Patents by Inventor Robert Heidel

Robert Heidel 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: 10214448
    Abstract: A method includes transferring at least one feed stream including calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, water, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed; contacting the calcium oxide with the water; based on contacting the calcium oxide with the water, initiating a hydrating reaction; producing, from the hydrating reaction, calcium hydroxide and heat; transferring a portion of the heat of the hydrating reaction to the calcium carbonate; and fluidizing the calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and the calcium carbonate into a first fluidization regime and a second fluidization regime. The first fluidization regime includes at least a portion of the calcium carbonate and at least a portion of the calcium oxide, and the second fluidization regime includes at least a portion of the calcium hydroxide and at least another portion of the calcium oxide. The first fluidization regime is different than the second fluidization regime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Carbon Engineering Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Robert A. Rossi
  • Patent number: 9975100
    Abstract: Techniques for converting a portion of a carbonate to hydroxide include receiving an alkaline carbonate solution that includes between 0.1M (moles per liter of solution) to 4.0M hydroxide and between 0.1M to 4.1M carbonate; reacting, in a slaking process, quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); and reacting the Ca(OH)2 slurry and the alkaline carbonate solution to grow calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystal aggregates of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3 in volume in a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Carbon Engineering Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Jane Anne Ritchie, Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, David William Keith
  • Publication number: 20170354925
    Abstract: Techniques for distributing a liquid in a liquid-gas system include flowing a liquid into a system of nozzles and basin of the liquid-gas contacting system; and operating the nozzles and basin system with a distribution sub-assembly configured to operate the nozzles under a plurality of liquid flow rates and maintaining a consistent spatial liquid distribution of the liquid within the distribution sub-assembly at the plurality of liquid flow rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Geoffrey James Holmes, David W. Keith
  • Publication number: 20170327421
    Abstract: A method includes transferring at least one feed stream including calcium oxide calcium carbonate, water, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed; contacting the calcium oxide with the water; based on contacting the calcium oxide with the water, initiating a hydrating reaction; producing, from the hydrating reaction, calcium hydroxide and heat; transferring a portion of the heat of the hydrating reaction to the calcium carbonate; and fluidizing the calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and the calcium carbonate into a first fluidization regime and a second fluidization regime. The first fluidization regime includes at least a portion of the calcium carbonate and at least a portion of the calcium oxide, and the second fluidization regime includes at least a portion of the calcium hydroxide and at least another portion of the calcium oxide. The first fluidization regime being different than the second fluidization regime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Robert A. Rossi
  • Patent number: 9637393
    Abstract: Techniques for growing crystalline calcium carbonate solids such that the crystalline calcium carbonate solids include a volume of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3, include a slaker to react quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer that encloses a solid bed mass and includes an input for a slurry of primarily slaked lime, an input for an alkaline solution and carbonate, and an output for crystalline calcium carbonate solids that include particles and an alkaline carbonate solution; a dewatering apparatus that includes an input coupled to the crystallizer and an output to discharge a plurality of separate streams that each include a portion of the crystalline calcium carbonate solids and alkaline carbonate solution; and a seed transfer apparatus to deliver seed material into the crystallizer to maintain a consistent mass of seed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Carbon Engineering Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, David William Keith, Jane Anne Ritchie, Nicholas Vollendorf, Eric Fessler
  • Publication number: 20170081207
    Abstract: Techniques for growing crystalline calcium carbonate solids such that the crystalline calcium carbonate solids include a volume of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3, include a slaker to react quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer that encloses a solid bed mass and includes an input for a slurry of primarily slaked lime, an input for an alkaline solution and carbonate, and an output for crystalline calcium carbonate solids that include particles and an alkaline carbonate solution; a dewatering apparatus that includes an input coupled to the crystallizer and an output to discharge a plurality of separate streams that each include a portion of the crystalline calcium carbonate solids and alkaline carbonate solution; and a seed transfer apparatus to deliver seed material into the crystallizer to maintain a consistent mass of seed material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Kenton Robert HEIDEL, David William Keith, Jane Anne Ritchie, Nicholas Vollendorf, Eric Fessler
  • Publication number: 20150329369
    Abstract: Techniques for growing crystalline calcium carbonate solids such that the crystalline calcium carbonate solids include a volume of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3, include a slaker to react quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer that encloses a solid bed mass and includes an input for a slurry of primarily slaked lime, an input for an alkaline solution and carbonate, and an output for crystalline calcium carbonate solids that include particles and an alkaline carbonate solution; a dewatering apparatus that includes an input coupled to the crystallizer and an output to discharge a plurality of separate streams that each include a portion of the crystalline calcium carbonate solids and alkaline carbonate solution; and a seed transfer apparatus to deliver seed material into the crystallizer to maintain a consistent mass of seed material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, David William Keith, Jane Anne Ritchie, Nicholas Vollendorf, Eric Fessler
