Patents by Inventor Franklin D. Hoffert

Franklin D. Hoffert 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: 5199356
    Abstract: A pressurized incineration method for pressurized incineration of a solid waste material to produce electrical and thermal energy is disclosed. A combustion chamber is fueled by a solid waste fuel. The chamber is pressurized by an air compressor and the fuel is combusted. The hot compressed gases created by combustion pass out of the combustion chamber into an exhaust line that splits so as to provide hot gases to a turbocharger and a separate power recovery turbine. The turbocharger and the power recovery turbine have a rugged design so as to handle compressed gases containing corrosive effluents and particulate matter. If necessary, gas cleaning equipment may also be used to reduce corrosive effluents and particulate matter to an acceptable level in the inlet gas stream to both the turbocharger and the power recovery turbine. Expansion of a portion of the hot compressed gas through the turbine section of the turbocharger provides energy to drive the turbocharger's air compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Power Generating, Inc.
    Inventor: Franklin D. Hoffert
  • Patent number: 4850288
    Abstract: A pressurized cyclonic combustion method and a cylindrical burner apparatus for pressurized combustion of particulate solid fuels to produce a pressurized clean effluent gas. In the burner, the particulate solids such as wood chips are fed tangentially into a primary combustion chamber at its inlet end and flow at high tangential velocity in a helical path through the burner. Oxygen-containing combustion gas such as air is supplied tangentially at high velocity through multiple ports spaced along the burner length to maintain and/or increase the high tangential velocity and produce high centrifugal forces on the particulate solids and provide for prolonged combustion and produce high burner volumetric heat release rates exceeding about 400,000 Btu/hr ft.sup.3. A choke opening is provided centrally located at the combustion chamber outlet end for promoting prolonged combustion of solid fuel paarticles upstream of a quench zone. A secondary combustion chamber is provided downstream of the choke opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Power Generating, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, J. David Milligan, James A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4724780
    Abstract: A pressurized cyclonic combustion method and a cylindrical burner apparatus for pressurized combustion of particulate solid fuels to produce a pressurized clean effluent gas. In the burner, the particulate solids such as wood chips are fed tangentially into a primary combustion chamber at its inlet end and flow at high tangential velocity in a helical path through the burner. Oxygen-containing combustion gas such as air is supplied tangentially at high velocity through multiple ports spaced along the burner length to maintain and/or increase the high tangential velocity and produce high centrifugal forces on the particulate solids and provide for prolonged combustion and produce high burner volumetric heat release rates exceeding about 400,000 Btu/hr ft.sup.3. A choke opening is provided centrally located at the combustion chamber outlet end for promoting prolonged combustion of solid fuel particles upstream of a quench zone. A secondary combustion chamber is provided downstream of the choke opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Power Generating, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, J. David Milligan, James A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4671192
    Abstract: A pressurized cyclonic combustion method and a cylindrical burner apparatus for pressurized combustion of particulate solid fuels to produce a pressurized clean effluent gas. In the burner, the particulate solids such as wood chips are fed tangentially into a primary combustion chamber at its inlet end and flow at high tangential velocity in a helical path through the burner. Oxygen-containing combustion gas such as air is supplied tangentially at high velocity through multiple ports spaced along the burner length to maintain and/or increase the high tangential velocity and produce high centrifugal forces on the particulate solids and provide for prolonged combustion and produce high burner volumetric heat release rates exceeding about 400,000 Btu/hr ft.sup.3. A choke opening is provided centrally located at the combustion chamber outlet end for promoting prolonged combustion of solid fuel particles upstream of a quench zone. A secondary combustion chamber is provided downstream of the choke opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Power Generating, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, J. David Milligan, James A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4359326
    Abstract: A process and pressurized, gasification reactor apparatus for converting combustible carbon containing materials such as coal char and other carbonaceous solids or carbonaceous solids/heavy oil combinations to an intermediate heating value fuel gas. The gasification reactor includes an insulated fluidized bed reactor chamber, an upper reactor housing for a freely suspended bayonet bundle type heat exchanger for (a) superheating incoming saturated steam and (b) cooling outgoing high temperature product gas, and a lower reactor housing structure which includes a free-floating, conically-shaped perforated plenum chamber. The superheated steam and oxygen are premixed with the plenum chamber before being pressure directed into the fluidized bed reactor chamber for mixture and combustion with the incoming combustible carbon containing materials such as coal char. After reaction of the superheated steam, oxygen and coal char in the fluidized bed reactor at temperatures ranging from 900.degree. F. to 1750.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1982
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, John D. Milligan, Jose M. Marina, Jose M. Fernandez
  • Patent number: 4249911
    Abstract: A fuel composition comprising carbon black and a combustible liquid such as lower alkyl alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or liquid hydrocarbons is provided. The composition is formed by adding a sufficient amount of carbon black to the combustible liquid without thereby causing an increase in the volume of the mixture by more than about five percent (5%).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard L. Denker, Franklin D. Hoffert
  • Patent number: 3953927
    Abstract: Drying coal having undesirably high moisture content is accomplished by heating the particulate coal in an oil slurry contained in a pressurized drying zone to sufficient temperature to evaporate the moisture. A major portion of the heat required in the drying zone is provided by compressing the hot steam evolved from the coal drying step and condensing it in a heat exchanger passage in the drying zone. The resulting dried coal-oil slurry liquid is then passed on to further processing such as coal hydrogenation or liquefaction steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1976
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Franklin D. Hoffert
  • Patent number: 3953180
    Abstract: An effective and economical supply of energy from residual oil for power generation can be obtained by a sequential process of partial combustion of a crude or residual oil such as Bunker C and other high sulfur stocks, in the presence of air and steam in a fluidized bed of inert particles followed by a fluidized bed heat exchange for the production of steam and control of solids build-up, the solids-free gas being desulfurized by commerical processes and thence being available for combustion for gas turbine operation to produce transportable electrical power or other types of mechanical power such as a compressor driver. Emission levels of contaminants are within forseeable requirements and turbine maintenance problems are reduced. Coal solids can be used as a supplement to the residual oil. Alternatively, the low BTU gas can be effectively added to pipeline gas as a supplementary source of energy when dilution of high-Btu gas is permitted or used directly as a low-Btu desulfurized industrial fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1976
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, Harold H. Stotler