Patents by Inventor Donald H. Eastham

Donald H. Eastham 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).

  • Process for injecting particulate material into a fluidized bed reactor
    Patent number: 5968460
    Abstract: The present invention is a process for feeding particulate material to a fluidized bed reactor operated at greater than atmospheric through a standpipe wherein the ratio of the absolute pressure where the standpipe enters the fluidized bed reactor to the absolute pressure where the particulate material enters the standpipe is at least about 1.5 and gas is injected into the standpipe at a velocity which is about 20-80 percent of the minimum fluidization velocity of the particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Donald H. Eastham, Ted M. Knowlton, Melvyn B. Pell, James W. Reeves
  • Continuous ore reaction process by fluidizing
    Patent number: 5490976
    Abstract: In a continuous process for reacting particulate ore with a liquid reagent in a counter-current vertical column the improvement comprising:(a) providing an upper and lower chamber for the vertical column;(b) maintaining sufficient upward flow of liquid reagent in The upper chamber so that the particulate ore is wetted and deaerated, at least some fine particles thereof are carried overhead for removal, and the remainder thereof settle and enter the lower chamber; and(c) maintaining sufficient fluidization and retention time in the lower chamber so that the desired amount of reaction with the ore takes place, at least some of the fine ore particles which are generated from the reaction process and/or which are introduced with the particulate ore are entrained and carried upward for removal, and the reacted particulate ore exits the lower chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Foster W. Rennie, Tze Chao, Donald H. Eastham, James V. Tarbell
  • Solids feed system and method for feeding fluidized beds
    Patent number: 5325603
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for feeding solids to a fluidized bed reactor. A back pressure control valve regulates the pressure drop between the pressure above a solids column in a standpipe and the pressure in the reactor. Solids are fed from the standpipe via a conduit without valve means, the conduit contains a bend of an angle greater than the angle of repose of the solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Donald H. Eastham, James W. Reeves
  • Solids feed system and method for feeding fluidized beds
    Patent number: 5175943
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for feeding solids to a fluidized bed reactor. A back pressure control valve regulates the pressure drop between the pressure above a solids column in a standpipe and the pressure in the reactor. Solids are fed from the standpipe via a conduit without valve means, the conduit contains a bend of an angle greater than the angle of repose of the solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Donald H. Eastham, James W. Reeves