Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080251245 | Mini-Channel Heat Exchanger With Multi-Stage Expansion Device - A heat exchanger includes a plurality of flat, multichannel heat exchange tubes extending between spaced headers. Each heat exchange tube has an inlet end in fluid flow communication with one of the headers and an outlet opening to the other header. Each heat exchange tube has a plurality of flow channels extending longitudinally in parallel relationship from its inlet end to its outlet end. A plurality of connectors are positioned between the inlet header and the heat transfer tubes to define a flow path providing fluid flow communication between the inlet header and the inlet ends of the heat exchange tubes. Two or more flow restriction ports are arranged in the series in the flow path through each connector whereby fluid flowing from the inlet header to the flow channels of the heat exchange tube associated therewith undergoes an expansion as the fluid passes through each flow restriction port. | 10-16-2008 |
20090151494 | Methods and Systems to Enhance Efficiency of Power-Transmission Systems Containing Higher Viscosity Lubricants - A power transmission system and a method for enhancing the efficiency of such systems are provided. The system and method includes a lubricant having a viscosity from about 0.01 centistokes to about 400.00 centistokes, power transmission components with a contact surface finish of less than about 16 microinches, and coating the power transmission components with the lubricant during operation of the system. | 06-18-2009 |
20090180941 | DEACTIVATION RESISTANT PHOTOCATALYSTS - The present disclosure relates to a fluid purification device that has a deactivation resistant photocatalyst having nanocrystallites of less than 14 nanometers (nm) in diameter with at least 200 m2 surface area/cm3 of skeletal volume in cylindrical pores of 5 nm in diameter or larger, with the mode of the pore size distribution 10 nm or more. | 07-16-2009 |
20090288941 | PHOTOCATALYTIC AIR PURIFIER FOR A FAN COIL UNIT - A photocatalytic air purifier is disclosed. The photocatalytic purifier includes filter structures coated with a catalytic material such as titanium dioxide. One or more UV lamps are interposed between the filter structures. The catalytic layer reacts with airborne VOCs and bioaerosols when activated by the UV lamps to thereby oxidize the VOCs and destroy the bioaerosols. The photocatalytic air purifier does not need to be replaced or regenerated after a period of continuous usage. The photocatalytic purifier of the present invention substantially eliminates odors, VOCs, and bioaerosols from air directed through the fan coil. The photocatalytic air purifier includes a control system that optimizes operating costs. Because of these features, service, maintenance, and filter replacement are reduced to a minimum. At the same time, the well being of persons living in the space conditioned by the photocatalytic air purifier is improved. | 11-26-2009 |
20100005831 | ENHANCED REFRIGERANT SYSTEM - A refrigerant system providing enhanced performance over a wider range of operating conditions than traditional economized refrigerant systems. The system includes an economizer branch that connects a liquid outlet from a suction accumulator to an economizer inlet port of a compressor unit. The economizer branch includes a liquid refrigerant pump that delivers a non-evaporated liquid refrigerant portion from the suction accumulator into the economizer heat exchanger, where the liquid refrigerant portion evaporates, increasing thermodynamic potential of the main circuit refrigerant also flowing in through the economizer heat exchanger, and a formed vapor stream is delivered into the economizer inlet port of the compressor unit. | 01-14-2010 |
20100037652 | MULTI-CHANNEL HEAT EXCHANGER WITH MULTI-STAGE EXPANSION - An expansion device for a heat exchanger having a manifold and a plurality of mini- and or micro-channels. The expansion device has an outer element having a plurality of orifices therethrough that is received in the manifold, and an inner element telescopically received in the outer element having at least one orifice therethrough and being in fluid communication with the plurality of orifices. Fluid passing through the at least one orifice and through the plurality of orifices is expanded and reduced in pressure prior to entering the manifold. | 02-18-2010 |
20100089559 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING DISTRIBUTION OF FLUID IN A HEAT EXCHANGER - A mini-channel heat exchanger or a micro-channel heat exchanger includes an insert ( | 04-15-2010 |
20100154421 | RANKINE SYSTEM WITH GRAVITY-DRIVEN PUMP - A gravity-driven pumping unit has an inlet valve connected to a condenser, an outlet valve connected to a boiler, and a staging zone between the inlet and outlet valves. The inlet valve, the outlet valve, the liquid line and entire path established between the condenser and boiler are oriented, sized and shaped to allow for the vapor refrigerant to freely move upward from the boiler to the condenser and to allow for the liquid refrigerant to freely drain downwards from the condenser to the boiler by gravity. A control system opens and closes the inlet and outlet valves in a proper sequence, which enables gravity-driven movement of liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the staging zone and then from the staging zone to the boiler, against a positive pressure differential between the boiler and condenser. | 06-24-2010 |
