Patents Examined by Joye L. Woodard
  • Patent number: 8529734
    Abstract: A coke-oven battery has at least two chambers separated by a heating wall head and having openings provided with vertical jambs juxtaposed with the head. An upright anchor post is spaced horizontally forward from the head, and a plurality of U-shaped yokes are provided between the post and the head. Biasers bear on the anchor post and press the yokes against the jambs and thereby press the jambs against the head. A thin-walled sheet-metal head cover having upright edges is clamped between the jambs and the head and extends horizontally as a single piece between the jambs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: UHDE GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Kochanski, Helmut Dohle, Manfred Friedrichs
  • Patent number: 8506765
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally decomposing organic feedstock material utilizing a series of connected vessels. Each of the vessels is provided with an inlet and an outlet for transferring the organic feedstock material between the vessels. Separate heat exchangers are located between the inlet and outlet of each vessel. A catalyst material, such as a permeable mesh, is included between the inlet and outlet of each vessel to accelerate liquefaction of gaseous hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventor: Roger A. Benham
  • Patent number: 8506760
    Abstract: A coking plant first and second longitudinally extending rows of oven chambers all of generally the same width and generally the same longitudinal spacing and together defining a corridor into which the chambers all open. The first and second rows are longitudinally offset from each other by a predetermined distance that is greater than the oven-chamber width A device for servicing the oven chambers and movable longitudinally in the corridor between the two rows of oven chambers has first and second service machines transversely facing the respective first and second rows and operable to service the chambers thereof. A coupling of variable longitudinal length between the first and second machines operable can vary the longitudinal spacing between the two machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: UHDE GmbH
    Inventor: Franz-Josef Schuecker
  • Patent number: 8500959
    Abstract: A pyrolysis apparatus comprises a substantially closed pyrolyzer (4), a supply inlet for supplying pyrolyzable fuel to the pyrolyzer (4), an outlet for taking hot bed material in particle form out of the pyrolyzer, one or more exit outlets (6) for taking condensible gaseous substances separated from the fuel to be pyrolyzed out of the pyrolyzer, a condenser (8) for condensing the condensible gaseous substances into pyrolysis oil, and a line (7) for transferring the condensible gaseous substances from the exit outlet of the pyrolyzer (4) to the condenser (8). The means for maintaining pyrolysis conditions in the pyrolyzer (4) comprise an inlet for taking hot bed material in particle form into the pyrolyzer and means (5) for supplying fluidizing gas to the pyrolyzer. The pyrolyzer (4) is a chamber bounded directly by a furnace (1) of a bubbling fluidized bed boiler, through which chamber fluidized bed material is arranged to be circulated between the inlet and the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Metso Power Oy
    Inventor: Jani Lehto
  • Patent number: 8491757
    Abstract: A coke oven offtake piping system includes a pipe assembly for conveying coke oven gases from a coke oven to a collecting main, at least one spraying nozzle in the pipe assembly, and a discharge section with a discharge pipe having a discharge orifice. A gate member cooperates with the discharge orifice and is movable along the discharge orifice in order to present a closing surface to the extremity thereof, whereby the opening area of said discharge orifice can be varied for controlling the flow rate to the collecting main. The gate member is a spherical cap with a concave closing surface. The gate member is configured to pivot around a pivoting axis to expose the discharge orifice and to cover the discharge orifice, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Emile Lonardi, Thomas Hansmann, Stefano Pivot, Maurizio Bisogno
  • Patent number: 8475751
    Abstract: A device, method of making, and method of using, illustratively wherein a container includes an inlet and an outlet; a catalytic converter intermediate in a path between the inlet and the outlet; at least one surface arranged to ensure at least a majority of gas received from the inlet traverses a first portion of the path from the inlet to the catalytic converter and communicates heat from the catalytic converter to the container; and an optical means arranged to transport visible light, emitted from the catalytic converter during reduction of the smog-generating chemical in the gas, to a location outside the container to indicate whether the catalytic converter is functioning properly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Green Light Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Peter Jackson, Jason Ryan Babcock, Joseph Matthew Zlotnicki
  • Patent number: 8470134
    Abstract: A process for treating coal includes introducing coal into a chamber and passing an oxygen deficient sweep gas into contact with the coal, the sweep gas being at a higher temperature than the temperature of the coal so that heat is supplied to the coal. The process further includes providing additional heat to the coal indirectly by heating the chamber, wherein the heating of the coal by the sweep gas and by the indirect heating from the chamber causes condensable volatile components to be released into the sweep gas. The proportion of heat supplied to the coal by the sweep gas is less than 40% of the total heat supplied to the coal. The sweep gas is then removed from the chamber and treated to remove condensable components of the coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: C2O Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Franklin G. Rinker
