is described. The mineral recovery system includes a mining operations model generated based on inputs of sensed conditions, wherein the mining operations model incorporates a thickener sub-model and a material sub-model. The mineral recovery system includes a thickener controller to issue commands based on the mining operations model. The mineral recovery system includes a thickener having a process water. The thickener also includes an underflow output provided with an underflow controller to adjust outflow of thickened slurry from the thickener based on issued commands. The thickener further includes an overflow output to dispense clarified water from the thickener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: INTELLISENSE.IO LTD
    Inventors: Sam Bose, Denis Rubtsov, Hugh McNamara, Boris Wolter, Mark de Geus
  • Patent number: 11203534
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a method, system and apparatus for the treatment fluids. An apparatus for the treatment of a fluid comprises a fluid chamber and at least one ultraviolet light unit arranged at a periphery of the fluid chamber. The at least one ultraviolet light unit comprises at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode and an ultraviolet light directing element. The ultraviolet light directing element is configured to collimate at least a portion of the light emitted from the at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode in use such that the ultraviolet light rays emitted from each ultraviolet light unit are parallel in a first plane. Also described is a method for the cooling a light emitting diode in a fluid treatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: TYPHON TREATMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventor: Peter D. McNulty
  • Patent number: 11192805
    Abstract: Leachate remediation is performed by synergistic chemical oxidation and photocatalytic-oxidation enhancer system (SCOPES) of municipal landfill leachate to a level that is safe for disposal within regulatory guidelines. The physico-chemical (chemical, spectroscopic, elemental, microstructural and thermal) characteristics of the pre- and post-treated landfill leachate have been investigated to examine the utility of advanced oxidation (AO) processes such as SCOPES to decontaminate the municipal landfill leachate and/or toxic organic wastewater. The experimental results demonstrated successful lowering of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and UV-Vis absorbance for constituent contaminants in the leachate and/or wastewater solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees
    Inventors: Sesha S. Srinivasan, Scott L. Wallen, Jephté Douyon
  • Patent number: 11192050
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multistage fiber filtering apparatus capable of selectively filtering depending on turbidity of raw water, in which a first filtration mode where the raw water passes through a fiber ball medium, a second filtration mode where the raw water passes through a fiber yarn medium, or a third filtration mode where the raw water passes through both of the fiber yarn medium and the fiber ball medium may be selectively operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung June Lee, Sung Won Park
  • Patent number: 11185825
    Abstract: A non-oxidizing, buffered disinfectant concentrate is provided to be included in a solution used to disinfect a membrane. The solution applied to the membrane is configured to have a pH that is compatible with the membrane. The disinfectant concentrate includes an aqueous solvent; a hydrotrope; a strong acid surface cleanser; a biocidal active, preferably, at least two biocidal actives; a buffer agent; and, optionally, an anionic surfactant. The biodical active may be selected to function both as a biocide and as a weak acid/buffer combination. A disinfectant solution applied to the membrane includes from about 0.1 wt % to about 3.5 wt % of this disinfectant concentrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Diversey, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandy te Poele, Harry Kany, Flemming Skou, Marco Haag
  • Patent number: 11180616
    Abstract: Methods of making blended, isoporous, asymmetric (graded) films (e.g. ultrafiltration membranes) comprising two or more chemically distinct block copolymers and blended, isoporous, asymmetric (graded) films (e.g. ultrafiltration membranes) comprising two or more chemically distinct block copolymers. The generation of blended membranes by mixing two chemically distinct block copolymers in the casting solution demonstrates a pathway to advanced asymmetric block copolymer derived films, which can be used as ultrafiltration membranes, in which different pore surface chemistries and associated functionalities can be integrated into a single membrane via standard membrane fabrication, i.e. without requiring laborious post-fabrication modification steps. The block copolymers may be diblock, triblock and/or multiblock mixes and some block copolymers in the mix may be functionally modified. Triblock copolymers comprising a reactive group (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CORNELL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ulrich B. Wiesner, Yuk Mun Li, Qi Zhang
  • Patent number: 11174877
    Abstract: A submersible reverse osmosis desalination apparatus and method employs airlift to remove desalinated water from the apparatus via as annular flow regime over a substantial portion of the product water discharge conduit. Use of a high air fraction for airlift operation and an annular flow regime significantly lowers the weight of the product water column, as well as the backpressure on the downstream side of the osmotic membranes and at the bottom of the discharge water conduit. This permits deployment of the apparatus at reduced depths and in many eases closer to shore. In preferred embodiments the apparatus relies wholly upon hydrostatic pressure to drive seawater through the osmotic membranes, and continuously desalinates seawater and delivers pure water to the discharge water conduit without using any submerged moving parts subject to wear or breakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Natural Ocean Well Co.
