Patents Examined by Pankti Patel
  • Patent number: 8551222
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating a fluid and treating a combustion products waste stream includes two or more nozzles discharging into a mixing chamber, and an outlet of the mixing chamber discharging to a gas-liquid separator. A liquid output of the gas-liquid separator may be treated to remove carbonaceous or other impurities. The nozzles may include an annular nozzle, Fisenko nozzle, and/or Laval nozzle arranged in a transonic jet module. A heated input liquid may be accelerated to sonic velocity in a main nozzle, causing boiling due to pressure drop prior to mixing with a combustion product stream in the mixing chamber. Heat may be recovered from a mixture discharged from the mixing chamber. Carbonic, sulfuric, or other combustion impurities may be captured by dissolving in water or other solvent in the transonic jet module and then recovered or otherwise used in a liquid stream from the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Fisonic Holding Limited
    Inventor: Vladimir Vladimirovich Fisenko
  • Patent number: 8540787
    Abstract: A filter element has a reinforcement band or ring along at least a portion of the perimeter thereof and performing a support function thereat preventing or minimizing damage upon attempted percussive cleaning of the filter element by service personnel striking the perimeter against an impact surface. Alternatively, a failure band or ring is provided along at least a portion of the perimeter and performs a designated failure function to a failure condition thereat upon attempted percussive cleaning, with the failure condition providing at least one of: a) an indication to service personnel that the filter element has been damaged and should not be re-installed; and b) a deformed condition preventing re-installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Cummins Filtration IP Inc.
    Inventors: Scott P. Heckel, Roger L. Zoch, Kelly Ann Detra, Guillermo Alberto Smith, Matthew T. VandenBush, Pathikrit T. Banerjee, Caryn J. Kindkeppel
  • Patent number: 8540804
    Abstract: Methods for removing sulfur from a gas stream prior to sending the gas stream to a gas separation membrane system are provided. Two schemes are available. When the sulfur content is high or flow is relatively high, a scheme including two columns where one tower is regenerated if the sulfur concentration exceeds a preset value can be used. When the sulfur content is low or flow is relatively low, a scheme including one column and an absorption bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Milind M. Vaidya, Jean-Pierre R. Ballaguet, Sebastien A. Duval, Anwar H. Khawajah
  • Patent number: 8535425
    Abstract: A separation and scrubbing system for exhaust gases includes a plurality of industrial discharge outlets, a separation unit, pipelines to direct exhaust gases from the industrial discharge outlets to the separation unit and pipelines to return treated exhaust gases to stacks corresponding to the industrial discharge outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventors: Quinn D. Rebryna, Ron E. Cookson
  • Patent number: 8535429
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the treat en of process gas from an anaerobic digestion system or a landfill gas system. In one embodiment, the system comprises a caustic scrubber including a vertical column having a top and a bottom and including a counter current flow system, wherein a process gas stream flows up vertically through the column in counter current flow to a caustic liquid solution that flows downward through the column. The caustic liquid solution removes at least one acid from the process gas stream, wherein treated gas that is substantially free of acids bubbles out through an opening at the top of the vertical column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Clean Energy Renewable Fuels, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Grill
  • Patent number: 8535428
    Abstract: To include an absorber (1006) that brings CO2 absorbent that absorbs CO2 contained in flue gas (1002) into contact with the flue gas to remove CO2 from the flue gas, a regenerator (1008) that strips CO2 from CO2 absorbent (rich solution), which is fed from the absorber through a first feed line L1 and has absorbed CO2, to regenerate CO2 absorbent, thereby acquiring regenerated CO2 absorbent (lean solution) (1009), falling film reboilers (1101-1 and 1101-2) that draw off CO2 absorbent (amine solution) (1033) from near the bottom of the regenerator and reheats regenerated CO2 absorbent via steam (1031), a first liquid-vapor separator (1103) that separates the CO2 absorbent reheated by the falling film reboilers into regenerated CO2 absorbent in which CO2 has been removed and vapor containing CO2, and a second feed line L2 for supplying the separated regenerated CO2 absorbent to the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsufumi Inoue, Takashi Kamijo, Tsuyoshi Oishi, Takahito Yonekawa, Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8535418
    Abstract: A method of removing gaseous byproducts from a gas stream includes generating via at least one partial-combustion device a gas stream that includes gaseous byproducts. The method also includes channeling the gas stream from the at least one partial-combustion device to a fluid compression device that is configured to increase a pressure of the gas stream. The method further includes channeling the gas stream to a gaseous byproducts removal system to absorb at least a portion of the gaseous byproducts from the gas stream using a solvent. The method also includes discharging at least a portion of the gaseous byproducts from the gaseous byproducts removal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Asiff Apdul Supahan, Ganesh Prasadh Kidambi, Rajalakshmi Vengadasamy, Richard A. DePuy
