Rotating Solid Sorbent Bed Patents (Class 96/125)
  • Patent number: 8118912
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a system and a method for purifying and storing water produced from atmospheric air to provide a safe, inexpensive source of potable water. Improvements over prior systems and methods include the use of two isolated air chambers, one for ambient air used to capture moisture from the atmosphere, and another for clean rechargeable air to convert the captured moisture into condensate and using a rotating mass of hygroscopic material and a condensation unit, each of which is periodically sterilized by heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventors: Felix Rodriguez, Nizar K. Khanji
  • Patent number: 8052783
    Abstract: A rotary adsorber for continuous bulk separations is disclosed. The rotary adsorber includes an adsorption zone in fluid communication with an influent adsorption fluid stream, and a desorption zone in fluid communication with a desorption fluid stream. The fluid streams may be gas streams or liquid streams. The rotary adsorber includes one or more adsorption blocks including adsorbent structure(s). The adsorbent structure adsorbs the target species that is to be separated from the influent fluid stream. The apparatus includes a rotary wheel for moving each adsorption block through the adsorption zone and the desorption zone. A desorption circuit passes an electrical current through the adsorbent structure in the desorption zone to desorb the species from the adsorbent structure. The adsorbent structure may include porous activated carbon fibers aligned with their longitudinal axis essentially parallel to the flow direction of the desorption fluid stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
    Inventor: Frederick S. Baker
  • Patent number: 8043414
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for desorption and a dehumidifier are provided in the present invention, in which an electrical potential is applied to electrodes disposed on both ends of an absorbing material so as to desorb the substances absorbed within the absorbing material whereby the absorbing material is capable of being maintained for cycling the absorbing operation. By means of the method and the apparatus of the present invention, the desorbing efficiency can be enhanced and the energy consumption can be reduced during desorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ming-Shan Jeng, Ming-Shiann Shih, Jau-Chyn Huang, Yu-Li Lin, Ya-Wen Chou, Ting-Wei Huang, Yu-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 8025720
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing methane and other gases are disclosed. A representative method in accordance with one embodiment includes directing a first portion of a gas stream through a first adsorbent while exchanging heat between a second adsorbent and a third adsorbent. The method can further include directing a second portion of the gas stream through the third adsorbent while exchanging heat between the first and second adsorbents. The method can still further include directing a third portion of the gas stream through the second adsorbent while exchanging heat between the first and third adsorbents. In further particular aspects, the adsorbent can be used to remove carbon dioxide from a flow of methane. In other particular aspects, a heat exchange fluid that is not in direct contact with the adsorbents is used to transfer heat among the adsorbents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Prometheus Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John A. Barclay, Michael A. Barclay
  • Publication number: 20110209613
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for regenerating the media of a rotary sorption concentrator system includes passing a 600° F. to 1000° F. regeneration fluid stream through a rotating media in a first isolated zone to regenerate the media and remove contaminants from the media that are not removed during a typical desorption cycle of a rotary sorption concentrator system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Christopher P. Jensen, Kevin Orff, Frank Giles
  • Patent number: 7972422
    Abstract: A system comprising a cylindrical housing containing a sorbent cartridge selective of one or more gases in a gaseous mixture. End caps on opposite ends of the housing seal to the ends of the cartridge and direct the flow of gas mixture through a portion of the cartridge. The first end cap has entrance and exit ports for the gas mixture and for a purging gas for cartridge regeneration. The second end cap includes a compartment to receive and return the gas mixture to the first cap exit port. The purging gas follows a similar pathway via the remaining portion of the cartridge. The cartridge is rotatable within the housing; thus, the exhausted portion of the medium may be rotated into position for regeneration while a regenerated portion of the medium is rotated into position for re-use, thus providing continuous adsorption from the gas mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Ballard, David J. Ranelli, Diane M. England, Malcolm James Grieve, Yee Ho Chia, Galen B. Fisher
