Patents by Inventor Lawrence C. Hoffman

Lawrence C. Hoffman 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: 20110126549
    Abstract: The power plant combusts a hydrocarbon fuel with oxygen to produce high temperature high pressure products of combustion. These products of combustion are routed through an expander to generate power. The products of combustion are substantially free of oxides of nitrogen because the oxidizer is oxygen rather than air. To achieve fast starting, oxygen, fuel and water diluent are preferably stored in quantities sufficient to allow the power plant to operate from these stored consumables. The fuel can be a gaseous or liquid fuel. The oxygen is preferably stored as liquid and routed through a vaporizer before combustion in a gas generator along with the hydrocarbon fuel. In one embodiment, the vaporizer gasifies the oxygen by absorption of heat from air before the air is routed into a separate heat engine, such as a gas turbine. The gas turbine thus operates on cooled air and has its power output increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Keith L. Pronske, Fermin Viteri, Scott MacAdam, Lawrence C. Hoffman, Rebecca Hollis, Patrick A. Skutley, Cheryl Lynn Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20100326084
    Abstract: An oxy-combustor is provided to combust oxygen with gaseous low heating value fuel. A compressor upstream of the combustor compresses the fuel. The combustor produces a drive gas including steam and carbon dioxide as well as other non-condensable gases in many cases, which pass through a turbine to output power. The drive gas can be recirculated to the combustor, either through the compressor, the oxygen inlet or directly to the combustor. Recirculation can occur before or after a condenser for separation of a portion of the water from the carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide and steam is collected from the system. The turbine, combustor and compressor can be derived from an existing gas turbine with fuel and air/oxidizer lines swapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Roger E. Anderson, Fermin Viteri, Lawrence C. Hoffman, Cheryl Lynn Hoffman, Keith L. Pronske
  • Patent number: 7827794
    Abstract: The power plant combusts a hydrocarbon fuel with oxygen to produce high temperature high pressure products of combustion. These products of combustion are routed through an expander to generate power. The products of combustion are substantially free of oxides of nitrogen because the oxidizer is oxygen rather than air. To achieve fast starting, oxygen, fuel and water diluent are preferably stored in quantities sufficient to allow the power plant to operate from these stored consumables. The fuel can be a gaseous or liquid fuel. The oxygen is preferably stored as liquid and routed through a vaporizer before combustion in a gas generator along with the hydrocarbon fuel. In one embodiment, the vaporizer gasifies the oxygen by absorption of heat from air before the air is routed into a separate heat engine, such as a gas turbine. The gas turbine thus operates on cooled air and has its power output increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Clean Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Pronske, Fermin Viteri, Scott MacAdam, Lawrence C. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4295346
    Abstract: A system for gelling cryogenic liquid in which a jet pump is used to educt cryogenic vapor from a gel storage container, mix that educted vapor with steam or other gelant vapor, and inject the resultant mixture into a fine spray of cryogenic droplets, is described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: Aerojet-General Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence C. Hoffman