Patents Examined by Joseph W. Drodge
  • Patent number: 11364468
    Abstract: Various examples of methods and systems are provided for soft sensing of system parameters in membrane distillation (MD). In one example, a system includes a MD module comprising a feed side and a permeate side separated by a membrane boundary layer; and processing circuitry configured to estimate feed solution temperatures and permeate solution temperatures of the MD module using monitored outlet temperatures of the feed side and the permeate side. In another example, a method includes monitoring outlet temperatures of a feed side and a permeate side of a MD module to determine a current feed outlet temperature and a current permeate outlet temperature; and determining a plurality of estimated temperature states of a membrane boundary layer separating the feed side and the permeate side of the MD module using the current feed outlet temperature and the current permeate outlet temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Taous Meriem Laleg, Fadi Eleiwi, Ayman Mustafa Karam
  • Patent number: 11365137
    Abstract: Electro oxidation membrane evaporator 1 comprises sweep air handler 60; fluid tank 20 defining a fluid container; fluid contactor/separator 30; oxidation cell 40; and scrubber 80. Electro oxidation membrane evaporator 1 may allow higher percent water recovery from wastewater prior to delivering brine to a brine water recovery system and can allow O2 from air such as cabin air to continuously diffuse into the wastewater as O2 is consumed to generate oxidants, helping to eliminate the low oxidant environment at the end of the cycle that causes pH to remain high, and low pH prevents precipitates from forming for longer so more water can be evaporated from the wastewater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Arai, John Fricker
  • Patent number: 11357896
    Abstract: Constraining adaptive optimizations of a state of an operation module of a medical device includes determining if a new state has at least one operational parameter that is outside a constraint that has been provided to the medical device in a non-repudiable manner, accepting the new state if no operational parameters are outside any of the constraints, and reverting the medical device to a previous valid state if at least one operational parameter is outside at least one of the constraints. The adaptive optimizations may be provided using artificial intelligence along with relevant inputs thereto. The medical device may be a dialysis system. Constraint data may be provided to the medical device along with a one-way hash value of the constraint data using, for example, a SHA 256 hash. The one-way hash value may be digitally signed using a private key that is part of a public/private key pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Norbert Leinfellner, Joseph Manakkil
  • Patent number: 11351505
    Abstract: A device for easy and rapid removal of pollutants from drinking water and other liquids. A method for removing a pollutant from a drink by immersing the device into the drink. A method for constructing the device using polypropylene (PP) membrane sheet and an adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Muhammad Sajid, Ihsanullah
  • Patent number: 11344898
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, the invention provides a retrofit for existing water treatment systems where the retrofit includes at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a water treatment system combined with at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: QWTIP LLC
    Inventor: Whitaker B. Irvin, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11345621
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a biocide generating system for inhibiting bio-fouling within a water system of a watercraft. The water system is configured to draw water from a body of water on which the watercraft is supported. The biocide generating system includes an electrode arrangement adapted to be incorporated as part of an electrolytic cell through which the water of the water system flows. The water system is configured such that biocide treated water also flows to one or more components of the water system that are positioned upstream of the electrode arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Electrosea, LLC
    Inventors: Louis Ciro Cosentino, Daniel L. Cosentino, Brian Alan Golden
  • Patent number: 11345622
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses an online resourceful treatment method of electroless copper plating waste solution. According to the disclosure, a copper catalyst is adopted to perform autocatalytic reaction on electroless copper plating waste solution in an autocatalytic reactor, copper simple substances are reduced from copper ions in the waste solution and recycled, the treated waste solution enters into a three-dimensional electrolyzer and a membrane filtration plant for further purification, the finally treated electroless copper plating waste solution meets water quality discharge standard, and the recovery rate of the copper simple substances can reach up to above 95%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: SOUTH CHINA INSTITUTE OF ENVIROMENTAL SCIENCES, MEE, CHONGQING MUNCIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTER, ZHIXI TECHNOLOGY (CHONGQING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: JianWei Du, Kuang He, Na Tang, Wei Guan, Yan Jia, XiaoYing Hu, MingYang Zhang, MingShan Li, Ning Huang, Feng Xu
  • Patent number: 11344847
