Patents by Inventor Richard Anthony DePuy

Richard Anthony DePuy 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: 9874142
    Abstract: In one aspect, a gasification system for use with low rank fuel is provided The system includes a pyrolysis unit positioned to receive a feed of low rank fuel, the pyrolysis unit being configured to pyrolyze the low rank fuel to produce pyrolysis gas and fixed carbon. The system also includes a gasifier configured to produce a syngas stream using the received fixed carbon, a cooler configured to receive and cool the syngas stream, and a first conduit coupled between the cooler and the pyrolysis unit. The first conduit is configured to recycle at least a portion of the syngas stream to the pyrolysis unit such that the recycled syngas stream is mixed with the pyrolysis gas to produce a hydrocarbon-rich syngas stream containing gasification by-products. The system also includes a by-product recovery system coupled to the pyrolysis unit for removing the gasification by-products from the hydrocarbon-rich syngas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Junli Xue, Lishun Hu, Thomas Frederick Leininger, Richard Anthony Depuy, Xijing Bi
  • Patent number: 9416328
    Abstract: A system includes a gasifier having a first enclosure having a first inlet, a first outlet, and a first interior volume. The first inlet is configured to receive a first fuel feedstock into the first interior volume, and the first outlet is configured to output a first syngas away from the first interior volume. The system also includes a plasma gasifier disposed downstream from the first outlet and coupled to a waste stream produced by the gasifier from the first fuel feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Richard Anthony DePuy
  • Publication number: 20160137941
    Abstract: A method for treating a carbonaceous material including heating a carbonaceous material to move at least a portion of tar through the carbonaceous material toward a surface of the carbonaceous material to form a tar coating on the surface. The method also includes cooling the carbonaceous material and the tar coating on the surface to form a tar-coated carbonaceous material, wherein at least the portion of tar that forms the tar coating on the surface remains in contact with the carbonaceous material while the carbonaceous material is heated to form the tar coating and while the carbonaceous material and the tar coating are cooled to form the tar-coated carbonaceous material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Annavarapu Vijay Bharat Sastri, Richard Anthony DePuy, Sudharsanam Krishnamachari, Vijayalakshmi Shah, Ankur Verma
  • Publication number: 20160017801
    Abstract: In one aspect, a gasification system for use with low rank fuel is provided The system includes a pyrolysis unit positioned to receive a feed of low rank fuel, the pyrolysis unit being configured to pyrolyze the low rank fuel to produce pyrolysis gas and fixed carbon. The system also includes a gasifier configured to produce a syngas stream using the received fixed carbon, a cooler configured to receive and cool the syngas stream, and a first conduit coupled between the cooler and the pyrolysis unit. The first conduit is configured to recycle at least a portion of the syngas stream to the pyrolysis unit such that the recycled syngas stream is mixed with the pyrolysis gas to produce a hydrocarbon-rich syngas stream containing gasification by-products. The system also includes a by-product recovery system coupled to the pyrolysis unit for removing the gasification by-products from the hydrocarbon- rich syngas stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Junli XUE, Lishun HU, Thomas Frederick LEININGER, Richard Anthony DEPUY, Xijing BI
  • Patent number: 9102882
    Abstract: A system includes a gasifier. The gasifier includes a chamber, a first nozzle, and a second nozzle. The first nozzle is configured to output a first fuel and a first oxidant to create a mixture that combusts in a combustion-reduction zone of the chamber. The second nozzle is configured to output a reduction promoter into the combustion-reduction zone to reduce combustion products in the combustion-reduction zone of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sethuraman Balasubramaniyan, Pravin Sadashiv Naphade, Richard Anthony DePuy, Atul Kumar Vij, Satish Sambhaji Jadhav
  • Patent number: 9096807
    Abstract: The present application thus provides a gasifier for use in converting a feedstock material into a syngas. The gasifier may include an outer chamber, a reaction zone positioned within the outer chamber, and a disruption device maneuverable within the outer chamber to ensure a steady flow of the feedstock material into the reaction zone without bridging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Jinmesh Pranav Majmudar, Omprakash Mall, Vignesh Venkatraman, Avish Dsouza
  • Patent number: 9074152
