Patents Examined by Robert Spitzer
  • Patent number: 6071327
    Abstract: A method of separating iodine gas by passing a phase containing iodine gas through a hydrophobic separation membrane containing pores having a pore diameter of 1 nm to 60 .mu.m, retaining iodine gas on the upstream side of the flow of the phase in the separation membrane, and removing the phase from which iodine gas has been removed from the downstream side of the separation membrane. In addition, a membrane that is impermeable to water but permeable to steam is used in combination with this separation membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kouetsu Hibino
  • Patent number: 6071328
    Abstract: The device comprises an adsorber (1) and three outlet capacities (2-4), first (8, 9) and second (10, 11) structure to establish bidirectional communication between the adsorber and the elution capacity (2) and the repressurization capacity (3), respectively, and third structure (14A, 15; 16) to establish unidirectional communication from the adsorber to the production capacity (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Pierre Petit, Philippe Andreani, Christian Monereau
  • Patent number: 6068680
    Abstract: A rapid pressure swing adsorption oxygen concentrator is provided having a plurality of at least three sieve beds cycled in sequence such that each is pressurized during one segment of a cycle and depressurized during a plurality of segments of a cycle while the other sieve beds are being sequentially pressurized. Preferably, approximately six sieves are provided and pressurized in sequence, with each being pressurized for approximately 60.degree. of the cycle and depressurized for from about 270.degree. to 300.degree. of the cycle. Each sieve is thereby pressurized for about one to two seconds and depressurized for about five to ten seconds. By utilizing the ability of the sieve material to adsorb faster than it can desorb gas, high output of up to 96% pure oxygen results with a low sieve volume and low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Impact MST, Incorporated
    Inventors: Stanley Kulish, Robert P. Swank
  • Patent number: 6066192
    Abstract: A method of treating a gaseous hydrocarbon contained in waste gas by using adsorbent layers of single-tower or multi-tower configuration is characterized in that (1) double-cylinder type or multi-cylinder type adsorption apparatus, in which each adsorbent layer is indirectly cooled by cooling water, are employed as adsorption apparatus; (2) each adsorbent layer is a packed layer of one or more kinds of materials selected from activated carbon, synthetic zeolites and hydrophobic silica gel; (3) swing time required for switching between adsorption and desorption processes is set to 1 to 15 minutes; (4) each adsorbent layer is evacuated under vacuum while being purged by using part of clean gas evacuated from each adsorbent layer and/or air in the desorption process; and (5) the gaseous hydrocarbon is recovered from outflow purge gas. This method makes it possible to prevent abnormal temperature increase within each adsorbent layer and enhance the safety of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignees: Cosmo Engineering Co., Ltd., Idemitsu Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kawai Toshinaga, Tahara Hiroshi, Suzuki Kenithirou
  • Patent number: 6063166
    Abstract: A chromatograph includes an inlet for receiving a sample and a pressurized hydrogen gas flow and in response providing a sample/fluid mixture; a separation column located in a temperature-controlled zone for receiving the sample/fluid mixture and for providing a column effluent stream; a detector for receiving the effluent stream and for providing a detector output stream; and a gas storage system for receiving the detector output stream (and optionally a split flow and a septum purge flow in the instance of a split/splitless inlet) and for storing the received gas stream for subsequent reuse. In the preferred embodiments of the gas storage system, a plurality of metal hydride storage (MHS) systems are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: William H. Wilson
  • Patent number: 6063161
    Abstract: Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separation of a gas mixture is performed in an apparatus with a plurality of adsorbent beds. The invention provides rotary multiport distributor valves to control the timing sequence of the PSA cycle steps between the beds, with flow controls cooperating with the rotary distributor valves to control the volume rates of gas flows to and from the adsorbent beds in blowdown, purge, equalization and repressurization steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: SoFinoy Societte Financiere d'Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie Gordon Keefer, David George Doman
  • Patent number: 6059860
    Abstract: A sorptive article is provided. The sorptive article includes a polyolefin, a wax which is miscible with the polyolefin at the melt temperature of the polyolefin but phase separates on cooling of the article, and sorptive particles distributed in the article. Also provided is a method for removing moisture or other vaporous or liquid material from air or an object in the environment utilizing a novel sorptive article of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: James M. Larson
  • Patent number: 6059859
