Patents by Inventor Neil A. Stephenson

Neil A. Stephenson 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: 20240372056
    Abstract: A method and control arrangement for monitoring coating quality during production of electrodes of secondary cells. The production of electrodes comprises a coating process including coating slurry onto a conductive substrate and drying the coated conductive substrate, and a calendering process. The method comprises measuring (S1), during the coating process and/or calendering process, power consumption of one or more electrical components used for performing the coating process and/or calendering process and evaluating (S3) the coating quality by analyzing the measured power consumption using coating quality criteria, wherein the coating quality criteria defines coating quality of the secondary cells based on measured power consumption of the one or more electrical components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Sean STEPHENSON, Neil CARLISLE
  • Patent number: 12076707
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface modified zeolite adsorbent wherein the surface of said zeolite is modified with a coating comprised of a silicone derived species, said zeolite having a mean crystal size from about 5 to about 10 ?m and a skeletal density of ?1.10 gr./cc. The invention is based on the discovery that larger crystals tend to have higher particle density, and the packing of the larger crystals in agglomeration processes leads to more idealized packing to provide a larger mean-pore diameter. The surface modified adsorbent provides rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Philip A. Barrett, Neil A. Stephenson, Katie Held
  • Patent number: 12059667
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a superior carbon adsorbent with or without a core. In one embodiment the carbon adsorbent of the present invention employs carbon adsorbent powder and an organic binding agent which are combined together with an appropriate solvent in an agglomeration step. In another embodiment the invention contemplates a core-in-shell adsorbent comprising an outer shell composed of a carbon and a non-adsorbing inert inner core. Low temperature processing of these agglomerates substantially preserves the binding agent within the final composition and allows one to prepare adsorbent products of high sphericity. The adsorbents of the invention possess superior characteristics such as higher mass transfer rate and CO2 working capacity for use in a H2PSA process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio, Nicholas R. Stuckert, Garrett R. Swindlehurst
  • Patent number: 12017204
    Abstract: The invention relates to a superior core-in-shell adsorbent comprising adsorbent, and an inert core, wherein said core possesses a porosity less than 10%, and has a volumetric thermal capacity greater than 1 J/K*cc. The adsorbents of the invention possess good physical strength, and allow a longer cycle time, thereby reducing the blowdown (vent) losses compared to known adsorbents. The invention relates to an adsorber design for a vacuum/pressure swing adsorption (VSA, VPSA, PSA) process designed to obtain oxygen product from air utilizing the adsorbents of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio, Nicholas R. Stuckert
  • Publication number: 20230422400
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate including a cavity, a magnetic core in the cavity, a first winding extending around the magnetic core, and a single channel that extends between the cavity and an exterior of the device and that defines an opening. The first winding includes vias along an exterior periphery of the magnetic core opposite to the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Takayuki TANGE, Neil STEPHENSON, Lee FRANCIS
  • Publication number: 20230187119
    Abstract: An embedded magnetic component transformer device includes primary, secondary, and auxiliary windings that are defined by conductive vias connected by conductive traces. The conductive traces and vias of the auxiliary winding are arranged between the conductive traces and vias of respective first and second portions of the primary winding, so that the auxiliary winding is provided substantially in the center of the width of the PCB. Power connections are provided at respective opposing edges of the device, and surface mounted transistors are provided close to the primary winding portions between the auxiliary winding and the edge of the device. The device provides an efficient utilization of the surface conductive traces such that large areas of the surface remain for other functions, such as ground plates. The thermal properties of the device are balanced by distributing the transistors and the power connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Neil STEPHENSON, Frank WARNES
  • Patent number: 11577217
    Abstract: A carbon adsorbent storage and dispensing system is provided with a structurally modified particulate carbon adsorbent designed with optimal volumetric surface area for a certain range of particle sizes. Bulk density and specific surface area are carefully balanced to ensure the volumetric surface area remains within an optimal range to create high performance, as measured by dispensing capacity of the dopant fluid that is reversibly adsorbed onto the structurally modified particulate carbon adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Douglas C. Heiderman, Ashwini K. Sinha, Rachael A. Masin, Garrett R. Swindlehurst, Cynthia A. Hoover, William S. Kane
