Patents Examined by Robert H. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6958085
    Abstract: An immobilized liquid membrane has a substrate. A plurality of capsules is disposed on the substrate. Each of the capsules is permeable to a first gas of a mixture of gasses comprising the first gas and a second gas. Each of the capsules is substantially impermeable to the second gas. A liquid is disposed in each of the capsules that is permeable to the first gas and substantially impermeable to the second gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Clyde F. Parrish
  • Patent number: 6955713
    Abstract: A device for enriching air with oxygen by pressure swing adsorption in a molecular sieve bed provides for the separation of water from the air to be enriched with oxygen. The water separator is arranged directly upstream of the molecular sieve bed (8). The water separator is designed as a cyclone type water separator (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Dräger Aerospace GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Rittner, Rüdiger Meckes
  • Patent number: 6955711
    Abstract: Component contained in a gas mixture can be separated based on a PSA method and recovered with high purities at the same time, the system is simple, the system cost is low, and the operation is easy and may be used for separating oxygen and nitrogen from air or for separating noble gases and nitrogen from a gas mixture containing noble gases and nitrogen, and obtaining each gas as a product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Kawai, Akihiro Nakamura, Tatsuya Hidano
  • Patent number: 6955696
    Abstract: A filter frame including a panel having a plurality of V-shaped elements disposed on the first side thereof. Each V-shaped element includes a pair of slots each configured to receive and orient a filter element. A portion of the panel disposed between adjacent pairs of V-shaped elements has an opening form therein to define a handle for carrying the filter frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Filtration Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence H. Ost, Brandon H. Ost, Hershel E. Beck, Philip J. Winters
  • Patent number: 6955710
    Abstract: Method and system on board an aircraft for the production of an oxygen-enriched gas stream from an oxygen/nitrogen gas mixture, particularly air, comprising at least one adsorber containing at least one adsorbent for adsorbing at least some of the nitrogen molecules contained in the oxygen/nitrogen feed mixture, characterized in that the adsorbent comprises a faujasite-type zeolite, having a Si/Al ratio of 1 to 1.50, exchanged to at least 80% with lithium cations. Aircraft equipped with such a system, in particular an airliner, especially an airliner of the long-range, large-capacity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et, l 'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Stéphane Lessi, Richard Zapata, Jean-Michel Cazenave, Jean Dehayes
  • Patent number: 6955700
    Abstract: A fluid filter is provided with a snap-together housing for the filter media. The housing is designed with two main parts that are easily snapped together to encapsulate the filter media. The filter housing is substantially cylindrical, and contains an inlet on one end of the filter and an outlet on the opposing end. The filter can be designed so as to be opened for the replacement of the filter media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Hemerus Medical, LLC
    Inventors: Majid Zia, Anthony J. Angelo, Craig M. Wilson
  • Patent number: 6955709
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method and apparatus for vaporization injection of large volumes of liquid sample (substance to be analysed+solvent) introduced by a syringe needle into a heated vaporization chamber which is part of an injector coupled operatively to a device for gas chromatographic analysis. The sample is sent in the form of a liquid band traveling through the vaporization chamber at high speed until it reaches a stopping and vaporization device positioned adjacent to the inlet of a capillary to collect the vapors. In order to inject large volumes without modifying the vaporization chamber and without partial losses of the samples, the sample vapors, in splitless mode, are drawn up from the vaporization chamber into the capillary by virtue of the local action of volume contraction caused by recondensation of at least the solvent vapors in the capillary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Thermo Electron S.p.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Magni
  • Patent number: 6953497
    Abstract: Hydrogen purification devices, components thereof, and fuel processors and fuel cell system containing the same. The hydrogen purification devices include an enclosure that contains a separation assembly adapted to receive a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen gas and to produce a stream that contains pure or at least substantially pure hydrogen gas therefrom. The separation assembly includes at least one hydrogen-permeable and/or hydrogen-selective membrane. The device components that are formed from materials having similar or the same coefficients of thermal expansion as the at least one membrane and/or which are formed from an alloy comprising nickel and copper. In some embodiments, these components include at least a portion of a support for the at least one membrane, and in some embodiments, these components include at least a portion of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: IdaTech, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Edlund, Charles R. Hill, William A. Pledger, R. Todd Studebaker
  • Patent number: 6953498
    Abstract: An adsorption gas dryer has a first drying tower and a second drying tower each having a first port and a second port through which gas can pass into or out of the tower, a first manifold and a second manifold connected respectively to the first and the second ports of both towers, the manifolds each including integral gas passages, each port of the towers being in communication with a gas passage, and the manifolds each including at least one integral valve seat upon which a valve actuator is mounted to constitute a valve for controlling flow of gas through the gas passages, wherein the second manifold has two exhaust valves for controlling purge gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Walker Filtration Limited
    Inventors: Brian Walker, Richard Lawrence Taggart
  • Patent number: 6953494
    Abstract: A method for removing mercury and mercury-containing compounds from a combustion gas in an exhaust gas system has the steps of providing a mercury sorbent; injecting the mercury sorbent into a stream of the mercury-containing combustion gas for a sufficient time to allow at least an effective amount of the mercury and mercury-containing compounds in the combustion gas to adsorb onto the mercury sorbent, and collecting and removing the mercury sorbent from the combustion gas stream. The mercury sorbent is prepared by treating a carbonaceous substrate with an effective amount of a bromine-containing gas, especially one containing elemental bromine or hydrogen bromide, for a time sufficient to increase the ability of the carbonaceous substrate to adsorb mercury and mercury-containing compounds. The points of injecting and collecting and removing the mercury sorbent may be varied, depending upon the exact configuration of the exhaust gas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Inventor: Sidney G. Nelson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6953492