    Abstract: Various examples are provided that are related to boundary control in membrane distillation (MD) processes. In one example, a system includes a membrane distillation (MD) process comprising a feed side and a permeate side separated by a membrane boundary layer; and processing circuitry configured to control a water production rate of the MD process based at least in part upon a distributed heat transfer across the membrane boundary layer. In another example, a method includes determining a plurality of estimated temperature states of a membrane boundary layer separating a feed side and a permeate side of a membrane distillation (MD) process; and adjusting inlet flow rate or inlet temperature of at least one of the feed side or the permeate side to maintain a difference temperature along the membrane boundary layer about a defined reference temperature based at least in part upon the plurality of estimated temperature states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Taous Meriem Laleg, Fadi Eleiwi, Ayman Karam
  • Patent number: 11344861
    Abstract: Methods of producing solid CO2 sequestering carbonate materials are provided. Aspects of the methods include introducing a divalent cation source into a flowing aqueous liquid (e.g., a bicarbonate rich product containing liquid) under conditions sufficient such that a non-slurry solid phase CO2 sequestering carbonate material is produced. Also provided are systems configured for carrying out the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Blue Planet Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Brent R. Constantz, Mark A. Bewernitz, Chris L. Camire, Seung-Hee Kang, Jacob Schneider
  • Patent number: 11339065
    Abstract: An apparatus has a platinum group metal carrying resin column provided in a supply line of ultrapure water, and has a pH adjuster injection device and a redox potential adjuster injection device provided in a later stage thereof. The apparatus has a membrane-type deaeration apparatus and a gas dissolving membrane apparatus sequentially provided in a later stage of the devices, and a discharge line communicates with the gas dissolving membrane apparatus. A pH meter and an ORP meter are each provided at some midpoint in the discharge line, and the pH meter and the ORP meter are connected to a control device. Then, the control device controls the amount of adjusters to be injected from the pH adjuster injection device and the redox potential adjuster injection device, on the basis of the measurement results of the pH meter and the ORP meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KURITA WATER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuko Gan, Yu Fujimura
  • Patent number: 11338072
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a blood treatment system including a blood treatment machine, a dialyzer configured to be coupled to the blood treatment machine, a blood line having a first end configured to be connected to the dialyzer and a second end configured to be connected to a needle for insertion into a patient, and one or more sensors operable to transmit, to the blood treatment machine, data related to tension along the blood line. The blood treatment machine is configured to take action in response to the data received from the one or more sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Bergman, Lynn E. Jensen
  • Patent number: 11332393
    Abstract: An auto jartest analyzer includes a plurality of water sample reaction equipment, coagulant providing/controlling equipment and a coagulant concentration analysis device. The coagulant providing/controlling equipment provides coagulant of different concentration to the plurality of water sample reaction equipment to allow contaminants in a water sample of the water sample reaction equipment to precipitate. The coagulant concentration analysis device analyzes turbidity measurements for the plurality of water sample reaction equipment and determines if they meet predetermined analysis criteria, so as to figure out an optimal concentration of coagulant currently required to be added to the water sample. This thus achieves automatic analysis of an addition concentration of coagulant to be added to the water sample, which not only improves operational efficiency but also makes the analysis result more accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ANATEK ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Ming Chen, Hsiu-Chih Ku, Jau-Shiu Chen
  • Patent number: 11330931
    Abstract: The present invention pertains in general to an apparatus and method for the drying and activating of infusing material, and the infusing, agitation and dispensation of oils in a controlled manner to produce a desired potency of an infusion while remaining below an identified maximum temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: LEVO OIL INFUSION
    Inventors: Christina Spencer Bellman, Stephen B. Katsaros
  • Patent number: 11332379
    Abstract: An industrial waste salt resourceful treatment method comprises the following steps: the industrial waste salt is sequentially subject to dissolving, chemical pre-purification, deep purification, organic matter concentration reduction, adsorption and oxidation decolorization and multi-effect evaporative crystallization to respectively obtain sodium sulfate, sodium chloride and sodium nitrate crystals; the crystallization temperature of sodium sulfate is in a range of 75° C. to 85° C.; the crystallization temperature of sodium chloride is in a range of 60 to 70° C.; and the crystallization temperature of sodium nitrate is in a range of 45° C. to 55° C. An industrial waste salt resourceful treatment device is further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: GO HIGHER ENVIRONMENT GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Futai Chen, Yongqian Chu, Yan Yang, Liqiang Bai
  • Patent number: 11332397
