| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 159470100 | PROCESSES | 27 |
| 20080196841 | WATER-BASED PRECIPITATION OF POLYMER SOLUTIONS - A solid polymer is recovered from a solution by the addition of a water-based solution containing a surfactant. The solutions are mixed and heated, so that the organic solvent containing the polymer is driven off, and the solid polymer can be recovered. The solid polymer is generally recovered in the form of small particles, which can be easily moved, as part of a slurry, and then dried. The process produces no hazardous waste. The by-products of the process can be re-used or discarded through ordinary channels. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20090218052 | DRYER CONFIGURATION FOR PRODUCTION OF POLYESTER PARTICLES - A dryer system configured for use in a polyester polymer production process. In one embodiment, the dryer system can be utilized in a non-solid-state polymer production process to dry the polymer particles prior to crystallization. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20120168093 | DRYING APPARATUS AND METHODS - Apparatus and method for drying a product comprising placing the product on a first side of a support surface, and directing dry radiant heat toward the second side of the surface to heat the product. A sensor can be included to measure at least one characteristic of the product, such as the temperature or moisture content thereof. The temperature of the heat source can be regulated as a function of the measured characteristic. The support surface can also be made so as to be movable relative to the heat source. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of control zones are defined and through which the product is successively passed. Each of the control zones has at least one associated heat source and an associated sensor so as to regulate the temperature of the heat sources associated with each control zone independently of those associated with another zone. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120241100 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CRYSTALLIZATION BY CONTROLLED EVAPORATION - Methods and devices for controlled evaporation of solvent from a solution are provided. In one embodiment, a method for controlled evaporation of solvent from at least one solution includes filling a selected first set of wells in a multi-well plate with a first solution comprising at least one first solvent. The method also includes attaching an inlet manifold to the plate, the inlet manifold comprising an inlet port connected to and in fluid communication only with each of the wells in the selected first set of wells. The method further includes attaching an exhaust manifold to the plate, the exhaust manifold comprising an exhaust port connected to and in fluid communication only with each of the wells in the selected first set of wells. The method also includes introducing a gas into the inlet port and removing solvent vapor from the selected first set of wells. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20130199734 | Method for manufacturing protein solutions and their concentration - The invention relates to a method for preparing highly concentrated liquid protein formulations. They are prepared by concentrating a protein solution by carrier gas drying at a reduced process pressure. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130292064 | DEVOLATILIZATION APPARATUS AND PROCESS - Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus or process for devolatilization of flowable materials (such as molten polymers with entrained or dissolved solvent or unreacted monomers or comonomers) using a plate heater having heating channels, the design or operation of which heating channels maintains the flowable material above its bubble point pressure during passage through a larger first zone and then induces flashing in, or downstream of, a smaller second zone of the heating channel. The apparatus enables a higher throughput per heating channel while achieving equivalent or better devolatilization, as compared to current devolatilization apparatus. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20140020850 | Method for producing crystallized salt and bittern with a system through the evaporation process. - A Floating Salt Farm is a system which uses extracted seawater to reliably and regularly produce substantial amounts of crystallized salt and bittern through the evaporation process. The seawater used for the evaporation process of the Floating Salt Farm can be 1) seawater affected by volcanic activities, 2) seawater affected by spring water from thermal springs, and 3) seawater extracted from specific water depths and from specific offshore locations. The crystallized salt and bittern to be produced are affected by placing contents, such as volcanic rocks, inside the evaporator tank with the seawater during the evaporation process. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20150320088 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED PROCESSES - Method and apparatus for temperature controlled processes in a vessel to provide improved process control, in particular to enable controlled temperatures to be applied to a substance in different process zones of a vessel, has a series of tubular members arranged and operatively connected in a flow system, and each process zone has temperature regulating means juxtaposed thereto for effecting temperature control therein. | 11-12-2015 |
| 159470300 | Involving waste liquid | 7 |
| 20090294074 | WASTEWATER EVAPORATION SYSTEM - The water evaporation system functions to increase the concentration strength of a contaminant solution in wastewater, for more economical disposal. A blower conveys an air stream along an air-conduit, over a nozzle or atomizer. The atomizer converts the incoming dilutely-contaminated water into fine droplets, and injects and distributes the droplets into the airstream. An air-heater is located upstream of the atomizer, and heats the airstream to a temperature of 110° C. at the atomizer. A droplet-collector receives the airstream, and the droplets, and mechanically extracts the liquid droplets from the airstream. The airstream leaves the droplet-collector at 65° C. in a saturated condition. The droplets coalesce, and become the final-water, comprising the strongly concentrated contaminant solution. An exhaust-conduit conveys air that has passed through the droplet-collector to the air-outlet. A heat-exchanger transfers heat from the exhaust airstream into the intake airstream, to supplement the air-heater. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20140262055 | WASTE WATER EVAPORATOR - An atomizer for use in waste water evaporation includes a motor having a rotor shaft, at least one conduit for receiving the waste water, a housing supporting the motor and the at least one conduit, and a hub having a plurality of holes for distributing waste water in the form of water droplets. The motor is a variable speed motor and is cooled by waste water flowing through the at least one conduit. The hub is connected to the rotor shaft and spins at a variable speed with the rotor shaft. The atomizer may be used in a waste water evaporation system that further includes an anemometer and a control system. The control system receives a wind speed input from the anemometer and provides a signal to the variable speed motor to adjust the speed of the variable speed motor and hub, thereby adjusting the water droplet size in response to varying wind conditions. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150353378 | TECHNIQUES FOR INCREASING THE EVAPORATION RATE IN EVAPORATION PONDS - A system for enhancing evaporation from a body of liquid, in which heated or unheated air is distributed through a pipe network that is submerged in the evaporation pond, with the air being injected into the pond to produce air bubbles in the water. The air may be combined with water prior to the injection. The water may be drawn from the pond. The air and/or water may be heated by solar heating, electric heating, fuel burning, or waste heat recovery. In the case of solar heating, any of a transpired solar collector, a packed bed solar collector, a flat plate solar collector, a linear Fresnel collector, a parabolic solar collector, a paraboloid dish solar collector, or other could be used. The pipe network may be maintained at a desired depth below the upper surface of the pond by various means, with one example being flotation devices, from which the pipe network is suspended. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20160001194 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO REFURBISH THE NON-CONVECTIVE ZONE IN A SALINITY GRADIENT SOLAR POND - A Salinity Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP) has saturated salt water in the bottom zone of the pond and nearly fresh water at the top zone, with a gradient zone between the top and bottom. Due to this salinity stratification the upward diffusion of salt is a natural consequence in SGSP's. Controlling the salinity gradient in SGSP systems is vital to their reliable operation. The method for controlling the salinity gradient disclosed in this application, coined the “Pond Rolling Method” by the authors, rapidly drains the pond's non-gradient zones, refurbishes the gradient, and restores the non-gradient zones of the SGSP system, in a manner that minimizes land use, water and heat loss. The salt in the pond is allowed to diffuse upward over time and, on condition as needed to restore the gradient, the Pond Rolling Method is used to completely rebuild the gradient and the SGSP zones. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160096743 | Method of Cleaning a Compact Wastewater Concentrator - A method of cleaning compact wastewater concentrator cleans accreted salts from inner surfaces of a compact wastewater concentrator having a demister including mist eliminators. The method of cleaning is simple and quick and eliminates a majority of accreted salts by re-dissolving the salts in relatively dilute process water. | 04-07-2016 |
| 20160194216 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ON SITE AERIAL DISSEMINATION AND ATMOSPHERIC DISPOSAL OF ALL LEACHATES AND WASTEWATERS | 07-07-2016 |
| 20160376167 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WASTEWATER VAPORIZATION - A method of operating a wastewater vaporization system includes providing wastewater to a flow head at a regulated rate, and operating the flow head to atomize the wastewater into droplets of a calculated size. The calculated size is based on measured environmental conditions. | 12-29-2016 |
| 159480100 | Spraying | 8 |
| 20100258251 | System integration to produce concentrated brine and electricity from geopressured-geothermal reservoirs - A systems design is disclosed which converts Geopressured-Geothermal (GPGT) brine into saturated brine in concert with the production of electricity from GPGT brine energy. The design integrates a GPGT conversion system which super-concentrates a portion of the GPGT brine, utilizing that portion's thermal energy, with a system designed to produce electricity from the remainder of GPGT brine energy. The end-brine from the electricity producing system is concentrated (sub-saturated) in a spray evaporation pond, which serves as a heat sink for both systems, and is combined with the super-saturated product brine from the GPGT conversion system, resulting in a saturated brine end-product. The saturated brine can be used for beneficial purposes, including for use as bulk material in the construction of salinity gradient solar ponds (SGSP), which collect, store, and deliver solar thermal baseload power (e.g., for electricity generation). | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100300627 | PREPARATIVE SEPARATION/PRECIPITATION SYSTEM - Collection containers ( | 12-02-2010 |
| 20110024057 | PROCESS VESSEL WITH INTEGRAL EVAPORATOR - A process vessel containing both an evaporation zone for evaporating a liquid feed and a treatment zone for treating the resulting vapor comprises an injector having an orifice, the orifice being in the evaporation zone, at least one evaporation surface for evaporating feed and generating vapor, the evaporation surface being located in the evaporation zone, wherein the injector orifice and the evaporation surface are positioned to prevent the formation of a drop at the orifice, a treatment zone for treating the vapor and at least one heater associated with at least a portion of the process vessel. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20130056158 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPRAY DRYING A LIQUID - Described herein are devices and techniques for spray drying a fluid to produce a dried powder. Assemblies include a spray drying head attachable to a gas supplier and a liquid sample, such as a standard unit of blood product. The spray drying head can be adapted to provide an aerosolized flow of liquid sample exposed to a drying gas. The assembly also includes a drying chamber adapted to separate the aerosolized flow of liquid sample into a dried powder and humid air. The assembly can be disposable, provided in a sterilized kit and having simplified attachments allowing quick connect and disconnect from the gas and liquid sample. Separation of the powder from the humid air exiting the drying chamber occurs within a filtered collection bag. In some embodiments, one or more of the drying chamber and collection bag are formed form a thin-walled, collapsible material. | 03-07-2013 |