  • Publication number: 20110088552
    Abstract: A method by which water may be extracted from the air even without a supply of electricity from a power source or even without a supply of fuel, as well as an apparatus therefor, is disclosed. The apparatus used for the method for extracting water from the air comprises at least a rotatably mounted hygroscopic moisture-absorbing rotor having at least one region through which air can pass in the direction of thickness thereof; a passage for regeneration through which air for regeneration is circulated, of which both ends are opened at the opposing two surfaces of a regeneration region, respectively, the regeneration region being a part of the moisture-absorbing rotor, at which the moisture-absorbing rotor that absorbed moisture is regenerated; and a drain hole for taking out condensed water from the passage for regeneration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Hidetoshi IKE, Nao Okuhata
  • Patent number: 7892323
    Abstract: The management of hydrogen in hydrogen-containing streams associated with petrochemical process units wherein the hydrogen-containing stream is subjected rapid cycle pressure swing adsorption to increase the concentration of hydrogen therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: David L. Stern, Bal K. Kaul, John Di-Yi Ou, Dana L. Pilliod
  • Patent number: 7886986
    Abstract: Control systems for recovery wheels, ventilation systems with recovery devices, buildings having ventilation, and methods of controlling recovery wheels and controlling or modifying ventilation systems. A parameter of ventilation systems or recovery devices, such as the speed of a recovery wheel, may be controlled as a function of pressure, differential pressure, flow rate, or fan speed, for example, to provide appropriate purge flow to maintain purge effectiveness and limit the carry-over of contaminants from a return/exhaust airstream to an outside/supply airstream, for instance, in a variable air-volume system. A purge angle may be set at a minimum position commensurate with a maximum flow rate and recovery-wheel speed may be reduced at lower flows to maintain purge effectiveness. In some embodiments, temperature and humidity are measured, and wheel speed is also controlled as a function of these measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Semco Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Fischer, Jr., Michael L. Boles, Richard K. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7789942
    Abstract: Method for drying gas coming from a compressor (2), which is directed through a drier (5) of the type which consists of an air receiver (6) and a drying element (9) in the form of a rotor in which has been provided an adsorption and/or absorption medium (10) which is alternately guided through a drying zone (7) and a regeneration zone (8) of the air receiver (6), whereby during periods of standstill or of idle running of the compressor (2) a gas flow is guided counterflow through the adsorption and/or absorption medium (10) in the drying zone (7), i.e. in a flow direction (P) from the outlet (22) to the inlet (15) of the drying zone (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: ATLAS COPCO AIRPOWER, naamloze vennootschap
    Inventors: Bart Etienne Agnes Vanderstraeten, Reinoud Luk Herwig Neefs
  • Patent number: 7766998
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for the extraction of water from air incorporated into a wall of a building has a cavity formed in the wall. The cavity has an air inlet and an air outlet. A condensing surface is disposed within the cavity and is adapted to direct condensed water to a water storage unit. In another aspect of the present invention, the cavity is formed between two different building walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Inventors: David R. Hall, Tyson J. Wilde, Andrew Gerla, Joshua Larsen
  • Patent number: 7753995
    Abstract: A revolving gas adsorption concentrator uses about 300 degree centigrade of hot desorption air. The revolving gas adsorption concentrator prevents leakage of such hot desorption air. An elastic seal which has elasticity divides a honeycomb shape rotor into a desorption zone and an adsorption zone and touches the honeycomb shape rotor. A heat-resistant seal comprises of material whose heat resistance is higher than elastic seal. The heat-resistant seal has two plates which has a mutually opened spacing to prevent hot gas from going to the elastic seal based on the labyrinth effectiveness. The elastic seal is formed in the outside of desorption zone from heat-resistant seal. The seal of the hot desorption air is almost blocked by heat-resistant seal and the desorption air which leaked slightly can be thoroughly blocked completely by elastic seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Seibu Giken Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Okano, Ken-ichiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7722703