  • Publication number: 20150017706
    Abstract: Enhancing growth of algae in an algaculture facility includes contacting a growth medium with a gas including carbon dioxide, transferring some of the carbon dioxide to the growth medium to yield an enriched growth medium, and providing the enriched growth medium to the algaculture facility. The concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in the enriched growth medium exceeds the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in the growth medium, where dissolved carbon dioxide includes ions formed by the reaction of carbon dioxide with a species in solution. The growth medium may be obtained from the algaculture facility, and may be filtered or otherwise processed before or after contacting the growth medium with the gas. Providing the enriched growth medium to the algaculture facility increases the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in the bulk growth medium of the algaculture facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, Kenton Robert Heidel, Matthew Alex Henderson, Geoffrey James Holmes, Jane Anne Ritchie, David William Keith
  • Patent number: 8871008
    Abstract: Capturing a target gas includes contacting a gas mixture including a target species with an aqueous solution including a buffer species, and transferring some of the target species from the gas mixture to the aqueous solution. The target species forms a dissolved target species in the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution is processed to yield a first aqueous stream and a second aqueous stream, where the equilibrium partial pressure of the target species over the second aqueous stream exceeds the equilibrium partial pressure of the target species over the first aqueous stream. At least some of the dissolved target species in the second aqueous stream is converted to the target species, and the target species is liberated from the second aqueous stream. The target species can be collected and/or compressed for subsequent processing or use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Carbon Engineering Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Matthew Alex Henderson, David William Keith, Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, Kenton Robert Heidel, Jane Anne Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20140271379
    Abstract: Techniques for converting a portion of a carbonate to hydroxide include receiving an alkaline carbonate solution that includes between 0.1M (moles per liter of solution) to 4.0M hydroxide and between 0.1M to 4.1M carbonate; reacting, in a slaking process, quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); and reacting the Ca(OH)2 slurry and the alkaline carbonate solution to grow calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystal aggregates of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3 in volume in a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Carbon Engineering Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Jane Anne Ritchie, Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, David William Keith
  • Patent number: 8728428
    Abstract: Techniques for converting a portion of a carbonate to hydroxide include receiving an alkaline carbonate solution that includes between 0.1M (moles per liter of solution) to 4.0M hydroxide and between 0.1M to 4.1M carbonate; reacting, in a slaking process, quicklime (CaO) and a low carbonate content fluid to yield a slurry of primarily slaked lime (Ca(OH)2); and reacting the Ca(OH)2 slurry and the alkaline carbonate solution to grow calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystal aggregates of 0.0005 mm3 to 5 mm3 in volume in a fluidized-bed reactive crystallizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Carbon Engineering Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Kenton Robert Heidel, Jane Anne Ritchie, Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, David William Keith
  • Publication number: 20130059365
    Abstract: Capturing a target gas includes contacting a gas mixture including a target species with an aqueous solution including a buffer species, and transferring some of the target species from the gas mixture to the aqueous solution. The target species forms a dissolved target species in the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution is processed to yield a first aqueous stream and a second aqueous stream, where the equilibrium partial pressure of the target species over the second aqueous stream exceeds the equilibrium partial pressure of the target species over the first aqueous stream. At least some of the dissolved target species in the second aqueous stream is converted to the target species, and the target species is liberated from the second aqueous stream. The target species can be collected and/or compressed for subsequent processing or use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: CARBON ENGINEERING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Matthew Alex Henderson, David William Keith, Arvinder Pal Singh KAINTH, Kenton Robert HEIDEL, Jane Anne Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20050248161
    Abstract: The process of attaching turbines to water mains, water towers, sewage lines, aqueducts, and various pipelines so as to capture the kinetic energy of pressurized fluid traveling through these mediums and changing the kinetic energy to electric energy by means of a generator and conducting this new electricity to the nearest power substation by means of a conduction pipe. By consumer demand for utilities such as water and sewage to be taken to and away from homes and businesses, these consumers will be making their own electricity that they will then buy back from the utility companies. With more and more people buying homes and starting businesses, there will be many new utility consumers on top of the already existing consumers, which means that the potential and scope of using the process for making cleanly generated electricity is limitless and universal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventor: Robert Heidel