Patents Examined by Joye L. Woodard
  • Patent number: 9434885
    Abstract: Methods for producing bio-oil from a feedstock (e.g., lignocellulosic) involving (1) pyrolyzing the feedstock in an inert atmosphere in a reactor to produce bio-oil, bio-char and non-condensable gases; (2) recycling 50 to about 85% of the non-condensable gases to the reactor to produce deoxygenated bio-oil; wherein the method is conducted in the absence of oxygen and wherein the method does not utilize externally added catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Charles A. Mullen, Akwasi A. Boateng, Neil M. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 9429274
    Abstract: A system for regulating an amount of fresh lime slurry introduced to a spray dry absorber. The control system includes a controller configured to receive input from a continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS), a valve in communication with the controller and a spray dry absorber suction pump, the valve adapted to regulate an amount of fresh lime slurry provided to the spray dry absorber suction pump and a valve in communication with the controller and a pre-mix tank, the valve adapted to regulate an amount of fresh lime slurry provided to the pre-mix tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Travis Dwight Reynolds, Dwight Arnold Goodman, Thomas Edwin Pearson, Dana Humphreys
  • Patent number: 9422480
    Abstract: A pyrolyzer capable of generating synthesis gas from carbon-based feedstock comprises an oven including an oven shell defining an interior and at least one conveyor configured to move the feedstock through the interior from a feed inlet to a discharge outlet. An outer shell surrounds the oven shell defines a space between the oven shell and the outer shell and a plurality of longitudinally extending dividers are connected to the outer shell and span to the oven shell within the space so as to define multiple temperature control zones therein where each temperature control zone includes one or more heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventor: Kip W Funk
  • Patent number: 9407197
    Abstract: Illustratively, an electrical generator includes a photovoltaic element which converts light produced by a surface into electrical power, the surface located in thermal communication with exhaust gases produced by an exothermic chemical reaction; a heat exchanger which takes at least a majority of thermal energy in the exhaust gases, after the thermal communication, and transfers the thermal energy to air input to the reaction; a catalytic converter, inside the heat exchanger, located to ensure that at least most of the exhaust gases are communicated into the catalytic converter and that heat generated by operation of the catalytic converter is transferred to the air input to the reaction; a sensor in the heat exchanger, located to monitor the reaction before the exhaust gases are communicated into the catalytic converter; a sensor located to sense after the exhaust gases are communicated into the catalytic converter, whether the catalytic converter is functioning properly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Green Light Industries, Inc
    Inventors: Gerald Peter Jackson, Jason Ryan Babcock, Joseph Matthew Zlotnicki
  • Patent number: 9403123
    Abstract: A spray dryer disperser 24, 26, 28, 30 is described for use in a spray dryer absorption (SDA) system 18 for flue gas FG impurity reduction. As such, the spray dryer disperser 24, 26, 28, 30 disperses absorbent liquid or reagent slurry droplets into contact with a hot flue gas FG stream containing gaseous impurities to produce a flue gas FG stream of reduced impurity content and dry powder end products EP. The spray dryer disperser 24, 26, 28, 30 is useful in larger capacity SDA vessels 22 of approximately 12 to 22 meters in diameter or larger, to avoid disperser 24, 26, 28, 30 shroud 34a scale deposits, to avoid reagent slurry spray cloud suppression, to avoid vessel 22 wall 22b scale deposits and to achieve increased droplet rotational momentum for increased droplet flue gas FG penetration for efficient impurity reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Nabil Elias Rafidi
  • Patent number: 9404042
    Abstract: A thermal reactor for the continuous thermolytic recycling of granules of scrap tires, vulcanization residues and waste plastics, and of similar products features a feed portion, a central heating-zone portion and a discharge portion arranged vertically one below the other. An extraction pipe is located centrally in the central heating-zone portion of the thermal reactor, the lateral surface of the extraction pipe featuring numerous holes and/or slits for withdrawal of the vaporized short-chain hydrocarbon compounds being formed, and the extraction pipe having conical bells pushed onto it one above the other. A device withdraws the vaporized hydrocarbon compounds from the extraction pipe. Radially arranged heating plates are provided on the lateral surface of the reactor in its central heating-zone portion, the heating plates being arranged at the heating levels, which lie one above the other, such that the plates are mutually offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Pyrum Innovations International S.A.
    Inventor: Klaus-Peter Schulz
  • Patent number: 9399737
    Abstract: An insulating and cooling cracking device includes a thermal cracking furnace accommodated therein. The insulating and cooling device has at least one cooling opening set on its side wall and at least one adiabatic cover. When the thermal cracking device is in heating, the adiabatic cover is closed. When the pyrolysis process is completed, the adiabatic cover is opened to allow the air to flow into one cooling opening. The air further flows through the surface of the thermal cracking furnace, and flows out from another cooling opening to achieve the advantage of more rapid cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: E-SUNSCIENCE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li-Feng Cheng, Hsien-Cheng Yu
  • Patent number: 9387428
    Abstract: A system for treating flammable effluent gas is provided. The system includes an exhaust conduit to carry the flammable effluent gas to an abatement unit, a control system coupled to the abatement unit to determine an operating parameter of the abatement unit, a bypass valve coupled to the exhaust conduit which is an operative responsive to the monitoring system, and a source of second gas to be mixed with the effluent gas diverted from the abatement unit when the bypass valve is operating in a bypass mode to provide a mixed gas having a flammability lower than the effluent gas. Methods of the invention as well as numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel O. Clark, Mehran Moalem, Robbert M. Vermeulen, Phil Chandler
  • Patent number: 9382120
    Abstract: A system for capturing and storing carbon dioxide. The CO2 sequestration system may include one or more sub-systems for generating electricity, a heat exchange system which may regulate temperature, and a conversion tank. The conversion tank may contain water with dissolved compounds and a catalyst. Carbon dioxide may be converted into carbonate minerals and drawn off to be used in any of a variety of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Inventor: Farouk Dakhil
  • Patent number: 9366169
    Abstract: A dosing module (1) for introducing a reducing agent into an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine for exhaust aftertreatment. The dosing module (1) comprises a flange (20). The flange (20) is secured to a connecting flange (11) on an exhaust pipe. A sealing element (22) located between the flange (20) and the connecting flange (11) is designed as a single layer and separates an interior (26) of the exhaust pipe from an exterior (27) of the exhaust pipe. The sealing element (22) is disposed in the area of the center of gravity (42) of the dosing module (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Pohl, Martin Kiontke
  • Patent number: 9364786
    Abstract: A vacuum pump has a discharge port coupled to an abatement chamber for treating an exhaust gas discharged from a chamber of a manufacturing apparatus to make the exhaust gas harmless. The vacuum pump is coupled to a heat exchanger configured to heat an inert gas by using heat generated when the exhaust gas is treated to be made harmless in the abatement part. The inert gas heated by the heat exchanger is introduced into the vacuum pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Kohtaro Kawamura, Toyoji Shinohara, Tetsuro Sugiura, Hideo Arai, Takashi Kyotani, Toshiharu Nakazawa, Keiichi Ishikawa, Seiji Kashiwagi, Yasuhiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9353666
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment device of a diesel engine is provided in which combustible gas is burned with oxygen in exhaust, combustion heat increases a temperature of the exhaust, and heat of the exhaust can burn and remove PM accumulating in a DPF. In order to cause a heater for radiating heat at a start of generation of the combustible gas to enter a catalyst inlet portion, and fit a liquid fuel retaining member over a periphery of the heater, a guide plate is provided to a lower face of the liquid fuel retaining member so that the air-fuel mixture moving down in the liquid fuel retaining member flows along an upper face of the guide plate out to a periphery of the guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KUBOTA Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Onishi, Hidetaka Morinaga, Yoshikazu Takemoto, Toshio Nakahira, Mitsugu Okuda, Keita Naito
  • Patent number: 9345988
    Abstract: Apparatus and processes for continuous distillative separation of a mixture comprising one or more alkanolamine(s) are described. The separation is performed in one or more dividing wall column(s) and the alkanolamine or the alkanolamines is/are withdrawn as a side draw stream or side draw streams (side fraction(s)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Willi Schmidt, Gerd Kaibel, Elke Geiβler, Wolfgang Reif, Manfred Julius, Frank-Friedrich Pape
  • Patent number: 9346015
    Abstract: The invention relates to a filtering device for a variety of polluted gasses, with an inclined bed with a filling of catalytic material, which bed has a retaining wall at its lower longer side, with a clean-gas exit positioned in the area of one front side of the bed, which ejects the gas which has passed through the filling, and with a flush-gas entrance also positioned in the area of one front side of the bed, the flush-gas entrance (40) and the clean-gas exit (36) being provided at the same front side (38), and beneath the bed (12), current-influencing devices (50) being positioned spread between the two front sides, which devices prevent or at least reduce current peaks in the flow of flush gas through the bed (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Inventor: Karlheinz Pässler
  • Patent number: 9347005
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material are provided herein. The method comprises the step of contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids. The solids comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. The reaction conditions include a reactor pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Ensyn Renewables, Inc.
