Patents by Inventor Gregory S. Hickey

Gregory S. Hickey 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: 6042964
    Abstract: The battery contains at least one electrode such as graphite that intercalates a first species from the electrolyte disposed in a first compartment such as bromine to form a thermally decomposable complex during discharge. The other electrode can also be graphite which supplies another species such as lithium to the electrolyte in a second electrode compartment. The thermally decomposable complex is stable at room temperature but decomposes at elevated temperatures such as 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. The electrode compartments are separated by a selective ion permeable membrane that is impermeable to the first species. Charging is effected by selectively heating the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Pramod K. Sharma, Sekharipuram R. Narayanan, Gregory S. Hickey
  • Patent number: 5599764
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adsorbent formed by the pyrolysis of a hydrophobic silica with a pore size greater than 5 .ANG., such as SILICALITE.TM., with a molecular sieving polymer precursor such as polyfurfuryl alcohol, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene chloride, phenol-formaldehyde resin, polyvinylidene difluoride and mixtures thereof. Polyfurfuryl alcohol is the most preferred. The adsorbent produced by the pyrolysis has a silicon to carbon mole ratio of between about 10:1 and 1:3, and preferably about 2:1 to 1:2, most preferably 1:1. The pyrolysis is performed as a ramped temperature program between about 100.degree. and 800.degree. C., and preferably between about 100.degree. and 600.degree. C.The present invention also relates to a method for selectively adsorbing organic molecules having a molecular size (mean molecular diameter) of between about 3 and 6 .ANG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Pramod K. Sharma, Gregory S. Hickey