Patents Examined by Katherine Zalasky
  • Patent number: 9034178
    Abstract: A fluid filter assembly with sight glass provides an upper housing carrying a transparent sight glass for visualizing the interior of the filter assembly and fluids passing therethrough. A sight glass retainer secures the sight glass within the upper housing. A screen filter is carried between the upper housing and a mating lower housing. A fluid inlet port is defined in the upper housing above the screen filter and a fluid output port is defined in the lower housing below the screen filter. The sight glass retainer carries plural fluid deflectors and plural sight glass supports for fluid dispersion and fluid cooling. A pressurized air input communicating with fluid inlet port allows pressurized air to be injected into the assembly to force fluids through the screen filter and out of the filter assembly. A low pressure drain valve and a bypass valve are carried in the lower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventor: Michael E. Cofini
  • Patent number: 9010548
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for separating two solutions mixed in dispersion into two solution phases in a liquid-liquid extraction separation cell. A lighter solution phase placed on the heavier solution phase is forced to flow as a thin overflow layer over the top edge of a front panel such that the dispersion thickens A rear panel is essentially parallel with the front panel so that in between the front panel and the rear panel, there is formed an uptake shaft along which the thickened dispersion can rise and be compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Bror Nyman, Eero Ekman, Pertti Pekkala, Hannu Laitala, Rami Saario
  • Patent number: 9005450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method which uses magnetic ionic liquids for the liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, or liquid-gas extraction, wherein the partition of the phases occurs in a magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Proionic Production of Ionic Substances GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Roland Kalb
  • Patent number: 9005445
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of testing the integrity of a microporous membrane using a colloid solution containing metal particles or metal compound particles that can accurately determine the integrity of a virus removal membrane formed of hydrophilized synthetic polymer that has been subjected to protein solution filtration, and to provide a method of producing the colloid solution. The colloid solution comprises a solvent and metal particles dispersed in the solvent, and the solvent comprises components (A) and (B), (A) and (C), or (A), (B), and (C), wherein the component (A) is an anionic polymer having a sulfonic acid group, the component (B) is at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant having a polycyclic structure in a hydrophobic moiety and a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, and the component (C) is a water-soluble polymer having a pyrrolidone group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Hamasaki, Shoichi Ide
  • Patent number: 8999171
    Abstract: A method of producing desalinated water and recovering minerals from the feedwater uses membrane separation and electrodialysis brine concentration. This process can recover all of the minerals as high purity industrial minerals, including capturing the calcium and sulfate as agricultural grade gypsum and boron as high purity boric acid. In addition the process allows the use of low cost lime or dolime to produce valuable magnesium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: HL Seawater Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Paul Steven Wallace
  • Patent number: 8992775
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for removing diatomaceous earth and contaminants from a filter and for filtering liquid using diatomaceous earth. Embodiments of the method can include a washdown process, a backwash process, and a filtering process. Some embodiments of the apparatus can include one or more filter cartridges with cartridge tubes to increase flow during the backwash process. Some embodiments of the apparatus can include a backwash sprayer to disturb contaminants during the backwash process. Some embodiments of the apparatus can include a removable lid to access the filter cartridges during the washdown process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Frank Swindell, Leonard Richiuso, Brian Everett Cox
  • Patent number: 8978899
    Abstract: A layer of fluoropolymer fine fiber can be made. The fine fiber can be made by electrospinning from a solvent or a solvent blend. The layers of the invention are useful in general filtration of fluid streams including gaseous and liquid streams. The fine fiber layers are also useful as hydrophobic filtration layers that can be used to separate water from a hydrocarbon stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ismael Ferrer, Chuanfang Yang
  • Patent number: 8980087
    Abstract: A system and method for filtering is disclosed, which is capable of accomplishing a filtering operation at a high recovery rate of 96% or more, and realizing a compact and simplified system structure, the system comprising a water bath including an inlet and a discharging hole, wherein feed water to be treated is supplied to the inside of the water bath through the inlet, and concentrated water is discharged out through the discharging hole; and plural membrane cassettes including first and second membrane cassettes submerged into the feed water contained in the water bath, wherein the first membrane cassette is positioned nearest to the inlet, and the second membrane cassette is positioned nearest to the discharging hole, wherein the first membrane cassette treats the feed water with a first impurity concentration; the second membrane cassette treats the feed water with a second impurity concentration; and the first impurity concentration is smaller than the second impurity concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kolon Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 8968563
    Abstract: A fractionating and refining device includes a solution sending flow path for supplying a solution, including a fractionated target component, a gas supply flow path, a collecting vessel, a warming mechanism for warming the collecting vessel, and a probe formed by integrating tip end portions of the solution sending flow path and the gas supply flow path with each other. A lid of the vessel includes a solution inlet to which the tip end portion of the solution sending flow path is connected, gas inlets to which the tip end portion of the gas supply flow path is connected, and gas discharge ports connecting an inside and an outside of a vessel main body of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Iwata, Tomoyuki Yamazaki, Przemyslaw Stasica, Bob Boughtflower