  • Patent number: 8523985
    Abstract: In a bubble-column vapor mixture condenser, a fluid source supplies a carrier-gas stream including a condensable fluid in vapor phase. The condensable fluid in liquid form is contained as a bath in a chamber in each stage of the condenser, and the carrier gas is bubbled through the bath to condense the fluid into the bath. Energy from condensation is recovered to a liquid composition in a conduit that passes through the liquid in the stages of the condenser. The bubble-column vapor mixture condenser can be used, e.g., in a humidification-dehumidification system for purifying a liquid, such as water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Prakash Narayan Govindan, Gregory P. Thiel, Ronan K. McGovern, John H. Lienhard, Mostafa H. Elsharqawy
  • Patent number: 8523979
    Abstract: A process for removing acid gases from a fluid stream in which a) the fluid stream is treated with an absorption liquid which comprises at least one amine, a stripping aid, and water, wherein the stripping aid is selected from water-miscible liquids, the boiling temperature of which at atmospheric pressure is lower than that of water, b) the treated fluid stream is treated with a liquid aqueous phase in order to convert entrained stripping aid at least in part to the aqueous phase, c) the loaded aqueous phase is heated in order to expel the stripping aid at least in part, and d) the regenerated aqueous phase is cooled and at least in part recycled to step b). The stripping aid promotes the regeneration of the absorbent by stripping. Emissions of the stripping aid via the treated fluid stream are avoided by the treated fluid stream being scrubbed with a liquid aqueous phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Hugo Rafael Garcia Andarcia, Ralf Notz, Georg Sieder, Oliver Spuhl, Hans Hasse, Inga Toennies, Sebastian Hoch, Hari Prasad Mangalapally
  • Patent number: 8523987
    Abstract: A dust arrester includes a housing with air inlet and air outlet, wherein the ambient air containing dust particles can be introduced into the housing via the air inlet and discharged from the housing via the air outlet. The dust arrester further includes a water trough placed in the bottom of the housing and a chaos effect generator including a nozzle and a material. The nozzle can spray water supplied from the water trough. The water sprayed interacts with the material to generate a chaos condition, so that the dust particles can be removed from the introduced air under the chaos condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Yau Lee Innovative Technology Limited
    Inventor: Wong Tin Cheung
  • Patent number: 8523978
    Abstract: A method of deacidizing a gaseous effluent comprising acid compounds where the gaseous effluent is contacted in C1 with an adsorbent solution so as to obtain a gaseous effluent depleted in acid compounds and an absorbent solution laden with acid compounds, the absorbent solution being selected for its property of forming two separable phases when it has absorbed an amount of acid compounds and when it is heated. The absorbent solution laden with acid compounds is then heated in E1 and E3 so as to separate two fractions: a first absorbent solution fraction depleted in acid compounds and a second absorbent solution fraction enriched in acid compounds. These two fractions are then separated in BS1. The second fraction is regenerated in C2 so as to release part of the acid compounds, and the first absorbent solution fraction and the regenerated absorbent solution are recycled as absorbent solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Alexandre Rojey, Renaud Cadours, Pierre-Louis Carrette, Pierre Boucot
  • Patent number: 8518156
    Abstract: A process and system (100) for removing contaminants from a solution to regenerate the solution within the system. The process includes providing a solution (165) from a wash vessel (160) to a stripping column (181), the solution (165) including contaminants removed from a flue gas stream (150) present in the wash vessel (160) and contacting the solution with steam (185) inside the stripping column (181) thereby removing the contaminants from the solution and regenerating the solution. The stripping column (181) is operated at a pressure less than about 700 kilopascal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Frederic Z. Kozak, Arlyn V. Petig, Ritesh Agarwal, Rameshwar S. Hiwale
  • Patent number: 8512448
    Abstract: A multi-stage scrubbing system comprises a pre-scrubber system structured to receive a vent stream therein and pre-scrub the vent stream with a pre-scrubber fluid. The pre-scrubber system includes a first outlet for discharging a pre-scrubbed vent stream and a second outlet for discharging a discharge stream of pre-scrubber fluid. A main scrubber system is fluidly coupled to the first outlet of the pre-scrubber system for receiving and further scrubbing the pre-scrubbed vent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Integroenergy Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel W. Sonnek, Gregory W. Loest
  • Patent number: 8505884
