Patents by Inventor Steven Lee Russek
Steven Lee Russek 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).
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Patent number: 11402136Abstract: A magnetic refrigeration apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a magnetic-field source and two or more bed rings. The bed rings can be arranged in pairs with shared cold and hot fluid plenums. A flow of heat transfer fluid may pass at least partially radially through the shared fluid plenum or through a connection between the fluid plenum and one or more flow tubes. The MR apparatus and systems of the present disclosure may further include one or more circumferential flux returns with radial through-hole passageways to accommodate flow tubing. For apparatus configurations with an even number of bed rings, the axial dimension of the passageways may be smaller than the circumferential dimension of the passageways.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2018Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: Astronautics Corporation of AmericaInventors: Kyle Charles Rule, Andre Michael Boeder, Carl Bruno Zimm, Bryant Wayne Mueller, Steven Lee Russek, Jeremy Jonathan Chell
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Patent number: 11125477Abstract: A magnetic refrigeration apparatus includes one or more beds of magnetocaloric material arranged along a circumferential direction. The apparatus also includes a heat transfer fluid, one or more hot side heat exchangers (HHEX), one or more pumps or fluid displacement devices configured to move the heat transfer fluid, and a magnetic-field source. The magnetic-field source generates magnetic flux oriented substantially in a radial direction through the beds. The field source advantageously includes one or more pole pieces, one or more axial-end magnets, and one or more axial-end flux return pieces. Additionally, one or more circumferential flux returns, one or more gap flux return pieces, one or more side magnets, and one or more side flux return pieces can be added to increase system performance and reduce cost.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Astronautics Corporation of AmericaInventors: Kyle Charles Rule, Jeremy Jonathan Chell, Andre Michael Boeder, Bryant Wayne Mueller, Steven Lee Russek, Carl Bruno Zimm, Markus Schwind
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Publication number: 20190063796Abstract: A magnetic refrigeration apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a magnetic-field source and two or more bed rings. The bed rings can be arranged in pairs with shared cold and hot fluid plenums. A flow of heat transfer fluid may pass at least partially radially through the shared fluid plenum or through a connection between the fluid plenum and one or more flow tubes. The MR apparatus and systems of the present disclosure may further include one or more circumferential flux returns with radial through-hole passageways to accommodate flow tubing. For apparatus configurations with an even number of bed rings, the axial dimension of the passageways may be smaller than the circumferential dimension of the passageways.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kyle Charles RULE, Andre Michael BOEDER, Carl Bruno ZIMM, Bryant Wayne MUELLER, Steven Lee RUSSEK, Jeremy Jonathan CHELL
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Publication number: 20190063795Abstract: A magnetic refrigeration apparatus includes one or more beds of magnetocaloric material arranged along a circumferential direction. The apparatus also includes a heat transfer fluid, one or more hot side heat exchangers (HHEX), one or more pumps or fluid displacement devices configured to move the heat transfer fluid, and a magnetic-field source. The magnetic-field source generates magnetic flux oriented substantially in a radial direction through the beds. The field source advantageously includes one or more pole pieces, one or more axial-end magnets, and one or more axial-end flux return pieces. Additionally, one or more circumferential flux returns, one or more gap flux return pieces, one or more side magnets, and one or more side flux return pieces can be added to increase system performance and reduce cost.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2017Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Kyle Charles RULE, Jeremy Jonathan CHELL, Andre Michael BOEDER, Bryant Wayne MUELLER, Steven Lee RUSSEK, Carl Bruno ZIMM, Markus SCHWIND
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Publication number: 20170159979Abstract: The present invention provides a porous thermal regenerator apparatus and method of making a porous thermal regenerator comprised of metallic or intermetallic particles that are held together in a porous three dimensional network by a binding agent (such as epoxy). One aspect of the apparatus is that the porosity of the porous thermal regenerator is greater than the tapped porosity of the particles comprising the porous thermal regenerator; moreover, the high-porosity apparatus is durable, that is, it remains intact when exposed to strong time-varying magnetic forces while immersed in aqueous fluid. This high porosity, when combined with high strength and aqueous heat transfer fluid stability, leads to improved porous thermal regenerators and concomitantly to magnetic refrigerators with improved performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: Leonard Joseph Komorowski, John Paul Leonard, Steven Lee Russek, Steven Alan Jacobs, Carl Bruno Zimm
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Publication number: 20150068219Abstract: The present invention provides a porous thermal regenerator apparatus and method of making a porous thermal regenerator comprised of metallic or intermetallic particles that are held together in a porous three dimensional network by a binding agent (such as epoxy). One aspect of the apparatus is that the porosity of the porous thermal regenerator is greater than the tapped porosity of the particles comprising the porous thermal regenerator; moreover, the high-porosity apparatus is durable, that is, it remains intact when exposed to strong time-varying magnetic forces while immersed in aqueous fluid. This high porosity, when combined with high strength and aqueous heat transfer fluid stability, leads to improved porous thermal regenerators and concomitantly to magnetic refrigerators with improved performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Leonard Joseph Komorowski, John Paul Leonard, Steven Lee Russek, Steven Alan Jacobs, Carl Bruno Zimm
