Patents by Inventor BENJAMIN SPARROW

BENJAMIN SPARROW 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).

  • Publication number: 20240091668
    Abstract: A system and method for cleaning of a forced-circulation evaporative crystallizer. The crystallizer is used to produce salt solids and includes a circulation pump, a heat exchanger, a separator, and a vapor processor. Solids deposits accumulate during salt solids production within at least one of the circulation pump, heat exchanger, and separator. A solids deposits metric representative of an amount of the accumulated solids deposits is measured. The solids deposits metric is determined to deviate from a baseline by at least a cleaning threshold. Certain determinations are made based on the solids deposits metric: determining a cleaning mode and at least one of a type of cleaning solution and a duration for which at least one of the circulation pump, heat exchanger, and separator is to be cleaned. At least one of the circulation pump, heat exchanger, and separator is then cleaned in accordance with those determinations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Justin Donghoon LEE, Benjamin SPARROW
  • Publication number: 20230065608
    Abstract: Zero liquid discharge systems, processes, and techniques for treating a saltwater without evaporative crystallization. The saltwater is treated by a fluidic circuit comprising a high-pressure reverse osmosis (“HPRO”) unit configured to operate at a hydraulic pressure of at least 1,500 psi, a cooling crystallizer, and a solids-liquid separator. The saltwater is first concentrated by the HPRO unit to produce an HPRO brine, which is subsequently cooled to a designated crystallization temperature by the cooling crystallizer. The cooling crystallizer crystallizes salt crystals from the cooled HPRO brine and produces a salt-diminished brine. The solids-liquid separator separates the salt-diminished brine from the salt crystals. The salt-diminished brine from the solids-liquid separator is returned to the HPRO unit for further treatment, which allows additional salts to be crystallized from the returned salt-diminished brine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Benjamin SPARROW, Megan LOW
  • Patent number: 11505484
    Abstract: A method and system for treating and purifying saltwater contaminated by volatile compounds. The saltwater is evaporated resulting in a gas composed of water vapor and gaseous volatile compounds. The gas is condensed into a condensate containing the contaminated volatile compounds which is biologically treated to remove the volatile compounds thereby producing purified water. The latent heat released by condensing is used to evaporate the purified water into the atmosphere in an energy efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SALTWORKS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Henry Tsin
  • Publication number: 20220242749
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for desalinating a saltwater using a humidifier unit. The humidifier unit has a housing, which has a carrier gas inlet and a saltwater inlet. The humidifier unit also includes a packing, within the housing, having a surface with a critical surface tension of less than 25 mN/m according to the Zisman method. The packing is arranged to facilitate a saltwater that enters the housing through the saltwater inlet and a carrier gas that enters the housing through the carrier gas inlet to contact each other. The contact facilitates evaporation of the saltwater, which produces salt solids on at least a surface of the packing, a humidified gas and a concentrated brine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Henry Tsin, Justin Donghoon Lee, Ross Coleman
  • Publication number: 20220119279
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for desalinating a saltwater using a humidifier unit. The humidifier unit has a housing, which has a carrier gas inlet and a saltwater inlet. The humidifier unit also includes a packing, within the housing, having a surface with a critical surface tension of less than 25 mN/m according to the Zisman method. The packing is arranged to facilitate a saltwater that enters the housing through the saltwater inlet and a carrier gas that enters the housing through the carrier gas inlet to contact each other. The contact facilitates evaporation of the saltwater, which produces salt solids on at least a surface of the packing, a humidified gas and a concentrated brine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Henry Tsin, Justin Donghoodn Lee, Ross Coleman
  • Publication number: 20210309545
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for desalinating monovalent anion species from wastewater. A system includes an electrodialysis stack that performs the desalination. The stack has a cathode, an anode, and at least one electrodialysis cell. The at least one electrodialysis cell includes a product chamber, a metal cation concentrating chamber adjacent to a cathodic side of the product chamber, and a transfer solution chamber adjacent to an anodic side of the product chamber. The product chamber and the metal cation concentrating chamber are each bounded by and share a cation exchange membrane, the product chamber and the transfer solution chamber are each bounded by and share a monovalent anion exchange membrane, and the transfer solution chamber is bounded on an anodic side by one of an anion exchange membrane and a monovalent anion exchange membrane. The wastewater may be generated by a flue gas desulfurization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20210309550