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for providing purified natural gas wherein a natural gas feed mixture of hydrocarbons, nitrogen, and other permeable gases is provided to a semi-permeable membrane separator having a relatively higher selectivity for methane and other hydrocarbons and a relatively lower selectivity for nitrogen, to thereby provide a gaseous permeate product enriched in hydrocarbons and diminished in nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Enerfex, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard A. Callahan
  • Patent number: 6953493
    Abstract: This invention provides a DDR type zeolite membrane, characterized in that it is formed as a membrane on a substrate and its main component is silica, and that each single gas permeance at room temperature and 100° C. are different, respectively among at least two types of gases selected from a group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), normal butane (n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), propylene (C3H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen monoxide (NO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Nakayama, Kenji Suzuki, Manabu Yoshida, Kenji Yajima, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 6951581
    Abstract: An air dryer assembly for removing moisture and oil from a compressed air system includes a desiccant material received in a shell for adsorbing moisture as compressed air passes therethrough. A coalescing element is disposed between an inlet and outlet for removing oil aerosols from the compressed air. A check valve is disposed in parallel with the coalescing element and forces the compressed air to pass through the coalescing element as air flows from the inlet to the outlet. During a purge or reverse flow, compressed air bypasses the coalescing element and removes oil collected in the cartridge through the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: William P. Fornof, James P. Koenig, Leonard Quinn
  • Patent number: 6949133
    Abstract: A compact and highly portable combination pressure swing adsorption apparatus and product gas conservation device for medical use, to produce efficiently a gas with a high concentration of oxygen and to deliver the oxygen concentrated gas to a user at selectable times and in selectable doses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: AirSep Corporation
    Inventors: Norman R. McCombs, Robert E. Casey, Michael A. Chimiak, Andrezj Klimaszewski
  • Patent number: 6946020
    Abstract: A compact hydrogen purification module capable of affording high-grade purified hydrogen, easy assembly and easy control of size is disclosed. The module includes a plurality of unit cells. Each of the unit cells includes two metal membranes permeable only by hydrogen, a metal support ring attached between the metal membranes by diffusion bonding to support the metal membranes, and having a radial hole to allow hydrogen to flow therethrough, a porous plate disposed between the metal membranes to allow the hydrogen to flow therethrough, and a fitting coupled to the metal support ring and having a hole communicating with the hole of the metal support ring to allow the hydrogen to flow therethrough. The individual fittings are connected to each other so that hydrogen collected in the individual fittings is discharged through a hydrogen product line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: SK Corporation
    Inventors: Jae-Sung Han, Il-Su Kim, Keun-Seob Choi
  • Patent number: 6946016
    Abstract: Contemplated configurations and methods include a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption unit that receives a feed gas comprising a hydrogen production stream and a non-recycled hydrogen-containing waste stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Satish Reddy
  • Patent number: 6946015
    Abstract: A cross-linked, supported polybenzimidazole membrane for gas separation is prepared by layering a solution of polybenzimidazole (PBI) and ?,??dibromo-p-xylene onto a porous support and evaporating solvent. A supported membrane of cross-linked poly-2,2?-(m-phenylene)-5,5?-bibenzimidazole unexpectedly exhibits an enhanced gas permeability compared to the non-cross linked analog at temperatures over 265° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Betty S. Jorgensen, Jennifer S. Young, Brent F. Espinoza
  • Patent number: 6942719
    Abstract: Methods and systems for pressure swing absorption for hydrogen generation are presented. In one embodiment, a method includes absorbing at least one oxide of carbon with a pressure swing absorber from a steam reformation of methane. The steam reformation may occur at an ambient pressure in excess of 300 psia and at an ambient temperature in excess of 600° centigrade. The steam reformation of methane produces a stream of product gas. The steam reformation of methane is interrupted allowing the regenerating of the pressure swing absorber at an ambient pressure of less than 10 psia and at an ambient temperature sufficient to calcine the pressure swing absorber to exude carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Albert E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 6942721
    Abstract: Disclosed is a canister for a motor vehicle. A liquid trap provided to an upper surface of a canister body is formed to have a circular configuration. A plurality of intake pipe nozzles are connected at an angle to a guide pipe which is installed through a center portion of the liquid trap, such that the intake pipe nozzles extending in a radial direction are separated one from another by a predetermined angle along a circumferential direction. A bottom wall of the liquid trap is formed such that an upper surface of the bottom wall is inclined downward from a center portion thereof toward an edge portion thereof. A diffusion device is disposed directly below the liquid trap to uniformly distribute evaporated gas to be introduced into the canister body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Korea Fuel-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Won-suk Oh, Ki-kyung Bea, Hyun-ki Kim
  • Patent number: 6942718
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a system for separating gas and liquid phases from a mixed phase system is provided. Furthermore, the present invention provides for the reliable separation of liquid and gas phases, regardless of the orientation of the system with respect to a gravitational field, and in low or zero gravity environments. The system of the present invention generally provides a reservoir having a variable volume that is formed from a gas permeable, hydrophobic, microporous, polymer material. Material confined within the reservoir is maintained under pressure, to expel any gases introduced to the interior of the reservoir as part of a mixed phase inlet stream. The liquid phase component of the mixed phase inlet stream may be removed from the reservoir through an outlet located within the reservoir volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Schmidt