    Abstract: A process, composition and apparatus for the removal of water from moist non-corrosive gases (such as those containing oxygen or CO.sub.2) down to .ltoreq.10-20 ppb water concentration are described. The dehydrating agent is an oxide or salt of an electropositive metal and has a surface area of at least 140 m.sup.2 /g, preferably 140-500 m.sup.2 /g, is compatible with the gas, and preferably is capable of dehydrating such gases to .ltoreq.1 ppb, preferably to as low as 500 ppt. The electropositive metal will be a Group 3b, 4b or lanthanide metal or vanadium. The preferred agent is a high surface area titania, zirconia, yttria or vanadia, with titania most preferred. The dehydrating agent can be in the form of a pelleted or granular bulk material or a coating on or within the pores of a substrate. The agent is retained in a simple container which is easily installed in a gas supply line for the gas, such as to a gas- or vapor-deposition manufacturing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Aeronex, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Alvarez, Jr., Jeffrey J. Spiegelman
  • Patent number: 6056807
    Abstract: The present invention presents a fluid separation device capable of separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture which utilizes at least one solid-state membrane comprising a dense mixed conducting multicomponent metallic oxide layer formed from a mixed conducting multicomponent metallic oxide represented by the formulaLn.sub.x A'.sub.x A".sub.x B.sub.y B'.sub.y O.sub.3-z,wherein Ln is an element selected from the f block lanthanides, A' is selected from Group 2, A" is selected from Groups 1, 2 and 3 and the f block lanthanides, and B,B' are independently selected from the d block transition metals, excluding titanium and chromium, wherein 0.ltoreq.x<1, 0<x'.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.x"<1, 0<y<1.1, 0.ltoreq.y'<1.1,x+x'+x"=1.0, 1.1>y+y'>1.0 and z is a number which renders the compound charge neutral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Francis Carolan, Paul Nigel Dyer, Stephen Andrew Motika, Patrick Benjamin Alba
  • Patent number: 6053966
    Abstract: A heterogeneous adsorbent for the separation of gases, comprising particles of at least one zeolite containing at least one exchanged metal cation selected from monovalent, divalent and/or trivalent cations, the zeolite having an exchange-factor distribution of given mean having a standard deviation for the exchange-factor distribution of between about 0.3% and 5%, and a PSA, VSA or TSA process for separation of a gas flow, such as air, containing at least a first compound, such as nitrogen, which is adsorbed preferentially on the heterogeneous adsorbent, and at least a second compound, such as oxygen, which is less preferentially adsorbed on the heterogeneous adsorbent than the first compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Serge Moreau, Jacques Labasque, Dominique Rouge
  • Patent number: 6051050
    Abstract: Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separation of a feed gas mixture is performed within an apparatus having typically a single prime mover powering a feed compressor for one or multiple rotary PSA modules in parallel, each module including a rotor with a large number of angularly spaced adsorber elements, with valve surfaces between the rotor and a stator so that individual adsorber elements are opened to compartments for staged pressurization and blowdown, with thermally boosted energy recovery from staged expansion of countercurrent blowdown and light reflux gases, and a plurality of adsorber elements opened at any instant to each compartment so that each compressor and expander stage operates under substantially steady conditions of flow and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Questor Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, David G. Doman
  • Patent number: 6036747
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for calculating and adjusting the column head pressure of a GC instrument based on the column's plate capacity, N.sub.c, and film thickness, d.sub.s, measured ideally during the manufacturing process and identified with the column such that software associated with the GC instrument can calculate a new column head pressure based on the relationship between the plate capacity and film thickness of the existing column to the plate capacity and film thickness of the new or shortened column. The column head pressure of the GC is adjusted to the new column head pressure to provide a reduction in the column-to-column non-reproducibility error in retention times of all peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Leonid M. Blumberg, Alan D. Broske
  • Patent number: 6033459
    Abstract: In a denuder (2) serving as a gas collection apparatus, an absorption liquid supply tube (4) for spraying absorption liquid from a nozzle (4a) to the inner wall of a denuder pipe (2a) is provided at the upper portion of the denuder pipe (2a). A sample atmospheric air supply tube (7) for supplying sample atmospheric air into the denuder (2) is provided at the lower portion of the denuder pipe (2a). On the inner wall of the denuder pipe (2a) is formed a photocatalyst thin film layer (13) containing photocatalyst which is optically excited to be made super-hydrophilic upon irradiation of light having specific wavelengths (for example, ultraviolet rays) thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Ushio Hase
  • Patent number: 6033460
    Abstract: A process and composition for removing moisture from a NF.sub.3 or F.sub.2 gas wherein the gas is contacted with alumina particles coated with aluminum trifluoride. The aluminum trifluoride is formed by reacting alumina particles with an aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Millipore Corporation
