Patents by Inventor Kent Olis Hicks

Kent Olis Hicks 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: 9314655
    Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and using syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Alter NRG Corp.
    Inventors: Kent Olis Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
  • Publication number: 20120264995
    Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and using syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: ALTER NRG CORP.
    Inventors: Kent Olis Hicks, Surendra Chavda, James Santoianni, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Pieter Van Nierop
  • Publication number: 20120061618
    Abstract: A carbonaceous bed in a reactor includes carbon bearing material that is not coke and rather includes natural wood blocks or bricks formed of non-coke carbonaceous material in a binder along with, as options, other constituents such as catalysts and fluxing agents. The bed reduces the amount of coke required in processes such as for syngas production. Such non-coke units are applicable to an original carbonaceous bed in a reactor and also to replenishment of reacted carbon in the original bed. The bed may include ungasified carbon particulate matter separated from gaseous reaction products of a gasification reactor, either in non-coke bricks or otherwise applied, as may other carbonaceous material often regarded as waste such as spent potliner material from aluminum making and soot residue from a gasification reactor. Certain reactor structural modifications can also result in reduced consumption of carbon in a bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventors: James Santoianni, Pieter VanNierop, Michael Erskine Heier, Aleksandr Gorodetsky, Stephanie Reese, Kent Olis Hicks