Patents Examined by Malik N. Drake
  • Patent number: 6655154
    Abstract: An operation method and an operation apparatus for multi-system refrigerators, and a refrigerating apparatus. When gas compressed by a single compressor is supplied to a plurality of refrigerators through valves provided for the individual refrigerators, the opening/closing frequencies of the individual valves are slightly shifted to one another. As a result, with a simple constitution, the performances of the individual refrigerators are balanced without observing valve timings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, LTD, Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Funayama, Hidekazu Tanaka, Hisashi Yamamoto, Kazutoshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 6651459
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of hyperpolarizing a gas sample. The method cryogenically forming a solidified gas structure from the sample gas, the solidified gas structure being surrounded by 3He. A magnetic field is then to the solidified gas structure and the 3He to thereby polarize the solidified gas structure, before the 3He is removed to thereby leave a solidified gas structure of hyperpolarized sample gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Oxford Instruments Superconductivity Limited
    Inventor: Neal Frederick Kalechofsky
  • Patent number: 6644068
    Abstract: A refrigeration system comprises a compressor for increasing a temperature and a pressure of a refrigerant vapor, a condenser fluidly coupled to the compressor for condensing the refrigerant vapor, an expansion device for decreasing the temperature and pressure of a refrigerant liquid, and an evaporator fluidly coupled to the expansion device for evaporating the refrigerant liquid by transferring thermal energy between the refrigerant liquid and a second fluid. The refrigeration system also comprises a heat exchanger having a first flow path fluidly coupled to the compressor and the evaporator and a second flow path fluidly coupled to the condenser and the expansion valve. The heat exchanger is adapted to superheat the refrigerant vapor in the first flow path and subcool the refrigerant liquid in the second flow path by transferring thermal energy between the refrigerant in the first and second flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: E-Pak Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian E. Guckin
  • Patent number: 6640555
    Abstract: An improved freezer and plant gas system that harnesses the cooling properties of the plant gas evaporator to facilitate energy and cryogen savings, as well as the automation and optimization of a plant thermal processing system. The freezer preferably includes an internally mounted evaporator sized to meet the gas requirements of the plant processes requiring inert gas. By evaporating the plant gas in the freezer, the freezer can be remotely located from the liquid cryogen source while still making liquid cryogen available when called for during a cryogenic treatment process metal or other materials. In addition, by evaporating in the freezer the freezer is able to harness the cooling properties of the evaporator to pre-cool the freezer and material prior to use of liquid in the cooling cycle. Alternatively, a liquid load basket is adapted to economically thermally treat materials in a deep cryogenic treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Inventor: Michael D. Cashin
  • Patent number: 6640556
    Abstract: In the present method and apparatus, cryogenic liquid and vapor are pumped from a storage tank and the proportion of liquid and vapor is controlled so as to influence flow rate through the apparatus. In an induction stroke, the piston of a reciprocating pump is retracted and cryogenic fluid is drawn from the storage tank into a piston chamber associated with the piston. Flow rate is controlled through the apparatus by controlling the proportion of liquid and vapor supplied to the pump during the induction stroke by supplying substantially only vapor to the pump during a portion of the induction stroke. In a compression stroke, the pump compresses and condenses vapor into liquid and then compresses any liquid within the piston chamber; compressed cryogenic fluid is ultimately discharged from the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Westport Research Inc.
    Inventors: Mihai Ursan, Anker Gram
  • Patent number: 6640552
    Abstract: A system for providing refrigeration to a superconducting device wherein a cooling fluid is cooled by receiving refrigeration from one or more cryocoolers and then is warmed by indirect heat exchange with ballast liquid thereby providing cooling to the ballast liquid prior to providing refrigeration to the superconducting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryce Mark Rampersad, Dante Patrick Bonaquist, Barry Alan Minbiole, Arun Acharya
  • Patent number: 6637433
    Abstract: A gas forwarding apparatus for respiration and narcosis devices including a radial compressor and a drive apparatus which produces a magnetic rotary field, with the radial compressor including a housing within which a compressor wheel and a rotor which is connected thereto are arranged, with the drive apparatus being arranged outside the housing and with the drive apparatus and the rotor being designed to be mutually matched and arranged in such a manner that the rotor can be driven by the drive apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Levitronix LLC
    Inventor: Reto Schöb
  • Patent number: 6637236
    Abstract: A refrigerating device circulating R32 in a refrigerant circuit as a refrigerant to perform a refrigerating cycle, the refrigerating device comprising a compressor in the refrigerant circuit, a first heat exchanger serving as a condenser, an expansion means and a second heat exchanger serving as an evaporator, wherein a ratio m of an internal volume (Vout) of the first heat exchanger to an internal volume (Vin) of the second heat exchanger is set to be in a range of 0.7≦m≦1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeharu Taira
  • Patent number: 6637213
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for cooling extruded and molded materials. The present invention is especially useful to thoroughly cool an extrudate by directing a cooling fluid toward a surface of the extrudate (e.g., an interior surface that defines a hollow portion of an extrudate). Hollows may be created in order to reduce material, weight, and/or processing time. A cooling fluid is diverted toward the surface of the extrudate so as to cool the material and assist in solidification. A baffle may serve to divert the cooling fluid in the desired direction. Increases in production line throughput may result by rapidly cooling the molded material. In addition, the more efficient cooling may be achieved with a lesser amount of the cooling fluid, and the velocity and temperature of the cooling fluid may be reduced. Other uses for the present invention include injection molding, compression molding, gas assist molding, and co-extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Crane Plastics Company LLC