    Abstract: The device has a honeycomb rotor which is rotated and which supports an adsorbant. A seal divides the honeycomb rotor into a desorption zone and at least one other zone including an adsorption zone. The seal has a heat resistant/non flammable portion and an elastic seal portion. The heat resistant portion has a slot cut in a surface which contacts the honeycomb rotor. The elastic seal portion is formed outside of the desorption zone with respect to the heat resistant portion. Desorption air is substantially completely sealed within the desorption zone. The seal may allow for hot (perhaps 300° C.) desorption gas to be used with a rotation type gas adsorption concentration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Seibu Giken Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20100089241
    Abstract: A gas separation device is disclosed. In particular, seal assemblies and adsorbent element constructions for a gas separation device such as a pressure swing adsorption device are disclosed. The seal assembly can be part of a rotary valve and can include a seal backer and a floating seal positioned within a bore in the seal backer. The floating seal is configured to press towards and seal against an adjacent rotor. Valve action is provided as apertures in the floating seal and rotor are brought into and then out of alignment as a result of relative rotation therebetween. The seal assembly can include two types of gas chambers to apply balanced sealing pressures over the sealing surface of the valve, one type configured to receive pressurized process gas from within the device and the other configured to receive gas from an independently controlled pressurized gas source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Christopher Stoner, Christopher R. McLean, Daryl Musselman
  • Patent number: 7601206
    Abstract: Potable water is produced by extraction of water vapor from air. Water absorbed inside a desiccant bed is forced into vapor phase by using input heat energy, for example, waste heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Pre-heating a portion of the desiccant material prior to desorption enhances efficiency. Energy for the pre-heating may be obtained by recovering heat from the desiccant material prior to adsorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: MesoSystems Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Call, Robert C. Beckius, Ezra L. Merrill, Seung-Ho Hong, Mike Powell
  • Patent number: 7569095
    Abstract: Method for drying a gas from a compressor (1) by means of a drier (2) of the type which consists of a pressure tank (3) with a drying zone (4) and a regeneration zone (5), with a rotor (6) which is composed of a drying element (7) in which has been provided an adsorption and/or absorption medium (8) which is alternately put through the drying zone (4) and the regeneration zone (5), characterised in that at a low load or zero load, the inlet of the regeneration zone (5) is connected to the user network (12) via a regeneration pipe (27), and in that the outlet of the regeneration zone (5) is connected to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Atlas Copco Airpower, naamloze vennootschap
    Inventors: Bart Etienne Agnes Vanderstraeten, Ben Paul Karl Van Hove
  • Patent number: 7569101
    Abstract: A rotor replacing mechanism for rotary desiccant includes a base plate, on which a plurality of gears are mounted to form multiple support points, to and between which a rotor of the rotary desiccant is held in place. One or two of the plurality of gears may be moved to different positions to allow easy removal of the rotor from the base plate and accordingly the rotary desiccant and be replaced with a new one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Ming-Lang Hung
  • Patent number: 7563306
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of conditioning humidity and temperature in the process air stream of a desiccant dehumidifier used to dry moisture-laden spaces and structures by replacing moisture-laden air with dehumidified air to increase the rate of water evaporation within the affected areas. An air-dehumidifier comprises a dehumidification assembly having a desiccant rotor assembly, a shielded radiant burner assembly, and a control system. The shielded radiant burner assembly is used to regenerate the desiccant rotor by removing moisture from the reactivation quadrant, where high velocity (at least 500 ft/min) air streams are often flowed, by projecting radiant heat onto the rotor, while minimizing the potential for the high velocity air streams interrupting the combustion of air and fuel in the radiant burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Boutall, Albert Keith Teakell
  • Patent number: 7507276
    Abstract: A gas treatment system is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, the gas treatment system includes a vacuum header; a vacuum system connected to the vacuum header; a scrubber system having at least one chemical filtration element connected to the vacuum system; and a furnace system connected to the scrubber system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Inventor: Daniel L. Wilburn
  • Publication number: 20080250925