  • Patent number: 8470085
    Abstract: A system for cleaning particulates and CO2 from power plant exhaust gases is described. The system includes a particulate filter for exhaust gases, a CO2 decomposition component, and a filter for cleaning electrolyte solution from the decomposition component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Yoshio Niioka
  • Patent number: 8465626
    Abstract: This invention relates to a coking oven in flat-type construction, a non-recovery or heat-recovery coking oven, which has at least one measuring apparatus for measuring the concentration of gaseous constituents of the coke oven retort, the coke oven hearth and/or the off gas duct, and in which, on the basis of these data, a process control computer determines and regulates the optimal supply of primary and/or secondary air. Also embraced by the invention is a coking method employing a coking oven of this kind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Uhde GmbH
    Inventors: Franz-Josef Schuecker, Ronald Kim
  • Patent number: 8465627
    Abstract: A method for reducing the mechanical strength of solid biomass material, in particular lignocellulosic biomass, comprises mixing the solid biomass material with an inorganic material and heating the solid biomass material mixture to a toasting temperature in the range of 105° C. to 140° C. during an exposure time of from 1 minute to 12 hours. Before or after the heat treatment, which is referred to as “toasting”, the biomass material mixture is subject to flash heating. The treatment significantly reduces the mechanical energy required for reducing the particle size of the solid biomass material and is suitable as a pretreatment prior to a conversion reaction of the solid biomass material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: KiOR, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Brady, Robert Bartek, Dennis Stamires, Paul O'Connor
  • Patent number: 8454898
    Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas treatment device for an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle, having at least one exhaust gas treatment element, which is supported radially on a housing by a bearing material and is supported axially on the housing by a supporting device, such that the supporting device has a carrier which is connected to the housing by at least one connection site and has at least one receptacle for holding a supporting material which is in contact with the exhaust gas treatment element axially such that the carrier has a cross-sectional contour that widens from the respective receptacle to the respective connection site in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: J. Eberspaecher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Georg Wirth
  • Patent number: 8444828
    Abstract: A pyrolyzer and method is provided for devolatizing coal and other volatile materials. The pyrolyzer has a pyrolyzer furnace housing having at least two screws laterally positioned adjacent and overlapping rotatably mounted within the furnace for moving volatile material through the pyrolyzer furnace housing. The screws have hollow drive shafts with a diverter inside for converging heated fluid to heat the volatile material moving through the pyrolyzer furnace housing. A combustion chamber combusts fuel to create heated exhaust gas for directing through the hollow drive shafts to heat the volatile material. The pyrolyzer furnace housing may have a double wall with a cavity between, capable of receiving heated fluid for further heating of volatile material moving through the pyrolyzer furnace housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8444734
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the separation of particles contained in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines in which the exhaust gas flow is guided through a filter medium in which particles can be absorbed and held back. The invention should improve the separation in a cost effective manner with respect to conventional particle filters. In accordance with the invention, the filter medium (1) is made from a metal open-pore foam having at least two layers (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) which each have a thickness, porosity and/or pore size in the flowthrough direction through the filter medium which differ from one another. In one embodiment, the particle filter includes first and second filter medium layers where the first filter medium has a mean pore size larger than a mean pore size of the second filter medium, and the first filter medium has a thickness that increases in a direction of the exhaust gas flow inlet passage of the filter housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Alantum Corporation
    Inventors: Shadi Saberi, Alexander Böhm, Dirk Naumann, Lloyd Timberg
  • Patent number: 8440057
    Abstract: A linked coke drum connection to minimize the stresses experienced by the joint between the coke drum and the supporting structure of the coke drum is described. The connection may be attached to a circumferential connection plate attached to the coke drum or directly to the drum. Some embodiments connect to a segmented circumferential connection plate. The connection includes a coke drum link, a connecting link, and a ground link. The links are pivotally connected with connecting pins. As the coke drum is heated and expands, the connecting link pivots outwardly about a point centered in the connecting pin in the ground link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation
    Inventor: Ruben F. Lah
  • Patent number: 8419902
    Abstract: Proposed are a system and method for wasteless pyrolytic processing and complete utilization of municipal and domestic wastes. The wastes are sequentially passed through units of sorting, grinding, drying, accumulating, and sending to a pyrolysis reactor for pyrolytic treatment. The syngas produced in the pyrolysis is passed through dry cleaning, dust catching, a first wet cleaning with water, a second wet cleaning with alkali, and a floatation unit for separation of water which is purified to an extent sufficient for technical use. The purified syngas is also passed through an absorber and is then used as a working medium for a power generation unit such as a gas turbine co-generator that generates electricity. Solid products of the pyrolysis reaction, such as coke, are returned to the reactor for afterburning, and the heat of the reaction can be utilized in a dryer, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Greenlight Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Arkady Feerer, Marat Hasbulatovich Kulakov, Denis Zagorsky
  • Patent number: 8409405
    Abstract: Dosed proportioning and cutoff of combustion air into the primary heating space of a horizontal coke oven is provided by apertures in the ceiling of the coke oven chamber, the apertures covered with a withdrawable cover device which controls the amount of air admitted, manually or in an automatic mode. By way of this device, ventilation of a coke oven chamber with primary air can be so controlled that primary air is introduced in an exactly dosed manner and, depending on its place of installation, exactly distributed into the primary heating space of a coke oven chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Kim, Alfred Mertens
  • Patent number: 8394242
    Abstract: A wet quenching tower for quenching coke is disclosed. A lower housing portion defines a lower interior and a portal sized to allow ingress and egress of a coke laden receptacle. A plurality of quenching sprayers for directing water onto the lower interior of the lower housing portion are supported above the lower interior. An upper housing portion is removably secured to an upper edge of the lower housing portion and supports a plurality of baffles. The upper housing portion defines an open upper end and cooperates with the lower housing portion to allow steam to rise from the lower interior upward through the housing portions. Each baffle defines a surface for allowing condensation of the portion of the steam. A plurality of washing sprayers are supported above the baffles for washing the baffles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Westbrook Thermal Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Richard Westbrook
  • Patent number: 8382959
    Abstract: This invention relates to improvements to a transportable hydrocarbon-recovery unit. More particularly, this invention relates to an integral hydrocarbon-recovery unit that comprises a first evaporation system and a condensation system. The actual first evaporation system comprises means for supplying the material to be extracted that includes means for controlling supply, means for conveying said material, treatment-chamber means including internal cleaning means, means for heating the material, means for increasing the heat-transfer area, means for removing excess material, including means for increasing hermeticity, and means for conveying the extracted vapors towards the condensation system. The purpose of the invention is to provide a unit for extracting hydrocarbons and other contaminants from impregnated material at the same time as providing, over a shorter time period and with greater effectiveness, the recovery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: M-I Drilling Fluids International B.V.
    Inventor: Servando Lozano
  • Patent number: 8382960
    Abstract: So-called decoking, in other words, the emptying of a container in which coke arising from the operation of a refinery is deposited and carried out using a decoking tool with a free mounting on the end of a drilling bar. The mounting is achieved using a sliding guide on a guide plate, coupled to the container. Distortions in the container and the guide plate therewith as a result of temperature variations during operation of the refinery which could lead to function disturbance of the drilling rod are avoided, wherein the sliding guide and the guide plate are arranged with a spring relative deflection by at least one spring element in the manner of a spring damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ruhrpumpen GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Paul, Dirk Heidemann, Maciej Barcikowski, Hauke Jasper
  • Patent number: 8377155
    Abstract: The auger gasifier described includes, in its preferred embodiments, a vertically elongated (“oblong”) primary gasifier chamber with an auger that can move up and down, allowing for large amounts of fuel input when necessary. This improvement, in turn, requires and/or is facilitated by provision for simultaneous elevation adjustments of the auger and bed dam to assure that fuel material is processed in degrees from the top downward without sweeping massive amounts of the fluidized bed materials towards the output end of the chamber. Another improvement involves provision for pressurization of the primary gasifier chamber, allowing substantial improvements in the speed of processing materials through the gasifier. Due to issues arising from thermal expansion of the refractory material lining the chamber, provision is made for nozzle and refractory imbedded pipe hole thermal expansion capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventor: Robert C. Tyer