Patents by Inventor James Weifu Lee

James Weifu Lee 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).

  • Publication number: 20210198162
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a systematic method for phosphorus sustainability, sand soilization and odor removal utilizing the phosphorus-unlocking and odor removing green chemistry of a surface-oxygenated biochar composition made through ozonization in combination with sonication. Surface-oxygenated biochar compositions and sonication-ozonization methods create advanced hydrophilic biochar materials having higher cation exchange capacity, optimized pH, improved wettability, and toxin free components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20210067064
    Abstract: Inspired by the discovery that environmental heat energy can be isothermally utilized through electrostatically localized protons at a liquid-membrane interface to do useful work such as driving ATP synthesis, the present invention discloses an innovative energy renewal method with making and using an asymmetric function-gated isothermal electricity production system in combinations of utilizing gravity, a bias voltage at a low work function thermal electron emitter and positive surface charge groups at a high work function electron collector comprising at least one pair of a low work function thermal electron emitter and a high work function electron collector across a barrier space installed in a container with electric conductor support to enable energy recycle process functions with utilization of environmental heat energy isothermally for at least one of: a) utilization of environmental heat energy for energy renewing of fully dissipated waste heat energy from the environment to generate electricity to d
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 1, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20200208276
    Abstract: Inspired by the discovery that environmental heat energy can be isothermally utilized through electrostatically localized protons at a liquid-membrane interface to do useful work such as driving ATP synthesis, the present invention discloses an innovative energy renewal method with making and using an asymmetric function-gated isothermal electricity production system comprising at least one pair of a low work function thermal electron emitter and a high work function electron collector across a barrier space installed in a container with electric conductor support to enable energy recycle process functions with utilization of environmental heat energy isothermally for at least one of: a) utilization of environmental heat energy for energy renewing of fully dissipated waste heat energy from the environment to generate electricity to do useful work; b) providing a novel cooling function for a new type of refrigerator by isothermally extracting environmental heat energy from inside the refrigerator while generat
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 10519471
    Abstract: The present invention provides a biosafety-guarded photobiological butanol production technology based on designer transgenic plants, designer algae, designer blue-green algae (cyanobacteria and oxychlorobacteria), or designer plant cells. The designer photosynthetic organisms are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The butanol production methods of the present invention completely eliminate the problem of recalcitrant lignocellulosics by bypassing the bottleneck problem of the biomass technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 10501854
    Abstract: Localized excess protons are created with an open-circuit water electrolysis process using a pair of anode and cathode electrodes for a special excess proton production and proton-utilization system to treat a substrate material plate/film by forming and using an excess protons-substrate-hydroxyl anions capacitor-like system. The technology enables protonation and/or proton-driven oxidation of plate/film and/or membrane materials in a pure water environment. The present invention represents a remarkable clean “green chemistry” technology that does not require the use of any conventional acid chemicals including nitric and sulfuric acids for the said industrial applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20190002764
    Abstract: Surface-oxygenated biochar compositions and sonication-ozonization methods create advanced hydrophilic biochar materials having higher cation exchange capacity, optimized pH, improved wettability, and toxin free components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 10093552
    Abstract: A hybrid photovoltaic panel-interfaced distillation with and without a hydrophobic microporous membrane distillation process is provided that is capable of utilizing solar waste heat to perform liquid distillation while co-generating solar electricity. Solar waste heat co-generated at a photovoltaic panel is effectively utilized by in situ distillation liquid as an immediate heat sink in thermo contact with the photovoltaic panel, thus providing beneficial cooling of the photovoltaic panel and co-making of distillation products while generating electricity with significant improvement on total-process solar energy utilization efficiency. Its enabled beneficial utilization of waste heat can provide a series of distillation-related products such as: freshwater, sea salts, distilled water, distilled ethanol, hot water, hot steam, saline/brine products, and brine photobiological cultures for production of advanced biofuels and bioproducts, in addition to solar electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 10071335
    Abstract: Ozonized biochar compositions and methods for creating advanced hydrophilic biochar materials are provided with higher cation exchange capacity, optimized pH, improved wettability, and free of potential toxic components. These ozonized biochar compositions are used as filtration materials, as biochar soil additives and as carbon sequestration agents to help control climate change for energy and environmental sustainability on Earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20170268025
    Abstract: The present invention provides a biosafety-guarded photobiological butanol production technology based on designer transgenic plants, designer algae, designer blue-green algae (cyanobacteria and oxychlorobacteria), or designer plant cells. The designer photosynthetic organisms are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The butanol production methods of the present invention completely eliminate the problem of recalcitrant lignocellulosics by bypassing the bottleneck problem of the biomass technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 9695448
    Abstract: The present invention provides a biosafety-guarded photobiological butanol production technology based on designer transgenic plants, designer algae, designer blue-green algae (cyanobacteria and oxychlorobacteria), or designer plant cells. The designer photosynthetic organisms are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The butanol production methods of the present invention completely eliminate the problem of recalcitrant lignocellulosics by bypassing the bottleneck problem of the biomass technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20170036983
    Abstract: Ozonized biochar compositions and methods for creating advanced hydrophilic biochar materials are provided with higher cation exchange capacity, optimized pH, improved wettability, and free of potential toxic components. These ozonized biochar compositions are used as filtration materials, as biochar soil additives and as carbon sequestration agents to help control climate change for energy and environmental sustainability on Earth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20170009357