| 20140174673 | Method for increasing evaporation rate of an evaporative pond - A method for increasing the evaporation rate of an evaporative pond containing pond liquor comprising water and at least 1% by weight of sodium carbonate, said evaporative pond being in contact with an ambient air at an ambient air temperature of more than 0° C., the method comprising the following steps: feeding part of the pond liquor to a heat exchanger; heating the pond liquor in the heat exchanger with heat and producing a heated pond liquor; feeding the heated pond liquor into a spraying device at an operating temperature of at least 10° C. above the ambient air temperature; and spraying the heated pond liquor into an open area of the evaporative pond with the spraying device, so as to evaporate at least part of the water of the pond liquor when sprayed. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20160023126 | SPRAY DRYING TECHNIQUES - The present invention generally relates to microfluidics, and to spray drying and other drying techniques. In some aspects, an article containing one or more channels or microfluidic channels is used to mix one or more fluids prior to spray drying. The mixing may occur immediately before the fluids are expelled through a nozzle or other opening into a drying region of the spray dryer. In one set of embodiments, for example, a first fluid is exposed to a second fluid, then the fluids are exposed to air or other gases before being expelled through a nozzle. In certain instances, the first fluid may contain a dissolved species that may precipitate upon exposure to the second fluid; such precipitation may occur immediately before expulsion through a nozzle or other opening, thereby resulting in controlled precipitation as part of the spray drying process. | 01-28-2016 |
| 159480200 | Producing liquid product | 2 |
| 20130153158 | PROCESS FOR THERMAL SEPARATION OF A SOLUTION CONSISTING OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER AND SOLVENT - A process for thermal separation of a solution comprised of a thermoplastic polymer and a solvent involves heating a solvent under pressure above a critical point of the solvent; decompressing the heated solvent in a first vessel, such that a polymer-rich and a low-polymer phase form; and supplying the polymer-rich phase to a second vessel. In embodiments, on entry into the second vessel, a pressure jump occurs, the pressure jump leading to a thermal flash in the second vessel such that a polymer part of the polymer-rich phase rises to at least 70%, and a resulting polymer-rich solution is provided. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20140158308 | PROCESS FOR CONCENTRATING AND RECOVERING SURFACTANT AQUEOUS SOLUTION - A process for concentrating and recovering a surfactant aqueous solution, by evaporating and concentrating a surfactant aqueous solution containing a gasifiable surfactant and an aqueous solvent to increase the concentration of the surfactant, which comprises storing the surfactant aqueous solution in an evaporator | 06-12-2014 |
| 159049000 | Film | 4 |
| 20100154998 | ALTERNATE USE FOR LOW VISCOSITY LIQUIDS AND METHOD TO GEL LIQUID - The present disclosure teaches a method and apparatus to gel a dopant material, which may be a low viscosity liquid, and apply it towards beneficially coating dopant liquid in the manufacture of a three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate. As an alternate to using high viscosity dopants, a dopant coating liquid, which is typically distributed in low viscosity alcohol based liquid forms, may instead be utilized as a dopant material in a gelatinous state towards the manufacture of a three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate. The methods and devices disclosed herein provide for enhancing the high viscosity characteristics of a dopant material. The present disclosure teaches the use of the dopant material in its gelatinous state towards an exemplary cavity filling method. The more cotable dopant material is applied in an exemplary coating layout and an exemplary integrated coating system to achieve improvements in coating coverage with regards to uniformity, which may be, but is not limited to, homogeneity, color uniformity, opacity, and density of the dopant material. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20110132551 | Method For Removing Non-Reacted Isocyanate From Its Reaction Product - The present invention relates to a method for removing isocyanate from a reaction product of isocyanate with compounds reactive towards isocyanates, the reaction product being applied to the surface of a rotating body A, the reaction product flowing over the surface of the rotating body A to an outer region of the surface of the rotating body A and isocyanate which was used for the preparation of the reaction product and has not reacted evaporating from the mixture in the process. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20130068397 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING RATE OF EVAPORATION - Systems and methods for increasing the rate of evaporation for a liquid. Systems and methods include use of evaporation membranes having large surface areas exposed to the ambient environment. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130186576 | Settling Chamber for Separation of Large, Plugging Particles Upstream of A Hydroclone - Evaporation technology is commonly used to to treat process waters that contain low solubility salts. The technology typically used is a brine boncentrator which uses seeded slurry techniques internal to the falling film evaporator which allows these scaling salts to co-precipitate with the seed crystals instead of scaling on the heat transfer surface. Such systems often employ hydroclones to recover and recycle seed crystals that would otherwise leave the process with the brine blowdown stream. These hydroclones (or other separation devices) often have regions of tight clearance that are susceptible to plugging which can lead to suboptimal process availability and greater maintenance obligations. The inventors have developed an apparatus called a “settling chamber” for separating large solid particles from the feed stream to the hydroclone to eliminate plugging, improve availability and reduce maintenance requirements. | 07-25-2013 |
