Patents by Inventor Robert A. Freitas

Robert A. Freitas 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: 20140296586
    Abstract: A feedstock flexible process for converting feedstock into oil and gas includes (i) indirectly heated hydrous devolatilization of volatile feedstock components, (ii) indirectly heated thermochemical conversion of fixed carbon feedstock components, (iii) heat integration and recovery, (iv) vapor and gas pressurization, and (v) vapor and gas clean-up and product recovery. A system and method for feedstock conversion includes a thermochemical reactor integrated with one or more hydrous devolatilization and solids circulation subsystems configured to accept a feedstock mixture, comprised of volatile feedstock components and fixed carbon feedstock components, and continuously produce a volatile reaction product stream therefrom, while simultaneously and continuously capturing, transferring, and converting the fixed carbon feedstock components to syngas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Ravi Chandran, Daniel Michael Leo, Shawn Robert Freitas
  • Patent number: 8837258
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140252276
    Abstract: A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Chandran, Daniel Michael Leo, Shawn Robert Freitas, Dave G. Newport, Hamilton Sean Michael Whitney, Daniel A. Burciaga
  • Patent number: 8787115
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8760972
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8755252
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8743659
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr., Daniel Reda
  • Patent number: 8743660
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130184461
    Abstract: Mechanosynthesis trajectories are described which are approximately coaxial, and are shown to be useful in a wide range of mechanosynthesis reactions regardless of the nature of the tip or the feedstock being transferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Publication number: 20130178626
    Abstract: Processes are described for manufacturing atomically-precise tips using one or more tips in one or more mechanosynthetic reactions to create one or more atomically-precise tips. The processes may employ a variety of feedstock, binding any of a wide range of atoms to a workpiece to build the one or more atomically-precise tips. The processes result in atomically-precise mechanosynthesis tips with a wide variety of possible tip structures using a wide range of feedstock binding elements. Characteristics of such tips that may be used when designing new embodiments are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Publication number: 20130178627
    Abstract: Methods and systems for building three-dimensional workpieces are described using a plurality of mechanosynthetic reactions. These methods may employ engineered reliability in reactions and process conditions and may use simulated or otherwise vetted reaction sequences, to allow workpieces requiring many reactions to be built with acceptable reliability. These many reactions may be the repetition of one or a small number of reactions, or many diverse reactions, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Patent number: 8276211
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, Jr., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Patent number: 8171568
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, Ralph C. Merkle
  • Patent number: 7687146
    Abstract: A method is described for building a mechanosynthesis tool intended to be used for the molecularly precise fabrication of physical structures—as for example, diamond structures. An exemplar tool consists of a bulk-synthesized dimer-capped triadamantane tooltip molecule which is initially attached to a deposition surface in tip-down orientation, whereupon CVD or equivalent bulk diamond deposition processes are used to grow a large crystalline handle structure around the tooltip molecule. The large handle with its attached tooltip can then be mechanically separated from the deposition surface, yielding an integral finished tool that can subsequently be used to perform diamond mechanosynthesis in vacuo. The present disclosure is the first description of a complete tool for positional diamond mechanosynthesis, along with its method of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Zyvex Labs, LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20090093659
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle