Patents by Inventor Fredrick P. Layman

Fredrick P. Layman 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: 9132404
    Abstract: A system operating in an environment having an ambient pressure, the system comprising: a reactor configured to combine a plasma stream, powder particles and conditioning fluid to alter the powder particles and form a mixture stream; a supply chamber coupled to the reactor; a suction generator configured to generate a suction force at the outlet of the reactor; a fluid supply module configured to supply the conditioning fluid at an original pressure; and a pressure regulation module configured to: receive the conditioning fluid from the fluid supply module, reduce the pressure of the conditioning fluid from the original pressure to a selected pressure relative to the ambient pressure regardless of any changes in the suction force at the outlet of the reactor, and supply the conditioning fluid at the selected pressure to the supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SDCmaterials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Patent number: 8956574
    Abstract: A system operating in an environment having an ambient pressure, the system comprising: a reactor configured to combine a plasma stream, powder particles and conditioning fluid to alter the powder particles and form a mixture stream; a supply chamber coupled to the reactor; a suction generator configured to generate a suction force at the outlet of the reactor; a fluid supply module configured to supply the conditioning fluid at an original pressure; and a pressure regulation module configured to: receive the conditioning fluid from the fluid supply module, reduce the pressure of the conditioning fluid from the original pressure to a selected pressure relative to the ambient pressure regardless of any changes in the suction force at the outlet of the reactor, and supply the conditioning fluid at the selected pressure to the supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: SDCmaterials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Patent number: 8604398
    Abstract: A method of purifying a target powder having an oxygen content, the method comprising: flowing hydrogen gas through a microwave production chamber; applying microwaves to the hydrogen gas as the hydrogen gas flows through the microwave production chamber, thereby forming hydrogen radicals from the hydrogen gas; flowing the hydrogen radicals out of the microwave production chamber to the target powder disposed outside of the microwave production chamber; and applying the hydrogen radicals to the target powder, thereby removing a portion of the oxygen content from the powder. Preferably, the target powder is agitated as the hydrogen radicals are being applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: SDCmaterials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Patent number: 8574408
    Abstract: A method of and system for recirculating a fluid in a particle production system. A reactor produces a reactive particle-gas mixture. A quench chamber mixes a conditioning fluid with the reactive particle-gas mixture, producing a cooled particle-gas mixture that comprises a plurality of precursor material particles and an output fluid. A filter element filters the output fluid, producing a filtered output. A temperature control module controls the temperature of the filtered output, producing a temperature-controlled, filtered output. A content ratio control module modulates the content of the temperature-controlled, filtered output, thereby producing a content-controlled, temperature-controlled, filtered output. A channeling element supplies the content-controlled, temperature-controlled, filtered output to the quench chamber, wherein the content-controlled, filtered output is provided to the quench chamber as the conditioning fluid to be used in cooling the reactive particle-gas mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: SDCmaterials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Patent number: 7905942
    Abstract: A method of purifying a target powder having an oxygen content, the method comprising: flowing hydrogen gas through a microwave production chamber; applying microwaves to the hydrogen gas as the hydrogen gas flows through the microwave production chamber, thereby forming hydrogen radicals from the hydrogen gas; flowing the hydrogen radicals out of the microwave production chamber to the target powder disposed outside of the microwave production chamber; and applying the hydrogen radicals to the target powder, thereby removing a portion of the oxygen content from the powder. Preferably, the target powder is agitated as the hydrogen radicals are being applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: SDCmaterials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Publication number: 20110006463
    Abstract: A system operating in an environment having an ambient pressure, the system comprising: a reactor configured to combine a plasma stream, powder particles and conditioning fluid to alter the powder particles and form a mixture stream; a supply chamber coupled to the reactor; a suction generator configured to generate a suction force at the outlet of the reactor; a fluid supply module configured to supply the conditioning fluid at an original pressure; and a pressure regulation module configured to: receive the conditioning fluid from the fluid supply module, reduce the pressure of the conditioning fluid from the original pressure to a selected pressure relative to the ambient pressure regardless of any changes in the suction force at the outlet of the reactor, and supply the conditioning fluid at the selected pressure to the supply chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: SDC Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Publication number: 20080277271
    Abstract: A system operating in an environment having an ambient pressure, the system comprising: a reactor configured to combine a plasma stream, powder particles and conditioning fluid to alter the powder particles and form a mixture stream; a supply chamber coupled to the reactor; a suction generator configured to generate a suction force at the outlet of the reactor; a fluid supply module configured to supply the conditioning fluid at an original pressure; and a pressure regulation module configured to: receive the conditioning fluid from the fluid supply module, reduce the pressure of the conditioning fluid from the original pressure to a selected pressure relative to the ambient pressure regardless of any changes in the suction force at the outlet of the reactor, and supply the conditioning fluid at the selected pressure to the supply chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman
  • Publication number: 20080277268
    Abstract: A method of and system for recirculating a fluid in a particle production system. A reactor produces a reactive particle-gas mixture. A quench chamber mixes a conditioning fluid with the reactive particle-gas mixture, producing a cooled particle-gas mixture that comprises a plurality of precursor material particles and an output fluid. A filter element filters the output fluid, producing a filtered output. A temperature control module controls the temperature of the filtered output, producing a temperature-controlled, filtered output. A content ratio control module modulates the content of the temperature-controlled, filtered output, thereby producing a content-controlled, temperature-controlled, filtered output. A channeling element supplies the content-controlled, temperature-controlled, filtered output to the quench chamber, wherein the content-controlled, filtered output is provided to the quench chamber as the conditioning fluid to be used in cooling the reactive particle-gas mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventor: Fredrick P. Layman