Patents by Inventor Andreas Blutke

Andreas Blutke has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7781695
    Abstract: Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Plasmet Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Blutke, John Vavruska, John Mark Henderson, Robert L. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 7666381
    Abstract: High-power inductively coupled plasma technology is used for thermal cracking and vaporization of continuously fed carbonaceous materials into elemental carbon, for reaction with separate and continuously fed metal catalysts inside a gas-phase high-temperature reactor system operating at or slightly below atmospheric pressures. In one particularly preferred embodiment, in-flight growth of carbon nanomaterials is initiated, continued, and controlled at high flow rates, enabling continuous collection and product removal via gas/solid filtration and separation methods, and/or liquid spray filtration and solid collection methods suitable for producing industrial-scale production quantities. In another embodiment, the reaction chamber and/or filtration/separation media include non-catalytic or catalytic metals to simultaneously or separately induce on-substrate synthesis and growth of carbon nanomaterials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Plasmet Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Henderson, John Vavruska, Andreas Blutke, Robert Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20100025225
    Abstract: High-power inductively coupled plasma technology is used for thermal cracking and vaporization of continuously fed carbonaceous materials into elemental carbon, for reaction with separate and continuously fed metal catalysts inside a gas-phase high-temperature reactor system operating at or slightly below atmospheric pressures. In one particularly preferred embodiment, in-flight growth of carbon nanomaterials is initiated, continued, and controlled at high flow rates, enabling continuous collection and product removal via gas/solid filtration and separation methods, and/or liquid spray filtration and solid collection methods suitable for producing industrial-scale production quantities. In another embodiment, the reaction chamber and/or filtration/separation media include non-catalytic or catalytic metals to simultaneously or separately induce on-substrate synthesis and growth of carbon nanomaterials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Plasmet Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Henderson, John Vavruska, Andreas Blutke, Robert Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20090099004
    Abstract: High-power inductively coupled plasma technology is used for thermal cracking and vaporization of continuously fed carbonaceous materials into elemental carbon, for reaction with separate and continuously fed metal catalysts inside a gas-phase high-temperature reactor system operating at or slightly below atmospheric pressures. In one particularly preferred embodiment, in-flight growth of carbon nanomaterials is initiated, continued, and controlled at high flow rates, enabling continuous collection and product removal via gas/solid filtration and separation methods, and/or liquid spray filtration and solid collection methods suitable for producing industrial-scale production quantities. In another embodiment, the reaction chamber and/or filtration/separation media include non-catalytic or catalytic metals to simultaneously or separately induce on-substrate synthesis and growth of carbon nanomaterials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: Nuvotec, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Henderson, John Vavruska, Andreas Blutke, Robert Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20080041829
    Abstract: Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: PlasMet Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Blutke, John Vavruska, Mark Henderson, Robert Ferguson
  • Patent number: 7279655
    Abstract: Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Plasmet Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Blutke, John Vavruska, Mark Henderson, Robert Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20040251241
    Abstract: Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: Nuvotec, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Blutke, John Vavruska, Mark Henderson, Robert Ferguson
  • Patent number: 6380268
    Abstract: Fischer-Tropsch (FT) products are formed in a plant utilizing a combination of a plasma reformer reactor (9) and an FT reactor (19). Feedstocks ranging from gases such as methane and natural gas to solids such as petroleum coke and coal are plasma reformed with water and/or CO2 to produce one or more of hydrogen, oils, liquid alkanes and oxygenated alkanes, oil and waxes. The specific ancillary equipment, e.g., boilers (16), preheaters, condensers (22) (24), gas liquid separators (19) (25), compressors (18) (18a), etc. will be combined or omitted as needed for treatment of desired raw materials as shown by the Figures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Inventors: Dennis L. Yakobson, John S. Vavruska, Edward Bohn, Andreas Blutke