Patents by Inventor Valerie LeBlanc
Valerie LeBlanc 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: 9195004Abstract: The disclosure relates to providing printed structures of polymer that have substantially flat printed surfaces. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a post-printing treatment apparatus for receiving a substrate supporting a polymer printing thereon. The polymer can be PMMA or other suitable polymer. In a related embodiment, the polymer defines a thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature. The apparatus can comprise of a chamber, and input manifold, an exhaust manifold, a solvent reservoir and a gas reservoir. The solvent reservoir provides one or more solvent systems adapted to chemically bind, and potentially react, with the polymer. The gas reservoir provides one or more gases for drying the substrate and printed polymer after the solvent treatment step. In one application, a substrate having printed surface thereon is placed in the chamber and exposed to the solvent system for sufficient period of time to provide substantially flat print surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2009Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Murali Chaparala, Jianglong Chen, Eric Wing-Jing Lam, Valerie Leblanc, Martin A. Schmidt
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Patent number: 8695357Abstract: A pressure control system comprises separate conduits for supplying liquefied gas and vapor from a cryogen space defined by a cryogenic storage tank. A first conduit can deliver liquefied gas to a use device through a heater and then a first flow controller. A second conduit can deliver vapor to the use device with flow therethrough controlled by a second flow controller. The first flow controller is not exposed to liquefied gas at cryogenic temperatures because it is located downstream from the heater. For automatic operation a pressure sensor measures pressure inside the cryogen space and the first and second flow controllers are independently operable to maintain the pressure inside the cryogen space within a predetermined range. In a preferred embodiment the liquefied gas is a combustible fuel that is consumed by an internal combustion engine, which is the use device.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2011Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Westport Power Inc.Inventors: Thomas Brook, Valerie LeBlanc
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Patent number: 8128753Abstract: In one embodiment the disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing an organic material on a substrate, including a source heater for heating organic particles to form suspended organic particles; a transport stream for delivering the suspended organic particles to a discharge nozzle, the discharge nozzle having a plurality of micro-pores, the micro-pores providing a conduit for passage of the suspended organic particles; and a nozzle heater for pulsatingly heating the micro-pores nozzle to discharge the suspended organic particles from the discharge nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2005Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Marc A. Baldo, Martin A. Schmidt, Valerie LeBlanc, Jianglong Chen
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Publication number: 20120015104Abstract: In one embodiment the disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing an organic material on a substrate, including a source heater for heating organic particles to form suspended organic particles; a transport stream for delivering the suspended organic particles to a discharge nozzle, the discharge nozzle having a plurality of micro-pores, the micro-pores providing a conduit for passage of the suspended organic particles; and a nozzle heater for pulsatingly heating the micro-pores nozzle to discharge the suspended organic particles from the discharge nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2011Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Marc A. Baldo, Martin A. Schmidt, Valerie LeBlanc, Jianglong Chen
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Publication number: 20110314839Abstract: A pressure control system comprises separate conduits for supplying liquefied gas and vapor from a cryogen space defined by a cryogenic storage tank. A first conduit can deliver liquefied gas to a use device through a heater and then a first flow controller. A second conduit can deliver vapor to the use device with flow therethrough controlled by a second flow controller. The first flow controller is not exposed to liquefied gas at cryogenic temperatures because it is located downstream from the heater. For automatic operation a pressure sensor measures pressure inside the cryogen space and the first and second flow controllers are independently operable to maintain the pressure inside the cryogen space within a predetermined range. In a preferred embodiment the liquefied gas is a combustible fuel that is consumed by an internal combustion engine, which is the use device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2011Publication date: December 29, 2011Inventors: Thomas Brook, Valerie LeBlanc
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Publication number: 20110262624Abstract: In one embodiment the disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing an organic material on a substrate, including a source heater for heating organic particles to form suspended organic particles; a transport stream for delivering the suspended organic particles to a discharge nozzle, the discharge nozzle having a plurality of micro-pores, the micro-pores providing a conduit for passage of the suspended organic particles; and a nozzle heater for pulsatingly heating the micro-pores nozzle to discharge the suspended organic particles from the discharge nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2011Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Marc A. Baldo, Martin A. Schmidt, Valerie LeBlanc, Jianglong Chen
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Publication number: 20110206839Abstract: The disclosure relates to providing printed structures of polymer that have substantially flat printed surfaces. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a post-printing treatment apparatus for receiving a substrate supporting a polymer printing thereon. The polymer can be PMMA or other suitable polymer. In a related embodiment, the polymer defines a thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature. The apparatus can comprise of a chamber, and input manifold, an exhaust manifold, a solvent reservoir and a gas reservoir. The solvent reservoir provides one or more solvent systems adapted to chemically bind, and potentially react, with the polymer. The gas reservoir provides one or more gases for drying the substrate and printed polymer after the solvent treatment step. In one application, a substrate having printed surface thereon is placed in the chamber and exposed to the solvent system for sufficient period of time to provide substantially flat print surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2009Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Murali Chaparala, Jianglong Chen, Eric Wing -Jing Lam, Valerie Leblanc, Martin A. Schmidt
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Publication number: 20110146706Abstract: This process for the secondary descaling of running metal strips, especially made of steel, during the hot-rolling thereof, by spraying water onto the surface thereof using spray rails having nozzles supplied with pressurized water, is characterized in that the nozzles are supplied at low hydraulic pressure, not exceeding 30 bar (preferably below 10 bar, but without going below 4 bar), and in that for the purpose of providing a thermal effect of the water sprayed onto the surface to be descaled quantitatively similar to the thermal effect obtained with the usual known method of secondary descaling at high pressure, namely a cooling of the strip which reduces its surface temperature to approximately 600° C., so that the heat flux density extracted from the strip (HF) resulting from the cooling of its surface by the sprayed water is similar to that achieved with said known high-pressure practice.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2008Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: Arcelor Mittal FranceInventors: Valerie Leblanc, Jean-Luc Borean, Nathalie Mikler, Gilles Dussart, Sylvain Mialot, Patrice Matet
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Publication number: 20060115585Abstract: In one embodiment the disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing an organic material on a substrate, including a source heater for heating organic particles to form suspended organic particles; a transport stream for delivering the suspended organic particles to a discharge nozzle, the discharge nozzle having a plurality of micro-pores, the micro-pores providing a conduit for passage of the suspended organic particles; and a nozzle heater for pulsatingly heating the micro-pores nozzle to discharge the suspended organic particles from the discharge nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2005Publication date: June 1, 2006Inventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Marc Baldo, Martin Schmidt, Valerie LeBlanc, Jianglong Chem
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Publication number: 20050147513Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for pressurizing a fluid and delivering a gas comprising a pump, an accumulator and a heater such that the pump pressurizes a quantity fluid received from a fluid store and delivers that pressurized fluid to an accumulator. The accumulator then delivers a quantity of the pressurized fluid to a heater that, in turn, warms the fluid to a gas within a specified temperature and pressure range to be delivered to the end user as required. The invention further relates to a method of delivering a gas at a desired pressure and temperature wherein a quantity of fluid is received, pressurized and stored as a fluid in an accumulator storage vessel at a desired pressure. The fluid is then delivered from the accumulator to a heater where it is warmed and delivered to the end user as a gas at specified temperature and pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2002Publication date: July 7, 2005Inventors: Stephen Noble, Thomas Brook, Daniel Brennan, Valerie LeBlanc