Patents by Inventor Kunlei Liu

Kunlei Liu 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).

  • Publication number: 20240360525
    Abstract: A method of recovering enriched iron fines from bauxite waste includes calcining particles of bauxite waste to form oxygen carrier particles, subjecting the oxygen carrier particles to chemical looping combustion at a temperature of about 950° C.-1,050° C. for energy production and to produce the enriched iron fines as a by-product from the oxygen carrier particles via natural attrition and collecting the enriched iron fines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Neng Huang, Ayokunle Omosebi, Kunlei Liu, Dimitrios Koumoulis, Xin Gao
  • Patent number: 12037555
    Abstract: A biomass fuel slurry includes a mixture of a biomass material and a plastic material suspended in water. In other embodiments, the biomass fuel slurry also includes coal. A method of making a biomass fuel slurry includes the steps of encapsulating a biomass material with a plastic material to produce a plastic encapsulated biomass material and suspending the plastic encapsulated biomass material in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic
  • Publication number: 20240157285
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for capturing carbon dioxide from a flue gas. The system includes an absorber, a stripper, a cooling system and a control module. The cooling system is adapted to independently cool (a) a flue gas upstream from an absorber flue gas inlet and (b) a carbon dioxide-lean carbon capture solution being delivered to each of a plurality of lean carbon capture solution inlets at the different levels of the absorber. The control module includes a controller and a plurality of temperature sensors. The controller is responsive to the plurality of temperature sensors provided at each of the different levels of the absorber to control operation of the cooling system and thereby maintain a desired temperature profile at the different levels of the absorber to enhance rich loading of carbon dioxide from the flue gas to a carbon capture solution and reduce energy requirements for lean carbon capture solution regeneration in the stripper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic, Reynolds Frimpong, Fan Zhen, Chin Ng
  • Patent number: 11938443
    Abstract: A hybrid post-combustion carbon dioxide capture system for capturing carbon dioxide from a flue gas includes a compressor adapted to produce a compressed flue gas stream, a membrane-based carbon dioxide separation unit configured to receive a first portion of the compressed flue gas stream from the compressor, and an aqueous-based carbon dioxide capture unit configured to receive a second portion of the compressed flue gas stream from the compressor whereby the compressed flue gas stream is processed in parallel by the membrane-based carbon dioxide separation unit and the aqueous-based carbon dioxide capture unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventor: Kunlei Liu
  • Publication number: 20240055685
    Abstract: A method of recovering valuable materials from a black mass of lithium ion batteries may be broadly described as including the steps of decomposing the black mass to produce a reduced black mass, extracting lithium from the reduced black mass and separating and recovering magnetic alloy materials and non-magnetic materials from the reduced black mass. An apparatus for recovering valuable materials from a black mass of lithium ion batteries includes a thermal reactor, a stirring reactor, a solid-liquid separator, an oven and a magnet-assisted vibration device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Xin Gao, Kunlei Liu, Neng Huang
  • Publication number: 20240003019
    Abstract: A method of recycling lithium-ion batteries includes steps of: roasting black mass from lithium-ion batteries to produce a reduced black mass, conducting simultaneous aqueous leaching and wet magnetic separation of the reduced black mass for (a) extracting soluble lithium species and (b) enriching metallic Ni—Co and subjecting the extracted soluble lithium species to electrochemical lithium ion purification. A system for recycling lithium ion batteries includes a roaster, an aqueous leaching and wet magnetic separator and an electrochemical lithium ion separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Xin Gao, Ayokunle Omosebi, Aron Patrick, Kunlei Liu
  • Patent number: 11857914
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing an acid gas from a feed gas stream includes an absorber and an electrochemical regenerator. The absorber is adapted for separating the acid gas from the feed gas feed stream using a lean carbon capture solvent. The electrochemical regenerator is connected to the absorber and adapted for (a) regenerating the carbon capture solvent and (b) generating hydrogen gas. A method for removing acid gas from a feed gas stream includes steps of separating, delivering, releasing, generating and returning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Ayokunle Omosebi, Xin Gao, Reynolds Frimpong, Kunlei Liu
  • Patent number: 11819799
    Abstract: An acid gas absorber includes a co-current flue gas-lean solution section and a packed counter-current flue gas-liquid phase section useful in a method of capturing an acid gas from flue gas in a more efficient and cost effective manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic
  • Publication number: 20230302397
    Abstract: A carbon capture system includes: (a) an absorber having an inorganic solvent carbon dioxide capture section, a water wash section between the organic solvent carbon dioxide capture section and the inorganic solvent carbon dioxide capture section, a flue gas inlet at the organic solvent carbon dioxide capture section and a treated flue gas outlet at the inorganic solvent carbon dioxide capture section, (b) a stripper, (c) a polishing circuit, and (d) a water wash circuit. A related method of carbon capture includes sequentially subjecting the flue gas to (i) organic solvent carbon dioxide capture, (ii) water washing and (iii) inorganic solvent carbon dioxide capture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic, Xin Gao
  • Publication number: 20230235419
    Abstract: A method of recovering enriched iron fines from bauxite waste includes calcining particles of bauxite waste to form oxygen carrier particles, subjecting the oxygen carrier particles to chemical looping combustion at a temperature of about 950° C.-1,050° C. for energy production and to produce the enriched iron fines as a by-product from the oxygen carrier particles via natural attrition and collecting the enriched iron fines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Neng Huang, Kunlei Liu, Ayokunle Omosebi, Dimitrios Koumoulis, Xin Gao