    Abstract: A packing structure according to the invention for a fluid contacting column forms a volume comprising an ordered arrangement of bundles of tubes of diameter ranging between 5 and 50 mm. The walls of the tubes comprise orifices which promote circulation and mixes fluids in the structure. The orifices are inscribed in rectangles whose sides range between 2 and 45 mm, and each one of the orifices extends over a surface area greater than 2 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignees: IFP Energies nouvelles, Snecma Propulsion Solide
    Inventors: Pascal Alix, Rémi Bessettes, Charles Dumont, Jean-Pierre Maumus, Ludovic Raynal
  • Patent number: 8500893
    Abstract: This invention involves a marine ship flue gas scrubbing equipment and scrubbing method. The equipment includes a shell with an upper scrubbing section and a water tank in the lower section. A smoke pipe leads in exhaust gas to an area between the scrubbing section and water tank. Scrubbing seawater is injected through an inlet above the scrubbing section, and a cooler is located along the pathway of the exhaust gas. The method of scrubbing includes leading-in exhaust gas, cooling the exhaust gas, injecting scrubbing seawater, performing scrubbing operation, and discharging clean gas. Embodiments of the invention provide a highly efficient scrubbing equipment and method suitable for high-temperature exhaust gas within a limited usable space. The methods and equipment are highly effective for emission reduction, has low energy consumption, small size, and long life performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Sigan Peng
  • Patent number: 8500891
    Abstract: A system and process for capturing CO2 100 is disclosed. The process 100 includes reusing heat from a CO2 compression process 120 by providing the heat to a fuel treatment process 130. The heat may used to dry a fossil fuel to improve the efficiency of the fossil fuel combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: John Oliver Butler, Rasesh R. Kotdawala
  • Patent number: 8500865
    Abstract: The gaseous effluent to be treated is contacted in C1 with an absorbent solution selected for its property of forming two separable phases when it has absorbed an amount of acid compounds and when it is heated. According to the invention, the absorbent solution is regenerated in at least two stages in regeneration zones Z1 and Z2. At the end of the first regeneration stage in Z1, at least part of the partly regenerated absorbent solution is separated into two fractions in B1: a fraction rich in acid compounds and a fraction depleted in acid compounds. Fraction 10 rich in acid compounds is sent to the second regeneration stage in Z2. The fraction depleted in acid compounds and regenerated absorbent solution 6 from the second regeneration stage are recycled to absorption column C1. The method can be applied to combustion fumes decarbonation and to natural gas or synthesis gas deacidizing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: IFP
    Inventors: Pierre-Antoine Bouillon, Marc Jacquin, Alain Methivier
  • Patent number: 8500894
    Abstract: A method of mixing an oxygen gas with a hydrocarbon-containing gas includes the steps of wet scrubbing the oxygen gas in a wet scrubber, supplying oxygen gas from the wet scrubber to a gas mixer and mixing the oxygen gas with the hydrocarbon-containing gas in the gas mixer. Wet scrubbers for use in the method may take various forms, including packed-tower, bubble cap, and sparger-type wet scrubbers. The removal of the particulate matter reduces the risk of ignition of the hydrocarbon-containing gas in the gas mixer. The use of a wet scrubber in the oxygen supply line overcomes many problems currently faced with screen and filters, as per current practice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Dow Technology Investments LLC
    Inventors: Harvey E. Andresen, Christopher P. Christenson, Charles W. Lipp, John R. Mayer, Thomas J. Kling, Victor R. Fey, Laurence G. Britton, Michael J. Rangitsch, Michael L. Hutchison
  • Patent number: 8491712
    Abstract: A dehydration system is provided. The dehydration system includes an absorber configured to produce a dry gas and a rich solvent from a wet gas and from a pure solvent and a flash drum coupled in flow communication with the absorber for receiving the rich solvent discharged from the absorber. The flash drum is configured to produce flash gas from the rich solvent. The dehydration further includes a reboiler configured to produce a semi-lean solvent from the rich solvent and an inert gas system configured to strip the semi-lean solvent using at least the flash gas to produce the pure solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ganesh Prasadh Kidambi, Sachin Naphad, Rajesh Vaddi
  • Patent number: 8480790
    Abstract: Method of producing syngas in an IGCC system, comprising compressing and heating carbon dioxide-rich gas to produce heated compressed carbon dioxide-rich gas, mixing the heated compressed carbon dioxide-rich gas with oxygen and feedstock to form a feedstock mixture, subjecting the feedstock mixture to gasification to produce syngas, cooling the syngas in a radiant syngas cooler, contacting syngas cooled in the radiant syngas cooler with compressed carbon dioxide-rich gas to further cool the syngas, and removing an amount of carbon dioxide-rich gas from the product mixture and compressing the removed carbon dioxide-rich gas prior to mixing with oxygen and feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Duckett Winter, Paul Steven Wallace, George Gulko, Pradeep S. Thacker