Patents by Inventor H. Steven Crouch

H. Steven Crouch 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).

  • Apparatus and methods for separating particles
    Patent number: 6739456
    Abstract: An apparatus for classifying a mixture of fine and coarse particles in a fluid stream by size or density comprises a housing, a boundary layer momentum transfer device, and an inlet flow control mechanism. The housing comprises an inlet, an interior chamber, and a fine particle outlet. The boundary layer momentum transfer device comprises a plurality of disks stacked in spaced, parallel relation in the interior chamber. The disks are rotatable about a disk axis. The disks have respective central openings cooperatively defining a plenum having a closed axial end and an opposing open axial end. The plenum communicates with spaces defined between each adjacent disk to cooperatively define a fine particle flow path from the interior chamber, through the spaces, through the plenum and the open axial end thereof, and to the fine particle outlet. The inlet flow control mechanism communicates with the interior chamber and provides an adjustable inlet flow path into the interior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Spyros A. Svoronos, H. Steven Crouch, Hassan El-Sayed El-Shall, Kevin W. Powers, Gary Wayne Scheiffele, Rachel Anna Worthen, Steve Robin Wright
  • Apparatus and methods for separating particles
    Publication number: 20030221996
    Abstract: An apparatus for classifying a mixture of fine and coarse particles in a fluid stream by size or density comprises a housing, a boundary layer momentum transfer device, and an inlet flow control mechanism. The housing comprises an inlet, an interior chamber, and a fine particle outlet. The boundary layer momentum transfer device comprises a plurality of disks stacked in spaced, parallel relation in the interior chamber. The disks are rotatable about a disk axis. The disks have respective central openings cooperatively defining a plenum having a closed axial end and an opposing open axial end. The plenum communicates with spaces defined between each adjacent disk to cooperatively define a fine particle flow path from the interior chamber, through the spaces, through the plenum and the open axial end thereof, and to the fine particle outlet. The inlet flow control mechanism communicates with the interior chamber and provides an adjustable inlet flow path into the interior chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Spyros A. Svoronos, H. Steven Crouch, Hassan El-Sayed El-Shall, Kevin W. Powers, Gary Wayne Scheiffele, Rachel Anna Worthen, Steven Robin Wright