Patents Examined by Gajanan M Prabhu
  • Patent number: 9068743
    Abstract: A combustor apparatus is provided, comprising a mixing arrangement for mixing a carbonaceous fuel with enriched oxygen and a working fluid to form a fuel mixture. A combustion chamber is at least partially defined by a porous perimetric transpiration member, at least partially surrounded by a pressure containment member. The combustion chamber has longitudinally spaced apart inlet and outlet portions. The fuel mixture is received by the inlet portion for combustion within the combustion chamber at a combustion temperature to form a combustion product. The combustion chamber further directs the combustion product longitudinally toward the outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: 8 Rivers Capital, LLC & Palmer Labs, LLC
    Inventors: Miles R. Palmer, Rodney John Allam, Glenn William Brown, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9057517
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that may include providing a dual fuel burner in a superheater truck to burn wellhead gas produced from a wellhead in a first fuel burner and burn at least one of methane, ethane, propane, butane, gasoline, diesel, liquified natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), and wellhead gas in a second fuel burner to heat water and/or other chemicals used in hydrocarbon production and/or well completion processes, including, but not limited to hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The first fuel burner may be integrated with the second fuel burner such that fuel rail fingers of the first fuel burner are interstitially spaced with fuel rail fingers of the second fuel burner. The first fuel burner and the second fuel burner may be operated independently from each other. The first fuel burner and the second fuel burner may alternatively be operated simultaneously with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Adler Hot Oil Service, LLC
    Inventor: Paul Briggs
  • Patent number: 9052109
    Abstract: A gas processor includes a burner chamber including a first end and a second end, a gas/fuel burner having an inlet receiving air and an inlet for receiving a first combustible gas including a nozzle providing a flame extending out from the nozzle. A syn-gas chamber including injection holes and a syn-gas feed line and a syn-gas nozzle plate is coupled between the second end of the burner chamber and the gas/fuel burner including over the nozzle, wherein syn-gas is directed by the injection holes into a path of the flame for combustion of the syn-gas. An air pipe having a plurality of air discharge ports extending from the first end to within the burner chamber having an air blower coupled thereto is configured to pump air into the burner chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Infinitus Renewable Energy, LLC
    Inventor: David W. Fowler
  • Patent number: 9052108
    Abstract: In a premixing combustion device (1) for a heating boiler, comprising a blower (2) which delivers a combustion mixture composed of fuel and air from an outlet opening (8) of the blower (2) via a burner cylinder (9) to a combustion zone, wherein a mixing device (3) arranged upstream of the blower (2) prepares the combustion mixture, it is sought to provide a solution which, in a structurally simple manner, ensures reliable starting of the heating boiler and prevents failures. This is achieved by means of a throughflow reduction device (10) which is arranged between the outlet opening (8) of the blower (2) and the burner cylinder (9) and which has a throughflow reduction element (13) which can be adjusted between a position in which it opens the outlet opening (8) of the blower (2) and a position in which it reduces the size of the outlet opening (8) of the blower (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Hovalwerk AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Werle, Markus Telian, Günther Köb
  • Patent number: 9046221
    Abstract: A process to create a collision in controlled conditions between a stream of gas and particles and a target includes the generation of a stream of gas and particles, of given composition, in the form of a unidirectional beam, using a supersonic burner comprising a combustion chamber and a gas gun, the combustion chamber being fed with a set of fluids comprising a set of gases comprising an oxidizer, and a specific liquid fuel. The generation of a collision between the beam and the target includes the adjustment of the fuel flow, the flow of each gas and the adjustment of the distance between the burner and the target, so as to obtain at the impact point the desired values of the following parameters: (i) the gas temperature or the temperature of the target, and (ii) the gas speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Michel Moliere, Christophe Verdy
  • Patent number: 9038621
    Abstract: A coupling for connection of a valve and a control element in a gas cooking appliance is provided. More particularly, the present invention provides a flexible coupling to connect between a control element manipulated by the user and a gas valve that regulates the flow of fuel to a gas burner. By coupling the control and valve by a flexible coupling, options are created for the relative placement of the valve and control, which increases the space available in the interior of the appliance and can increase the space available upon its control panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul Bryan Cadima
  • Patent number: 9022018
    Abstract: A combination oven and cutting board has a front opening door and a metal upper surface with features that cooperate with the cutting board. The oven may have an internal heating cavity and a front opening door that incorporates a magnet that is used to pull a rack out of the oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Breville Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Keith James Hensel
  • Patent number: 9016215
    Abstract: The invention relates to solid fuel units having a fuel supply chamber wherein the fuel to be sent for combustion to the combustion region found in the body is placed and the feed mechanism carrying the solid fuel found in the chamber forward. It is characterized in that it includes a main burning block having a fuel and air cell connected to the solid fuel supply chamber and air outlet vents formed on the external wall surface. A preventive surface is positioned on the main burning block external wall surface in a way that it would form a closed volume in a certain distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Inventor: Senol Faik Özyaman
  • Patent number: 9004911
    Abstract: The disclosure provides an apparatus and method utilizing fuel reactor comprised of a fuel section, an oxygen carrier section, and a porous divider separating the fuel section and the oxygen carrier section. The porous divider allows fluid communication between the fuel section and the oxygen carrier section while preventing the migration of solids of a particular size. Maintaining particle segregation between the oxygen carrier section and the fuel section during solid fuel gasification and combustion processes allows gases generated in either section to participate in necessary reactions while greatly mitigating issues associated with mixture of the oxygen carrier with char or ash products. The apparatus and method may be utilized with an oxygen uncoupling oxygen carrier such as CuO, Mn3O4, or Co3O4, or utilized with a CO/H2 reducing oxygen carrier such as Fe2O3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Ranjani V. Siriwardane, Justin M. Weber
  • Patent number: 8997375
    Abstract: An operating method for a laundry drier which has a rotatable drum mounted inside a main body, a heater for heating the air flowing into the drum; and a scent supply module for spraying scent into the drum, comprising: a drying step of drying the laundry by supplying hot air heated by the heater; a pre-treating step of tumbling the drum while supplying air with the heater off; and a scent treating step of spraying scent onto the laundry which has passed through the pre-treating step. Since the scent is sprayed on after the pre-treating step, the scent can be effectively deposited on the laundry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Hun Bae, Sung-Ho Song, Min-Ji Kim, Yong-Cheol Jin
  • Patent number: 8997373
    Abstract: A skate blade dryer is provided for removing moisture from a skate blade after use to prevent rust, discoloration, pitting, and premature dulling of the skate blade. The dryer includes a housing having an interior, a top, and a front face. A blower is positioned in the interior of the housing. A conduit extends from the housing. The conduit includes a slot configured for receiving a skate blade coupled to a skate boot. The blower has an output port in fluid communication with the conduit for directing air flow through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventor: Raymond J. Lawson
  • Patent number: 8991068
    Abstract: Energy efficiencies are achieved in a dryer or washer/dryer by selectively varying temperature ranges, time periods, heater power levels, and air flow rates. Efficiency improvements on the order of 16% were obtained over typical constant power, constant temperature, timed drying cycles by varying one or more of these parameters. Efficiencies can also be improved by drawing air from alternative warm sources such as an attic or warm external environment, or by heat recovery from dryer exhaust passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Venkat Ramprasad Lakkineni, Martin Mitchell Zentner, Sanjay Manohar Anikhindi, Steve Bernard Froelicher, Nicholas Okruch, Jr., Michael Thomas Beyerle, Joshua Stephen Wiseman, Nemetalla Salameh
  • Patent number: 8985095
    Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to water heaters adapted to be mounted on or proximate the roof of a structure such as a building (e.g., residential home, commercial building, etc.). The liquid to be heated can be water, or other liquid, in different example embodiments. In certain example embodiments, at least one vacuum insulated glass (VIG) unit is provided as part of the water heater structure in order to help preserve heat that has been absorbed and/or generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Guardian Industries Corp.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Fleszar, Martin D. Bracamonte, Jeffrey Jones
  • Patent number: 8986002
    Abstract: A combustor apparatus is provided, comprising a mixing arrangement for mixing a carbonaceous fuel with enriched oxygen and a working fluid to form a fuel mixture. A combustion chamber is at least partially defined by a porous perimetric transpiration member, at least partially surrounded by a pressure containment member. The combustion chamber has longitudinally spaced apart inlet and outlet portions. The fuel mixture is received by the inlet portion for combustion within the combustion chamber at a combustion temperature to form a combustion product. The combustion chamber directs the combustion product longitudinally toward the outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignees: 8 Rivers Capital, LLC, Palmer Labs, LLC
    Inventors: Miles R. Palmer, Rodney John Allam, Glenn William Brown, Jr., Jeremy Eron Fetvedt
  • Patent number: 8978269
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hybrid drying system where a cold-air drier and a desiccant drier are combined to increase drying efficiency (extent of dehumidification/power consumption), thereby shortening drying time and significantly reducing operation costs. The hybrid drying system includes a desiccant drier installed between an evaporator and a condenser and having an absorbing part configured to produce dry air from the cold-air dried air which has passed through the evaporator and a detaching part configured to supply recycled air heated by the condensation heat of the condenser as a recycling heat source; a heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange exterior air with recycled exhaust air with the recycled air to retrieve exhaust heat; and a control unit configured to simultaneously control a cold-air drying operation and a desiccant drying operation according to the humidity and temperature of the drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Air-Tech Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Tae Park, Hue Jae Kim, Hyun Woong Choi, Kyung Rok Yoo, Dong Hyuk Kim
  • Patent number: 8967136
    Abstract: A solar energy collecting system comprises a manifold defining a closed fluid passage between a condensation point and a heating point. The manifold includes a plurality of heat exchange members configured to be in heat exchange relationship with the fluid passage at the heating point, and a heat sink at the condensation point. A plurality of solar energy collector members extend from and operably connect to the heat exchange members of the manifold. The solar energy collector members collect solar energy and transform it into heat energy. Heat energy is transferred from the solar energy collector members to the heat exchange members and to a fluid in the passage in the manifold at the heating point so as to heat the fluid into a vapor. The fluid is circulated in heat exchange relationship to the condensation point where heat energy is transferred to the heat sink so as to cool the fluid to a liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventor: Jeffrey Lee
  • Patent number: 8961169
    Abstract: A method includes the steps of operating a regenerative burner in cycles, including a firing cycle in which fuel and combustion air are discharged from the burner into a process chamber, and a nonfiring cycle in which a quantity of gas is withdrawn from the process chamber through a regenerative bed associated with the burner. The method further includes steps of detecting and responding to a temperature that differs from a predetermined temperature at a location in the process chamber. In a first step of responding to the detected temperature, a flue damper system is operated to vary a flow of gas within the process chamber relative to the location of the detected temperature. A second step of responding to the detected temperature reduces the quantity of gas to be withdrawn from the process chamber through the regenerative bed in a subsequent nonfiring cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fives North American Combustion, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Newby, Thomas F. Robertson, Justin R. Dzik, William E. Tracey
  • Patent number: 8959789
    Abstract: A tunnel-type rotary drum tumble dryer includes a cabinet (1) with a loading door (2) and an unloading door (3) on opposite sides, and a drum (4) arranged inside the cabinet (1) for rotating with respect to a horizontal or inclined geometric axis (E). The drum (4) has a revolution wall (5) around the axis (E), and end openings (5a, 5b) at opposite ends facing said loading and unloading doors (2, 3). The tumble dryer also includes an air circulator that includes an air inlet (8) facing one of the end openings (5a, 5b) of the drum (4) and an air outlet (9) adjacent to the other end opening (5a, 5b) of the drum (4) for creating an axial flow of drying air inside and from one end to another of the drum (4) through the clothing tumbling inside the drum (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Girbau, S.A.
    Inventors: Ramón Sans Rovira, Daniel Arcarons Alibes, Jordi Garcia Ferrera
  • Patent number: 8959791
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a canister having a front panel. The front panel has a slit extending across a width of the panel. The canister is operable for being supported from a first vertical surface. A spring-loaded axle is operable for rotating in a first direction to generate a tension sufficient to rotate the axle in a second direction. Caps are joined to the canister for substantially enclosing the axle within the canister. A netting supports wet garments to lay flat. The netting comprises a first end and a second end. The first end is joined to the axle with the second end protruding from the slit. A hem bar is joined to the second end of the netting. Means secures the hem bar to a second vertical surface. A tension knob is joined to the end of the axle and is operable for adjusting a level of the tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Inventor: Terrie A. Knell
  • Patent number: 8944044
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a one-piece fastening element (10) with a cooking hob (24). The fastening element (10) comprises an upper portion (12) being permanently connectable to an upper part (26) of the cooking hob (24) and a lower portion (14) being detachably connectable to a lower part (28) of the cooking hob (24), so that the upper part (26) and the lower part (28) form the cooking hob (10). The lower portion (14) of the fastening element (10) comprises at least one lug element (18) engageable with a recess (30) in the lower part (28) of the cooking hob (24) and at least one spring element (22) for clamping the cooking hob (24) within a cutout (38) enclosing circumferentially said cooking hob (24). Further, the present invention relates to a cooking hob with such one-piece fastening elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Bernd Buck, Bjorn Leyh, Alwin Neukamm