    Inventors: Robert A. Bergstrom, Stephen R. Ramsay
  • Patent number: 11166476
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems for purifying proteins and carbohydrate rich products from photosynthetic aquatic species and compositions thereof. In some embodiments, a system for recovering a highly soluble protein product from a biomass comprising a microcrop (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Parabel Nutrition, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Sherlock, Harvey Weaver, Ebenezer Ifeduba, Paul Antelik
  • Patent number: 11167223
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for improving water quality, said device comprising: an inlet for inflow of liquid into the device; a hydraulic circuit for receiving liquid from the inlet, the hydraulic circuit comprising at least a first tank and a second tank, wherein the first tank is upstream of the second tank and wherein one of said first and second tanks is nested within the other of said first and second tanks; an outlet at a downstream end of the hydraulic circuit for discharge of liquid from the device; one or more contaminant separation elements in the hydraulic circuit for separation of contaminants from liquid passing therethrough using at least one of: gravitational separation; sized-based filtration; chemical separation; magnetic separation; electrolytic separation; and adsorption or attraction-based separation, wherein the first tank is a settlement tank for gravitational settlement of contaminants from the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: One Water Naturally Pty, Ltd
    Inventor: David Sparke
  • Patent number: 11162921
    Abstract: A method for extracting pharmacogenetic DNA from dried blood that is retained in a solid resin collection device includes one or more of the steps of combining the dried blood and at least a portion of the solid resin collection device in a first vessel, sonicating the first vessel containing the dried blood and at least a portion of the solid resin collection device, moving at least some of the contents of the first vessel including the portion of the solid resin collection device to a solid resin spin column, adding an elution buffer to the solid resin spin column, centrifuging the solid resin spin column so that at least some of the contents of the solid resin spin column are transferred to a second vessel, and processing the contents of the second vessel by conducting one of capillary electrophoresis, Next-Generation Sequencing, DNA sequencing or genotyping, and mass spectrometry-based sequencing on the contents of the second vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: ALCALA PHARMACEUTICAL, INC.
    Inventors: David J. Smith, Christian Tagwerker, Matthew D. Rifat
  • Patent number: 11161079
    Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to provide a filtration membrane module with which is possible to improve the centrifugal separation effect of the primary-side flowpath during filtration, and the centrifugal separation effect of the area following the outer peripheral surface of the flowpath membrane element of the outer ring-shaped flowpath during backwash, and improve filtration efficiency and cleaning efficiency while curbing the accumulation of deposits on the membrane surface during filtration and during backwash. This filtration membrane module comprises: a membrane element equipped with a primary-side flowpath on the outside of a hollow cylindrical filtration surface; and a cylindrical housing positioned on the outside thereof. A flow adjuster is positioned inside the primary-side flowpath. A flow adjuster for backwash is positioned inside the secondary-side flowpath, which is an outer ring-shaped flowpath between the membrane element and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: M. TECHNIQUE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Enomura, Mai Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 11155485
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a high-purity separation method of iron ions from an aqueous solution containing heavy metal ions, wherein after pretreatment of an aqueous solution containing heavy metal ions, sedimentation containing iron ions are collected, nitric acid or sulfuric acid is added for dissolution, and then a reducing agent is added to the dissolved solution; and after heating and sealing reaction, red sedimentation is generated at the bottom, The sedimentation has a high purity, and the residual amount of iron in the solution is less than 0.4 mg/L. In the method, iron ions in the solution can be converted to hematite crystals at a high purity, and the solution has an excellent retention rate of heavy metal ions, the reaction time is short, the separation efficiency is high, the operation is simple, and the cost is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHEAST NORMAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Suiyi Zhu, Zhan Qu, Yang Huo, Jiancong Liu, Rui Bian
  • Patent number: 11155479
    Abstract: A chemically modified polysaccharide additive may be introduced to a wastewater stream in an effective amount to remove oil-coated particulates and/or heavy metal contaminants from the wastewater stream. The chemically modified polysaccharide includes at least one sulfur-containing moiety and/or nitrogen-containing moiety and the contaminants may be removed by using this chemically modified polysaccharide to capture the contaminants and separating out the captured contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Zhenning Gu, Jian Zou, Ksenija Babic
