Patents by Inventor Jeroen HEULENS
Jeroen HEULENS 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).
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Publication number: 20210051775Abstract: This invention concerns power supplies suitable for electric arc gas heaters such a plasma torches. It more particularly relates to the dimensioning of the inductor in the switched-mode DC to DC converter used for feeding the torch. The invention concerns in particular a DC power supply for driving a non-transferred electric arc gas heater, comprising: an AC to DC rectifier providing a potential U0; a DC to DC switching converter having a switching frequency fs; a current control loop having a latency ?; and, a ballast inductor having an inductance L; characterized in that inductance L is such that L > ( U 0 1 ? 5 ? 0 ? 0 ) ? ? , and ? ? L < 1 f s ? ( U 0 2 ? 0 ? 0 ) . Such a design ensures the stability of the current control loop, while also ensuring a sufficient amount of current ripple to spread out the erosion zone on the electrodes of the torch.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: John OSTERMEYER, Jeroen HEULENS
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Patent number: 10856373Abstract: This invention concerns power supplies suitable for electric arc gas heaters such a plasma torches. It more particularly relates to the dimensioning of the inductor in the switched-mode DC to DC converter used for feeding the torch. The invention concerns in particular a DC power supply for driving a non-transferred electric arc gas heater, comprising: an AC to DC rectifier providing a potential U0; a DC to DC switching converter having a switching frequency fS; a current control loop having a latency Formula (I); and, a ballast inductor having an inductance L; characterized in that inductance L is such that Formula (II) and Formula (III). Such a design ensures the stability of the current control loop, while also ensuring a sufficient amount of current ripple to spread out the erosion zone on the electrodes of the torch. ? ; ( I ) L > ( U 0 1500 ) ? ? , ( II ) L < 1 f s ? ( U 0 200 ) .Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2015Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: UmicoreInventors: John Ostermeyer, Jeroen Heulens
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Patent number: 10458000Abstract: The present disclosure concerns an apparatus suitable for smelting and separating metals in flexible oxido-reduction conditions. More particularly, it concerns an apparatus for smelting metallurgical charges comprising a bath furnace susceptible to contain a molten charge up to a determined level, characterized in that the furnace is equipped with: at least one non-transfer plasma torch for the generation of first hot gases; at least one oxygas burner for the generation of second hot gasses; and, submerged injectors for injecting said first and second hot gases below said determined level.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: UMICOREInventors: Jeroen Heulens, Bart De Cooman, Maarten Quix
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Patent number: 10326182Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the separation of cobalt from lithium present in a charge comprising lithium-ion batteries or related products, comprising the steps of: smelting the charge using a bath furnace equipped with a submerged air-fed plasma torch for injecting plasma gas into the melt; defining and maintaining a bath redox potential where cobalt is reduced to the metallic state and reporting to an alloy phase, and whereby lithium is oxidized as Li2O and reporting to the slag phase; decanting and separating the phases. It is characterized in that the reduction and oxidizing steps are performed simultaneously. A suitably low cobalt concentration is obtained in the slag.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: UMICOREInventors: Jeroen Heulens, David Van Horebeek, Maarten Quix, Sybolt Brouwer
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Patent number: 10164302Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the recovery of metals and of heat from spent rechargeable batteries, in particular from spent Li-ion batteries containing relatively low amounts of cobalt. It has in particular been found that such cobalt-depleted Li-ion batteries can be processed on a copper smelter by: feeding a useful charge and slag formers to the smelter; adding heating and reducing agents; whereby at least part of the heating and/or reducing agents is replaced by Li-ion batteries containing one or more of metallic Fe, metallic Al, and carbon. Using spent LFP or LMO batteries as a feed on the Cu smelter, the production rate of Cu blister is increased, while the energy consumption from fossil sources is decreased.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2014Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: UmicoreInventors: Sybolt Brouwer, Jeroen Heulens, David Van Horebeek
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Publication number: 20180235037Abstract: This invention concerns power supplies suitable for electric arc gas heaters such a plasma torches. It more particularly relates to the dimensioning of the inductor in the switched-mode DC to DC converter used for feeding the torch. The invention concerns in particular a DC power supply for driving a non-transferred electric arc gas heater, comprising: an AC to DC rectifier providing a potential U0; a DC to DC switching converter having a switching frequency fS; a current control loop having a latency Formula (I); and, a ballast inductor having an inductance L; characterized in that inductance L is such that Formula (II) and Formula (III). Such a design ensures the stability of the current control loop, while also ensuring a sufficient amount of current ripple to spread out the erosion zone on the electrodes of the torch. ? ; ( I ) L > ( U 0 1500 ) ? ? , ( II ) L < 1 f s ? ( U 0 200 ) .Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2015Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: John OSTERMEYER, Jeroen HEULENS
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Publication number: 20170321300Abstract: The present disclosure concerns an apparatus suitable for smelting and separating metals in flexible oxido-reduction conditions. More particularly, it concerns an apparatus for smelting metallurgical charges comprising a bath furnace susceptible to contain a molten charge up to a determined level, characterized in that the furnace is equipped with: at least one non-transfer plasma torch for the generation of first hot gases; at least one oxygas burner for the generation of second hot gasses; and, submerged injectors for injecting said first and second hot gases below said determined level.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: November 9, 2017Inventors: Jeroen HEULENS, Bart DE COOMAN, Maarten QUIX
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Publication number: 20170229744Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the separation of cobalt from lithium present in a charge comprising lithium-ion batteries or related products, comprising the steps of: smelting the charge using a bath furnace equipped with a submerged air-fed plasma torch for injecting plasma gas into the melt; defining and maintaining a bath redox potential where cobalt is reduced to the metallic state and reporting to an alloy phase, and whereby lithium is oxidized as Li2O and reporting to the slag phase; decanting and separating the phases. It is characterized in that the reduction and oxidizing steps are performed simultaneously. A suitably low cobalt concentration is obtained in the slag.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2015Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Jeroen HEULENS, David VAN HOREBEEK, Maarten QUIX, Sybolt BROUWER
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Publication number: 20170005374Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the recovery of metals and of heat from spent rechargeable batteries, in particular from spent Li-ion batteries containing relatively low amounts of cobalt. It has in particular been found that such cobalt-depleted Li-ion batteries can be processed on a copper smelter by: feeding a useful charge and slag formers to the smelter; adding heating and reducing agents; whereby at least part of the heating and/or reducing agents is replaced by Li-ion batteries containing one or more of metallic Fe, metallic Al, and carbon. Using spent LFP or LMO batteries as a feed on the Cu smelter, the production rate of Cu blister is increased, while the energy consumption from fossil sources is decreased.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2014Publication date: January 5, 2017Inventors: Sybolt BROUWER, Jeroen HEULENS, David VAN HOREBEEK