  • Patent number: 8961794
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for production of transportation fuels from biomass. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for using solvent to remove metal impurities and high molecular weight components from biomass derived biocrude to prevent potential catalyst poisoning and catalyst bed plugging in biocrude-to-transportation fuel upgrading process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Kristi Fjare, Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, Jaehoon Bae, TiePan Shi, Yun Bao, Edgar Lotero
  • Patent number: 8945382
    Abstract: A scraper device discharges a filter cake on a filter plate of a pressure filter, which includes fixed bracket and movable carriage parts, and hoist rack and scraper parts. The fixed bracket part has transverse and vertical bracket beams. The movable carriage part has a movable carriage base, bottom and upper transverse beams, and an upright column. The hoist rack part, mounted in the movable carriage, includes upper and bottom transverse beams of the hoist rack, which are connected by an upright column of the hoist rack. A hoist slide plate connects with a connection plate of the hoist rack, and the hoist slide plate is movably connected to a chain. Scrapers are placed at both sides of the filter plate, and position limiters are placed in the movable carriage part and the hoist rack part. The position limiters are connected to clamping and unclamping proximity switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Jingjin Environmental Protection Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Baochang Liu, Qianqiu Zhao
  • Patent number: 8944256
    Abstract: Disclosed is filter having a filter core, a top cover, a bottom cover, at least one first discharging pipe and at least one second discharging pipe, wherein the filter core has a slot through which a fluid to be filtered passes; the top cover and the bottom cover are respectively fixed to an upper portion and a lower portion of the filter core; an inner wall surface of the filter core, an inner wall surface of the top cover and an inner wall surface of the bottom cover define a filter cavity; the first discharging pipe has at least one first inlet through which the fluid flows in; the second discharging pipe has at least one second inlet through which the fluid flows in; and all the first inlets are situated above the second inlets in the gravity direction. The filter can realize the separation of two fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhang Peng, Shi Xueyuan, Gao Zaixing, Xu Zhi
  • Patent number: 8931647
    Abstract: The present invention provides a PVDF porous film and method for producing it, which has high water permeability and high chemical resistance to washing chemicals and the like that has been difficult to realize with conventional polymer porous films, and which can be used over a prolonged period of time, and a method of producing the same and the like. Namely, the present invention provides a porous film in which the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin is 50% or more but not more than 90%, and the product of the degree of crystallization of the PVDF resin and the specific surface area of the film is 300 (%·m2/g) or more but not more than 2000 (%·m2/g).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Shiki, Hiroyoshi Ohya, Noboru Kubota, Makiko Hattori
  • Patent number: 8919573
    Abstract: A system for purifying non-potable water to make said water potable includes an intake pump for bringing the non-potable water into the system. At least one centrifugal separator separates the non-potable water into suspended solids, saline water and oil. At least one ozone contact chamber injects ozone into a water stream being injected into at least one of the at least one of the centrifugal separators. A series of progressive filtration components are used for progressively filtering the saline water from the at least one centrifugal separator. The salinization filters then desalinate the progressively filtered saline water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventor: David Capehart
  • Patent number: 8919571
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum filter device including a filter body having two holders on opposite sides of a filter. Each holder contains a closed container in a fluid-tight, sealed relationship. The filter is retained by a compression sealing element that resiliently applies sealing pressure to the upper surface of the filter. The sealing element is maintained in place by a compression element formed of a ring that applies a desired compressive force to the sealing element. The compression element is bonded to a portion of the body to hold it, the sealing element and filter in place and under a compression seal. The invention also can provide for an alignment feature on the compression element that ensures the port is in alignment with the vent of the device. The device also includes a vacuum port communicating with the downstream side of the filter, and hence the filtrate container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip Clark, John Doyle
  • Patent number: 8910799
    Abstract: Integrated membrane treatment systems for treatment of an aqueous solution. In embodiments, components, such as an MBR, are integrated with means to recover energy from the system, for example from an RO concentrate, to operate the other components. In embodiments including biological treatment, RO is integrated with other components, such as an MBR with the ROs ability to remove inorganic nitrogen enabling biological treatment to be performed with only partial nitrification and the MBR operated without active pH control. In embodiments, RO is integrated with a chlorine generator to convert chlorides present in the RO concentrate for an in-situ source of oxidizing biocides for disinfection purposes. Chloramines may be generated in-situ from residual ammonia and chlorides in the RO reject. In embodiments, carrier media is employed in a membrane tank to enhance removal of residual organics by the MBR and to also improve effectiveness of membrane scouring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Enveera, Inc.
