Patents by Inventor Ronald A. Outlaw

Ronald A. Outlaw 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: 10056198
    Abstract: Novel compositions of vertically oriented graphene nanosheets on aluminum electrodes are provided. These compositions are particularly useful for advanced electrolytic capacitors and fast response electric double layer capacitors. These compositions include a polycrystalline carbon layer, and an adjacent aluminum oxide layer that does not preclude ohmic contact between the carbon layer and an aluminum substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: College of William & Mary
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Dilshan V. Premathilake
  • Publication number: 20170236655
    Abstract: Novel compositions of vertically oriented graphene nanosheets on aluminum electrodes are provided. These compositions are particularly useful for advanced electrolytic capacitors and fast response electric double layer capacitors. These compositions include a polycrystalline carbon layer, and an adjacent aluminum oxide layer that does not preclude ohmic contact between the carbon layer and an aluminum substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: College of William and Mary
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Dilshan V. Premathilake
  • Patent number: 9666864
    Abstract: An electrode morphology and architecture for energy storage applications that increases the rate of charge/discharge, battery life, and decreases cost. The morphology and architecture directed towards a method and apparatus incorporating a graphene supported anode including a substrate, a vertically oriented graphene support arrangement coated with silicon or the like, in an electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald A. Quinlan, Ronald A. Outlaw, Azzam N. Mansour
  • Patent number: 8153240
    Abstract: Carbon nanoflakes, methods of making the nanoflakes, and applications of the carbon nanoflakes are provided. In some embodiments, the carbon nanoflakes are carbon nanosheets, which are less than 2 nm thick. The carbon nanoflakes may be made using RF-PECVD. Carbon nanoflakes may be useful as field emitters, for hydrogen storage applications, for sensors, and as catalyst supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: College of William and Mary
    Inventors: Jianjun Wang, Mingyao Zhu, Brian C. Holloway, Ronald A. Outlaw, Dennis M. Manos, Xin Zhao
  • Publication number: 20110175038
    Abstract: Compositions of carbon nanoflakes are coated with a low Z compound, where an effective electron emission of the carbon nanoflakes coated with the low Z compound is improved compared to an effective electron emission of the same carbon nanoflakes that are not coated with the low Z compound or of the low Z compound that is not coated onto the carbon nanoflakes. Compositions of chromium oxide and molybdenum carbide-coated carbon nanoflakes are also described, as well as applications of these compositions. Carbon nanoflakes are formed and a low Z compound coating, such as a chromium oxide or molybdenum carbide coating, is formed on the surfaces of carbon nanoflakes. The coated carbon nanoflakes have excellent field emission properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Kun Hou, Dennis M. Manos, Ronald A. Outlaw
  • Publication number: 20090011204
    Abstract: Carbon nanoflakes, methods of making the nanoflakes, and applications of the carbon nanoflakes are provided. In some embodiments, the carbon nanoflakes are carbon nanosheets, which are less than 2 nm thick. The carbon nanoflakes may be made using RF-PECVD. Carbon nanoflakes may be useful as field emitters, for hydrogen storage applications, for sensors, and as catalyst supports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Jianjun Wang, Mingyao Zhu, Brian C. Holloway, Ronald A. Outlaw, Dennis M. Manos, Xin Zhao
  • Publication number: 20090011241
    Abstract: Novel compositions and morphologies of carbon nanoflakes are described, as well as methods for making carbon nanoflakes using a radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) process. Acetylene is used as a CVD source gas. By utilizing high concentrations of acetylene in the CVD source gas at relatively low temperatures, carbon nanoflake growth rate and robustness are improved, and the resulting carbon nanoflakes have enhanced height uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY
    Inventors: Mingyao Zhu, Dennis M. Manos, Ronald A. Outlaw
  • Publication number: 20060213899
    Abstract: Current industrial and research applications that utilize resistance heating and temperature measurement require separate power and temperature connections, typically two for each. Such applications require separate assemblies and control. We describe herein a combined unit utilizing a thermocouple wire as one of its two leads. The resulting device requires only two connections and one control. An alternating cycle can be used to apply heating power, and temperature measurements are made during the power off portion of the cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: Ronald Outlaw, Brian Holloway
  • Patent number: 5834768
