Patents by Inventor Orest G. Symko

Orest G. Symko 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).

  • Patent number: 9065042
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic energy converter for converting heat energy to electricity includes an annular resonator with a regenerator disposed therein. An electro-mechanical transducer is coupled to the annular resonator and in fluid communication with the working fluid. When heat is applied to one end of the annular resonator, a traveling acoustic wave is generated in the annular resonator causing vibrations in the working fluid that actuate the electro-mechanical transducer to generate electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ivan A. Rodriguez, Ryan Behunin, Marie Urry
  • Publication number: 20150145986
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic energy converter for converting heat energy to electricity includes an annular resonator with a regenerator disposed therein. An electro-mechanical transducer is coupled to the annular resonator and in fluid communication with the working fluid. When heat is applied to one end of the annular resonator, a traveling acoustic wave is generated in the annular resonator causing vibrations in the working fluid that actuate the electro-mechanical transducer to generate electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ivan A. Rodriguez, Ryan Behunin, Marie Urry
  • Patent number: 8629600
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic energy converter for converting heat energy to electricity includes an annular resonator with a regenerator disposed therein. An electro-mechanical transducer is coupled to the annular resonator and in fluid communication with the working fluid. When heat is applied to one end of the annular resonator, a traveling acoustic wave is generated in the annular resonator causing vibrations in the working fluid that actuate the electro-mechanical transducer to generate electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ivan A. Rodriguez, Ryan Behunin, Marie Urry
  • Publication number: 20130320804
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic energy converter for converting heat energy to electricity includes an annular resonator with a regenerator disposed therein. An electro-mechanical transducer is coupled to the annular resonator and in fluid communication with the working fluid. When heat is applied to one end of the annular resonator, a traveling acoustic wave is generated in the annular resonator causing vibrations in the working fluid that actuate the electro-mechanical transducer to generate electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ivan A. Rodriguez, Ryan Behunin, Marie Urry
  • Patent number: 8143767
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic array energy converter consists of heat driven thermoacoustic prime movers in parallel coupled by means of an acoustic cavity to a piezoelectric electrical generator whose output is rectified and fed to an energy storage element. The prime movers convert heat to sound in a resonator. The sound form a phase-locked array is converted to electricity by means of the piezoelectric element. The generated electric energy is converted to DC by means of a rectifier set and it is then stored in a battery or supercapacitor. The generated electric energy can also be converted to power line frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Young S. Kwon
  • Publication number: 20120007369
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic array energy converter consists of heat driven thermoacoustic prime movers in parallel coupled by means of an acoustic cavity to a piezoelectric electrical generator whose output is rectified and fed to an energy storage element. The prime movers convert heat to sound in a resonator. The sound form a phase-locked array is converted to electricity by means of the piezoelectric element. The generated electric energy is converted to DC by means of a rectifier set and it is then stored in a battery or supercapacitor. The generated electric energy can also be converted to power line frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Young S. Kwon
  • Patent number: 8004156
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic array energy converter consists of heat driven thermoacoustic prime movers in parallel coupled by means of an acoustic cavity to a piezoelectric electrical generator whose output is rectified and fed to an energy storage element. The prime movers convert heat to sound in a resonator. The sound form a phase-locked array is converted to electricity by means of the piezoelectric element. The generated electric energy is converted to DC by means of a rectifier set and it is then stored in a battery or supercapacitor. The generated electric energy can also be converted to power line frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Young S. Kwon
  • Publication number: 20090184604
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic array energy converter consists of heat driven thermoacoustic prime movers in parallel coupled by means of an acoustic cavity to a piezoelectric electrical generator whose output is rectified and fed to an energy storage element. The prime movers convert heat to sound in a resonator. The sound form a phase-locked array is converted to electricity by means of the piezoelectric element. The generated electric energy is converted to DC by means of a rectifier set and it is then stored in a battery or supercapacitor. The generated electric energy can also be converted to power line frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Young S. Kwon
  • Patent number: 7240495