    Abstract: A plasma-assisted waste gasification system and process for converting waste stream reaction residues into a clean synthesis gas (syngas) is disclosed. The feedstock is fed into a reactor roughly one-third from the bottom through the use of a feed mechanism. The reactor has three zones; a bottom zone where melting occurs, a middle zone where gasification takes place, and a top zone with integrated plasma torches to control the temperature and polish the syngas. The residence times in the three zones are selected to optimize the syngas composition and melted products. The syngas leaves the reactor and is partially quenched with relatively cooler synthesis gas. The partially quenched syngas is further cooled to recover heat for steam generation and/or preheating the waste stream to the reactor. The cold syngas is then processed to remove pollutants. The clean synthesis gas is combusted in power generation equipment to generate electricity, or converted to other fuels by chemical processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Christian Nielsen, Richard Anthony DePuy, Aditya Kumar, James Patrick Francis Lyons, Vitali Lissianski, Ruijie Shi, Surinder Prabhjot Singh, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, Vladimir Zamansky
  • Patent number: 9005319
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems for the removal and use of tar from a biomass gasification system. For example, in one embodiment, a biomass gasification system includes a reactor configured to gasify a biomass fuel in the presence of air to generate a producer gas. The system also includes an absorber configured to receive a mixture of the producer gas and tar and to absorb the tar into an organic solvent to produce treated producer gas and a rich solvent mixture containing at least a portion of the tar. The system further includes a recycle line configured to direct the rich solvent mixture to a biomass gasifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Omprakash Mall
  • Patent number: 8888872
    Abstract: A system, including, a gasifier, including: a gasification region, an inner wall surrounding the gasification region, and a first fuel path extending along the inner wall, wherein the first fuel path is configured to flow a first fuel to cool the gasifier, and the gasifier is configured to inject the first fuel from the first fuel path into the gasification region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Richard Anthony DePuy, Judeth Brannon Corry, Benjamin Campbell Steinhaus
  • Publication number: 20140227459
    Abstract: A method for treating a carbonaceous material comprising heating a carbonaceous material to form a mixture of the carbonaceous material and a tar; cooling the mixture of the carbonaceous material and the tar; and coating a surface of the carbonaceous material with the tar to form a tar-coated carbonaceous material, and a system related thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Annavarapu Vijay Bharat Sastri, Richard Anthony DePuy, Sudharsanam Krishnamachari, Vijayalakshmi Shah, Ankur Verma
  • Publication number: 20140202068
    Abstract: A system includes a grinder, a storage unit, and an organic compound production unit. The grinder is configured to produce a fuel slurry from a solid fuel, a liquid, and an organic compound that is miscible with the liquid. The storage unit is configured to supply the organic compound to the grinder. The organic compound production unit is configured to receive a portion of syngas generated by a gasifier to generate the organic compound for supply to the storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Anthony Depuy, Raul Eduardo Ayala
  • Publication number: 20140175803
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating power using syngas created using biomass gasification are provided. Exemplary power generation systems include a biomass dryer for receiving biomass, a biomass conversion reactor (either a biomass gasifier or a steam-biomass reformer) for receiving the dried biomass and generating syngas therefrom, and an external combustor for combusting the syngas and heating a working fluid to drive a turbine connected to an electrical generator. The external combustor includes a heat exchanger element for transferring heat from combustion of the syngas into the working fluid, while maintaining the working fluid isolated from the syngas and from syngas combustion products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Thomas Frederick Leininger, Yichuan Fang, Ronald Keith Chadwick
  • Patent number: 8752391
    Abstract: An integrated turbomachine oxygen plant includes a turbomachine and an air separation unit. One or more compressor pathways flow compressed air from a compressor through one or more of a combustor and a turbine expander to cool the combustor and/or the turbine expander. An air separation unit is operably connected to the one or more compressor pathways and is configured to separate the compressed air into oxygen and oxygen-depleted air. A method of air separation in an integrated turbomachine oxygen plant includes compressing a flow of air in a compressor of a turbomachine. The compressed flow of air is flowed through one or more of a combustor and a turbine expander of the turbomachine to cool the combustor and/or the turbine expander. The compressed flow of air is directed to an air separation unit and is separated into oxygen and oxygen-depleted air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ashok Kumar Anand, Richard Anthony DePuy, Veerappan Muthaiah