    Abstract: A vacuum compatible hyperthermal atom generator includes a membrane having two sides, the membrane having the capability of dissolving atoms into the membrane's bulk. A first housing is furnished in operative association with the first side of the membrane to provide for the exposure of the first side of the membrane to a gas species. A second housing is furnished in operative association with the second side of the membrane to provide a vacuum environment having a pressure of less than 1.times.10.sup.-3 Torr on the second side of the membrane. Exciting means excites atoms adsorbed on the second side of the membrane to a non-binding state so that a portion from 0% to 100% of atoms adsorbed on the second side of is the membrane are released from the second side of the membrane primarily as an atom beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Mark R. Davidson
  • Patent number: 5750892
    Abstract: A laminar flow element for use in flow metering devices has a laminar flow element plug with an upstream end and a downstream end and a linear extent between the upstream end and the downstream end, the laminar flow element plug configured to be positioned within a base cavity with the upstream end oriented toward the direction of flow, and sensor taps through walls of the base cavity positioned inboard of the laminar flow element plug so that entrance effect is eliminated, error due to flow cross-sectional area differential is eliminated, and orifice effect is minimized, to produce a laminar flow with linear pressure drop across the sensor taps as a function of flow rate. Coaxial laminar flow guides are fixed coaxially about at least a portion of the length of the laminar flow element plug to increase the number of flow passages to enable linear measurements of higher flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Teledyne Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yufeng Huang, William J. Alvesteffer, Ronald A. Outlaw
  • Patent number: 5654541
    Abstract: A vacuum compatible hyperthermal atom generator includes a membrane having two sides, the membrane having the capability of dissolving atoms into the membrane's bulk. A first housing is furnished in operative association with the first side of the membrane to provide for the exposure of the first side of the membrane to a gas species. A second housing is furnished in operative association with the second side of the membrane to provide a vacuum environment having a pressure of less than 1.times.10.sup.-3 Torr on the second side of the membrane. Exciting means excites atoms adsorbed on the second side of the membrane to a non-binding state so that a portion from 0% to 100% of atoms adsorbed on the second side of the membrane are released from the second side of the membrane primarily as an atom beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Mark R. Davidson
  • Patent number: 5367161
    Abstract: A high purity, hyperthermal, continuous beam atomic oxygen source capable of retrofitting to existing UHV systems has been developed. The instrument complements a general system capability, while its small size and simplicity of design permits tailoring the instrument for most experimental geometries. The flux level presently available is near 1.times.10.sup.14 cm.sup.-2 s.sup.-1 (.sup.3 P) but may be extended toward the theoretical limit of 3.times.10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 s.sup.-1. The energy distribution of the emitted neutrals shows that the mean kinetic energy is about the same as observed for the ions or about 5 eV. The energy of the oxygen atoms may be substantially reduced for other applications by collision with a temperature controlled, non-reactive surface (with a concomitant spread in the energy distribution).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Mark R. Davison
  • Patent number: 4828817
    Abstract: A method for producing an atomic oxygen beam is provided by the present invention. First, a material 10' is provided which dissociates molecular oxygen and dissolves atomic oxygen into its bulk. Next, molecular oxygen is exposed to entrance surface 11' of material 10'. Next, material 10' is heated by heater 17' to facilitate the permeation of atomic oxygen through material 10' to the UHV side 12'. UHV side 12' is interfaced with an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environment provided by UHV pump 15'. The atomic oxygen on the UHV side 12' is excited to a non-binding state by exciter 14' thus producing the release of atomic oxygen to form an atomic oxygen beam 35'.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Ronald A. Outlaw
  • Patent number: 4516435
    Abstract: An improvement of a precision manipulator for use in UHV systems with sample transfer capability in which a spring loaded thermocouple 47 and a heater electrode (51, 52) are both in direct contact with the transferred sample 35. The thermocouple and heater electrode assembly are mounted concentric with a sample receiving block 33 on the end of an offset manipulator 20. Hence, when a sample is transferred from an introduction chamber 12 into the UHV chamber 11, it contacts the spring loaded thermocouple 47 and then seats a heater electrode 52. Cooling by a copper plate 41 and a strap 22 combined with the resistance heating capability allow sample temperatures over the range of 150.degree.-1750.degree. K. while positioned in front of any diagnostic instrument in the UHV system and while taking data with these instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ronald A. Outlaw, Bill T. Baugh