Patents by Inventor Philip Metzger

Philip Metzger 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: 11891896
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventor: Philip Metzger
  • Publication number: 20230287790
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventor: PHILIP METZGER
  • Publication number: 20230265759
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventor: PHILIP METZGER
  • Patent number: 11719100
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventor: Philip Metzger
  • Publication number: 20220315497
    Abstract: A system and associated method constructs a building material from lunar soil. A magnetic sorter magnetically sorts the lunar soil and the system creates a layered surface comprising a microwave susceptible, thermal conductive top layer of lunar soil and a poorly microwave-susceptible and poorly thermally conductive sublayer of lunar soil. A microwave generator generates microwave energy into an antenna and directs the microwave energy onto the top layer of lunar soil to sinter the microwave susceptible, thermal conductive top layer of lunar soil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventor: Philip METZGER
  • Publication number: 20210404338
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventor: Philip METZGER
  • Patent number: 10876797
    Abstract: A system for heat transfer including a compressor, a regolith inlet, a first storage hopper, and a load. The compressor is in fluid communication with a closed loop system. The regolith inlet is in fluid communication with the closed loop system. The first storage hopper is adapted to carry an amount of regolith and is in fluid communication with the regolith inlet. The load is in fluid communication with the closed loop system between a compressor inlet a compressor outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Craig Technical Consulting, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Townsend, Philip Metzger, Robert Mueller, Jason Menzies, James Mantovani
  • Publication number: 20190310024
    Abstract: A system for heat transfer including a compressor, a regolith inlet, a first storage hopper, and a load. The compressor is in fluid communication with a closed loop system. The regolith inlet is in fluid communication with the closed loop system. The first storage hopper is adapted to carry an amount of regolith and is in fluid communication with the regolith inlet. The load is in fluid communication with the closed loop system between a compressor inlet a compressor outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: Craig Technical Consulting, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Townsend, Philip Metzger, Robert Mueller, Jason Menzies, James Mantovani