Patents by Inventor Colin E. Hackett

Colin E. Hackett 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: 8435448
    Abstract: An assembly and method for gas analysis. The assembly comprises a catalyst compartment for catalytically reacting a component of a gas sample, producing one or more gas species as products. A product compartment receives the gas species, and a sensing element within the compartment senses the amount of one or more of the gas species. This amount is compared to the amount of the same gas species present in a reference compartment containing a non-catalyzed gas sample, providing the amount of the gas species produced by catalysis. Using this value, the content of the gas component in the gas sample is calculated based upon the stoichiometry of the catalyzed reaction. In preferred embodiments, the gas for analysis is a process gas for fuel production, and the catalyst is a high temperature shift catalyst that catalyzes the reaction of carbon monoxide and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Chan Seung Park, Colin E. Hackett, Joseph M. Norbeck
  • Publication number: 20100197035
    Abstract: An assembly and method for gas analysis. The assembly comprises a catalyst compartment for catalytically reacting a component of a gas sample, producing one or more gas species as products. A product compartment receives the gas species, and a sensing element within the compartment senses the amount of one or more of the gas species. This amount is compared to the amount of the same gas species present in a reference compartment containing a non-catalyzed gas sample, providing the amount of the gas species produced by catalysis. Using this value, the content of the gas component in the gas sample is calculated based upon the stoichiometry of the catalyzed reaction. In preferred embodiments, the gas for analysis is a process gas for fuel production, and the catalyst is a high temperature shift catalyst that catalyzes the reaction of carbon monoxide and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Chan Seung Park, Colin E. Hackett, Nora A. Hackett, Joseph M. Norbeck
  • Patent number: 7754491
    Abstract: An assembly and method for gas analysis. The assembly comprises a catalyst compartment for catalytically reacting a component of a gas sample, producing one or more gas species as products. A product compartment receives the gas species, and a sensing element within the compartment senses the amount of one or more of the gas species. This amount is compared to the amount of the same gas species present in a reference compartment containing a non-catalyzed gas sample, providing the amount of the gas species produced by catalysis. Using this value, the content of the gas component in the gas sample is calculated based upon the stoichiometry of the catalyzed reaction. In preferred embodiments, the gas for analysis is a process gas for fuel production, and the catalyst is a high temperature shift catalyst that catalyzes the reaction of carbon monoxide and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Calif.
    Inventors: Chan Seung Park, Colin E. Hackett, Nora A. Hackett, legal representative, Joseph M. Norbeck
  • Patent number: 7500997
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas for use as a gaseous fuel or as feed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid fuel in a substantially self-sustaining process. In one embodiment, a slurry of carbonaceous material in water, and hydrogen from an internal source, are fed into a hydro-gasification reactor to generate methane rich producer gases which are fed into a steam pyrolytic reformer to generate synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A portion of the hydrogen is used as the internal hydrogen source. The remaining synthesis gas is either used as fuel to produce electricity and/or process heat or is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce liquid fuel. In another embodiment of the invention, carbonaceous material can be heated simultaneously in the presence of both hydrogen and steam to undergo steam pyrolysis and hydro-gasification in a single step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph M. Norbeck, Colin E. Hackett
  • Patent number: 7398681
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for gas detection. The apparatus comprises a) a sample chamber for holding a gas sample, b) a sealable vacuum port in fluid communication with the sample chamber, for evacuating the sample chamber, c) a sealable inlet port in fluid communication with the sample chamber, for introducing the gas sample into the evacuated sample chamber, and d) a thermal conductivity sensing element at least partly disposed within the sample chamber, for measuring the thermal conductivity of the gas sample. A gas sample released into the evacuated sample chamber requires a time interval to contact the thermal conductivity sensing element. The time interval is a measure of gas speed. Thermal conductivity and temperature of the gas sample are measured following determination of gas speed. By determining three parameters in a single sample of gas, different gas mixtures having similar thermal conductivities can be distinguished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph N. Norbeck, Chan Seung Park, Michael Mc Clanahan, Nora Hackett, legal representative, Colin E. Hackett
  • Patent number: 7208530
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas for use as a gaseous fuel or as feed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid fuel in a substantially self-sustaining process. A slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water, and hydrogen from an internal source, are fed into a hydro-gasification reactor under conditions whereby methane rich producer gases are generated and fed into a steam pyrolytic reformer under conditions whereby synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide are generated. A portion of the hydrogen generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is fed through a hydrogen purification filter into the hydro-gasification reactor, the hydrogen therefrom constituting the hydrogen from an internal source. The remaining synthesis gas generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is either used as fuel for a gaseous fueled engine to produce electricity and/or process heat or is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch or similar reactor under conditions whereby a liquid fuel is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph N. Norbeck, Colin E. Hackett, James E. Heumann, Uy Q. Ngo, Nguyen T. Tran, Bilge Yilmaz
  • Patent number: RE40419
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas for use as a gaseous fuel or as feed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid fuel in a substantially self-sustaining process. A slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water, and hydrogen from an internal source, are fed into a hydro-gasification reactor under conditions whereby methane rich producer gases are generated and fed into a steam pyrolytic reformer under conditions whereby synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide are generated. A portion of the hydrogen generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is fed through a hydrogen purification filter into the hydro-gasification reactor, the hydrogen therefrom constituting the hydrogen from an internal source. The remaining synthesis gas generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is either used as fuel for a gaseous fueled engine to produce electricity and/or process heat or is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch or similar reactor under conditions whereby a liquid fuel is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph M. Norbeck, Colin E. Hackett