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sorption element for a sorption-supported air conditioning unit for the humidification and/or heating and/or cooling of a room or an airflow. According to the invention, the heat and material transfer may be improved with a reduction in the size of the embodiment, variable amounts of the employed sorption agent and increased resistance to over-saturation, whereby the sorption element is embodied as a tubular piece with a tubular cross-section with a first and an opposing second open end with a first air-permeable grid element (23), defining the first open end and a second air-permeable grid element (14), defining the second open end thereof, whereby the grid elements do not permit a sorption agent to pass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Horst Egger, Olaf Schwandt
  • Patent number: 7338548
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of conditioning humidity and temperature in the process airstream of a desiccant dehumidifier used to dry moisture-laden spaces and structures by replacing moisture-laden air with dehumidified air to increase the rate of water evaporation within the affected areas. A heat-modulating dehumidifier comprises a dehumidification assembly having a desiccant rotor assembly, a post-process pre-reactivation heat exchanger assembly, a reactivation air bypass damper, a reactivation heater, and a control system. The apparatus regulates the temperature level of the dehumidified air exiting the apparatus by extracting heat from the dehumidified air prior to its ejection into an affected area, using a bypass damper that controls the amount of heat transfer from the dehumidified air to a second airstream entering the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Inventor: Charles A. Boutall
  • Publication number: 20080047436
    Abstract: A rotary adsorber for continuous bulk separations is disclosed. The rotary adsorber includes an adsorption zone in fluid communication with an influent adsorption fluid stream, and a desorption zone in fluid communication with a desorption fluid stream. The fluid streams may be gas streams or liquid streams. The rotary adsorber includes one or more adsorption blocks including adsorbent structure(s). The adsorbent structure adsorbs the target species that is to be separated from the influent fluid stream. The apparatus includes a rotary wheel for moving each adsorption block through the adsorption zone and the desorption zone. A desorption circuit passes an electrical current through the adsorbent structure in the desorption zone to desorb the species from the adsorbent structure. The adsorbent structure may include porous activated carbon fibers aligned with their longitudinal axis essentially parallel to the flow direction of the desorption fluid stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventor: Frederick S. Baker
  • Patent number: 7326277
    Abstract: The invention comprises a temperature swing adsorption system for providing dry air to an air brake system. More particularly, there is provided a desiccant wheel upstream of the air compressor to dry air prior to its compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Alan P. Cohen, Stephen R. Dunne, Rustam H. Sethna
  • Publication number: 20070295215
    Abstract: A rotor replacing mechanism for rotary desiccant includes a base plate, on which a plurality of gears are mounted to form multiple support points, to and between which a rotor of the rotary desiccant is held in place. One or two of the plurality of gears may be moved to different positions to allow easy removal of the rotor from the base plate and accordingly the rotary desiccant and be replaced with a new one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventor: Ming-Lang Hung
  • Patent number: 7276097
    Abstract: A load-lock system includes a load-lock chamber arranged between a storage port which stores a substrate and a process chamber which processes the substrate in a process space maintained at a pressure lower than that in the storage port, and a dehumidifying unit which forms a dehumidified environment in the load-lock chamber. A system preferably includes another chamber between said storage port and said load-lock chamber, wherein said dehumidifying unit dehumidifies said another chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Edo
  • Patent number: 7251945
    Abstract: A water production unit is provided that uses a desiccant wheel for extracting water from an air loop. A portion of the air loop is heated using exhaust from, for example, a vehicle to regenerate the desiccant wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Hamilton Sandstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen Tongue
  • Patent number: 7217313
    Abstract: A dehumidifying system supplies a gas free of organic substances. The dehumidifying system includes a holding case, and a rotor rotatably held in the holding case and bearing an adsorbent. The interior of the holding case is divided into an adsorbing zone and a regenerating zone by partition plates attached to the holding case. A process gas is supplied into the adsorbing zone. The process gas processed in the adsorbing zone is supplied into an objective space. A regenerating gas is supplied into the regenerating zone to eliminate moisture and organic substances adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorbing zone from the adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Nichias Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Motono, Takashi Tanahashi, Masaji Kurosawa, Katsuhiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7207123