  • Patent number: 11154819
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to, inter alia, a modified surface comprising an optically active monomer, a polymeric material having a surface onto which the optically active monomer is covalently bound. In one aspect, a membrane comprising an optically active monomer, a poly(aryl sulfone) membrane having a surface onto which the optically active monomer is covalently bound. The present disclosure also relates to a method of modifying a surface, the method comprising applying sufficient energy to a surface to induce covalent bonding with an optically active monomer, and contacting the optically active monomer with the surface. In one aspect, a method of modifying a surface of a poly(aryl sulfone) membrane is disclosed. In another aspect, a method of synthesizing an optically active monomer is disclosed. In one aspect, a method of filtration of chiral compounds is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Georges Belfort, Joseph Imbrogno
  • Patent number: 11148962
    Abstract: Systems and methods include a Gas and Oil Separation Plant (GOSP)-embedded treatment system for recycling desalter wash water. The system includes: 1) an inlet system providing an inlet stream of desalter water effluent received from at least one desalter of a source; 2) a filtering system in the GOSP including a nanofiltration (NF) membrane configured to filter the desalter water effluent to attain filtered desalter water effluent within a pre-determined wash water threshold for wash water reuse, including: partially desalinating the desalter water effluent to attain a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of the desalter water effluent within a pre-determined TDS threshold; and 3) a pump system configured to pump the desalter water effluent through the NF membrane and pump the filtered desalter water effluent to a supply line of the desalter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Fahd Ibrahim Alghunaimi, Young Chul Choi, Regis Didier Alain Vilagines
  • Patent number: 11148070
    Abstract: Nanofiltration of aqueous solutions or other water-based fluids in various applications, such as desalination, dialysis, seawater purification, for example, may be enhanced through precisely controlling a filtration cutoff within graphene oxide nanofilters. By initially compressing and constraining the stacked thickness of multiple graphene oxide layers deposited between porous substrates, the interlayer gap size, and thus, the filtration cutoff may be adjusted and optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David K. Biegelsen, Armin R. Volkel
  • Patent number: 11148961
    Abstract: A process for the treatment of acidic wastewater which comprises hydrochloric acid, nitric acid as an optional component, 0.1 to 30 wt.-% of one or more dissolved metals selected from the group consisting of aluminum and heavy metals other than precious metals, and 10 to 500 wt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignees: HERAEUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH & CO. KG, HERAEUS PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGY (CHINA) CO., LTD., HERAEUS SITE OPERATIONS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christian Nowottny, Birger Lehr, Hartmut Janitz, Zhenggang Yu, Li Chen
  • Patent number: 11148963
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for neutralizing discharge waters from ballast and/or cooling water biocidal treatment and disinfection systems are provided. The systems utilize, inter alia, oxidation reduction potential control to regulate the dechlorination of an electrocatalytically generated biocidal agent to allowable discharge levels in ship buoyancy systems and ship cooling water systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Lars Nupnau
  • Patent number: 11141701
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a clogging location determination program for a separation membrane module, in which, in order to determine a clogging location of a separation membrane module in a fresh water generation system for obtaining treated water by filtrating water to be treated by a separation membrane module having a separation membrane, a computer is caused to function as a clogging location determination means for determining a clogging location of the separation membrane module from a resistance in a lower part of the separation membrane module, a filtration resistance of a hollow-fiber membrane, and a resistance in an upper part of the separation membrane module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuki Hagawa, Daishi Tateoka, Kazunori Tomioka, Masayuki Shintani
  • Patent number: 11130081
    Abstract: A filter device may include a filter housing and a ring filter element arranged upright in the filter housing in an installed state. The ring filter element may include an upper end disc, a lower end disc, and at least two projecting pins, each of which in the installed state may engage in an associated draining passage. One of the connecting pins may be arranged offset relative to another of the connecting pins by at least 120° in a circumferential direction of the ring filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventor: Michael Braunheim