    Inventor: James T. Snow
  • Patent number: 6030435
    Abstract: A PSA process for the separation of a gas flow containing essentially oxygen and nitrogen by preferential adsorption of the nitrogen, at a high adsorption pressure, on at least one bed of adsorbent material inserted in at least one separation zone. The material preferentially adsorbs nitrogen. Each bed of adsorbing material is subjected to successive separation cycles. Each separation cycle comprises at least: a purge phase comprising a desorption of the nitrogen adsorbed on the adsorbing material at a low desorption pressure below the high adsorption pressure, and a supply phase comprising introduction of the gaseous flow at a supply temperature (T.sub.sup) into the separation zone with passage from the low desorption pressure to the high adsorption pressure. The supply temperature (T.sub.sup) of the gaseous flow to be separated is regulated and the high adsorption pressure is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Christian Monereau, Dominique Rouge, Nathalie Derive, Christophe Montfort
  • Patent number: 6027551
    Abstract: Mercury emission from a flue gas such as that generated by a coal fired power plant is controlled by injecting into the flue gas unburned carbon purified from ash such as fly ash or wood ash. The unburned carbon adsorbs the mercury and is later removed from the flue gas by a particle separator. The unburned carbon collected from ash is significantly lower in cost compared to activated carbon presently used in such a process. The unburned carbon is concentrated in the sorbent by one or more separation processes used to remove non-carbon particles from the fly ash. These processes include gravity separation, electrostatic separation, froth flotation, magnetic separation and size classification. Mercury adsorption is further increased by oxidation of the carbon surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Board of Control for Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Jiann-Yang Hwang, Zhenglong Li
  • Patent number: 6027553
    Abstract: An air filter unit in which the generation of organic substances is restrained by controlling at least the amount of organic substances detected from a square test piece of 5.times.5 cm (25 cm.sup.2) of a filter medium so as to be 100 ng or less in the total amount of organic substances detected from the whole air filter unit at a temperature of 40.degree. C. before using. The air filter unit is assembled by housing a filter medium that has been bent in a waveform in a frame composed of 4 outer frame members and sealing the gap between the frame and the filter medium using a sealing compound. Organic substances adhering to the air filter unit are removed by blowing a cleaned air heated at 80.degree. C. against the air filter unit at a velocity of 50 ml/min for 60 minutes. Then, an air suction port and an air exhaust port of the air filter unit are sealed with a film (for example, a PET film) which keeps the unit from contacting with organic substances and from which organic substances are not generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Hirano, Toshio Kusumi, Tomizou Soda
  • Patent number: 6027550
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a stream of contaminated air using an adsorbent material. The stream of contaminated air is introduced into an end of a first hollow member which contains the adsorbent material. A perforated member disposed within the hollow member is configured to increase the air stream velocity such that dispersed particles of the adsorbent material are entrained in the air stream. Entrainment of the adsorbent in the contaminated air stream facilitates efficient removal of the VOCs. The cleaned air stream exits from a second end of the first hollow member, and the adsorbent material, having a quantity of VOCs adsorbed thereon, is directed to a reconditioning apparatus wherein the VOCs are thermally desorbed. The reconditioned adsorbent material is then returned to the first hollow member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: TecHarmonic, Inc.
    Inventor: Earl C. Vickery
  • Patent number: 6027541
    Abstract: A molded plastic lid for use on an auxiliary trash collection container used with a shop vacuum cleaner or dust collector system. Incoming air and entrained materials are directed along the inside of the container at a shallow angle, and outgoing air is drawn from the center of the lid at a steeper angle. The resulting airflow in the container is a vortex or cyclone-like flow that deposits most of the incoming material within the container, thereby increasing the collection capacity of the system with which the lid is used by the volume of the auxiliary container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Lee Valley Tools Ltd.
    Inventor: Matthew Bruce Siemers
  • Patent number: 6022397
    Abstract: For the separation of nitrogen from oxygen in air, an adsorbent is used which preferentially adsorbs the nitrogen. The adsorbent is a heterogeneous zeolite whose particles have a distribution of the capacity to adsorb nitrogen relative to oxygen, with a ratio (.sigma..sub.c /.mu..sub.c) comprised between 0.02 and 0.15, and/or having a distribution of selectivity of adsorption of nitrogen relative to oxygen with a ratio (.sigma..sub.s /.mu..sub.s) comprised between 0.02 and 0.25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Dominique Rouge, Jacques Labasque, Serge Moreau, Christophe Montfort