    Abstract: Two rotors 18a, 18b each housing a honeycomb structure 25 carrying an absorbent is driven for rotation by a common motor 19. Partitioning members 17 define an absorbing zone S and a recovery zone U in the rotor depending on the angular positional relationship between the partitioning members 17 and the rotor corresponding thereto. In the absorbing zone S, the absorbent removes moisture and organic matters from air passing therethrough. In the recovery zone U, recovery of the absorbent deteriorated by absorbing the moisture and the organic matters is preformed by using heated dry air. Air sucked from a transfer space 10 of the processing system sequentially passes through the absorbing zones of both the rotors via a circulation passage 20, thereafter returned to the transfer space. A part of clean dry air having passed through the absorbing zones of both the rotors is supplied into an exhaust passage 21, and is heated by a heater, and passes through the recovery zones of both the rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Nichias Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Tanahashi, Takanobu Asano, Ken Nakao, Katsuhiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7204869
    Abstract: A sorption rotor has end faces and is rotatably journaled to travel during a revolution through an inflow sector and an outflow sector. The rotor is made of a matrix material having a honeycomb structure with axially throughgoing flow passages. The matrix material is constituted of cellulose paper modified by a ceramic material infiltrated by a sol-gel system or a gel-forming low-viscosity liquid into the matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Klingenburg GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Klingenburg, Jing Cao, Heino Sieber, Peter Greil, Thomas Westerdorf
  • Patent number: 7166149
    Abstract: Using a high pressure rotary adsorbent wheel, a high value compressed gas feed can be purified by concentrating the impurity such as water, condensing it out, before final purification. Instead of exhausting gas from the system, the effluent can be put back into the feed at a point prior to condensation of the high value gas feed, and therefore the entire feed is purified without any high value gas feed going into a waste stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stephen R. Dunne, Peter K. Coughlin, Rustam H. Sethna
  • Patent number: 7160367
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: QuestAir Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. LaCava, Frank R. Fitch
  • Patent number: 7144556
    Abstract: A decomposition apparatus and a decomposition method using the apparatus in which a substance to be decomposed is decomposed with high efficiency are disclosed. A decomposition apparatus includes condensation means for increasing the concentration of the substance, and decomposition means provided with a decomposition chamber (predetermined space) for receiving and decomposing the substance. The substance of which concentration is increased by the condensation means, in a gaseous state, is directly transported to the decomposition chamber and is decomposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kinya Kato
  • Patent number: 7094275
    Abstract: A rotary module for implementing a high frequency pressure swing adsorption process comprises a stator and a rotor rotatably coupled to the stator. The stator includes a first stator valve surface, a second stator valve surface, a plurality of first function compartments opening into the first stator valve surface, and a plurality of second function compartments opening into the second stator valve surface. The rotor includes a first rotor valve surface in communication with the first stator valve surface, a second rotor valve surface in communication with the second stator valve surface, and a plurality of flow paths for receiving adsorbent material therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: QuestAir Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, David G. Doman, Christopher R. McLean
  • Patent number: 7077891
    Abstract: An adsorbent material fabricated into a reinforcement-free, self-supported coherent thin sheet and configured for use as a parallel passage contactor element in adsorption/separation applications with gases and liquids is disclosed. The adsorbent sheet material is obtained by enmeshing fine adsorbent particulates in a polymer binder. Particulates include but are not limited to carbon particles, inorganic oxides particles, or ceramic particles, or synthetic polymer resin particles. The adsorbent sheet advantageously contains a large volume percentage of active adsorbent particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Mosheim Jaffe, Cristian Ion Contescu