  • Publication number: 20140061539
    Abstract: A system includes a gasifier. The gasifier includes a chamber, a first nozzle, and a second nozzle. The first nozzle is configured to output a first fuel and a first oxidant to create a mixture that combusts in a combustion-reduction zone of the chamber. The second nozzle is configured to output a reduction promoter into the combustion-reduction zone to reduce combustion products in the combustion-reduction zone of the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sethuraman Balasubramaniyan, Pravin Sadashiv Naphade, Richard Anthony DePuy, Atul Kumar Vij, Satish Sambhaji Jadhav
  • Publication number: 20140020426
    Abstract: A system includes an air separation unit configured to generate a chilled fluid. The system also includes an electromechanical machine configured to be cooled via heat exchange with the chilled fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Rebecca Ann Nold, James Michael Fogarty, Richard Anthony DePuy, William Hunter Boardman, IV
  • Publication number: 20130232873
    Abstract: The present application thus provides a gasifier for use in converting a feedstock material into a syngas. The gasifier may include an outer chamber, a reaction zone positioned within the outer chamber, and a disruption device maneuverable within the outer chamber to ensure a steady flow of the feedstock material into the reaction zone without bridging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Jinmesh Pranav Majmudar, Omprakash Mall, Vignesh Venkatraman, Avish Dsouza
  • Patent number: 8475552
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a system includes a posimetric pump configured to increase pressure of a feedstock to provide a pressurized feedstock. The system also includes a fixed bed gasifier configured to gasify the pressurized feedstock, wherein the fixed bed gasifier comprises an enclosure, a feedstock inlet configured to receive the pressurized feedstock, at least one agent inlet configured to receive at least one gasification agent, a syngas outlet configured to output a syngas, an ash outlet configured to output ash, and a fixed bed configured to support the pressurized feedstock while allowing flow of the at least one gasification agent through the pressurized feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Derek Leslie Aldred
  • Publication number: 20130000270
    Abstract: An exemplary gasification reactor is disclosed including a vessel defined with a reaction chamber for receiving a carbon-containing fuel and an oxygen-containing gas under a partial combustion and producing a synthesis gas. A first cooling device and a second cooling device are provided to cool the vessel. The first cooling device is attached to a first upper region of the vessel. The second cooling device is attached to the second middle region of the vessel. A method and IGCC power generation system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Lishun Hu, Wei Chen, Zhaohui Yang, Minggang She, Xianglong Zhao, Richard Anthony DePuy, Judeth Brannon Corry
  • Publication number: 20120313378
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems for the removal and use of tar from a biomass gasification system. For example, in one embodiment, a biomass gasification system includes a reactor configured to gasify a biomass fuel in the presence of air to generate a producer gas. The system also includes an absorber configured to receive a mixture of the producer gas and tar and to absorb the tar into an organic solvent to produce treated producer gas and a rich solvent mixture containing at least a portion of the tar. The system further includes a recycle line configured to direct the rich solvent mixture to a biomass gasifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Anthony DePuy, Omprakash Mall
  • Publication number: 20120111021
    Abstract: An integrated turbomachine oxygen plant includes a turbomachine and an air separation unit. One or more compressor pathways flow compressed air from a compressor through one or more of a combustor and a turbine expander to cool the combustor and/or the turbine expander. An air separation unit is operably connected to the one or more compressor pathways and is configured to separate the compressed air into oxygen and oxygen-depleted air. A method of air separation in an integrated turbomachine oxygen plant includes compressing a flow of air in a compressor of a turbomachine. The compressed flow of air is flowed through one or more of a combustor and a turbine expander of the turbomachine to cool the combustor and/or the turbine expander. The compressed flow of air is directed to an air separation unit and is separated into oxygen and oxygen-depleted air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ashok Kumar Anand, Richard Anthony DePuy, Veerappan Muthaiah