  • Patent number: 11529582
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for modifying the crystalline inorganic framework of an adsorbent with coatings to provide rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The method described herein narrows the effective pore size of crystalline porous solids with pores less than about 5 ? for rate selective separations. This method of the invention comprises treating the hydrated or partially hydrated zeolite with a silicone derived binding agent followed by subsequent heat treatment. The additive content and treatment are adjusted to match effective pore size to specific separations. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Nicholas R. Stuckert
  • Patent number: 11471820
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a pressure swing adsorption process for separating an adsorbate impurity from a feed stream comprising product gas, said process comprising feeding the feed stream to an adsorbent bed at a pressure of from about 60 psig to 2000 psig, wherein said adsorbent bed comprises adsorbent having: An isosteric heat of adsorption of from about 5 kJ/mol to about 30 kJ/mol, as determined by the LRC method, for the adsorbate, and an equivalent 65 kJ/mol or less isosteric heat of adsorption for the product, wherein the adsorbent has a rate of adsorption for the adsorbate impurity that is at least 10 times greater than the rate of adsorption for the product gas as determined by the TGA method and recovering said product gas with a reduced a level of said adsorbate impurity. The invention also related to an adsorbent useful in PSA separations, particularly separating N2 from methane, CO2 from methane O2 from N2 and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Stuckert, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio
  • Publication number: 20210252482
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface modified zeolite adsorbent wherein the surface of said zeolite is modified with a coating comprised of a silicone derived species, said zeolite having a mean crystal size from about 5 to about 10 ?m and a skeletal density of ?1.10 gr./cc. The invention is based on the discovery that larger crystals tend to have higher particle density, and the packing of the larger crystals in agglomeration processes leads to more idealized packing to provide a larger mean-pore diameter. The surface modified adsorbent provides rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Philip A. Barrett, Neil A. Stephenson, Katie Held
  • Publication number: 20210178361
    Abstract: A carbon adsorbent storage and dispensing system is provided with a structurally modified particulate carbon adsorbent designed with optimal volumetric surface area for a certain range of particle sizes. Bulk density and specific surface area are carefully balanced to ensure the volumetric surface area remains within an optimal range to create high performance, as measured by dispensing capacity of the dopant fluid that is reversibly adsorbed onto the structurally modified particulate carbon adsorbent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Douglas C. Heiderman, Ashwini K. Sinha, Rachael A. Masin, Garrett R. Swindlehurst, Cynthia A. Hoover, William S. Kane
  • Publication number: 20210031171
    Abstract: The invention relates to a superior core-in-shell adsorbent comprising adsorbent, and an inert core, wherein said core possesses a porosity less than 10%, and has a volumetric thermal capacity greater than 1 J/K*cc. The adsorbents of the invention possess good physical strength, and allow a longer cycle time, thereby reducing the blowdown (vent) losses compared to known adsorbents. The invention relates to an adsorber design for a vacuum/pressure swing adsorption (VSA, VPSA, PSA) process designed to obtain oxygen product from air utilizing the adsorbents of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio, Nicholas R. Stuckert
  • Publication number: 20210016218
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a process that utilizes tunable zeolite adsorbents in order to reduce the bed size for nitrogen removal from a methane (or a larger molecule) containing stream. The adsorbents are characterized by the rate of adsorption of nitrogen and methane and the result is a bed size that is up to an order of magnitude smaller with these characteristics (in which the rate selectivity is generally 30) than the corresponding bed size for the original tunable zeolite adsorbent that has a rate selectivity of >100x.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Stuckert, Steven J. Pontonio, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett
  • Publication number: 20210008487
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a pressure swing adsorption process for separating an adsorbate impurity from a feed stream comprising product gas, said process comprising feeding the feed stream to an adsorbent bed at a pressure of from about 60 psig to 2000 psig, wherein said adsorbent bed comprises adsorbent having: An isosteric heat of adsorption of from about 5 kJ/mol to about 30 kJ/mol, as determined by the LRC method, for the adsorbate, and an equivalent 65 kJ/mol or less isosteric heat of adsorption for the product, wherein the adsorbent has a rate of adsorption for the adsorbate impurity that is at least 10 times greater than the rate of adsorption for the product gas as determined by the TGA method and recovering said product gas with a reduced a level of said adsorbate impurity. The invention also related to an adsorbent useful in PSA separations, particularly separating N2 from methane, CO2 from methane O2 from N2 and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Stuckert, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio
  • Publication number: 20200368724
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a superior carbon adsorbent with or without a core. In one embodiment the carbon adsorbent of the present invention employs carbon adsorbent powder and an organic binding agent which are combined together with an appropriate solvent in an agglomeration step. In another embodiment the invention contemplates a core-in-shell adsorbent comprising an outer shell composed of a carbon and a non-adsorbing inert inner core. Low temperature processing of these agglomerates substantially preserves the binding agent within the final composition and allows one to prepare adsorbent products of high sphericity. The adsorbents of the invention possess superior characteristics such as higher mass transfer rate and CO2 working capacity for use in a H2PSA process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Steven J. Pontonio, Nicholas R. Stuckert, Garrett R. Swindlehurst
  • Publication number: 20200276534
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for modifying the crystalline inorganic framework of an adsorbent with coatings to provide rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The method described herein narrows the effective pore size of crystalline porous solids with pores less than about 5 ? for rate selective separations. This method of the invention comprises treating the hydrated or partially hydrated zeolite with a silicone derived binding agent followed by subsequent heat treatment. The additive content and treatment are adjusted to match effective pore size to specific separations. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Nicholas R. Stuckert
  • Patent number: 10717035
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for modifying the crystalline inorganic framework of an adsorbent with coatings to provide rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The method described herein narrows the effective pore size of crystalline porous solids with pores less than about 5A for rate selective separations. This method of the invention comprises treating the hydrated or partially hydrated zeolite with a silicone derived binding agent followed by subsequent heat treatment. The additive content and treatment are adjusted to match effective pore size to specific separations. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Nicholas R. Stuckert
  • Patent number: 10646816
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an attrition resistant core-in-shell composite adsorbent comprising at least a zeolite-containing CO2 removal adsorbent and a binder on an inert dense core. The attrition resistant core-in-shell composite adsorbent has an attrition loss of less than about 2 wt %. The core-in-shell composite adsorbent is preferably used in a multi-layered adsorption system in a cyclic adsorption process, preferably used in a PSA prepurification process prior to cryogenic air separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jian Zheng, Neil A. Stephenson, Steven J. Pontonio, Christopher D. Schotz, Philip A. Barrett
  • Patent number: 10295255
    Abstract: An adsorption process for xenon recovery from a cryogenic liquid or gas stream is described wherein a bed of adsorbent is contacted with the aforementioned xenon containing liquid or gas stream and adsorbs the xenon selectively from this fluid stream. The adsorption bed is operated to at least near full breakthrough with xenon to enable a deep rejection of other stream components, prior to regeneration using the temperature swing method. Operating the adsorption bed to near full breakthrough with xenon, prior to regeneration, enables production of a high purity product from the adsorption bed and further enables oxygen to be used safely as a purge gas, even in cases where hydrocarbons are co-present in the feed stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Philip A. Barrett, Neil A. Stephenson, Nicholas R. Stuckert, Michael Freiert, Hai Du, Rachael A. Masin, Garrett R. Swindlehurst
  • Publication number: 20180229175
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for modifying the crystalline inorganic framework of an adsorbent with coatings to provide rate selectivity for one gas over others is described. The method described herein narrows the effective pore size of crystalline porous solids with pores less than about 5A for rate selective separations. This method of the invention comprises treating the hydrated or partially hydrated zeolite with a silicone derived binding agent followed by subsequent heat treatment. The additive content and treatment are adjusted to match effective pore size to specific separations. The superior adsorbent has the added convenience of bead forming simultaneously with pore modification as well as having the treatment result in the yielding of high crush strength products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Steven J. Pontonio, Neil A. Stephenson, Philip A. Barrett, Nicholas R. Stuckert