  • Patent number: 7022168
    Abstract: In a method for removing carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas from a gas turbine plant (11), which exhaust gas is subjected to a downstream heat recovery process (12, 33), preferably in the heat recovery steam generator (33) of a water/steam cycle (12), a simplification of the plant engineering is achieved by the fact that the carbon dioxide is removed from the exhaust gas (39) between the gas turbine plant (11) and the heat recovery process (12, 33), and that a rotating, regenerative absorber/desorber (22) is used to remove the carbon dioxide, the absorber side of which absorber/desorber is connected into the exhaust gas stream (39) and the desorber side of which absorber/desorber is connected into a carbon dioxide cycle (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventors: Armin Schimkat, Juergen Baum
  • Patent number: 6905535
    Abstract: A gas separation system for separating a feed gas mixture into a first gas component and a second gas component comprises a stator, and a rotor rotatably coupled to the stator. The stator includes a first stator valve face, a second stator valve surface, and a plurality of function compartments opening into the stator valve surfaces. The rotor includes a first rotor valve surface in communication with the first stator valve surface, and a second rotor valve surface in communication with the second stator valve surface. The rotor also includes a plurality of rotor flow paths for receiving gas adsorbent material therein for preferentially adsorbing the first gas component in response to increasing pressure in the rotor flow paths in comparison to the second gas component. Each rotor flow path includes a pair of opposite ends opening into the rotor valve faces for communication with the function compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: QuestAir Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Kevin A. Kaupert
  • Patent number: 6902602
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for adsorptive gas separations where a first gas mixture including components A and B is to be separated so that a first product of the separation is enriched in component A, while component B is mixed with a third gas component C contained in a displacement purge stream to form a second gas mixture including components B and C, and with provision to prevent cross contamination of component C into the first product containing component A, or of component A into the second gas mixture containing component C. The invention may be applied to hydrogen (component A) enrichment from syngas mixtures, where dilute carbon dioxide (component B) is to be rejected such as directly to the atmosphere, and with preferably nitrogen-enriched air as the displacement purge stream containing residual oxygen (component C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: QuestAir Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Matthew L. Babicki, Andre Jason Joseph Boulet, Aaron M. Pelman, Brian G. Sellars, Surajit Roy
  • Patent number: 6840985
    Abstract: A gas separation system includes a stator, and a rotor rotatably coupled to the stator, and at least one surge absorber in communication with the stator. The stator includes a stator valve surface and a plurality of function compartments opening into the stator valve surface. The rotor includes a rotor valve surface in communication with the stator valve surface, and a plurality of flow paths for receiving adsorbent material therein. The rotor also includes a plurality of apertures provided in the rotor valve surface and in communication with the flow paths for cyclically exposing the flow paths to the function compartments. The surge absorbers are configured to reduce pressure variations in the function compartments and to maintain each function compartment at one of a plurality of discrete pressure levels. In this manner, substantially uniform gas flow can be maintained through the function compartments and the flow paths without recourse to multistage compression machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: QuestAir Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Bowie G. Keefer
  • Publication number: 20040261618
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments address contaminant management challenges that arise during production of desirably contaminant free product fluid in the operation of PSA equipment, and further address the more serious challenges that arise under intermittent operation of PSA equipment. One disclosed embodiment of a PSA apparatus, intended primarily for normal operating cycle speeds of at least 3 cycles per minute, includes a breather fluidly coupled to a feed end of an adsorber with a contaminant-sensitive adsorbent. The breather can be coupled to the feed end through a shutoff valve closed during production and open during shutdown. Other disclosed embodiments of the PSA apparatus used particular sealing strategies for additional sealing of the apparatus, or at least components thereof, from contaminant ingress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicants: QuestAir Technologies Inc., The BOC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Babicki, Bowie G. Keefer, Andrea C. Gibbs, Alberto I. laCava, Frank Fitch
