Patents by Inventor Dennis P. Delong
Dennis P. Delong 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).
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Patent number: 10219491Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a sensor configured to measure a current dissolved oxygen level in the culture tank, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to retrieve a dissolved oxygen threshold level and a maximum gas to liquid ratio in the culture tank, retrieve the current dissolved oxygen level, compare the current dissolved oxygen level with the dissolved oxygen threshold level, and automatically increase one of a current water flow rate and a current oxygen flow through the system when the current dissolved oxygen level is less than the dissolved oxygen threshold level.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20170295761Abstract: A method of operating a variable speed pump in an aquaculture system including a culture tank that houses aquatic life. The method includes monitoring a dissolved oxygen level in the culture tank, determining a dissolved oxygen threshold based on current respiration requirements of the aquatic life in the culture tank, and comparing the dissolved oxygen level to the dissolved oxygen threshold. When the dissolved oxygen level is below the dissolved oxygen threshold, the method further includes increasing a speed of the variable speed pump until a flow rate through the culture tank that maintains the dissolved oxygen level at or above the dissolved oxygen threshold is reached. The method also includes updating the dissolved oxygen threshold based on new respiration requirements of the aquatic life as the aquatic life matures through its growth cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. Delong
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Patent number: 9693538Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a sensor configured to measure a carbon dioxide concentration in the culture tank, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to retrieve a maximum carbon dioxide concentration in the culture tank, retrieve a current carbon dioxide concentration, and compare the current carbon dioxide concentration to the maximum carbon dioxide concentration. When the current carbon dioxide concentration is greater than the maximum carbon dioxide concentration, the controller is configured to automatically increase the current water flow rate or automatically increase the current air flow rate based on the current gas to liquid ratio in the system.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Patent number: 9693537Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of operating a pump in an aquaculture system including a water tank that houses aquatic life. The method includes monitoring a dissolved oxygen level in the culture tank, determining a flow rate threshold based on the dissolved oxygen level, and changing a speed of the pump to maintain a current flow rate through the culture tank above the flow rate threshold.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2012Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, Jr., Dennis P. Delong
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Publication number: 20140346125Abstract: A system and method of desalting salty sludge is provided. The method includes providing a salty sludge; processing the salty sludge to increase its surface area; adding water to the salty sludge to make a sludge slurry and to wash the salty sludge; removing and purifying degraded water from the sludge slurry, and recirculating purified water into the sludge slurry; separating a liquid phase and a solid phase of the sludge slurry and purifying the liquid phase; identifying a salt concentration in the solid phase and comparing the salt concentration to a desired value; and adding water to the solid phase if the salt concentration is greater than the desired value.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20140311416Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a sensor configured to measure a current dissolved oxygen level in the culture tank, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to retrieve a dissolved oxygen threshold level and a maximum gas to liquid ratio in the culture tank, retrieve the current dissolved oxygen level, compare the current dissolved oxygen level with the dissolved oxygen threshold level, and automatically increase one of a current water flow rate and a current oxygen flow through the system when the current dissolved oxygen level is less than the dissolved oxygen threshold level.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20140311417Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a plurality of sensors configured to control parameters in the system, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank, and a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to prioritize the plurality of control parameters based on a hierarchy list, select a highest priority control parameter, determine potential actions for each of the plurality of control parameters, and select a highest priority action based on at least one of the hierarchy list, the highest priority control parameter, a current power consumption of the variable speed pump, time of day, feeding cycle of the aquatic life, and resting cycles of the aquatic life. The controller is also configured to execute the highest priority action.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20140311974Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a first sensor configured to measure a current ammonia concentration in the culture tank, a biofilter in fluid communication with the culture tank, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank and the biofilter, and a controller in communication with the first sensor and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to retrieve a maximum ammonia concentration, retrieve the current ammonia concentration from the first sensor, and compare the current ammonia concentration to the maximum ammonia concentration. The controller is also configured to control the variable speed pump to increase a current water flow rate through the system when the current ammonia concentration is greater than the maximum ammonia concentration.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20140261213Abstract: Some embodiments provide a recirculating aquaculture system for aquatic life. The system includes a culture tank, a sensor configured to measure a carbon dioxide concentration in the culture tank, a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the culture tank, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the variable speed pump. The controller is configured to retrieve a maximum carbon dioxide concentration in the culture tank, retrieve a current carbon dioxide concentration, and compare the current carbon dioxide concentration to the maximum carbon dioxide concentration. When the current carbon dioxide concentration is greater than the maximum carbon dioxide concentration, the controller is configured to automatically increase the current water flow rate or automatically increase the current air flow rate based on the current gas to liquid ratio in the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. DeLong, Thomas Losordo
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Publication number: 20130180460Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of operating a pump in an aquaculture system including a water tank that houses aquatic life. The method includes monitoring a dissolved oxygen level in the culture tank, determining a flow rate threshold based on the dissolved oxygen level, and changing a speed of the pump to maintain a current flow rate through the culture tank above the flow rate threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2012Publication date: July 18, 2013Inventors: Robert W. Stiles, JR., Dennis P. Delong