20100170664 | PARALLEL FLOW HEAT EXCHANGER WITH CONNECTORS - A parallel flow heat exchanger includes a plurality of connector tubes which fluidly interconnect the individual flat heat exchange tubes to a refrigerant delivery member such that the refrigerant flows along the lengths of the connector tubes and then flows in a direction orthogonal thereto to enter the flat heat exchange tubes to thereby provide improved refrigerant distribution thereto. The refrigerant distribution member may be an inlet manifold or an entrance port or a refrigerant distributor. The connector tubes may be connected so as to conduct the flow in parallel or in series, and an orifice may be placed at the entrance end thereof to improve refrigerant distribution. | 07-08-2010 |
20100218513 | THERMALLY ACTIVATED HIGH EFFICIENCY HEAT PUMP - A vapor compression cycle system is combined with a Rankine cycle system, with the two systems having a common suction accumulator from which the compressor draws refrigerant vapor for the vapor compression cycle system and from which a pump draws liquid refrigerant for circulation within the Rankine cycle system. The vapor from the Rankine cycle system expander is passed to the compressor discharge to provide a mixture which is circulated within the vapor compression cycle system to obtain improved performance. The heat exchangers are sized so as to obtain a non-complete evaporation, with the resulting two-phase fluid passing to the suction accumulator to provide liquid refrigerant to the Rankine cycle system and vapor refrigerant to the vapor compression cycle system. | 09-02-2010 |
20110117002 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOVAL OF CONTAMINANTS FROM FLUID STREAMS - A contaminant removal system for selectively removing contaminants from a fluid stream. The contaminant removal system has a catalytic reactor of the type that is susceptible to deactivating agents. The catalytic reactor is configured to remove contaminants from a fluid stream. The contaminant removal system has a first adsorbent device positioned upstream, with respect to the fluid stream direction, of the catalytic reactor, that is configured to remove the deactivating agents from the fluid stream. The contaminant removal system has a second adsorbent device positioned downstream, with respect to the fluid stream direction, of the catalytic reactor. The second adsorbent device is configured to remove undesirable byproducts that may be generated when the catalytic reactor removes contaminants from the fluid stream. | 05-19-2011 |
20120003134 | DEACTIVATION RESISTANT PHOTOCATALYSTS - The present disclosure relates to a fluid purification device that has a deactivation resistant photocatalyst having nanocrystallites of less than 14 nanometers (nm) in diameter with at least 200 m | 01-05-2012 |
20120036854 | TRANSCRITICAL THERMALLY ACTIVATED COOLING, HEATING AND REFRIGERATING SYSTEM - A combined vapor compression and vapor expansion system uses a common refrigerant which enables a super-critical high pressure portion and a sub-critical low pressure portion of the vapor expansion circuit. Provision is made to combine the refrigerant flow from the vapor expander and from the compressor discharge. The outdoor heat exchanger is so sized and designed that the working fluid discharged therefrom is always in a liquid form so as to provide a liquid into the pump inlet. The pump and expander are so sized and designed that the high pressure portion of the vapor expansion circuit is always super-critical. A topping heat exchanger, liquid to suction heat exchanger, and various other design features are provided to further increase the thermodynamic efficiency of the system. | 02-16-2012 |
20130071793 | FUEL FRACTIONATION USING MEMBRANE DISTILLATION - A method for fractionating a fuel includes heating the fuel and flowing it through hollow superhydrophobic membranes in a membrane module. Vapor from the fuel permeates the hydrophobic membranes and enters a distillate collection chamber, producing distilled fuel and residual fuel. The residual fuel is removed from the module and cooled. The cooled residual fuel is flowed through hollow tubes in the module and the distilled fuel is removed from the distillate collection chamber. Burning the distilled fuel reduces engine emissions. A fuel fractionation system includes a distillate collection chamber, hollow superhydrophobic membranes, hollow tubes and a distillate outlet. The hollow superhydrophobic membranes receive heated fuel and allow vapor from the heated fuel to permeate the membranes and enter the distillate collection chamber. The hollow tubes receive cooled residual fuel and are positioned to allow vapor in the distillate collection chamber to condense on outer surfaces of the hollow tubes. | 03-21-2013 |
20130075271 | PROTECTION OF MAGNESIUM ALLOYS BY ALUMINUM PLATING FROM IONIC LIQUIDS - A method for electroplating aluminum metal on a magnesium alloy includes providing an Lewis acidic ionic liquid having dissolved species of an aluminum metal salt; pre-treating a surface of the magnesium alloy including subjecting the surface of the magnesium alloy to a reverse current etching in the ionic liquid; electroplating the aluminum metal on the surface using the ionic liquid as the electrolyte; and subjecting the surface of the magnesium alloy to a post-treatment including neutralization rinsing in a rinsing solvent solution. | 03-28-2013 |