  • Patent number: 6802880
    Abstract: An air guide filter for an internal combustion engine includes an air filter having a pair of support rings coupled to upper and lower portions of the filter. A pleated filter plate is disposed between the support rings, and an air guide is disposed between the support rings parallel with the filter plate. The air guide comprises a plurality holes defined by half-cone cross-section depressions uniformly disposed about its face, such that, when the air guide is placed at a certain elevation angle with respect to the support rings, air flowing into the filter is guided, rotated and mixed with fuel to generate a uniform air-fuel mixture. The uniform mixture improves combustion and engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Inventor: Heru Prasanta Wijaya
  • Patent number: 6783738
    Abstract: A circular rotating body having a plurality of fan-shaped blocks is disposed inside a casing and driven to rotate. A gas absorption/releasing material in the blocks absorbs/releases a specific gas component from a gas mixture depending on temperature. The rotating body has a hollow static central portion which is divided to form two temperature adjusting fluid paths through which temperature adjusting fluids having different temperatures pass. First and second independent gas flow paths are defined by the casing. A gas mixture containing the gaseous component flows along the first gas flow path through blocks which are heated to a first temperature at which absorption takes place. The blocks are then rotated to a position wherein they are heated to a higher second temperature and release the gaseous component which is exhausted via the second gas flow path. Blocks sequentially enter positions which separate the two different zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Sasaki, Shoichi Hisa
  • Patent number: 6780227
    Abstract: A species transfer device in communication with at least two streams, one stream having a higher potential of a species than a lower potential stream. The species transfer device is capable of removing a portion of the species from the high potential stream, and transferring the removed species into the low potential stream. The species transfer device incorporates a housing assembly, exchange matrix and optionally, a sorbent. The housing assembly contains both the exchange matrix and optionally a sorbent inside a housing enclosure and between a sealing enclosure, and provides for the entrance and exhaust of the first and second streams therethrough. The exchange matrix can be, but need not be, in the form of a wheel having an average linear coefficient of thermal expansion at 25 to 800° C. of less than about 20×10−7/° C. The housing assembly with the housing and sealing enclosures enables the species transfer device to run efficiently through a range of pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Emprise Technology Associates Corp.
    Inventors: Ronald Arthur DuBose, Craig Hanson, Peter J. Fehl, Robert Matus
  • Patent number: 6767391
    Abstract: An air filter includes a honeycomb rotor which carries a porous adsorbent and can be rotated in a circumferential direction, a drive means for rotating the honeycomb rotor, a first partition member provided with a first gas introduction section and a second gas exhaust section and a second partition member provided with a first gas exhaust section and a second gas introduction section, the first and second partition members being disposed on both sides of the honeycomb rotor respectively to allow two gases to flow in counter current to each other and to pass through different conduits respectively, a heater disposed at the inlet port of the first gas introduction section, a drive controller for controlling the drive means such that the honeycomb rotor can rotate intermittently by every part of a regenerative/purge-zone facing the first gas introduction section among the surface of the filter of the honeycomb rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Nichias Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Tanaka, Jun Shimada, Katsuhiro Yamashita, Haruko Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20040020359
    Abstract: A vehicular atmosphere cleansing system utilizes a regenerative wheel having flow channels extending through the wheel coated with an adsorbant. An atmosphere stream passes through a first position dependent portion of the wheel where VOC's including HC's are adsorbed while a heated atmosphere stream passes through a second position dependent regenerative portion of the wheel whereat VOC's are desorbed. The adsorbant is activated carbon having particles of micropore size adhered to the substrate by a silicone binder producing high adsorption efficiencies while withstanding relatively high regenerative heat temperatures resulting from exhaust gas sensible heat. A hydrocarbon senses HC in the desorbed heated atmosphere stream to rotatively and sequentially index pie shaped, segmented portions of the wheel into the wheel's regenerative region while also functioning as the main component of an OBD device for the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: ENGELHARD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gerald S. Koermer, Jeffrey B. Hoke, Ronald M. Heck, Terence C. Poles, Edward T. Wolynic
