Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for regenerating a sorbent that has been poisoned by components derived from flue gas. The sorbent is treated with an agent to remove the poisoning components and introduce a promoting agent into the sorbent. The method and apparatus can also be used to enhance the effectiveness of a new sorbent.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for the removal of mercury from flue gas. Effective removal of mercury is obtained by oxidation of elemental mercury, with highly reactive halogen species derived from dissociation of halogen compounds at moderate temperatures brought into contact with the flue gas with or without the addition of carbon.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for the removal of mercury from flue gas. Effective removal of mercury is obtained by oxidation of elemental mercury, with highly reactive halogen species derived from dissociation of halogen compounds at moderate temperatures brought into contact with the flue gas with or without the addition of carbon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for regenerating a sorbent that has been poisoned by components derived from flue gas. The sorbent is treated with an agent to remove the poisoning components and introduce a promoting agent into the sorbent. The method and apparatus can also be used to enhance the effectiveness of a new sorbent.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for use in producing high-pressure hydrogen from natural gas, methanol, ethanol, or other fossil fuel-derived and renewable hydrocarbon resources. The process can produce hydrogen at pressures ranging from 2000 to 12,000 pounds per square inch (psi) using a hydrogen carrier, with or without high-pressure water, and an appropriate catalyst. The catalyst reacts with the hydrogen carrier and, optionally, high-pressure water, in a catalytic reformer (20) maintained under desired temperature and pressure conditions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for regenerating a sorbent that has been poisoned by components derived from flue gas. The sorbent is treated with an agent to remove the poisoning components and introduce a promoting agent into the sorbent. The method and apparatus can also be used to enhance the effectiveness of a new sorbent.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for use in producing high-pressure hydrogen from natural gas, methanol, ethanol, or other fossil fuel-derived and renewable hydrocarbon resources. The process can produce hydrogen at pressures ranging from 2000 to 12,000 pounds per square inch (psi) using a hydrogen carrier, with or without high-pressure water, and an appropriate catalyst. The catalyst reacts with the hydrogen carrier and, optionally, high-pressure water, in a catalytic reformer (20) maintained under desired temperature and pressure conditions.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving water quality using a gasification system. Whereas water is normally a deterrent to the combustion process, water is beneficial to the gasification of carbonaceous materials. The method and apparatus uses this, and other aspects, to utilize several processes to improve water quality by means of gasification in new and beneficial ways.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method that uses generated alkaline, alkaline-earth, and/or silica/alumina aerosols as a multifunctional additive to scavenge sulfur oxides in flue gas, minimize poisoning effects of sulfur oxides on mercury sorbent performance, and enhance particulate matter capture in electrostatic precipitators and other particulate filter devices by conditioning the fly ash.

Abstract: A promoted carbon and/or non-carbon base sorbent are described that are highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The promoted sorbent comprises a carbon and/or non-carbon base sorbent that has reacted with and contains forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase and/or preserve reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the base sorbent, or in-flight within a gas stream (air, flue gas, etc.), to enhance base sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The promoted sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Base sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active base sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling mercury emissions in the gas stream from a fuel fired system includes a chamber for creating dissociated halogen to be supplied to the gas stream, with or without carbonaceous material.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method that uses generated alkaline, alkaline-earth, and/or silica/alumina aerosols as a multifunctional additive to scavenge sulfur oxides in flue gas, minimize poisoning effects of sulfur oxides on mercury sorbent performance, and enhance particulate matter capture in electrostatic precipitators and other particulate filter devices by conditioning the fly ash.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for the removal of mercury from flue gas. Effective removal of mercury is obtained by oxidation of elemental mercury, with highly reactive halogen species derived from dissociation of halogen compounds at moderate temperatures brought into contact with the flue gas with or without the addition of carbon.

Abstract: A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding trellis-coded digital data. Digital data samples that have been convolutionally encoded by trellis-coded modulation (TCM) for purposes of forward error correction require a computationally intensive Viterbi decoder for best performance. A technique known as pragmatic trellis-code modulation (PTCM) reduces decoder complexity but at the expense of degraded performance in some situations. This disclosure provides a solution that retains the reduced complexity of PTCM, but uses a full trellis approach that yields significantly better performance in terms of bit error rate (BER).

Abstract: A joint (40) for joining a first metal sheet (10) to a second metal sheet (30) comprises a plurality of deformable projections (14) on an edge (12) of the first metal sheet (10). Each deformable projection (14) has an aperture (16) therethrough to form two sides (18,20) and a deformable head (22). The sides (18,20) have dogs (24,26). A plurality of slots (32) are provided through the second metal sheet (30). The deformable projections (14) extend through the slots (32) in the second metal sheet (30). The deformable projections (14) are deformed such that the head (22) of the deformable projection (14) expands the dogs (18,20) of the deformable projections (14) beyond the sides (34,36) of the slots (32) to prevent withdrawal of the deformable projections (14) from the slots (32) in the second ductile sheet (30).