Patents by Inventor Don Royall Houston

Don Royall Houston 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: 6641722
    Abstract: A method of removing silicone oils from waste water generated by a silicones manufacturing plant including the step of centrifuging the waste water to concentrate silicone oil contaminated solids while removing the silicone oils. The silicone oil contaminated solids are then dried in a continuously mixed sludge dryer to remove more silicone oils from the sludge to form a sludge product which comprises at least 10% water and a low silicone oil concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Amy Rene Freshour, Stephen Lan-Sun Hung, Bang Mo Kim, Mark Allan Moses, Alan Frederick North, Don Royall Houston
  • Patent number: 6485688
    Abstract: An on-line sparging sampling system and method sparges polar and non-polar volatile organic compounds from aqueous discharge. The system comprises a network of tubular members that are interconnected to each other to define a fluid passage, in which the network of tubular members comprises an inlet for influent aqueous discharge into the network of tubular members and an outlet for discharge of aqueous discharge from the on-line sparging sampling and monitoring system; a sparger disposed in the network of tubular members, in which the sparger is disposed between the inlet and the outlet of the aqueous discharge so that aqueous discharge flows by the sparger, the sparger providing inert non-reactive gas to the on-line sparging sampling and monitoring system; and at least one analytic device connected to the on-line sparging sampling and monitoring system for analyzing volatile organic compounds in the aqueous discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy Mark Sivavec, Sunita Singh Baghel, Angelo Anthony Bracco, Don Royall Houston
  • Patent number: 6436710
    Abstract: A headspace sampling system monitors materials in wastewater. The headspace sampling system comprises a sample receptacle that can contain a wastewater sample; a sparger chamber vapor column; a sample receptacle cover assembly that connects the sparger chamber vapor column to the sample receptacle; a sparger tube; at least one sensing device; and at least one analytic device. The sparger tube and the sample receptacle define a headspace. The sparger chamber vapor column is in communication with the sample receptacle and is closed by a sparger chamber vapor column cover at a second end that is opposed to the sample receptacle. The sparger tube extends into the sample receptacle and the wastewater sample in the sample receptacle. The sparger tube is connected to a source of inert gas at a first end opposed to the sample receptacle and comprises a dispersion device at an end opposed to the first end. The sensing device is disposed in the headspace sampling system in the headspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy Mark Sivavec, Sunita Singh Baghel, Don Royall Houston, Angelo Anthony Bracco
  • Publication number: 20020056681
    Abstract: A method of removing silicone oils from waste water generated by a silicones manufacturing plant including the step of centrifuging the waste water to concentrate silicone oil contaminated solids while removing the silicone oils. The silicone oil contaminated solids are then dried in a continuously mixed sludge dryer to remove more silicone oils from the sludge to form a sludge product which comprises at least 10% water and a low silicone oil concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Amy Rene Freshour, Stephen Lan-Sun Hung, Bang Mo Kim, Mark Allan Moses, Alan Frederick North, Don Royall Houston
  • Patent number: 6319406
    Abstract: A method of removing silicone oils from waste water generated by a silicones manufacturing plant including the step of centrifuging the waste water to concentrate silicone oil contaminated solids while removing the silicone oils. The silicone oil contaminated solids are then dried in a continuously mixed sludge dryer to remove more silicone oils from the sludge to form a sludge product which comprises at least 10% water and a low silicone oil concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Amy Rene Freshour, Stephen Lan-Sun Hung, Bang Mo Kim, Mark Allan Moses, Alan Frederick North, Don Royall Houston