Patents by Inventor Gerhard Langhans

Gerhard Langhans 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: 8241869
    Abstract: A fermentation device for biological degradation of substrate containing organic material and for recovery of biogas produced by degradation has an elongate closed container having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end has an inlet opening for untreated substrate and the second end has at least one removal opening for treated substrate. The container has at least one removal opening for biogas. The container has several reaction cells provided with individually driven mixing units. The mixing units have mixing unit shafts positioned transversely to a longitudinal extension of the container and mixing impellers mounted on the mixing unit shafts and driven on a circular path. The mixing unit shafts are arranged at axial spacings smaller than a diameter of the mixing units so that the mixing impellers when the mixing unit shafts rotate pass trough an overlap range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: STRABAG Umweltanlagen GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Büchner, Gerhard Langhans, Urs Haller, Roland Sickinger
  • Publication number: 20100062482
    Abstract: A fermentation device for biological degradation of substrate containing organic material and for recovery of biogas produced by degradation has an elongate closed container having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end has an inlet opening for untreated substrate and the second end has at least one removal opening for treated substrate. The container has at least one removal opening for biogas. The container has several reaction cells provided with individually driven mixing units. The mixing units have mixing unit shafts positioned transversely to a longitudinal extension of the container and mixing impellers mounted on the mixing unit shafts and driven on a circular path. The mixing unit shafts are arranged at axial spacings smaller than a diameter of the mixing units so that the mixing impellers when the mixing unit shafts rotate pass trough an overlap range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas Buchner, Gerhard Langhans, Urs Haller, Roland Sickinger
  • Patent number: 7615154
    Abstract: Special guide means 7 are located in the interior of a loop reactor for circulating the reactor contents. The guide means 7 has at least one central gas supply means 1 with gas distribution means 2 attached thereto for gas charging into the guide means 7. These loop reactors are used, e.g., as biogas reactors for treatment of biowastes or renewable raw materials. The gas distribution means 2 as gas guide elements are open to the bottom and are located above the gas exit openings 3 of the central gas supply means 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Strabag Umweltanlagen GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Torsten Meyer
  • Patent number: 7332083
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor is described, which is made especially as a loop reactor with a central guide pipe (2) and gas injection (3). In order to be able to use the bioreactor for treatment of renewable raw materials as well, it is proposed that the treated suspension be removed from a zone of the bioreactor with a small solid concentration and the removed suspension be routed out of the bioreactor by way of a tilted discharge (4). In the tilted discharge (4), separation of gas and solids is produced, and at least a portion of the solids is returned against the main suspension flow in the discharge (4) to the bioreactor. In this way, even for treatment media with a high concentration of dissolved compounds and few suspended solids, the biomass is concentrated in the bioreactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Langhans
  • Patent number: 7300584
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor (2) are described. To circulate the suspension, at least some of the suspension is routed through a vertically aligned guide zone (5) so that a vertical flow of the suspension is produced. To control sediment problems, it is suggested that by feeding a fluid, especially a free liquid jet, via at least one nozzle (11), a horizontal flow is superimposed on the vertical flow in the vicinity of the bottom of the bioreactor (2), by which a spiral flow to the central outlet area of the bioreactor (2) is produced (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Matthias Herms, Thomas Buechner
  • Publication number: 20070125706
    Abstract: Special guide means 7 are located in the interior of a loop reactor for circulating the reactor contents. The guide means 7 has at least one central gas supply means 1 with gas distribution means 2 attached thereto for gas charging into the guide means 7. These loop reactors are used, e.g., as biogas reactors for treatment of biowastes or renewable raw materials. The gas distribution means 2 as gas elements are open to the bottom and are located above the gas exit openings 3 of the central gas supply means 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Torsten Meyer
  • Patent number: 7186335
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor, wherein the suspension is circulated, at least some of the suspension is routed through a vertically aligned guide zone in the bioreactor so that a vertical flow of the suspension is produced. The top scum in the area of the suspension fill level is controlled by feeding a fluid, especially in the form of a free liquid jet, into the bioreactor via at least one nozzle at the fill level, such that the surface of the suspension and/or the top scum floating on the surface of the suspension is forced into rotary flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Matthias Herms, Thomas Buechner
  • Publication number: 20060118484
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor is described, which is made especially as a loop reactor with a central guide pipe (2) and gas injection (3). In order to be able to use the bioreactor for treatment of renewable raw materials as well, it is proposed that the treated suspension be removed from a zone of the bioreactor with a small solid concentration and the removed suspension be routed out of the bioreactor by way of a tilted discharge (4). In the tilted discharge (4), separation of gas and solids is produced, and at least a portion of the solids is returned against the main suspension flow in the discharge (4) to the bioreactor. In this way, even for treatment media with a high concentration of dissolved compounds and few suspended solids, the biomass is concentrated in the bioreactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventor: Gerhard Langhans
  • Publication number: 20050126997
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor (2) are described. To circulate the suspension, at least some of the suspension is routed through a vertically aligned guide zone (5) so that a vertical flow of the suspension is produced. To control sediment problems, it is suggested that by feeding a fluid, especially a free liquid jet, via at least one nozzle (11), a horizontal flow is superimposed on the vertical flow in the vicinity of the bottom of the bioreactor (2), by which a spiral flow to the central outlet area of the bioreactor (2) is produced (FIG. 1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Herms Matthias, Thomas Buechner
  • Publication number: 20050029189
    Abstract: A process and a device for biological treatment of a suspension in a bioreactor, wherein the suspension is circulated, at least some of the suspension is routed through a vertically aligned guide zone in the bioreactor so that a vertical flow of the suspension is produced. The top scum in the area of the suspension fill level is controlled by feeding a fluid, especially in the form of a free liquid jet, into the bioreactor via at least one nozzle at the fill level, such that the surface of the suspension and/or the top scum floating on the surface of the suspension is forced into rotary flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventors: Gerhard Langhans, Matthias Herms, Thomas Buechner
  • Patent number: 6129201
    Abstract: A curved element for a magnetic conveyer having a chain movable along a guide. The curved element including a first piece on which the chain moves, a second piece, and a separate third piece for housing the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: System Plast S.n.c. di Marsetti & C. Stampaggio Technopolimeri
    Inventor: Gerhard Langhans
  • Patent number: 3960175
    Abstract: Apparatus for charging a liquid with a gas comprising a container with a liquid inlet port toward the bottom thereof, a gas inlet extending through an upper wall of the container towards a jet pipe in the lower wall and an insert extending upwardly from the top of the jet pipe and around the air inlet pipe, the insert being generally conical and tapering towards its union with the jet pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: VEB Chemieanlagenbau und Montagekombinat Leipzig
    Inventors: Friedrich Liepe, Gerhard Langhans, Leonhard Jagusch, Klaus Richter, Guenter Schlaf