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Libman, Boris Eliosov
  • Patent number: 8900459
    Abstract: Systems and methods for versatile water purification. The methods may include floating a raft on a source of water to be purified. The raft may provide inlet for the water. The methods may include pumping the water and selectively pre-treating the pumped water by chemical injection prior to filtration. The methods may include passing the pumped water, sequentially, through a multi media filter to produce filtered water, into a plurality of reverse osmosis columns to produce osmosis water, and into a buffer tank. The methods may include injecting ozone into water pumped from the tank, and selectively returning the ozone-injected water to the tank via a first valve. Via a second valve, the ozone-injected water may be passed to a bottle washing station for washing and sterilization of receptacles to receive purified waters pumped from the tank. Methods may include Ultra Violet and chemical treatment of water prior to dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: PureSafe Water Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Gil Tenne
  • Patent number: 8894860
    Abstract: A Gallium-68 (Ga-68) radioisotope generator includes a generating column and a citrate eluent. The generating column is at least partially filled with an ion-exchange resin with glucamine groups to absorb germanium-68 (Ge-68) and Ga-68 radioisotopes. The citrate eluent is added into the generating column to desorb the Ga-68 radioisotope and form an eluent containing the Ga-68 radioisotope in the form of Ga-68 citrate. A method for generating Ga-68 radioisotope is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan
    Inventors: Ming-Hsin Li, Jin-Jenn Lin, Ther-Jen Ting, I-Lea Dai
  • Patent number: 8883012
    Abstract: The present invention provides a new water purification method and system using reverse osmosis. In particular, the present invention provides methods and water purification systems using an ion exchange resin and absorbent media for pretreatment of water being fed to a reverse osmosis treatment system, where the pretreatment reduces fouling of, or deposits or chemical attack on the membrane surfaces and passageways. Particularly, a macroporous resin having an average pore diameter in the range of 1,000 to 500,000 Angstroms and a crush strength or Chatillon value of at least 24 g/bead (710 ?m bead diameter) is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Purolite Corporation
    Inventors: Francis Boodoo, Fabio Chaves De Sousa, James A. Dale, Carmen Mihaela Iesan
  • Patent number: 8864999
    Abstract: Methods for regenerating acidic ion-exchange resins and reusing regenerants in such methods are provided. A spent ion-exchange resin is contacted with an alcohol ion-exchange regenerant. The spent ion-exchange resin is thereafter contacted with an acidic ion-exchange regenerant to recharge the acidic ion-exchange resin to produce a regenerated acidic ion-exchange resin. Metal- and water-containing biomass-derived pyrolysis oil is then contacted with the regenerated acidic ion-exchange resin to produce low metal, water-containing biomass-derived pyrolysis oil. The regenerated acidic ion-exchange resin may be recycled. The spent alcohol and acid ion-exchange regenerants may be recovered and recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Timothy A. Brandvold, Stanley J. Frey, Vasken Abrahamian, Thomas Traynor