    Inventors: Herbert L. Hutchison, Jeffrey R. Brandt
  • Patent number: 6631626
    Abstract: Natural gas liquefaction system employing a zeolite adsorbent for removing nitrogen from pretreated natural gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventor: Paul R. Hahn
  • Patent number: 6631615
    Abstract: A system for transferring and conditioning a cryogenic liquid includes a replenishing tank containing a supply of cryogenic liquid, a bulk tank and a pump positioned there between. The pump causes a stream of the cryogenic liquid to flow from the replenishing tank to the bulk storage tank. A heat exchanger and parallel by-pass line are positioned between the pump and bulk storage tank. A flow control valve diverts a portion of the stream to the heat exchanger so that it is warmed and rejoined with the remaining cryogenic liquid flowing through the flow control valve. The warmed stream then flows to the bulk storage tank. The flow control valve is adjusted based upon pressures within the bulk storage tank via a pressure line in communication with the head space of the bulk storage tank and a pneumatic controller or a pressure sensor in the bulk tank head space and a programmable logic controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas K. Drube, Claus Emmer
  • Patent number: 6629429
    Abstract: There are provided, in the order from top, a refrigerating compartment (90), a vegetable compartment (91) and a freezing compartment (92), and a compressor (104) and a cooler (106) are disposed in side-by-side relation in a left and right direction at a location rearwardly of the freezing compartment (92). Also, a damper device (115) and a forced draft fan (114) are provided above the compressor (104) and the cooler (106), and an electronic control board (128) is provided rearwardly of the cooler (106). In addition, a chilly air discharge duct (116) and a chilly air suction duct (121) are provided at opposite ends of a deep region within the refrigerating compartment (90).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Takao Kawamura, Yoshiki Ohashi, Akihiko Manabe
  • Patent number: 6629428
    Abstract: An aircraft environmental control system (ECS) provides fresh air for the cabin of an aircraft by using electric motor driven compressors in place of traditional engine bleed air. Conventional aircraft ECS use an engine bleed to provide the pressurized fresh air flow for an aircraft cabin. However, such a system suffers from the disadvantage of requiring additional fuel consumption in order to provide an adequate engine bleed source. The present invention, using a zero bleed, electric powered architecture, does not suffer from this drawback of the conventional ECS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Roger P. Murry
  • Patent number: 6625992
    Abstract: A cryogenic cooling system is configured to control the flow of a heat transfer fluid through a remote thermal load, such as a superconducting magnet or rotor. The cryogenic cooling system includes a refrigerator including a cryogenically cooled surface and a cryogenic fluid transport device disposed for circulating a heat transfer fluid between the cryogenically cooled surface and the remote thermal load. The cryogenic fluid transport device advantageously serves as device for providing the necessary mechanical force necessary to move the heat transfer fluid from the cryogenically cooled surface (e.g., end of a cryocooler) to the remote thermal load. Thus, unlike conventional cooling arrangements the heat transfer fluid does not require a phase change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: American Superconductor Corporation
    Inventors: James F. Maguire, Peter M. Winn, Ahmed Sidi-Yekhlef, Jie Yuan
  • Patent number: 6626008
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing low purity oxygen from an auxiliary column to a double column system wherein the auxiliary column is reboiled by fluid taken from an intermediate level of the higher pressure column or by a portion of cooled feed air which is cold compressed to a higher pressure prior to the reboiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Minish Mahendra Shah
  • Patent number: 6622520
    Abstract: A cryogenic rectification system for producing low purity oxygen from an auxiliary column to a double column system and which can also effectively produce nitrogen gas product and/or one or more liquid products wherein the lower pressure column of the double column system is reboiled in part by turboexpanded shelf vapor which is condensed in an intermediate reboiler and preferably subcooled prior to passage into the lower pressure column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Mark Prosser, Minish Mahendra Shah
  • Patent number: 6622509
    Abstract: A chilled water supply system for a refrigerator is provided. The system includes a water storage tank comprising an outlet leg, and a filter media disposed within said outlet leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Anthony Stich, Jimmy Nelson Knight
  • Patent number: 6619046
    Abstract: The pulse tube 59 of a pulse tube refrigerator is equipped with a thin liner 80 of low thermal mass and in poor thermal contact with pulse tube 59. One surface of liner 80 may be furnished with indented recesses 86, making the recessed portions of the liner thinner than the remainder of the material of liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Inventor: Matthew P. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 6619066
    Abstract: A heat pump system for cooling (refrigeration) or heating is provided by employing a combination of natural media such as ammonia and CO2. The heat pump system (1) combines an ammonia cycle (2) and a CO2 cycle (3), and the CO2 medium in the CO2 cycle (3) is circulated, by natural circulation due to a difference of fluid heads of the CO2 medium in the cycle without the necessity of incorporating a compressor, and by partial heating or cooling of the cycle. The structural elements of the ammonia cycle (2) are located away from the devices for the desired refrigeration and heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kaneo
  • Patent number: 6619049
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a temperature-maintaing material includes the steps of (1) selecting a phase-change substance, (2) processing the phase-change substance to form a liquid, (3) processing the phase-change substance with high molecule material to form microcapsules, (4) drying the microcapsules, (5) mixing the microcapsules with adhesive and hardening agent to form a mixture and (6) melting, cooling down and pulverizing the mixture for further processing to form a coating on an object or a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Cheng Loong Corporation
    Inventor: Chieh-Jen Wu