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Patent number: 6214066Abstract: Synthesis gas is produced from a methane-containing reactant gas in a mixed conducting membrane reactor in which the reactor is operated to maintain the product gas outlet temperature above the reactant gas feed temperature wherein the total gas pressure on the oxidant side of the membrane is less than the total gas pressure on the reactant side of the membrane. Preferably, the reactant gas feed temperature is below a maximum threshold temperature of about 1400° F. (760° C.), and typically is between about 950° F. (510° C.) and about 1400° F. (760° C.). The maximum temperature on the reactant side of the membrane reactor is greater than about 1500° F. (815° C.).Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1999Date of Patent: April 10, 2001Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Shankar Nataraj, Steven Lee Russek
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Patent number: 6114400Abstract: Natural gas or other methane-containing feed gas is converted to a C.sub.5 -C.sub.19 hydrocarbon liquid in an integrated system comprising an oxygenative synthesis gas generator, a non-oxygenative synthesis gas generator, and a hydrocarbon synthesis process such as the Fischer-Tropsch process. The oxygenative synthesis gas generator is a mixed conducting membrane reactor system and the non-oxygenative synthesis gas generator is preferably a heat exchange reformer wherein heat is provided by hot synthesis gas product from the mixed conducting membrane reactor system. Offgas and water from the Fischer-Tropsch process can be recycled to the synthesis gas generation system individually or in combination.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1998Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Shankar Nataraj, Steven Lee Russek, Paul Nigel Dyer
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Patent number: 6110979Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstocks are converted into synthesis gas in a two-stage process comprising an initial steam reforming step followed by final conversion to synthesis gas in a mixed conducting membrane reactor. The steam reforming step converts a portion of the methane into synthesis gas and converts essentially all of the hydrocarbons heavier than methane into methane, hydrogen, and carbon oxides. The steam reforming step produces an intermediate feed stream containing methane, hydrogen, carbon oxides, and steam which can be processed without operating problems in a mixed conducting membrane reactor. The steam reforming and mixed conducting membrane reactors can be heat-integrated for maximum operating efficiency and produce synthesis gas with compositions suitable for a variety of final products. Synthesis gas produced by the methods of the invention is further reacted to yield liquid hydrocarbon or oxygenated organic liquid products.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1998Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Shankar Nataraj, Steven Lee Russek
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Patent number: 6077323Abstract: Synthesis gas is produced from a methane-containing reactant gas in a mixed conducting membrane reactor in which the reactor is operated to maintain the product gas outlet temperature above the reactant gas feed temperature wherein the total gas pressure on the oxidant side of the membrane is less than the total gas pressure on the reactant side of the membrane. Preferably, the reactant gas feed temperature is below a maximum threshold temperature of about 1400.degree. F. (760.degree. C.), and typically is between about 950.degree. F. (510.degree. C.) and about 1400.degree. F. (760.degree. C.). The maximum temperature on the reactant side of the membrane reactor is greater than about 1500.degree. F. (815.degree. C.).Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1997Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Shankar Nataraj, Steven Lee Russek
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Patent number: 6048472Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstocks are converted into synthesis gas in a two-stage process comprising an initial steam reforming step followed by final conversion to synthesis gas in a mixed conducting membrane reactor. The steam reforming step converts a portion of the methane into synthesis gas and converts essentially all of the hydrocarbons heavier than methane into methane, hydrogen, and carbon oxides. The steam reforming step produces an intermediate feed stream containing methane, hydrogen, carbon oxides, and steam which can be processed without operating problems in a mixed conducting membrane reactor. The steam reforming and mixed conducting membrane reactors can be heat-integrated for maximum operating efficiency and produce synthesis gas with compositions suitable for a variety of final products.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Shankar Nataraj, Robert Byron Moore, Steven Lee Russek
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Patent number: 5753007Abstract: Oxygen is recovered from a hot, compressed oxygen-containing gas, preferably air, by an oxygen-selective ion transport membrane system. Hot, pressurized non-permeate gas from the membrane is cooled and useful work is recovered therefrom by expansion at temperatures below the operating temperature of the membrane. The recovered work is used together with the oxygen permeate product in applications such as oxygen-enriched combustion of liquid fuels, wood pulping processes, steel production from scrap in mini-mills, and metal fabrication operations. Oxygen permeate product can be compressed utilizing a gas booster compressor driven by expansion of cooled, pressurized non-permeate gas.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 1997Date of Patent: May 19, 1998Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Steven Lee Russek, Jeffrey Alan Knopf, Dale M. Taylor
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Patent number: 5750279Abstract: An electrochemical device is disclosed comprising a plurality of planar electrolytic cells connected in series, each cell having an oxygen ion-conducting electrolyte layer, an anode layer and a cathode layer associated with the electrolyte layer, electrically conductive interconnect layers having gas passages situated therein for transporting gaseous streams, which interconnect layers electrically connect the anode layer of each electrolytic cell to the cathode layer of an adjacent planar cell, and sealing means positioned between the interconnect layers and the electrolytic cells to provide a gas-tight seal therebetween. The configuration of the interconnect layer and the placement of the seal means provides a separation between the seal and the conductive pathway of electrons between the anode layer and cathode layer which prevents corrosion or deterioration of the seal.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 1994Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Michael Francis Carolan, Paul Nigel Dyer, Eric Minford, Steven Lee Russek, Merrill Anderson Wilson, Dale M. Taylor, Brett Tamatea Henderson