Patents by Inventor Michael T. Timko

Michael T. Timko 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: 20240409427
    Abstract: A recycling and waste management process receives municipal solid waste (MSW) with substantial organic content to form a self-sustaining Hydrothermal Mineralization (HTM) process based on Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) to receive supercritical steam and carbon dioxide with potential for electrical generation before forming calcium carbonate suitable for concrete production. Hydrothermal mineralization (HTM) provides a rapid elimination of organic wastes while simultaneously producing a non-emissive and thermally stable cement additive to act as a carbon sink. Hydrothermal mineralization (HTM) provides a rapid disposal pathway for organic wastes, a green source of electricity and a final product that can be coupled with traditional and alternative cement productions to reduce carbon footprints of cement production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew R. Teixeira, Michael T. Timko, David Kenney
  • Patent number: 11773331
    Abstract: Methods are described herein for upgrading ad refining hydrocarbons, and producing at least one petrochemical product, the method including: preparing a reaction mixture by adding at least two of: a quantity of bioethanol, a quantity of hydrocarbon, and a quantity of water to a reactor containment; combining the reaction mixture with a quantity of catalyst in the reactor containment; applying reaction conditions to the reactor containment thereby generating supercritical conditions for the reaction mixture and obtaining a product mixture; and extracting at least one petrochemical product from the product mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Azadeh Zaker
  • Patent number: 11566186
    Abstract: A petroleum refining method for upgrading petroleum products improves the efficiency and reduces the costs of upgrading oils, such as lipids, bitumen, crude oil, fracking oils, synthetic oils, and other feeds, to produce useful fuels and chemical precursor streams. Usage of a specific type of zeolite (ZSM-5) catalyst, supercritical water to control coke formation, and a specific response to phase behavior and other catalytic effects optimize the process. A prescribed set of reactor conditions employing supercritical water increases activity of the catalyst in industrial reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Azadeh Zaker
  • Publication number: 20220325184
    Abstract: Methods are described herein for upgrading ad refining hydrocarbons, and producing at least one petrochemical product, the method including: preparing a reaction mixture by adding at least two of: a quantity of bioethanol, a quantity of hydrocarbon, and a quantity of water to a reactor containment; combining the reaction mixture with a quantity of catalyst in the reactor containment; applying reaction conditions to the reactor containment thereby generating supercritical conditions for the reaction mixture and obtaining a product mixture; and extracting at least one petrochemical product from the product mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Azadeh Zaker
  • Patent number: 11286432
    Abstract: Catalyst composition and parameters for catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass to bio-oil fuels target municipal solid waste (MSW) rather than lignin rich plant waste typically sought for bio-oil production. An HTL (Hydrothermal Liquefaction) reactor generates bio-fuel from municipal solid waste (MSW), including receiving, in the HTL reactor, non-lignin based waste from a municipal processing stream, and adding a solvent for extracting sugars from green waste components of the municipal processing stream. The reactor extracts a liquid from the received waste, and converts water soluble products in the liquid into oil soluble products via C—C (carbon-to-carbon) coupling reactions. A catalyst added to the resulting aqueous stream recovers a beneficial oil product, and is optimized by tuning acid and base sites on the solid catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Alex R. Maag
  • Publication number: 20210179950
    Abstract: A petroleum refining method for upgrading petroleum products improves the efficiency and reduces the costs of upgrading oils, such as lipids, bitumen, crude oil, fracking oils, synthetic oils, and other feeds, to produce useful fuels and chemical precursor streams. Usage of a specific type of zeolite (ZSM-5) catalyst, supercritical water to control coke formation, and a specific response to phase behavior and other catalytic effects optimize the process. A prescribed set of reactor conditions employing supercritical water increases activity of the catalyst in industrial reactions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Azadeh Zaker
  • Patent number: 10941379
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of producing a bioproduct by culturing a cell in a multiphase reactor that comprises supercritical CO2, near critical CO2, or liquid CO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Janelle Renee Thompson, Kyle C. Peet, Adam J. E. Freedman, Kristala Lanett Jones Prather, Jason Thomas Boock, Michael T. Timko
  • Publication number: 20200109336
    Abstract: Catalyst composition and parameters for catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass to bio-oil fuels target municipal solid waste (MSW) rather than lignin rich plant waste typically sought for bio-oil production. An HTL (Hydrothermal Liquefaction) reactor generates bio-fuel from municipal solid waste (MSW), including receiving, in the HTL reactor, non-lignin based waste from a municipal processing stream, and adding a solvent for extracting sugars from green waste components of the municipal processing stream. The reactor extracts a liquid from the received waste, and converts water soluble products in the liquid into oil soluble products via C—C(carbon-to-carbon) coupling reactions. A catalyst added to the resulting aqueous stream recovers a beneficial oil product, and is optimized by tuning acid and base sites on the solid catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Michael T. Timko, Geoffrey A. Tompsett, Alex R. Maag
  • Publication number: 20180119089
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of producing a bioproduct by culturing a cell in a multiphase reactor that comprises supercritical CO2, near critical CO2, or liquid CO2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Janelle Renee Thompson, Kyle C. Peet, Adam J.E. Freedman, Kristala Lanett Jones Prather, Jason Thomas Boock, Michael T. Timko