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for treating water, such as wastewater, with ozone under alkaline and acidic conditions to decompose and remove acrolein and acrolein byproducts from the water and/or wastewater. The process is able to lower the concentration of acrolein and acrolein byproducts from water to a sufficiently low level suitable for discharge to a municipal sewer collection system with reduced occurrence of the decomposition by-products of acrolein converting back to acrolein in the water. One embodiment of the process treats contaminated water containing acrolein with ozone by sparging or bubbling ozone through the contaminated water. The contaminated water can be treated with ozone where the contaminated water is initially adjusted to a pH greater than 7.0 for a time to convert at least a portion of the acrolein to 3-hydroxypropanal to obtain a partially treated water. The pH of the partially treated water is then adjusted to a pH below 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: EMG International, LLC
    Inventors: Yassar Farhan, Manaf H. Farhan
  • Patent number: 11326124
    Abstract: A recirculating high pressure lipid extractor includes a kettle with a sealed interior configured for pressurizing and heating a fluid mixture. A flow funnel is positioned in a lower portion. A removable material basket is positioned on top of the flow funnel in an upper section. The removable material basket is configured to hold a material inside the removable material basket. A drain and inlet port is at a bottom of the kettle in communication with the sealed interior of the kettle. A recirculation port is approximate a top of the kettle in communication with the sealed interior of the kettle. Wherein, when the fluid mixture is inserted into the kettle, the recirculating high pressure lipid extractor is configured to pressurize and heat the fluid mixture and recirculate the pressurized and heated fluid mixture from the recirculation port into the drain and inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HALCYON HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Lafferty, Natalia Parillo
  • Patent number: 11325851
    Abstract: A diluted chemical liquid production apparatus has a structure that has a platinum group metal carrying resin column, a membrane-type deaeration apparatus and a gas dissolving membrane apparatus, which are sequentially provided in a supply line of ultrapure water; and has a pH adjuster injection device and an oxidation-reduction potential adjuster injection device, which are provided between the platinum group metal carrying resin column and the membrane-type deaeration apparatus. An inert gas source is connected to a gaseous phase side of the membrane-type deaeration apparatus, and an inert gas source is also connected to the gaseous phase side of the gas dissolving membrane apparatus; and a discharge line communicates with the gas dissolving membrane apparatus. A pH meter and an ORP meter are provided in the discharge line. Such a diluted chemical liquid production apparatus can control a pH and an oxidation-reduction potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: KURITA WATER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Fujimura, Nobuko Gan
  • Patent number: 11319641
    Abstract: The amount of wash water to be consumed in an electrodeposition coating facility and the amount of used wash water to be discharged that requires post-treatment are reduced. To achieve this object, an electrodeposition coating facility that includes a degreasing process section A, a post-degreasing rinse section B, a chemical conversion process section C, a post-chemical-conversion rinse section D, an electrodeposition coating section E, and a post-electrodeposition rinse section F is provided with a filtration process apparatus 4 and a wash water recycling line 5. The filtration process apparatus 4 performs a filtration process on wash water W after being used to wash an object to be coated 1 in the post-electrodeposition rinse section F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Taikisha Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Koike, Yasuhiko Sakota, Yoshikazu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11318248
    Abstract: The specification discloses a portable dialysis machine having a detachable controller unit and base unit with an improved reservoir heating system. The controller unit includes a door having an interior face, a housing with a panel, where the housing and panel define a recessed region configured to receive the interior face of the door, and a manifold receiver fixedly attached to the panel. The base unit has a reservoir with an internal pan and external pan, separated by a space that holds a heating element. The heating element is electrically coupled to electrical contacts attached to the external surface of the external pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Neil Fulkerson, Alec Huang, Brian Thomas Kelly, Tam Nolan
  • Patent number: 11311658
    Abstract: An example peritoneal dialysis system is disclosed. The example peritoneal dialysis system includes an automated peritoneal dialysis (“APD”) machine configured to remove ultrafiltrate (“UF”) from a patient and record how much UF has been removed. The APD machine operates according to a prescription to remove the UF. The system also includes a server in communication with the APD machine. The server analyzes the UF data to determine if the prescription is to be modified to compensate for changes to the patient's renal function or renal transport characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare SA
    Inventors: Alex A. Yu, James Grayson, Robert W. Childers