Patents by Inventor John N. Harbinson

John N. Harbinson 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: 5730784
    Abstract: Hydrogen Sulfide is substantially completely removed from a gas stream in a two-stage operation. Hydrogen Sulfide is first partially oxidized to sulfur dioxide and the sulfur dioxide reacted with part of the remaining hydrogen sulfide while the hydrogen sulfide not so reacted is subsequently oxidized, thereby removing all of the hydrogen sulfide from the gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignees: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David Todd R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5705032
    Abstract: Black liquor is subjected to high shear to cause a breakdown of macromolecules contained therein and provide a reduction in viscosity, thereby improving the processability of the black liquor and enabling the solids content to be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Thor Technology Corporation
    Inventors: John N. Harbinson, David Todd R. Ellenor
  • Patent number: 5585005
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a agitated flotation cell. The same principal may be employed with other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases, for example, to treat or strip or react a component of the liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignees: University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5552061
    Abstract: Viscous liquids, such as liquid sulfur and bitumen asphalt are contacted with gases to strip absorbed gases from the viscous liquid and/or transfer gaseous components into the viscous liquid using a shrouded impeller combination immersed in the viscous liquid. The invention has particular application to the stripping of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen polysulfides from liquid sulfur using an oxidizing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5527475
    Abstract: The parameters of a gas-liquid contact apparatus for the removal of a component of a gas stream in which an impeller-apertured shroud combination is immersed in a liquid phase to which the gas stream is fed at a gas flow rate of Q. The structural and operating parameters of the apparatus are quantified to provide a Shear Effectiveness Index (SEI) value of from about 1 to about 10 and an Effective Shear Index (ESI) value of from about 1 to about 2500.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignees: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Appollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5520818
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. The same principal may be employed in other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell is also described. In order to effect mass transfer and rapid reaction gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignees: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5500135
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. The same principal may be employed in other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell is also described. In order to effect mass transfer and rapid reaction gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignees: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5500130
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. The same principal may be employed in other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell is also described. In order to effect mass transfer and rapid reaction gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation and Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5413765
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. The same principle may be employed with other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell also is described. In order to effect efficient mass transfer and rapid reaction, gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignees: Apollo Environmental Systems Corp., University of Toronto Innovations Foundation
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5366698
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell also is described. In order to effect efficient mass transfer and rapid reaction, gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear. To assist in the reaction, a surrounding shroud has a plurality of openings, generally of aspect ratio of approximately 1, of equal diameter and arranged in uniform pattern, such as to provide a gas flow therethrough less than about 0.02 lb/min/opening in the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignees: The University of Toronto, Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5352421
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from gas streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. The same principle may be employed with other procedures in which a gaseous phase is dispersed in a liquid phase to effect an interaction between components present in such phases. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell also is described. In order to effect efficient mass transfer and rapid reaction, gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignees: University of Toronto Innovations Foundation, Apollo Environmental Systems Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson
  • Patent number: 5174973
    Abstract: Components, usually but not exclusively gaseous components, are removed in a liquid medium from gas streams and chemically converted into an insoluble phase or physically removed. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide may be removed from streams by oxidation in aqueous chelated transition metal solution in a modified agitated flotation cell. A gas-liquid contact apparatus, generally a combined chemical reactor and solid product separation device, comprising such modified agitated flotation cell also is described. In order to effect efficient mass transfer and rapid reaction, gas bubbles containing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen are formed by rotating an impeller at a blade tip velocity of at least about 350 in/sec. to achieve the required shear. To assist in the reaction, a surrounding shroud has a plurality of openings, generally of aspect ratio of approximately 1, of equal diameter and arranged in uniform pattern, such as to provide a gas flow therethrough less than about 0.02 lb/min/opening in the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: University of Toronto Innovations Foundation
    Inventors: James W. Smith, David T. R. Ellenor, John N. Harbinson