| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090022340 | Method of Acoustic Wave Generation - A method of converting an audio signal into vibratory modulation of a fluid includes converting a series of pulses representative of the audio signal into a plurality of signals having an intermediate peak-to-peak voltage; summing said signals having said intermediate voltage to provide a driver signal having a high peak-to-peak voltage; supplying said driver signal to an electrostatic fluid accelerator; and generating a corona discharge inducing said vibratory modulation of said fluid. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090047182 | Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator for Controlling a Fluid Flow - An electrostatic fluid accelerator includes an electrode array comprising an array of corona discharge electrodes and an array of accelerating electrodes for moving a fluid. A detector is configured to sense a constituent component of the fluid. A control circuit supplies power to the electrode array and operates the electrostatic fluid accelerator in response to an output from the detector. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090266516 | Electrospray Evaporative Cooling (ESC) - Electrospray evaporative cooling (ESC). Means for effectuating thermal management using electrospray cooling are presented herein. An ESC may be implemented having one or more nozzles situated to spray droplets of a fluid towards a target. Because the fluid may be electrolytic, an electric field may be established between the one or more nozzles and the target can be operative to govern the direction, rate, etc. of the electrospraying between the one or more nozzles and the target. An additional shielding/field enhancement electrode may also be implemented between the one or more nozzles and the target. A droplet movement mechanism may be employed to transport droplets received at a first location of the target so that evaporation thereof may occur relatively more at a second location of the target. An ESC device may be implemented to effectuate thermal management of any of a variety of types of electronic devices. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20100037886 | FIREPLACE WITH ELECTROSTATICALLY ASSISTED HEAT TRANSFER AND METHOD OF ASSISTING HEAT TRANSFER IN COMBUSTION POWERED HEATING DEVICES - An apparatus enhances the efficiency of a combustion heating device such as a fireplace by incorporating an ionic gas propulsion mechanism (e.g., a corona discharge device) to transport ambient air through a heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is configured to warm the ambient air using both heat energy produced by the combustion process and/or by byproducts of the combustion, e.g., exhaust gases. Air scrubber functions collect particulates present in the air including combustion byproducts such as ash and soot. An audio modulator may be used to vary the high voltage applied to electrodes of the corona discharge electrodes to vary air velocity in response to an audio or similar control signal to induce a vibratory motion to the air, i.e., sound, in forms such as music or simulated natural noise, and/or to cancel or attenuate undesirable sounds and noises, such as chimney sounds. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100047115 | METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF AIR - The methods and apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention provide substantially complete and rapid air cleaning and/or disinfection in the rooms that are substantially closed to outside air and have the typical complement and arrangement of furniture and people present, i.e. a “normal”environment. A study of air flow patterns in a variety of room configurations and arrangements demonstrates that EFA location within the room as well as furniture and people play a crucial role in air movement and airflow throughout the room, in minimizing or eliminating “dead spots” of stagnant air, and in achieving a goal of cleaning and disinfecting substantially all of the air. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100051709 | SPACE HEATER WITH ELECTROSTATICALLY ASSISTED HEAT TRANSFER AND METHOD OF ASSISTING HEAT TRANSFER IN HEATING DEVICES - A space heater for heating air includes a duct for transporting air from an inlet to an outlet of the duct; a heating component; and an electrostatic discharge device within the duct for accelerating the gas through the duct from the inlet to the outlet. The electrostatic discharge device may include a high voltage power supply; at least one corona electrode connected to the high voltage power supply; and a collector electrode located proximate the corona electrode and connected to the high voltage power supply so as to induce a motion of the gas in a direction from the corona electrode toward the collector electrode. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100065510 | DESALINATION METHOD AND DEVICE - A method of water desalination and purification includes steps of flowing salted or contaminated water concentration into a narrow or pointed portion of a corona electrode; applying an electrical potential difference between the water and an opposite electrode; generating a corona discharge in the narrow or pointed portion; evaporating the water; electrically charging water droplets and molecules formed by the evaporating step by means of the corona discharge; moving the charged droplets and molecules toward the oppositely charged electrode; condensing fresh water; and collecting fresh water. A corresponding desalination device includes a corona electrode; at least one attracting electrode; a power supply generating electrical potential difference between the corona electrode and the attracting electrode; and at least one water condensing member. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100089240 | RANGE HOOD WITH ELECTROSTATICALLY ASSISTED AIR FLOW AND FILTERING - An improved ventilating range hood includes a sheet metal collecting hood, vented to the outdoors; a variable speed, electronically controllable fan, mounted in such a way as to draw air from a cooking area and out through said vent of said collecting hood; a plurality of air quality sensors capable of detecting both comfort factors and the presence of hazardous substances in the air; an embedded control algorithm which examines the composite output of said discrete air quality sensors, as well as, the trend information and determines from said information an instantaneous ventilation requirement, and a control signal, derived from said algorithm to regulate the fan speed level such that every combination of discrete air quality sensor conditions will have a unique associated fan speed level based on said ventilation requirement. The air quality sensors may include sensors for temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, smoke, etc. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20120043891 | Electrostatic Fluid Accelerator for Controlling a Fluid Flow - An electrostatic fluid accelerator includes an electrode array comprising a corona discharge electrode and an array of accelerating electrodes for moving a fluid. A control circuit supplies power to the electrode array including control of a corona discharge voltage and a heating current to cause the corona discharge electrode to vibrate. The control circuit also controls heating of heating elements and can operate the electrostatic fluid accelerator in response to an detection of a constituent of the fluid. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20130170090 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING FLAME RADIATION - An apparatus for enhancing flame radiation includes a flame charging system and an electrically isolated electrode. A time-varying voltage is applied to the flame charging system and the flame charging system imparts a corresponding time-varying charge or time-varying voltage onto the flame. The flame responds to the time-varying charge or voltage by increasing its luminosity. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130323655 | BURNER SYSTEM WITH ANTI-FLASHBACK ELECTRODE - A premixed fuel and air combustion system includes an anti-flashback electrode configured to repel a charge concentration in a combustion fluid and reduce or prevent the flame from flashing back into a mixer. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130323661 | LONG FLAME PROCESS HEATER - A flame used to heat a process material may be extended or otherwise shaped by the application of voltages using electrodes. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130336352 | ELECTRICALLY STABILIZED DOWN-FIRED FLAME REACTOR - A down-fired flame burner includes a flame charger and one or more field electrodes configured to control flame shape and/or heat transfer to a chemical reactor. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140050644 | CHARGE-INDUCED SELECTIVE REDUCTION OF NITROGEN - A selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) or selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system include a reagent charging apparatus configured to apply one or more electrical charges to a NOx reducing reagent. The electrical charges enhance mixing of the reagent with fluids carrying NOx and/or enhance reactivity of the reagent with NOx. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140065558 | ELECTRICALLY STABILIZED BURNER - An electrically stabilized burner is configured to support a combustion reaction such as a combustion reaction substantially at a selected fuel dilution and with a mixing rate selected to maximize the reaction rate without quenching the combustion reaction. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140080070 | CLOSE-COUPLED STEP-UP VOLTAGE CONVERTER AND ELECTRODE FOR A COMBUSTION SYSTEM - A high voltage signal is output to an electrode, which applies electrical energy to a combustion reaction. The high voltage signal can be output by a step-up voltage converter to the electrode via a close electrical coupling. The close electrical coupling is configured to electrically isolate the high voltage signal from a human-accessible volume. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140162195 | SYSTEM FOR SAFE POWER LOSS FOR AN ELECTRODYNAMIC BURNER - A system may be configured to modify one or more combustion parameters responsive to a loss of application of electrical energy to the combustion reaction. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140162196 | PRECOMBUSTION IONIZATION - Technologies are provided for employing an ion flow to control a combustion reaction. A combustion reaction is supported at a burner or fuel source. One or more electrical signals are applied to an ionizer to generate an ion flow having a first polarity. The ion flow is introduced to the combustion reaction or a reactant at a first location, imparting a corresponding charge to the combustion reaction. The first location is at least intermittently upstream with respect to a reaction front of the combustion reaction. One or more of the electrical signals are applied to a first electrode at a second location downstream of the first location, which provokes a response by the combustion reaction according to the applied charge. The combustion reaction is controlled by selection of the one or more electrical signals. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140162197 | MULTIJET BURNER WITH CHARGE INTERACTION - A multijet burner system includes a plurality of fuel nozzles, each configured to support a respective flame, a plurality of charge electrodes, each positioned and configured to apply a charge potential to a fluid flow corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of fuel nozzles, and a charge controller operatively coupled to each of the plurality of charge electrodes and configured to control a voltage potential applied to each respective charge electrode. By selecting the magnitude and polarity of a charge potential applied to individual ones of the flames of the plurality of burners, the flames can be made to change positions, move to selected positions, and redistribute themselves within a volume. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140162198 | MULTISTAGE IONIZER FOR A COMBUSTION SYSTEM - A combustion reaction is supported. Charge carriers traveling in an ion flow path are ionized by a plurality of ionizer stages along the ion flow path. The ionized charge carriers are drawn from components of the combustion reaction, and are introduced to the combustion reaction. A charge is imparted to the combustion reaction by the ionized charge carriers. Electrical energy can then be applied to the combustion reaction, which responds according to the charge imparted by the ions. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140170569 | ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED COMBUSTION SYSTEM WITH CONTACT ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE GENERATION - A system for electrically controlling a combustion reaction includes a charging mechanism with a surface of a charging material with a work function that is sufficiently different from a work function of a charge carrier material to be capable of undergoing contact electrostatic charging. The charge carrier material is contacted with the charging material to impart an electrostatic charge to the charge carrier material, which is then fed to the combustion reaction to introduce a charge corresponding to the electrostatic charge. An aspect of the combustion reaction is controlled by application, to the combustion reaction, of electrical energy, characteristics of which are selected to interact in a predictable way with the combustion reaction. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140170575 | IONIZER FOR A COMBUSTION SYSTEM, INCLUDING FOAM ELECTRODE STRUCTURE - An ionizer mechanism includes a corona electrode and a counter electrode positioned with respect to one another. The counter electrode includes a first layer of a porous, open cell foam material with a medium-to-high intrinsic resistance. The counter electrode has a point contact resistance that is at least two orders of magnitude greater than a broad contact resistance of the counter electrode. Charged particles produced by the ionizer mechanism are introduced to a combustion reaction to impart an electrical charge onto the combustion reaction. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140186778 | WIRELESSLY POWERED ELECTRODYNAMIC COMBUSTION SYSTEM - A combustion system includes an electrodynamic combustion control system that provided for electrical control of a combustion reaction. Energy is received wirelessly, and electrical energy is generated from the wirelessly received energy. The electrical energy is applied to the combustion reaction in order to control or regulate operation of first and/or second electrodes configured to apply the energy to the combustion reaction. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140216401 | COMBUSTION SYSTEM CONFIGURED TO GENERATE AND CHARGE AT LEAST ONE SERIES OF FUEL PULSES, AND RELATED METHODS - A pulsed electrical charge or voltage may be applied to a pulsed fuel stream or combustion reaction supported by the fuel stream. The pulsed charge or voltage may be used to affect fuel mixing, flame trajectory, heat transfer, emissivity, reaction product mix, or other physical property of the combustion reaction. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140234786 | OSCILLATING COMBUSTOR WITH PULSED CHARGER - An oscillating combustor can support a time-sequenced combustion reaction having rich and lean phases by applying a variable voltage charge to a fuel stream or flame that flows adjacent to a conductive or semiconductive flame holder held in electrical continuity with an activation voltage. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140234789 | OSCILLATING COMBUSTOR - An oscillating combustor may support a time-sequenced combustion reaction having rich and lean phases. The rich and lean phases may be determined according to a flame position relative to a diverging fuel jet. The flame location may be modulated responsive to an interaction between applying a constant voltage or charge rate to a fuel stream or flame, and modulating continuity between a conductive or semiconductive flame holder and an activation voltage. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140248566 | COMBUSTION SYSTEM INCLUDING ONE OR MORE FLAME ANCHORING ELECTRODES AND RELATED METHODS - In an embodiment, a combustion system includes a burner, at least one charging electrode, flame anchoring electrode(s), and at least one voltage power supply. The burner is configured to discharge fuel into a combustion volume in which the fuel and an oxidizer are ignited to generate a flame. The charging electrode is positioned proximate to the flame. The charging electrode provides charges to the flame to generate a charged flame. The flame anchoring electrode(s) are disposed adjacent to the burner and proximate to a base portion of the charged flame. The voltage power supply is electrically coupled to each of the flame anchoring electrode(s) and the charging electrode. The at least one voltage power supply applies one or more electrical potentials to each of the flame anchoring electrode(s) so that the charged flame is anchored at a predetermined location. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140251191 | ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN CLASSIFICATION OF COMBUSTION PARTICLES - In a combustion system, a charge source is configured to cooperate with a collection plate and a director conduit to cause at least one particle charge-to-mass classification to be reintroduced to a flame for further reaction. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140255855 | DYNAMIC FLAME CONTROL - In an embodiment, a combustion system includes a burner, a flame charging device, and a flame control system. The burner outputs a flow including fuel that when ignited generates a flame. The flame charging device is positioned adjacent to the flame and charges the flame to generate a charged flame. The control system includes one or more electrodes disposed adjacent to the charged flame, a charge managing module operatively coupled to the one or more electrodes, one or more sensors in electrical communication to the controller, and a controller in electrical communication with the charge managing module and the one or more sensors. The charge managing module controls charging and discharging of the electrodes. The sensors are positioned and configured to measure at least one combustion parameter of the charged flame. The controller controls operation of the charge managing module responsive to the at least one combustion parameter measured by the sensors. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140255856 | FLAME CONTROL IN THE BUOYANCY-DOMINATED FLUID DYNAMICS REGION - A burner system includes a nozzle configured to emit a fuel stream for the support of a flame, and first and second electrodes, each configured to apply electrical energy to a flame supported by the nozzle. The first electrode is positioned in a momentum-dominated fluid dynamics region of the flame, while the second electrode is positioned in a buoyancy-dominated fluid dynamics region. Application of charges to the flame via the electrodes can be employed to control flame characteristics in the buoyancy-dominated fluid dynamics region, such as shape and position. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140272730 | ACTIVE MAGNETIC CONTROL OF A FLAME - A combustion system can allow for the interaction of a magnetic field and an electrical current within a flame supported by a nozzle. The magnetic field can be generated by one or more electromagnets in proximity to or contact with the flame. The electrical current can be generated by a voltage potential difference generated between a first electrode and a second electrode located at tip and base regions of the flame, respectively. The interaction between the electrical current and the magnetic field can generate a force that can produce a constant lateral movement of ions within flame, generating a vortex that can enhance mixing of air and fuel. The speed and direction of this vortex can be controlled by actively varying the magnitude and direction of electrical currents applied in the one or more electromagnets and the electric current induced within the flame, as well as by varying the spatial relationship between these two factors. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140287368 | PREMIXED FLAME LOCATION CONTROL - A premixed combustion system includes a charge electrode, and an anchoring electrode positioned adjacent to a fuel nozzle. A charge having a first polarity is applied to the flame via the charge electrode and an electrical potential having a polarity opposite the first polarity is applied to the anchoring electrode. The oppositely-charged flame is attracted to the anchoring electrode, thereby anchoring the flame. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140335460 | ELECTRICALLY ENHANCED COMBUSTION CONTROL SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE POWER SOURCES AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A combustion system is provided that includes a fuel nozzle configured to support a combustion reaction, and an electrode positioned to apply an electrical charge to the combustion reaction. A power converter is positioned to receive heat produced by the combustion reaction and to convert a portion of the received heat to electrical energy. A combustion system controller is configured to provide the electrical charge to the electrode, using energy drawn either from the power converter or from a power storage element, depending on an amount of power being produced by the power converter and on a state-of-charge of the power storage element. The controller is further configured to use surplus energy generated by the power converter to recharge the power storage element. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20150064086 | ELECTRIC REAGENT LAUNCHER FOR REDUCTION OF NITROGEN - A selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) or selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system include a reagent charging apparatus configured to apply one or more electrical charges to a NOx reducing reagent. The electrical charges enhance mixing of the reagent with fluids carrying NOx and/or enhance reactivity of the reagent with NOx. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150079524 | LIFTED FLAME LOW NOx BURNER WITH FLAME POSITION CONTROL - A low NOx burner includes a charging mechanism to charge a fuel stream or diluted fuel stream. A flame supported by the charged fuel stream can be held at a lifted location corresponding to high fuel dilution. If electrical power is lost or removed, the flame is shifted to a location corresponding to a lower fuel dilution. | 03-19-2015 |
