Patents by Inventor James C. McMichael

James C. McMichael 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: 5655899
    Abstract: A fuel injector has an inner pipe within an outer pipe. The distal end of the inner pipe is set back from the distal end of the outer pipe to create a flame stabilization and mixing zone. A combustible gas and air mixture injected through the outer pipe forms a flame shroud around a gas stream injected through the inner pipe. This injector provides increased flame penetration and improved NO.sub.x reduction particularly when used to inject a flame shrouded gas stream into regions of the furnace at which the flue gas is at a temperature not greater than 2400.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Gas Research Institute
    Inventors: Harjit S. Hura, Bernard P. Breen, James C. McMichael
  • Patent number: 5316737
    Abstract: Exhaust gases containing oxides of nitrogen and sulfur from a fired process heater, a fossil fuel fired boiler, or a chemical process are diverted from a stack prior to admission to the atmosphere through a duct system containing heat exchangers that reduce the exhaust gas from an elevated temperature, if any, to about ambient temperature. Any heat extracted from the exhaust gas may be transferred to the boiler feed water which would serve to reduce the energy cost of operating a boiler. Once the exhaust gas is cooled to about ambient temperature, the gas is then mixed with an oxidant, such as ozone, at a preselected molar ratio to transform the oxides to higher orders of nitrogen and sulfur oxides to increase the absorbability of the nitrogen and sulfur oxides in a reagent solution. The reagent absorbs the oxidized contaminants from the exhaust gas. The oxides are transformed to dilute acids which are then neutralized to form salts that are acceptable for discharge to a municipal waste water treatment plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Cannon Boiler Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur P. Skelley, James C. McMichael, James T. Cobb, Jr., Wesley M. Rohrer, Jr., Phillip E. Custer, II, Taha M. Elsubki
  • Patent number: 5206002
    Abstract: Exhaust gases containing oxides of nitrogen and sulfur from a fired process heater, a fossil fuel fired boiler, or a chemical process are diverted from a stack prior to admission to the atmosphere through a duct system containing heat exchangers that reduce the exhaust gas from an elevated temperature, if any, to about ambient temperature. Any heat extracted from the exhaust gas may be transferred to the boiler feed water which would serve to reduce the energy cost of operating a boiler. Once the exhaust gas is cooled to about ambient temperature, the gas is then mixed with an oxidant, such as ozone, at a preselected molar ratio to transform the oxides to higher orders of nitrogen and sulfur oxides to increase the absorbability of the nitrogen and sulfur oxides in a reagent solution. The reagent absorbs the oxidized contaminants from the exhaust gas. The oxides are transformed to dilute acids which are then neutralized to form salts that are acceptable for discharge to a municipal waste water treatment plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Cannon Boiler Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur P. Skelley, James C. McMichael, James T. Cobb, Jr., Wesley M. Rohrer, Jr., Phillip E. Custer, II, Taha M. Elsubki
  • Patent number: 5078064
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions from furnace flue gas is provided in which natural gas or other fluid fuel which has little or no fixed nitrogen is introduced into the upper portion of the furnace. The fuel diffuses by laminar or turbulent diffusion into oxygen-rich flue gas where it reacts with oxygen and nitric oxide to form CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 O and N.sub.2, thus reducing the nitrogen oxide emissions from the furnace. In this manner, the amount of nitrogen oxide in the flue gas is reduced. The apparatus and method can be easily applied to new furnaces or retrofitted on existing furnaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Consolidated Natural Gas Service Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard P. Breen, Steven E. Winberg, James E. Gabrielson, James C. McMichael
  • Patent number: 4999167
    Abstract: Exhaust gases from a process fired boiler are diverted from a stack prior to emission to the atmosphere through a duct system to a plurality of series connected heat exchangers. The exhaust gases are progressively reduced from an elevated temperature, for example in the range between about 350.degree.-525.degree. F., in stages to an ambient temperature of about 50.degree. F. At each stage heat from the exhaust gases is transferred from the gases to another medium, such as water, which is fed back to the boiler to reduce the energy cost of operating the boiler. At ambient temperature the exhaust gases are subjected to an atomized spray of a reagent solution that absorbs the contaminants in the exhaust gases. Absorption of the contaminants into solution with the atomized reagent spray is promoted by contact of the spray and exhaust gases on the surface of a fibrous batting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Inventors: Arthur P. Skelley, James C. McMichael