Patents by Inventor Kenneth Michael Sprouse

Kenneth Michael Sprouse 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: 8011861
    Abstract: A system for substantially continuously providing a solid material, for example pulverized coal, to a pressurized container. The system provides the solid material to a first container of a first pressure elevated above an initial pressure of the solid material. Generally, a screw conveyor augmented with a jet port is used to move the material where the jet port provides a gas to provide a make-up volume of the solid material. The system also provides the material to a second high pressure container after the material has been formed into a slurry. Therefore, the solid material may be substantially continuously provided in a system to a high pressure container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, David R. Matthews, Albert E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 7615198
    Abstract: A system for substantially continuously providing a solid material, for example pulverized coal, to a pressurized container. The system provides the solid material to a first container of a first pressure elevated above an initial pressure of the solid material. Generally, a screw conveyor augmented with a jet port is used to move the material where the jet port provides a gas to provide a make-up volume of the solid material. The system also provides the material to a second high pressure container after the material has been formed into a slurry. Therefore, the solid material may be substantially continuously provided in a system to a high pressure container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, David R. Matthews, Albert E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 7303597
    Abstract: A system for substantially continuously providing a solid material, for example pulverized coal, to a pressurized container. The system provides the solid material to a first container of a first pressure elevated above an initial pressure of the solid material. Generally, a screw conveyor augmented with a jet port is used to move the material where the jet port provides a gas to provide a make-up volume of the solid material. The system also provides the material to a second high pressure container after the material has been formed into a slurry. Therefore, the solid material may be substantially continuously provided in a system to a high pressure container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, David R Matthews, Albert E Stewart
  • Publication number: 20040071618
    Abstract: A system for substantially continuously providing a solid material, for example pulverized coal, to a pressurized container. The system provides the solid material to a first container of a first pressure elevated above an initial pressure of the solid material. Generally, a screw conveyor augmented with a jet port is used to move the material where the jet port provides a gas to provide a make-up volume of the solid material. The system also provides the material to a second high pressure container after the material has been formed into a slurry. Therefore, the solid material may be substantially continuously provided in a system to a high pressure container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, David R. Matthews, Albert E. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20030192318
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas powered turbine which employs a heat exchanger and a catalyst to combust a fuel without the emission of undesired chemical species. A gas powered turbine requires expanding gases to power the turbine blades. Fuel is combusted to produce the required gases. A catalyst is employed to lower the combustion temperature of the fuel. The catalyst is placed on a set of tubes in the heat exchanger such that a portion of the thermal energy may be transferred to the air before it engages the catalyst. After encountering the catalyst, the combusted fuel increases the temperature of the air to an auto-ignition temperature so that no other ignition source is needed to combust additional fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, Michael Patrick Moriarty, David Robert Matthews
  • Publication number: 20030192319
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas powered turbine which employs a heat exchanger and a catalyst to combust a fuel without the emission of undesired chemical species. A gas powered turbine requires expanding gases to power the turbine blades. Fuel is combusted to produce the required gases. A catalyst is employed to lower the combustion temperature of the fuel. The catalyst is placed on a set of tubes in the heat exchanger such that a portion of the thermal energy may be transferred to the air before it engages the catalyst. After encountering the catalyst, the combusted fuel increases the temperature of the air to an auto-ignition temperature so that no other ignition source is needed to combust additional fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Kenneth Michael Sprouse, Shahram Farhangi, Michael Patrick Moriarty, David Robert Matthews