Patents Examined by Paul Wartalowicz
  • Patent number: 9987699
    Abstract: A method and system for electrochemically machining a hollow body of a metal or a metal alloy. An electrode is positioned within a hollow body including a metal or metal alloy, where the hollow body has a variable internal diameter. The hollow body is oriented vertically, with the electrode oriented vertically therein. The hollow body is at least partially filled with an aqueous, acidic electrolyte solution, the electrolyte solution being devoid of hydrofluoric acid and having a viscosity less than 15 cP. An electric current is passed between the hollow body and the electrode, where the electric current includes a plurality of anodic pulses and a plurality of cathodic pulses, and where the cathodic pulses are interposed between at least some of the anodic pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: FARADAY TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: E. Jennings Taylor, Maria E. Inman, Timothy Hall
  • Patent number: 9981236
    Abstract: A process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises partially oxidizing a feedgas comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of steam to form a partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture at a temperature >1200° C. and passing the resultant partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, wherein the bed comprises a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a catalytically active metal on an oxidic support wherein the oxidic support for the first layer is a zirconia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
    Inventors: Peter William Farnell, Martin Fowles
  • Patent number: 9972423
    Abstract: Reinforced materials for high temperature superconducting tape. More specifically reinforcement materials for significantly reducing the amount of required reinforcement and attaining much higher stress tolerances at practical conductor dimensions are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SOLID MATERIAL SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Otto, Kouhei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9950315
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process and catalyst for the production of synthesis gas (a mixture of CO and H2) by reforming of methane with carbon dioxide. The process provides a direct single step selective vapor phase dry reforming of methane with carbon dioxide to produce synthesis gas over Ni—MgO—ZnO catalyst between temperature range of 600° C. to 800° C. at 1 atmospheric pressure. The process provides a methane conversion of 5-95% with H2 to CO mole ratio of 0.83-1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
    Inventors: Rajaram Bal, Rajib Kumar Singha, Chandrashekar Pendem, Laxmi Narayan Siva Kumar Konathala, Ankur Bordoloi, Sandeep Saran
  • Patent number: 9947441
    Abstract: An integrated superconductor device may include a substrate base and an intermediate layer disposed on the substrate base and comprising a preferred crystallographic orientation. The integrated superconductor device may further include an oriented superconductor layer disposed on the intermediate layer and a conductive strip disposed on a portion of the oriented superconductor layer, The conductive strip may define a superconductor region of the oriented superconductor layer thereunder, and an exposed region of the oriented superconductor layer adjacent the superconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Connie P. Wang, Paul Murphy, Paul Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9941032
    Abstract: Provided is a low-resistance connection body for a high-temperature superconducting wire, in which a high-temperature superconducting bulk body and a high-temperature superconducting wire including a high-temperature superconducting layer are connected to each other, wherein a melting point of the high-temperature superconducting layer is higher than a melting point of the high-temperature superconducting bulk body; the high-temperature superconducting layer and the high-temperature superconducting bulk body are in contact at a connection site of the high-temperature superconducting wire and the high-temperature superconducting bulk body; and a surface of the high-temperature superconducting bulk body that is in contact with the high-temperature superconducting layer is crystallized due to crystal growth. Two high-temperature superconducting wires can be connected, with low resistance, through connection of the two high-temperature superconducting wires to one high-temperature superconducting bulk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Riken
    Inventors: Xinzhe Jin, Hideaki Maeda, Yoshinori Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 9911910
    Abstract: In one embodiment a superconductor tape includes a substrate comprising a plurality of layers, an oriented superconductor layer disposed on the substrate, and an alloy coating disposed upon the superconductor layer, the alloy coating comprising one or more metallic layers in which at least one metallic layer comprises a metal alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Connie P. Wang, Paul Sullivan, Paul Murphy, Kasegn D. Tekletsadik, Bharatwaj Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9903898
    Abstract: A thermal poling method in which a poling treatment can be performed easily by a dry process. The poling treatment is performed on a PZT film by performing a heat treatment on the PZT film under a pressurized oxygen atmosphere at a temperature of 400° C. or more and 900° C. or less. The PZT film before the heat treatment has a single-domain crystal structure, and the PZT film after the heat treatment has a multi-domain crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: YOUTEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kijima, Yuuji Honda, Takekazu Shigenai, Hiroyuki Ogihara
  • Patent number: 9896333
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the production of hydrogen from a hydrocarbon feedstock and steam comprising: A stage for the production of a synthesis gas in a unit for the steam-reforming of the hydrocarbon feedstock, A stage for shift conversion with steam of the synthesis gas that is obtained in the preceding stage producing a hydrogen stream that contains methane and carbon dioxide, A stage for recovering carbon dioxide and methane, present in the stream that is obtained in the shift conversion stage, in the form of hydrates that produce a stream of pure hydrogen, A stage for regeneration of methane, A stage for recycling methane to steam reforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventors: Pierre Antoine Bouillon, Raphael Huyghe, Rafael Lugo, Fabrice Giroudiere
  • Patent number: 9892827
