Patents by Inventor Elinor Kolesar

Elinor Kolesar 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).

  • Methods and systems for improved biodiesel production
    Patent number: 8404005
    Abstract: In a method and system to produce biodiesel using an improved catalytic transesterification process, a first reactant and a second reactant are dispersed to form a laminar slug flow pattern within a microchannel of a microreactor, the first reactant and the second reactant being immiscible. The first reactant and the second reactant are mixed, thereby triggering a reaction between them to produce the biodiesel and glycerol, the mixing being convection-enhanced by shear stress induced circulation occurring within each slug of the reactants. The reaction takes place under a pressure that is less than 5 psi and under a temperature that is less than 70 degrees Celsius. Separation of the glycerol from the biodiesel occurs simultaneously with the mixing. Several microreactors are coupled in parallel to improve throughput of the biodiesel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Brian H. Dennis, Richard E. Billo, Christopher R. Oliver, John W. Priest, Elinor Kolesar
  • Methods and Systems for Improved Biodiesel Production
    Publication number: 20110060152
    Abstract: In a method and system to produce biodiesel using an improved catalytic transesterification process, a first reactant and a second reactant are dispersed to form a laminar slug flow pattern within a microchannel of a microreactor, the first reactant and the second reactant being immiscible. The first reactant and the second reactant are mixed, thereby triggering a reaction between them to produce the biodiesel and glycerol, the mixing being convection-enhanced by shear stress induced circulation occurring within each slug of the reactants. The reaction takes place under a pressure that is less than 5 psi and under a temperature that is less than 70 degrees Celsius. Separation of the glycerol from the biodiesel occurs simultaneously with the mixing. Several microreactors are coupled in parallel to improve throughput of the biodiesel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Brian H. Dennis, Richard E. Billo, Christopher R. Oliver, John W. Priest, Edward S. Kolesar, Elinor Kolesar