Patents by Inventor James E. Heumann

James E. Heumann 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: 7208530
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas for use as a gaseous fuel or as feed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid fuel in a substantially self-sustaining process. A slurry of particles of carbonaceous material in water, and hydrogen from an internal source, are fed into a hydro-gasification reactor under conditions whereby methane rich producer gases are generated and fed into a steam pyrolytic reformer under conditions whereby synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide are generated. A portion of the hydrogen generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is fed through a hydrogen purification filter into the hydro-gasification reactor, the hydrogen therefrom constituting the hydrogen from an internal source. The remaining synthesis gas generated by the steam pyrolytic reformer is either used as fuel for a gaseous fueled engine to produce electricity and/or process heat or is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch or similar reactor under conditions whereby a liquid fuel is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph N. Norbeck, Colin E. Hackett, James E. Heumann, Uy Q. Ngo, Nguyen T. Tran, Bilge Yilmaz