  • Patent number: 11673109
    Abstract: A method of enhancing yield and transfer rate of a packed bed in a reactor chamber of a vessel includes steps of applying acoustic energy to the packed bed, measuring impedance of the packed bed deriving a natural resonance frequency of the packed bed from the measured impedance and applying the acoustic energy to the packed bed at the derived natural resonance frequency of the packed bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Bradley David Irvin, Kunlei Liu, Roger S. Perrone
  • Publication number: 20230166212
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide capture process system includes an absorber vessel, a stripper, a first group of sensors and a second group[ of sensors. The first group of sensors is adapted for collecting real-time temperature, pH, density and viscosity data for a lean carbon capture solvent used for carbon capture from an acid gas adjacent the lean carbon capture solvent inlet. The second group of sensors is adapted for collecting real-time temperature, pH, density and viscosity data for a rich carbon capture solvent following carbon capture from the acid gas adjacent the rich carbon capture solvent inlet. A control system and related method are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Bradley David Irvin, Kunlei Liu, Zhen Fan, Jonathan Pelgen
  • Publication number: 20230101974
    Abstract: A method of enhancing yield and transfer rate of a packed bed in a reactor chamber of a vessel includes steps of applying acoustic energy to the packed bed, measuring impedance of the packed bed deriving a natural resonance frequency of the packed bed from the measured impedance and applying the acoustic energy to the packed bed at the derived natural resonance frequency of the packed bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Bradley David Irvin, Kunlei Liu, Roger S. Perrone
  • Publication number: 20230086140
    Abstract: An electrochemical reactor system adapted for producing a chemical product from a reactant includes (a) separate electrochemical and production cells and (b) a charge carrier compound in a catholyte adapted to effectively decouple the charging of the charge carrier compound in the electrochemical cell with the electrochemical conversion of a reactant to a desired chemical product in the production cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Jesse G. Thompson, Kunlei Liu, Leland Widger, Daniel Moreno, Ayokunle Omosebi, James Landon
  • Publication number: 20230047581
    Abstract: A biomass fuel slurry includes a mixture of a biomass material and a plastic material suspended in water. In other embodiments, the biomass fuel slurry also includes coal. A method of making a biomass fuel slurry includes the steps of encapsulating a biomass material with a plastic material to produce a plastic encapsulated biomass material and suspending the plastic encapsulated biomass material in water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic
  • Publication number: 20230021734
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and utilization system captures CO2 from flue gas and utilizes the same to enhance algae or cyanobacteria growth. The system generally comprises a CO2 capture unit and a utilization unit that is in fluid communication with the CO2 capture unit. The CO2 capture unit includes a membrane CO2 absorber that captures CO2 from incoming flue gas to produce a CO2-rich solvent. The utilization unit processes the CO2-rich solvent to produce a product stream that includes CO2 and NH3 in a predetermined CO2:NH3 ratio. The product stream is delivered to a cultivation subsystem of the utilization of the unit including one or more species of algae or cyanobacteria. A method for capturing and utilizing CO2 is also provided herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Mark Crocker, Heather Nikolic
  • Publication number: 20220403321
    Abstract: An algae cultivation medium includes a growth medium and at least one of an amine additive and a water-soluble biomimetic catalyst. A related method of increasing carbon shuttling in an algae cultivation medium includes adding at least one of the amine additive and the water-soluble biomimetic catalyst to the algae cultivation medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Jesse Thompson, Leland R. Widger, Michael Hayes Wilson, Mark Crocker, Kunlei Liu, Moushumi Sarma
  • Publication number: 20220379259
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an absorber having a first packing section, a second packing section and a third packing section. The first packing segment includes a first structured packing, having a first specific surface area SA1, the second packing segment includes a second structured packing, having a second specific surface area SA2, and the third packing segment includes a third structured packing, having a third specific surface area SA3 where SA1<SA2<SA3. The structured packing in the various packing segment may be periodically interrupted with one or more layers of random packing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Kunlei Liu, Heather Nikolic, Fan Zhen, Jesse Thompson, Amanda Warriner
  • Publication number: 20220370954
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes (a) an anode including a first liquid permeable carbon cloth carbon electrode and a first current collector, (b) a cathode including a second liquid permeable carbon cloth electrode and a second current collector, (c) a separator made from an insulating material, and (d) a current source applying an electrical current to said anode and said cathode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Jesse G. Thompson, James Landon, Xin Gao, Kunlei Liu, Keemia Abad, Saloni Bhatnagar
  • Patent number: 11484860
    Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing a yield and a transfer rate of a packed bed includes a packed bed, a vessel having a reaction chamber, a support frame and acoustic attenuator for holding the packed bed in the reaction chamber, at least one acoustic transducer adapted to transmit acoustic energy into the packed bed and an acoustic generator. The acoustic generator has impedance matching functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Bradley David Irvin, Kunlei Liu, Roger S. Perrone