    Abstract: Systems, processes, and techniques for treating a saltwater contaminated with volatile compounds. The saltwater is evaporated, resulting in a gas composed of water vapor and gaseous volatile compounds. This gas is then condensed into a condensate contaminated with the volatile compounds. The contaminated condensate is biologically treated to remove those volatile compounds, producing a purified water. Latent heat released by the condensing is used to evaporate the purified water into the atmosphere in an energy efficient manner. The contaminated saltwater is accordingly evaporatively disposed of without creating an issue regarding how to manage substantial liquid water byproduct, and without emitting substantial amounts of the volatile compounds into the atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Henry Tsin
  • Publication number: 20210230024
    Abstract: Processes, systems, and techniques for treating produced water drawn from a subterranean formation. The produced water is provided and contains dissolved solids and magnesium, calcium, and sodium ions. The produced water is desalinated using an electrically-driven membrane separation apparatus that includes alternating anion exchange membranes and cation exchange membranes defining opposing sides of alternating product and concentrate chambers. The desalinating involves flowing the produced water through the product chamber, flowing a second water through the concentrate chamber, and applying an electric potential across the cation and anion exchange membranes as the produced and second waters flow through the product and concentrate chambers, respectively. The product water is consequently produced and has a total dissolved solids content of between 300 mg/L and 8,000 mg/L, a total concentration of calcium ions and magnesium ions less than 100 mg/L, and a sodium adsorption ratio of 20 to 90.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Benjamin Sparrow, Malcolm Man
  • Patent number: 10266430
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for removing ammonium from ammonia-containing water involve using a stack that has alternating product chambers and concentrate chambers for receiving ammonia-containing water and an acidic solution, respectively, with the chambers being bounded by alternating cation exchange membranes and proton permselective cation exchange membranes. Ammonium moves from the product chambers to the concentrate chambers across the CEMs and protons move from the concentrate chambers to the product chambers across the pCEMs when the stack is in use. An electrolyzer may also be used to convert the ammonium in the concentrate chambers into nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Patent number: 10017400
    Abstract: Processes, systems, and techniques for multivalent ion desalination of a feed water use an apparatus that has a cathode, an anode, and an electrodialysis cell located between the cathode and anode. The cell has a product chamber through which the feed water flows, a multivalent cation concentrating chamber on a cathodic side of the product chamber through which the concentrated multivalent cation solution flows, and a multivalent anion concentrating chamber on an anodic side of the product chamber through which the concentrated multivalent anion solution flows. The product chamber and the multivalent cation concentrating chamber are each bounded by and share a cation exchange membrane, and the product chamber and the multivalent anion concentrating chamber are each bounded by and share an anion exchange membrane. A monovalent ion species is added to at least one of the concentrated multivalent cation solution and the concentrated multivalent anion solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Malcolm Man, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20180170775
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for removing ammonium from ammonia-containing water involve using a stack that has alternating product chambers and concentrate chambers for receiving ammonia-containing water and an acidic solution, respectively, with the chambers being bounded by alternating cation exchange membranes and proton permselective cation exchange membranes. Ammonium moves from the product chambers to the concentrate chambers across the CEMs and protons move from the concentrate chambers to the product chambers across the pCEMs when the stack is in use. An electrolyzer may also be used to convert the ammonium in the concentrate chambers into nitrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangchun YIN, Benjamin SPARROW
  • Publication number: 20170210644
    Abstract: Processes, systems, and techniques for multivalent ion desalination of a feed water use an apparatus that has a cathode, an anode, and an electrodialysis cell located between the cathode and anode. The cell has a product chamber through which the feed water flows, a multivalent cation concentrating chamber on a cathodic side of the product chamber through which the concentrated multivalent cation solution flows, and a multivalent anion concentrating chamber on an anodic side of the product chamber through which the concentrated multivalent anion solution flows. The product chamber and the multivalent cation concentrating chamber are each bounded by and share a cation exchange membrane, and the product chamber and the multivalent anion concentrating chamber are each bounded by and share an anion exchange membrane. A monovalent ion species is added to at least one of the concentrated multivalent cation solution and the concentrated multivalent anion solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Malcolm Man, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Patent number: 9662647