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic refrigerator having a relatively small size which utilizes one or more piezoelectric drivers to generate high frequency sound within a resonator at a frequency of between about 4000 Hz and ultrasonic frequencies. The interaction of the high frequency sound with one or more stacks create a temperature gradient across the stack which is conducted through a pair of heat exchangers located on opposite sides of each stack. The resonator has an asymmetrical, round configuration which enhances the cooling power of the thermoacoustic refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman
  • Patent number: 6804967
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic refrigerator having a relatively small size which utilizes one or more piezoelectric drivers to generate high frequency sound within a resonator at a frequency of between about 4000 Hz and ultrasonic frequencies. The interaction of the high frequency sound with one or more stacks create a temperature gradient across the stack which is conducted through a pair of heat exchangers located on opposite sides of each stack. The stack is comprised of an open-celled material that allows axial, radial, and azimuthal resonance modes of the resonator within the stack resulting in enhanced cooling power of the thermoacoustic refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: University of Utah
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman, DeJuan Zhang, Thierry Klein
  • Patent number: 6712915
    Abstract: Various articles of manufacture, such as electrosurgical scalpels, razor blades, electronic components and mechanical components having a quasicrystalline AlCuFe alloy film less than about 10,000 Å thick. Such articles of manufacture may be formed by depositing (in sequence) on a substrate through radio frequency sputtering a stoichiometric amount of each respective alloy material and then annealing those layers to form the film through solid state diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman, Wanjun Park, Thierry Klein, David Kieda
  • Publication number: 20040000150
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic refrigerator having a relatively small size which utilizes one or more piezoelectric drivers to generate high frequency sound within a resonator at a frequency of between about 4000 Hz and ultrasonic frequencies. The interaction of the high frequency sound with one or more stacks create a temperature gradient across the stack which is conducted through a pair of heat exchangers located on opposite sides of each stack. The stack is comprised of an open-celled material that allows axial, radial, and azimuthal resonance modes of the resonator within the stack resulting in enhanced cooling power of the thermoacoustic refrigerator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman, DeJuan Zheng, Thierry Klein
  • Patent number: 6574968
    Abstract: A thermoacoustic refrigerator having a relatively small size which utilizes one or more piezoelectric drivers to generate high frequency sound within a resonator at a frequency of between about 4000 Hz and ultrasonic frequencies. The interaction of the high frequency sound with one or more stacks create a temperature gradient across the stack which is conducted through a pair of heat exchangers located on opposite sides of each stack. The stack is comprised of an open-celled material that allows axial, radial, and azimuthal resonance modes of the resonator within the stack resulting in enhanced cooling power of the thermoacoustic refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: University of Utah
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdel-Rahman, DeJuan Zhang, Thierry Klein
  • Publication number: 20020079025
    Abstract: Various articles of manufacture, such as electrosurgical scalpels, razor blades, electronic components and mechanical components having a quasicrystalline AlCuFe alloy film less than about 10,000 Å thick. Such articles of manufacture may be formed by depositing (in sequence) on a substrate through radio frequency sputtering a stoichiometric amount of each respective alloy material and then annealing those layers to form the film through solid state diffusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Ehab Abdol-Rahman, Wanjun Park, Thierry Klein, David Kieda
  • Patent number: 6294030
    Abstract: Various articles of manufacture, such as electrosurgical scalpels, razor blades, and electronic components, comprise a quasicrystalline AlCuFe alloy film less than about 3000 Å thick, formed by depositing in sequence on a substrate through radio frequency sputtering a stoichiometric amount of each respective alloy material and then annealing those layers to form the film through solid state diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Orest G. Symko, Thierry Klein, David Kieda
  • Patent number: 5268577
    Abstract: A radiation detector (10) is provided, wherein a bulk high T.sub.c superconducting sample (11) is placed in a magnetic field and maintained at a superconducting temperature. Photons of incident radiation will cause localized heating in superconducting loops of the sample destroying trapped flux and redistributing the fluxons, and reducing the critical current of the loops. Subsequent cooling of the sample in the magnetic field will cause trapped flux redistributed Abrikosov fluxons and trapped Josephson fluxons. The destruction and trapping of the fluxons causes changes in the magnetization of the sample inducing currents in opposite directions in a pickup coil (12) which is coupled by an input coil (15) to an rf SQUID (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Joseph F. Artuso, Larry A. Franks, Kenneth L. Hull, Orest G. Symko