    Abstract: Localized excess protons are created with an open-circuit water electrolysis process using a pair of anode and cathode electrodes for a special excess proton production and proton-utilization system to treat a substrate material plate/film by forming and using an excess protons-substrate-hydroxyl anions capacitor-like system. The technology enables protonation and/or proton-driven oxidation of plate/film and/or membrane materials in a pure water environment. The present invention represents a remarkable clean “green chemistry” technology that does not require the use of any conventional acid chemicals including nitric and sulfuric acids for the said industrial applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 9259662
    Abstract: A hybrid photovoltaic panel-interfaced solar-greenhouse distillation technology is disclosed that is capable of utilizing solar waste heat to perform liquid distillation while co-generating solar electricity. Solar waste heat co-generated at a photovoltaic panel is effectively utilized by in situ distillation liquid as an immediate heat sink in thermal contact with the photovoltaic panel, thus providing beneficial cooling of the photovoltaic panel and co-making of distillation products while generating electricity with significant improvement on total-process solar energy utilization efficiency. Use of this invention can provide a series of distillation-related products such as freshwater, distilled water, hot water, hot steam, sea salts, saline/brine products, and/or harvest biofuels and bioproducts such as ethanol from renewable resources while co-generating solar electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20150353379
    Abstract: A hybrid photovoltaic panel-interfaced distillation with and without a hydrophobic microporous membrane distillation process is provided that is capable of utilizing solar waste heat to perform liquid distillation while co-generating solar electricity. Solar waste heat co-generated at a photovoltaic panel is effectively utilized by in situ distillation liquid as an immediate heat sink in thermo contact with the photovoltaic panel, thus providing beneficial cooling of the photovoltaic panel and co-making of distillation products while generating electricity with significant improvement on total-process solar energy utilization efficiency. Its enabled beneficial utilization of waste heat can provide a series of distillation-related products such as: freshwater, sea salts, distilled water, distilled ethanol, hot water, hot steam, saline/brine products, and brine photobiological cultures for production of advanced biofuels and bioproducts, in addition to solar electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20150353961
    Abstract: Designer Calvin-cycle-channeled and hydrogenotrophic biofuel-production pathways, the associated designer genes and designer transgenic organisms for autotrophic production of alcohols and biodiesel from carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and/or water are disclosed. The alcohols include methanol, ethanol, propanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, isobutanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 1-pentanol, 1-heptanol, 3-methyl-1-pentanol, 4-methyl-1-hexanol, 5-methyl-1-heptanol, 4-methyl-1-pentanol, 5-methyl-1-hexanol, and 6-methyl-1-heptanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 8986963
    Abstract: Designer Calvin-cycle-channeled and photosynthetic NADPH-enhanced pathways, the associated designer genes and designer transgenic photosynthetic organisms for photobiological production of butanol and related higher alcohols from carbon dioxide and water are provided. The butanol and related higher alcohols include 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, isobutanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 1-pentanol, 1-heptanol, 3-methyl-1-pentanol, 4-methyl-1-hexanol, 5-methyl-1-heptanol, 4-methyl-1-pentanol, 5-methyl-1-hexanol, and 6-methyl-1-heptanol. The designer photosynthetic organisms such as designer transgenic oxyphotobacteria and algae comprise designer Calvin-cycle-channeled and photosynthetic NADPH-enhanced pathway gene(s) and biosafety-guarding technology for enhanced photobiological production of butanol and related higher alcohols from carbon dioxide and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Publication number: 20140212941
    Abstract: The present invention provides a biosafety-guarded photobiological butanol production technology based on designer transgenic plants, designer algae, designer blue-green algae (cyanobacteria and oxychlorobacteria), or designer plant cells. The designer photosynthetic organisms are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The butanol production methods of the present invention completely eliminate the problem of recalcitrant lignocellulosics by bypassing the bottleneck problem of the biomass technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 8753837
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photobiological ethanol production and harvesting technology using greenhouse distillation systems with designer photosynthetic organisms, such as designer transgenic oxyphotobacteria. The designer oxyphotobacteria are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of ethanol (CH3CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The designer use of a pair of NADPH-dependent vs. NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases in the pathway designs offers a special cyclic “transhydrogenase” redox-shuttle function to convert NADPH to NADH for enhanced photobiological ethanol production. Through combined use of a designer photosynthetic organism with a greenhouse distillation system, the waste solar heat associated with the photobiological ethanol-production process is utilized in harvesting the produced ethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 8735651
    Abstract: The present invention provides a biosafety-guarded photobiological butanol production technology based on designer transgenic plants, designer algae, designer blue-green algae (cyanobacteria and oxychlorobacteria), or designer plant cells. The designer photosynthetic organisms are created such that the endogenous photobiological regulation mechanism is tamed, and the reducing power (NADPH) and energy (ATP) acquired from the photosynthetic process are used for synthesis of butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) directly from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The butanol production methods of the present invention completely eliminate the problem of recalcitrant lignocellulosics by bypassing the bottleneck problem of the biomass technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee
  • Patent number: 8673119
    Abstract: A hybrid photovoltaic panel-interfaced solar-greenhouse distillation technology is provided that is capable of utilizing solar waste heat to perform liquid distillation while co-generating solar electricity. Solar waste heat co-generated at a photovoltaic panel is effectively utilized by in situ distillation liquid as an immediate heat sink in thermo contact with the photovoltaic panel front surface, thus providing beneficial cooling of the photovoltaic panel and co-making of distillation products while generating electricity with significant improvement on total-process solar energy utilization efficiency. Its enabled beneficial utilization of waste heat can provide a series of distillation-related products such as: freshwater, sea salts, distilled water, hot water, hot steam, saline/brine products, and brine photobiological cultures for production of advanced biofuels and bioproducts, in addition to solar electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: James Weifu Lee