    Abstract: A process for preparing an acrylamide-based crosslinking monomer including reacting in the presence of a catalyst an isocyanate compound containing at least two isocyanate groups with one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SALTWORKS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Zhongyuan Zhou, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20160318013
    Abstract: A process for preparing an acrylamide-based crosslinking monomer including reacting in the presence of a catalyst an isocyanate compound containing at least two isocyanate groups with one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Zhongyuan Zhou, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20160271562
    Abstract: A process and system for removing ammonia from an aqueous ammonia solution. A first aqueous solution and the ammonia solution are flowed respectively through a first and a second separation chamber of a bipolar membrane electrodialysis (“BPMED”) stack. The first separation chamber is bounded on an anodic side by a cation exchange membrane and the second separation chamber is bounded on a cathodic side by the cation exchange membrane and on an anodic side by a bipolar membrane. The bipolar membrane has an anion-permeable layer and a cation-permeable layer respectively oriented to face the stack's anode and cathode. While the solutions are flowing through the stack a voltage is applied across the stack that causes the bipolar membrane to dissociate water into protons and hydroxide ions. The protons migrate into the second separation chamber and react there with ammonia to form ammonium ions that migrate to the first separation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: Saltworks Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Xiangchun Yin
  • Patent number: 9416239
    Abstract: A process for preparing an acrylamide-based crosslinking monomer comprising reacting in the presence of a catalyst an isocyanate compound containing at least two isocyanate groups with one of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. These acrylamide-based crosslinking monomers are used in the preparation of coating compositions, adhesive compositions curable by applying thermal or radiation energy, and in the preparation of cation or anion exchange membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SALTWORKS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Zhongyuan Zhou, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20150232627
    Abstract: A process for preparing an acrylamide-based crosslinking monomer comprising reacting in the presence of a catalyst an isocyanate compound containing at least two isocyanate groups with one of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. These acrylamide-based crosslinking monomers are used in the preparation of coating compositions, adhesive compositions curable by applying thermal or radiation energy, and in the preparation of cation or anion exchange membranes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Xiangchun Yin, Zhongyuan Zhou, Benjamin Sparrow
  • Publication number: 20150096891
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at an apparatus, method and plant for desalinating saltwater and contaminated saltwater. The apparatus includes a stack and a manifolding assembly. The stack includes a product chamber, a first and second concentrate chamber, an anion exchange membrane forming a boundary between the first concentrate chamber and the product chamber and a cation exchange membrane forming a boundary between the second concentrate chamber and the product chamber. The manifolding assembly includes product and concentrate manifolding fluidly coupled to the product and concentrate chambers respectively, to convey a saltwater being desalinated to and away from the product chamber, and a concentrate to and away from the concentrate chambers. The stack may include a diluent chamber and adjacent anion or cation exchange membranes between the product chamber, diluent chamber and concentrate chamber to respectively convey anions or cations across multiple chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Benjamin Sparrow, Henry Tsin, Joshua Zoshi, Malcolm Man
  • Publication number: 20140197029
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and plant for desalinating saltwater and contaminated saltwater. The apparatus includes a stack and a manifolding assembly. The stack includes a product chamber, a first and second concentrate chamber, an anion exchange membrane forming a boundary between the first concentrate chamber and the product chamber and a cation exchange membrane forming a boundary between the second concentrate chamber and the product chamber. The manifolding assembly includes product and concentrate manifolding fluidly coupled to the product and concentrate chambers respectively, to convey a saltwater being desalinated to and away from the product chamber, and a concentrate to and away from the concentrate chambers. The stack may include a diluent chamber and adjacent anion or cation exchange membranes between the product chamber, diluent chamber and concentrate chamber to respectively convey anions or cations across multiple chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: SALTWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: BENJAMIN SPARROW, HENRY TSIN, JOSHUA ZOSHI, MALCOLM MAN