    Abstract: An MOCVD system fabricates high quality superconductor tapes with variable thicknesses. The MOCVD system can include a gas flow chamber between two parallel channels in a housing. A substrate tape is heated and then passed through the MOCVD housing such that the gas flow is perpendicular to the tape's surface. Precursors are injected into the gas flow for deposition on the substrate tape. In this way, superconductor tapes can be fabricated with variable thicknesses, uniform precursor deposition, and high critical current densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Inventors: Goran Majkic, Venkat Selvamanickam
  • Patent number: 9887342
    Abstract: A method of forming a superconductor includes exposing a layer disposed on a substrate to an oxygen ambient, and selectively annealing a portion of the layer to form a superconducting region within the layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Connie P. Wang, Paul Murphy, Paul Sullivan, Sukti Chatterjee
  • Patent number: 9882113
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of gallium beam lithography to form superconductive structures. Generally, the method includes exposing a surface to gallium to form an implanted region and then removing material adjacent to and/or below that implanted region. In particular embodiments, the methods herein provide microstructures and nanostructures in any useful substrate, such as those including niobium, tantalum, tungsten, or titanium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Michael David Henry, Rupert M. Lewis
  • Patent number: 9875833
    Abstract: A superconducting coil device includes at least one coil winding, including at least one first and one second superconducting strip conductor, the first and second strip conductors each having a superconducting layer and a contact side provided with a contact layer; at least one first contact electrically connecting the contact side of the first strip conductor to an external circuit via a first contact piece; at least one second contact electrically connecting the contact side of the second strip conductor to the external circuit via a second contact piece; and a third contact electrically connecting the first and second strip conductors via the contact layer of the first and the second strip conductor within the coil winding, wherein the contact side of the first strip conductor has a different orientation relative to a center of the coil winding than the contact side of second strip conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Michael Frank, Jörn Grundmann, Wolfgang Nick, Marijn Pieter Oomen, Peter Van Hasselt
  • Patent number: 9862610
    Abstract: Methods and systems for converting a biomass and biogenic wastes to hydrogen with integrated carbon dioxide capture and storage are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: mixing at least one of a dry solid or liquid or liquid hydroxide and catalysts with a biomass to form a biomass mixture; heating the biomass mixture until the hydroxide and the biomass react to produce hydrogen, carbonate, biochar, and potentially fertilizer; calcining the carbonate or performing double replacement reactions of the carbonate to produce sequestration-ready carbon dioxide and a hydroxide; storing the carbon dioxide produced; transferring the hydrogen produced to a fuel cell; and generating electricity with the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Thomas E. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9859046
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for fabricating a high-strength Superconducting cable comprises pre-oxidizing at least one high-strength alloy wire, coating at least one Superconducting wire with a protective layer, and winding the high-strength alloy wire and the Superconducting wire to form a high-strength Superconducting cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Fermi Research Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: Tengming Shen
  • Patent number: 9850569
    Abstract: A method of forming a superconductor tape, includes depositing a superconductor layer on a substrate, forming a metal layer comprising a first metal on a surface of the superconductor layer, and implanting an alloy species into the metal layer where the first metal forms a metal alloy after the implanting the alloy species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Connie P. Wang, Paul Murphy, Paul Sullivan, Ludovic Godet, Frank Sinclair, Morgan Evans
  • Patent number: 9845240
    Abstract: A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Chandran, Daniel Michael Leo, Shawn Robert Freitas, Dave G. Newport, Hamilton Sean Michael Whitney, Daniel A. Burciaga
  • Patent number: 9837190
    Abstract: In a method for forming joints between MgB2 filaments of superconducting wires, the MgB2 filaments from the wires to be joined are exposed, and the exposed filaments are then exposed to a mixture of magnesium powder and boron powder in a furnace, and the MgB2 filaments and the magnesium and boron powders are pressed together in the furnace. The MgB2 filaments and the magnesium and the boron powders in the furnace are heated, and oxygen that is present within the furnace is preferentially trapped, and thus removed from the joint, by providing titanium within the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Limited
    Inventor: M'Hamed Lakrimi
  • Patent number: 9822003
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for molten slag gasification of solid fuels in a molten slag gasifier with increased output, an increased range of solid fuels that can be used and improved gas quality. The process is conducted such that, by means of a molten slag gasifier comprising a feed of the coarse-grained solid fuels and comprising a gas takeoff, both at the head of the molten slag gasifier, comprising a slag bath and comprising a slag bath takeoff at the bottom of the molten slag gasifier, comprising a feed for first gasifying means by means of gasifying means nozzles above the slag bath, comprising a filling of the fixed bed above the slag bath, in addition to the first gasifying means a second gasifying means are injected by way of at least one gasifying means nozzle that reaches into the upper region of the fixed bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Envirotherm GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Meyer, Martin Gräbner
  • Patent number: 9812233
    Abstract: A superconducting oxide thin film includes a superconducting layer formed on a supporting material. The superconducting layer includes an RE-based superconductor as a main component, and the RE-based superconductor includes a CuO chain that has a Cu vacancy portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Sasaki, Hajime Kasahara, Kengo Nakao, Masakazu Matsui