Patents by Inventor Colin Copeland

Colin Copeland 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: 10934894
    Abstract: An apparatus (2) includes an internal combustion engine (4) and an inverted Brayton cycle heat engine (6). Hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (4) contains water. The hot exhaust gas drives the inverted Brayton cycle heat engine. A condenser (22) in a fluid path of the exhaust gas between an inverted-Brayton-cycle turbine and an inverted-Brayton-cycle compressor condenses at least some of the water from the exhaust gas to form condensed water. This condensed water follows a recirculation path (30) so as to be re-introduced as a working fluid into one or more of the heat engines described above, or further heat engines, e.g. the condensed water is heated by the exhaust gas using a steam-generating heat exchanger (20) to generate steam which drives a steam turbine (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: HIETA TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Colin Copeland, Robert Ceen, Simon Jones
  • Publication number: 20180371954
    Abstract: An apparatus (2) includes an internal combustion engine (4) and an inverted Brayton cycle heat engine (6). Hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (4) contains water. The hot exhaust gas drives the inverted Brayton cycle heat engine. A condenser (22) in a fluid path of the exhaust gas between an inverted-Brayton-cycle turbine and an inverted-Brayton-cycle compressor condenses at least some of the water from the exhaust gas to form condensed water. This condensed water follows a recirculation path (30) so as to be re-introduced as a working fluid into one or more of the heat engines described above, or further heat engines, e.g. the condensed water is heated by the exhaust gas using a steam-generating heat exchanger (20) to generate steam which drives a steam turbine (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Colin COPELAND, Robert CEEN, Simon JONES
  • Patent number: 10161302
    Abstract: A variable flow-restricting turbine assembly for a turbocharger includes a housing, a turbine mounted for rotation in the housing, and a variable flow-restrictor. The variable flow-restrictor includes a first series of angularly-distributed flow-restrictor portions distributed around the turbine wheel and located in an exhaust flow path to the wheel, and a second series of angularly-distributed flow-restrictor portions distributed around the first series and located in the exhaust path. At least one of the first and second series is rotatable in the housing to vary the relative angular positions of the first and second series. The restrictor portions are arranged such that the first portions align with the second portions at each of a plurality of relative angular positions to open flow channels between the portions and such that they misalign between those positions to close the flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Imperial Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Ricardo Martinez-Botas, Harminder Flora, Srithar Rajoo, Apostolos Pesiridis, Colin Copeland
  • Publication number: 20160084156
    Abstract: A variable flow-restricting turbine assembly for a turbocharger is disclosed. The assembly comprises a housing, a turbine mounted for rotation in the housing, and a variable flow-restrictor. The variable flow-restrictor comprises a first series of angularly-distributed flow-restrictor portions distributed around the turbine wheel and located in an exhaust flow path to the wheel, and a second series of angularly-distributed flow-restrictor portions distributed around the first series and located in the exhaust path. At least one of the first and second series is rotatable in the housing to vary the relative angular positions of the first and second series. The restrictor portions are arranged such that the first portions align with the second portions at each of a plurality of relative angular positions to open flow channels between the portions and such that they misalign between those positions to close the flow channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Ricardo Martinez-Botas, Harminder Flora, Srithar Rajoo, Apostolos Pesiridis, Colin Copeland