  • Publication number: 20040011198
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for adsorptive gas separations where a first gas mixture including components A and B is to be separated so that a first product of the separation is enriched in component A, while component B is mixed with a third gas component C contained in a displacement purge stream to form a second gas mixture including components B and C, and with provision to prevent cross contamination of component C into the first product containing component A, or of component A into the second gas mixture containing component C. The invention may be applied to hydrogen (component A) enrichment from syngas mixtures, where dilute carbon dioxide (component B) is to be rejected such as directly to the atmosphere, and with preferably nitrogen-enriched air as the displacement purge stream containing residual oxygen (component C).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: QuestAir Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowie G. Keefer, Matthew L. Babicki, Andre Jason Joseph Boulet, Aaron M. Pelman, Brian G. Sellars, Surajit Roy
  • Patent number: 6666911
    Abstract: A treatment system for waste gas containing VOCs is composed of a zeolite revolver (10), an incinerator (20) and a network of pipes, valves and filters. The zeolite revolver (10) consists of an adsorption zone (11), a purge zone (12), and a desorption zone (13) to remove VOCs from untreated waste gas in the adsorption zone (11) and then separate the VOCs from the saturated zeolite in the desorption zone (13). The zeolite is cooled down in the purge zone (12) so it can be used again. The separated VOCs are piped into the incinerator (20) to be used as fuel. Whereby, the treatment system for waste gas containing VOCs operates efficiently and economically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Zhong Huan Environment Advisor Corp.
    Inventors: Ming-Shean Chou, Peter A. Quigley, Stephen C. Nolet, Thomas W. Wideman
  • Patent number: 6652628
    Abstract: Desiccants employed in dehumidifying moisturized air present within a water-damaged building are themselves dehumidified to liberate collected moisture through the use of ambient air drawn over and about a heat exchanger fired by diesel fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Inventor: Spencer W. Hess
  • Publication number: 20030209142
    Abstract: In a method for removing carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas from a gas turbine plant (11), which exhaust gas is subjected to a downstream heat recovery process (12, 33), preferably in the heat recovery steam generator (33) of a water/steam cycle (12), a simplification of the plant engineering is achieved by the fact that the carbon dioxide is removed from the exhaust gas (39) between the gas turbine plant (11) and the heat recovery process (12, 33), and that a rotating, regenerative absorber/desorber (22) is used to remove the carbon dioxide, the absorber side of which absorber/desorber is connected into the exhaust gas stream (39) and the desorber side of which absorber/desorber is connected into a carbon dioxide cycle (38).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Armin Schimkat, Juergen Baum
  • Patent number: 6634119
    Abstract: Disclosed is an adsorptive ethanol drying apparatus in which microwaves are applied during the regeneration of an absorbent conducted in a continuous adsorption process for drying ethanol, so that the absorbent regeneration can be rapidly achieved at a temperature lower than that used in a conventional heating type regeneration method and within a reduced processing time, thereby being capable of allowing an efficient use of energy while improving the productivity per adsorbent mass. A method for operating the adsorptive ethanol drying apparatus is also disclosed. At an adsorption step, a vaporized ethanol azeotropic mixture is forced to pass through adsorption towers to adsorb water contained in the vaporized ethanol azeotropic mixture to an adsorbent charged in each of the adsorption towers while condensing ethanol in a storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
    Inventors: Jong Kee Park, Soon Haeng Cho, Jong Nam Kim, Jung Il Yang, Hee Tae Beom
  • Patent number: 6605141
    Abstract: An exhaust gas processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a rotor concentrator installed in an inlet, an active carbon adsorption system installed in an outlet, and a switch located between the zeolite rotor concentrator and the active carbon adsorption system for selecting any one (or both) of the two systems to process exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Powerchip Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Ching-Tien Lee, Wei-Jen Mai