Patents by Inventor Timothy C. Eisele

Timothy C. Eisele 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: 20110182779
    Abstract: There is provided a process for the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide that would otherwise enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming and other problems. CO2 capture is accomplished by reacting carbon dioxide in flue gas with an alkali metal carbonate, or a metal oxide, particularly containing an alkaline earth metal or iron, to form a carbonate salt. A preferred carbonate for CO2 capture is a dilute aqueous solution of additive-free (Na2CO3). Other carbonates include (K2CO3) or other metal ion that can produce both a carbonate and a bicarbonate salt. Examples of suitable metal oxides include several alkaline earths including Cac and MgO. The captured CO2 is preferably sequestered using any available mineral or industrial waste that contains calcium magnesium or iron in non-carbonate forms, or iron in the Fe+2 oxidation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra Komar Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele, John J. Simmons
  • Patent number: 7919064
    Abstract: There is provided a process for the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide that would otherwise enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming and other problems. CO2 capture is accomplished by reacting carbon dioxide in flue gas with an alkali metal carbonate, or a metal oxide, particularly containing an alkaline earth metal or iron, to form a carbonate salt. A preferred carbonate for CO2 capture is a dilute aqueous solution of additive-free (Na2CO3). Other carbonates include (K2CO3) or other metal ion that can produce both a carbonate and a bicarbonate salt. Examples of suitable metal oxides include several alkaline earths including CaO and MgO. The captured CO2 is preferably sequestered using any available mineral or industrial waste that contains calcium magnesium or iron in non-carbonate forms, or iron in the Fe+2 oxidation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra Komar Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele, John J. Simmons
  • Patent number: 7632330
    Abstract: To produce metallic iron from iron ore, a composition comprising a mass of material formed from a mixture of iron ore particles and particles of a reductant that is either a biomass material in particulate form or a plastic resinous material in particulate form is used. The reductant can also be a mixture of biomass material and resin in any proportions. The mass of material comprises at least one body having a shape adapted for smelting such as pellets, briquettes, pieces or lumps. The pellets have sufficient cohesion to maintain the shape into which they have been formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Timothy C. Eisele, Surendra Komar Kawatra
  • Publication number: 20090202410
    Abstract: There is provided a process for the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide that would otherwise enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming and other problems. CO2 capture is accomplished by reacting carbon dioxide in flue gas with an alkali metal carbonate, or a metal oxide, particularly containing an alkaline earth metal or iron, to form a carbonate salt. A preferred carbonate for CO2 capture is a dilute aqueous solution of additive-free (Na2CO3). Other carbonates include (K2CO3) or other metal ion that can produce both a carbonate and a bicarbonate salt. Examples of suitable metal oxides include several alkaline earths including CaO and MgO. The captured CO2 is preferably sequestered using any available mineral or industrial waste that contains calcium magnesium or iron in non-carbonate forms, or iron in the Fe+2 oxidation state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Surendra Komar Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele, John J. Simmons
  • Publication number: 20070209480
    Abstract: To produce metallic iron from iron ore, a composition comprising a mass of material formed from a mixture of iron ore particles and particles of a reductant that is either a biomass material in particulate form or a plastic resinous material in particulate form is used. The reductant can also be a mixture of biomass material and resin in any proportions. The mass of material comprises at least one body having a shape adapted for smelting such as pellets, briquettes, pieces or lumps. The pellets have sufficient cohesion to maintain the shape into which they have been formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Timothy C. Eisele, Surendra Komar Kawatra
  • Patent number: 5524836
    Abstract: A method for producing powder from polycrystalline inorganic material by contacting polycrystalline inorganic material with the vapor of one or more reduced alkali metals in an environment substantially free of oxygen for a period of time sufficient to cause disintegration of the polycrystalline inorganic material into powder. The polycrystalline inorganic material may consist of one or more oxides, sulfides, or silicates, or combinations thereof. The polycrystalline inorganic material may also comprise a rock or mineral, such as basalt or pyrite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra K. Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele
  • Patent number: 5335785
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating by froth flotation hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles contained in an aqueous slurry, the apparatus comprising a generally vertical tubular column having an upper froth zone, an upper separation zone, a lower separation zone, an air inlet zone, and an intermediate feed inlet zone; a feed inlet, air inlet, froth outlet and a tailings outlet; an upper baffle unit comprising a plurality of horizontally extending upper baffle plates, a vertical upper support member including an upper end portion, and first upper apparatus for removably mounting the upper baffle plates on the upper support member at predetermined vertically spaced positions; each of the upper baffle plates comprising a mounting aperture and a plurality of flow apertures; and a second upper apparatus for removably supporting the upper support member in the column with the upper baffle plates in the upper separation zone. The apparatus can include a lower baffle unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra K. Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele
  • Patent number: 4997533
    Abstract: Oxygen and metallic iron are produced from an iron oxide-containing mineral, such as ilmenite, by extracting iron from the mineral with hydrochloric acid, separating solid residue from the resulting solution and drying same, electrolyzing the separated, iron chloride-containing solution to produce electrolytic iron and chlorine gas, combining the chlorine gas with water recovered from the drying and/or iron chloride-containing solution electrolysis steps of regenerate hydrochloric acid and recycling the hydrochloric acid to the extraction step. In an alternate embodiment, the chlorine gas is reacted with recovered water in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrochloric acid which is recycled to the extraction step, thereby eliminating the need for water electrolysis and a separate hydrochloric acid regeneration step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra K. Kawatra, Timothy C. Eisele
  • Patent number: 4916719
    Abstract: The ash content of coal suspended in a slurry is determined by bombarding a sample of the slurry flowing past a window of a measuring chamber with radiation from an annular nucleonic source, such as Cm-244, for emitting radiation within the range of about 7 to about 30 KeV and causing the sample to emit both backscattered and iron fluorescent x-rays. These x-rays are detected by a radiation detector which produces first and second electrical signals representative of the intensity of each. The density of the sample flowing from the measuring chamber is measured, such as by a nucelonic density gauge, to produce an electrical signal representative of the density and the ash content is determined from the detected intensities of the backscattered and iron fluorescent x-rays and the sample density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
    Inventors: Surendra K. Kawatra, Lawrence L. Sutter, Timothy C. Eisele