Patents by Inventor Konrad Kunstle

Konrad Kunstle 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: 5806317
    Abstract: Steam is generated by conducting a medium through a line which is exposed to solar irradiation. The line has a starting point where a medium supply line issues into the line. The heated medium is conducted away from the at least one line through a drain line. The medium, prior to feeding in at the starting point, is prepared in a power plant component and the medium is supplied at a pressure which is higher than the prevailing pressure in the at least one line, and at an enthalpy which is greater than an enthalpy of saturated water in the line. The medium is fed in as water or water and steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kohler, Wolfgang Kastner, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4994174
    Abstract: A process and system for low-temperature carbonization of oil shale, oil sands and similar oil-bearing solids includes low-temperature carbonization of oil-bearing solids in a high-pressure fluidized bed reactor in the presence of a substance selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and steam at temperatures substantially between 400.degree.and 600.degree. C. for producing low-temperature carbonization gas. The low-temperature carbonization gas is condensed in at least two stages for producing relatively higher boiling and relatively lower boiling oil fractions. The oil-bearing solids are peripherally mashed with the higher boiling oil fraction of the low-temperature carbonization gas, before introducing the oil-bearing solids into the high-pressure fluidized bed reactor. The oil-bearing solids mashed with the higher boiling oil fraction are returned to the high-pressure fluidized bed reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Konrad Kunstle, Gerd Brunner, Jurgen Hoffmann, Till Dehrmann
  • Patent number: 4505808
    Abstract: Method of extracting liquid hydrocarbons from oil-containing stone or sand, wherein the oil-containing stone or the oil-containing sand undergoes hydrogenating, low temperature carbonization in a reactor at temperatures of 450.degree. to 520.degree. C. and a pressure of approximately 50 bar through the action of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and steam, and wherein the hydrocarbons are separated from the resulting gaseous, low temperature carbonization mixture. The low temperature carbonization mixture from the reactor is cooled in a first separation stage to a temperature of approximately 350.degree. C. to condense the less volatile hydrocarbons. The separated, liquid phase is fed to a solids separator and placed in contact with a circulating gas of carbon dioxide and a C.sub.6 /C.sub.7 hydrocarbon fraction. The low temperature carbonization mixture containing uncondensed gases and more volatile hydrocarbons are washed in a second separation stage with water and cooled to approximately 250.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerd Brunner, Rainer Hoffmann, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4505809
    Abstract: A process for extracting hydrocarbons from oil shale comprising the steps of subjecting oil shale under superatmospheric pressure in the presence of hydrogen and steam, to low temperature hydrogenating distillation; separating the resulting fluid distillation mixture into liquid and gaseous products; and returning water and hydrogen separated from the fluid distillation mixture to the low temperature distillation; in which:heat is drawn-off from the hot oil shale, after treatment in a low temperature hydrogenating distillation reactor, by the shale being sprayed wtih water whereby saturated steam is produced in decreasing pressure stages;the saturated steam of the pressure stages and water extracted during product separation are fed into the individual stages of a multi-stage compressor driven by a gas turbine, and are then delivered via a steam supply line to the reactor;the gas turbine is fuelled by supplying separated-off gaseous distillation products thereto; andthe exhaust gases of the gas turbine are fe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerd Brunner, Rainer Hoffmann, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4445325
    Abstract: Installation for generating superheated steam from raw water containing salt using preheaters for heating the raw water. The last preheater, as seen in the flow direction of the raw water, is followed via a control valve by a decompression cylinder. Part of the raw water evaporates and the vapor is withdrawn from the dome of the decomposition cylinder by a compressor which compresses and heats it and discharges it as superheated steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Tratz, Hermann Finckh, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4280449
    Abstract: Steam generator for a solar power plant, with an evaporator heating surface having a front side exposable to focused sun rays and a rear side adjacent a chamber, and burner means for supplying at least part of the heat required by the steam generator, the burner including a sintered-block slab operating as a reformed-gas generator, a burner plate disposed downstream of the sintered-block slab in flow direction of the gas, the burner plate being disposed immediately adjacent the rear side of the evaporator heating surface, and an air-permeable further heating surface for the steam generator disposed between the sintered-block slab and the burner plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1981
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Konrad Kunstle, Kurt Reiter, Christian Koch
  • Patent number: 4161428
    Abstract: System for recovering oil products from oil sands in which superheated steam from a nuclear reactor is mixed with water in a chamber under high superatmospheric pressure to obtain hot water at a temperature near the boiling point at the prevailing pressure. The hot water enters a reaction tube which has an input screw conveyor for feeding oil sands into the reaction tube in contact with the hot water to effect release of the oil from the sands. The outlet of the reaction tube opens into a hydrocyclone into which the reaction products of oil and sand and water are discharged. A screw conveyor at the bottom of the hydrocyclone discharges separated sand and some water which passes into a settling tank to settle the sand and the clarified water is filtered and returned to the pressure chamber. The separated oil together with some water from the hydrocyclone flows to an oil separator where the oil separates from the water, which latter is also returned to the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1979
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Gottschlich, Christian Koch, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4159936
    Abstract: Refining of crude petroleum by fractionally distilling the crude into lighter cuts and distillate bottoms constituting more than 50% of the crude. Hydrogenating the distillate bottoms at a temperature above 700.degree. C. in a tubular reactor to produce saturated hydrocarbons, some gas and a solid carbonaceous material. Separating the solid material in a cyclone and returning the hydrogenated oil to the fractionating column. Passing the solid carbonaceous material by an extruder to a second tubular reactor in contact with a mixture at a temperature above 750.degree. C. of steam, 1 and 2 carbon atom gases, and combustion products containing O.sub.2 from a third cyclone. Discharging the reaction products containing unreacted carbonaceous material together with substantially no O.sub.2, production of H.sub.2 and increased amounts of CO and CO.sub.2 into a second cyclone. Separating the gaseous products from the solid, recovering H.sub.2 and passing it to the first reactor tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1979
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Dorn, Christian Koch, Kurt Reiter, Konrad Kunstle
  • Patent number: 4095959
    Abstract: Coal gasification apparatus having a hydrogenation gasifier chamber for gasifying a portion of coal charge and a steam gasifier vessel for gasifying unconverted coal from the hydrogenation chamber with the chamber disposed above the vessel and a pressure lock interposed between the outlet of the chamber and the inlet of the vessel to permit unconverted coal to flow into the vessel and prevent gas generated therein from passing into the chamber. An oxygen inlet is provided at the lower end of the vessel for residual-oxidation of remaining coal. A heat exchanger is provided for heat exchange between hot gas leaving vessel and incoming steam. The chamber may be preceded by a steam-heated heating tank for preheating the coal under pressure and then suddenly decompressing the coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1978
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Konrad Kunstle, Christian Koch, Kurt Reiter