20130153442 | REGENERATIVE GAS SENSOR - A gas sensor includes a housing having disposed therein a membrane electrode assembly comprising a sensing electrode, a counter electrode, and a polymer membrane disposed between the sensing electrode and the counter electrode. The polymer membrane comprises an ionic liquid retained therein. The sensor also includes a catalyst support that can be stable in a range of potentials to allow for detection mode and catalyst regeneration mode to be operative. The sensor further includes a circuitry and algorithm to implement the catalyst regeneration mechanism electrochemically. The sensor further includes a chamber for reference gas to which the counter electrode is exposed, and a chamber for test gas to which a gas to be tested is exposed. The sensor also includes a pathway for test gas to enter the chamber and a measured electrical circuit connecting the sensing electrode and the counter electrode. | 06-20-2013 |
20130180968 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ON LINE SURFACE ENHANCEMENT OF A WORKPIECE - An apparatus to cut and surface process a workpiece includes a cutting tool to cut the workpiece; a peening tool to peen surfaces of the cut workpiece; and a controller to control the cutting tool, the peening tool and the workpiece to move simultaneously. | 07-18-2013 |
20130186161 | ROLL PEENING TOOLING AND PROCESS - An example peening tool includes at least one first roller having a peening surface disposed about and along a first core. At least a portion of the at least one first roller is configured to contact a component to be peened along a length. The length extends along at least a portion of the first core. The at least one first roller is configured to provide line contact on the component along the length. A profile of the at least one first roller is determined based on a profile of the component. The peening tool includes a backer disposed in register with the first plurality of rollers such that the first plurality of rollers moves with the backer during peening. The at least one first roller and the backer are configured to be arranged on opposing surfaces of the component. Peening models may predict peening parameters and controller settings. | 07-25-2013 |
20130299355 | SURFACE CLEANING AND ACTIVATION FOR ELECTRODEPOSITION IN IONIC LIQUIDS - A surface preparation solution comprises an ionic liquid solvent and a water and oxygen scavenging species. Methods for making the solution, and methods for using the solution to prepare and activate a substrate surface for bulk electrodeposition are also disclosed. | 11-14-2013 |
20130302641 | UNDERPOTENTIAL DEPOSITON OF METAL MONOLAYERS FROM IONIC LIQUIDS - A metal article comprises an alloy substrate having a surface and a non-diffused metal monolayer disposed thereon. The surface has a first surface work function value Φ | 11-14-2013 |
20130305775 | SYSTEM TO PERFORM A VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION CYCLE USING WATER AS THE REFRIGERANT - A system to perform a vapor compression refrigeration cycle using water as the refrigerant is provided and includes an evaporator to output water vapor having a water vapor temperature of a first temperature and a water vapor pressure of a first pressure, a condenser to output liquid water at a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, and a second pressure, which is higher than the first pressure and a compressor, operably disposed downstream from the evaporator and upstream from the condenser, to compress the water vapor to thereby increase the water vapor temperature from the first temperature and to thereby increase the water vapor pressure from the first pressure by at least a 7:1 ratio. | 11-21-2013 |
20140053570 | FUEL FRACTIONATION USING MEMBRANE DISTILLATION - A method for reducing emissions from an engine includes generating a light hydrocarbon fuel fraction and combusting the light hydrocarbon fuel fraction in place of the fuel. The light hydrocarbon fuel fraction is generated by heating the fuel and flowing the fuel through a plurality of hollow fiber superhydrophobic membranes in a membrane module. Each hollow superhydrophobic membrane comprises a porous support and a superhydrophobic layer free of pores that extend from one side of the superhydrophobic layer to the other. Vapor from the fuel permeates the superhydrophobic membranes and enters a distillate collection chamber, producing a distilled fuel in the distillate collection chamber and a residual fuel within the hollow fiber superhydrophobic membranes. The residual fuel is removed from the membrane module and cooled to produce a cooled residual fuel. The cooled residual fuel flows through a plurality of hollow tubes in the membrane module and the distilled fuel is removed from the distillate collection chamber to produce the light hydrocarbon fuel fraction. | 02-27-2014 |
20140251834 | GAS SENSOR - A membrane electrode assembly for a gas sensor is described that includes a membrane disposed between a sensing electrode and a counter electrode. The membrane is a polymer membrane, such as an ionomer, having an ionic liquid retained therein. | 09-11-2014 |