Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Ames

Douglas A. Ames 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).

  • Compositions for storing coolness capacity
    Patent number: 5389275
    Abstract: Sodium hydroxide-water solutions that have freezing-melting point plateaus below 47.degree. F. can be used to store cooling capacity by their heat of fusion, and-compositions that freeze at about 41.degree. F. are suitable, particularly when nucleating agents such as sodium dichromate and dispersing agents such as a clay, are also used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: Transphase Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Nucleating device
    Patent number: 5139078
    Abstract: A nucleating agent for solutions comprises a metal bar, magnetic tape adhered to a surface area of the bar and particulate magnetite on the surface of the tape. The magnetic field created by the tape holds the bar, tape and magnetite in fixed relation to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute
    Inventors: Douglas A. Ames, Ingval Hageland
  • Cool storage compositions
    Patent number: 5100570
    Abstract: A cool storage composition that freezes at about 47.degree. F. is composed of a 39 percent NaOH-in-water solution to which has been added an ionizable, water-soluble salt, such as KCl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Nucleating device for thermal energy storage compositions
    Patent number: 5082582
    Abstract: A nucleating agent for NaOH/H.sub.2 O solutions comprises a metal bar, magnetic tape adhered to a surface area of the bar and particulate magnetite on the surface of the tape. The magnetic field created by the tape holds the bar, tape and magnetite in fixed relation to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute
    Inventors: Douglas A. Ames, Ingval Hageland
  • Methods for storing coolness capacity
    Patent number: 5037571
    Abstract: Sodium hydroxide-water solutions that have freezing-melting point plateaus below 46.degree. F. can be used to store cooling capacity by their heat of fusion, and compositions that freeze at about 41.degree. F. are suitable, particularly when nucleating agents such as sodium dichromate and dispersing agents such as a clay, are also used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Transphase Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Thermal energy storage compositions with nucleating agents
    Patent number: 4971713
    Abstract: A 41.degree. F. melting/freezing point NaOH in water solution employs a nucleating agent selected from the group consisting essentially of CaCO.sub.3, Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4, FeO.TiO.sub.2, SnO.sub.2, TeO.sub.2, LiAl(SiO.sub.4) and mixtures thereof. Xanthan gum may be used as a dispersant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Nestable, stackable containers
    Patent number: 4872557
    Abstract: A nestable, stackable container is formed from a container body having a forward portion with a convex surface adapted to mate with the concave surface of the rearward portion of the next adjacent container. The container also has rasied male die parts on its top wall adapted to mate with indented, female die parts on the bottom wall of an upwardly adjacent container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: Transphase Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Apparatus for storing cooling capacity
    Patent number: 4720984
    Abstract: The combination of a cooling tower and a tank containing packaged, eutectoid salt compositions. The tower provides cooled water to freeze the salt compositions, which are later used to chill water for air-conditioning a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Transphase Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Eutectoid salt composition for coolness storage
    Patent number: 4689164
    Abstract: A eutectoid salt hydrate composition (phase change material) utilized for the storage of thermal energy at a temperature less than 50.degree. F., in which the optimal mole ratio of potassium chloride to sodium sulfate to ammonium chloride is 1:4:4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1987
    Assignee: Transphase Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal device
    Patent number: 4413157
    Abstract: An improved photovoltaic device including a solar panel and a container housing salt hydrate materials, in which the container is positioned in close proximity to the lower portion of the panel, which has no support-providing bottom wall, so that heat generated during operation of the photovoltaic cells will pass easily to the container for the salt hydrate materials, thus lowering the operating temperature of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames
  • Photovoltaic device for producing electrical and heat energy
    Patent number: 4389533
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device including a solar panel and a container housing phase change materials positioned together so that heat generated during operation of the cells in the panel will melt the phase change materials, thereby storing heat and lowering the operating temperature of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Inventor: Douglas A. Ames