    Inventors: Sathit Kulprathipanja, Paolo Palmas
  • Patent number: 9334446
    Abstract: A thermal cracker device includes an outer furnace and a thermal cracking furnace accommodated in the outer furnace. The outer surface of the thermal cracking furnace and the inner surface of the outer furnace define a space. The outer surface of the thermal cracking furnace has a fin structure to define an air flow channel in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: E-Sunscience Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Li-Feng Cheng, Hsien-Cheng Yu, Wen Chun Kuo
  • Patent number: 9327234
    Abstract: A flue gas desulfurization process and system that utilize ammonia as a reactant, and in which any hydrogen sulfide and/or mercaptans within the ammonia are separated during the desulfurization process so as to prevent their release into the atmosphere. The process and system entail absorbing acidic gases from a flue gas with a scrubbing media containing ammonium sulfate to produce a stream of scrubbed flue gas, collecting the scrubbing media containing the absorbed acidic gases, injecting into the collected scrubbing media a source of ammonia that is laden with hydrogen sulfide and/or mercaptans so that the injected ammonia is absorbed into and reacted with the collected scrubbing media, stripping the hydrogen sulfide and/or mercaptans from the collected scrubbing media by causing the hydrogen sulfide and/or mercaptans to exit the collected scrubbing media as stripped gases, and collecting the stripped gases without allowing the stripped gases to enter the stream of scrubbed flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Marsulex Environmental Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Eli Gal
  • Patent number: 9321964
    Abstract: A method and installation for energy densification of a material to obtain pyrolytic oils for energy. The method includes preconditioning the material by heating and drying to raise the material temperature close to 100° C. and a relative humidity not exceeding about 10%; pyrolyzing the material that is subsequently caused to flow through a substantially hermetic reactor containing at least one transfer screw or vibrating tube heated by the Joule effect, the material heated progressively in the range of 300° C. to 850° C., the electrical power passing through the transfer screw or the vibrating tube for providing heating regulated as a function of the material in order to obtain the desired temperature level during the transit time of the material through the reactor; extracting pyrolysis gas from a high portion of the reactor for rapid recondensation in a vertical condenser; and recovering pyrolytic oils from a low portion of the vertical condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: LEPEZ CONSEILS FINANCE INNOVATIONS—LCFI
    Inventors: Olivier Lepez, Philippe Sajet
  • Patent number: 9321965
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for quenching metallurgical coke made in a coking oven. The method includes pushing a unitary slab of incandescent coke onto a substantially planar receiving surface of an enclosed quenching car so that substantially all of the coke from the coking oven is pushed as a unitary slab onto the receiving surface of the quenching car. The slab of incandescent coke is quenched in an enclosed environment within the quenching car with a plurality of water quench nozzles while submerging at least a portion of the slab of incandescent coke by raising a water level in the quenching car. Subsequent to quenching the coke, the planar receiving surface is tilted to an angle sufficient to slide the quenched coke off of the planar receiving surface and onto a product collection conveyer and sufficient to drain water from the quenched coke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: SunCoke Technology and Development LLC.
    Inventor: Michael P. Barkdoll
  • Patent number: 9314738
    Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for vacuum recovery of hazardous acidic liquids. A novel neutralizing canister (100) passes liquid recovery air through a bed of a combination of solid neutralizing particles (30) and water. The velocity of the air is sufficient to lift the water from the bed and highly agitate and aerate the water. At the same time, the water is allowed to circulate through the neutralizing particles (30) to maintain a high pH. This action increases the effectiveness of the neutralizing particles (30) such that the air leaving the canister (100) is entirely neutralized and harmless to persons and equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Inventor: John Michael Hoce