Questair Technologies Inc.

G4 Insights Inc.

Xebec Adsorption Inc.

Other

The Boc Group, Inc.

Toyo Pumps North America Corp.

Pathway Industries, Inc.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Matthew L Babicki

Bowie Gordon Keefer

Brian G Sellars

Edson Ng

Surajit Roy

Andrea C Gibbs

Frank R Fitch

James A Sawada

Aaron M Pelman

Edward J Rode

Christopher R McLean

Andre Boulet

Alberto I LaCava

Steven Mitchell Kuznicki

David G Doman

Alain Carel

Soheil Alizadeh-Khiavi

Amy Chiu

Andre J J Boulet

Mark H Kirby

Alberto I IaCava

Andre Jason Joseph Boulet

Ian Spencer Parker

Steven Noble

Ian S Parker

Alberto I Lacava

Andre J Boulet

Steven M Kuznicki

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a valve assembly for providing selective flow communication between a plurality of fluid flow conduits. The valve assembly may comprise two valve members disposed coaxially in fluidly sealing contact and relatively rotatable to provide valving action of at least two port tracks. At least one valve member may comprise a fluid pressure loading means, and the fluid pressure loading means may span at least two port tracks. The valve assembly may further comprise a drive means for driving relative rotation of the valve members in order to enable cycled interconnection and fluid flow through the fluid flow conduits.

Rotary multi-way distributor with plural port tracks

Disclosed embodiments provide a system and method for producing hydrocarbons from biomass. Certain embodiments of the method are particularly useful for producing substitute natural gas from forestry residues. Certain disclosed embodiments of the method convert a biomass feedstock into a product hydrocarbon by hydropyrolysis. Catalytic conversion of the resulting pyrolysis gas to the product hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide occurs in the presence of hydrogen and steam over a COsorbent with simultaneous generation of the required hydrogen by reaction with steam. A gas separator purifies product methane, while forcing recycle of internally generated hydrogen to obtain high conversion of the biomass feedstock to the desired hydrocarbon product. While methane is a preferred hydrocarbon product, liquid hydrocarbon products also can be delivered.

Sorption enhanced methanation of biomass

The present invention provides a system and method for producing hydrocarbons from biomass. The method is particularly useful for producing substitute natural gas from forestry residues. Certain disclosed embodiments convert a biomass feedstock into a product hydrocarbon by fast pyrolysis. The resulting pyrolysis gas is converted to the product hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide in the presence of hydrogen and steam while simultaneously generating the required hydrogen by reaction with steam under prescribed conditions for self-sufficiency of hydrogen. Methane is a preferred hydrocarbon product. A system also is disclosed for cycling the catalyst between steam reforming, methanation and regeneration zones.

Method and system for biomass hydrogasification

Certain aspects of the system and method concern producing hydrocarbons from biomass. The method is particularly useful for producing substitute natural gas from forestry residues. A biomass feedstock may be converted into a product hydrocarbon by fast pyrolysis. The resulting pyrolysis gas is converted to the product hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide in the presence of hydrogen and steam while simultaneously generating the required hydrogen by reaction with steam under prescribed conditions for self-sufficiency of hydrogen. Methane is a preferred hydrocarbon product. A system also is described for cycling the catalyst between steam reforming, methanation and regeneration zones.

A method for converting lignocellulosic biomass to a useful fuel is disclosed in a process sequence resulting in low levels of depositable tars in an output gas stream. One disclosed embodiment comprises performing a sequence of steps at elevated pressure and elevated hydrogen partial pressure, including fast (or flash) hydropyrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass feed followed sequentially with catalytically enhanced reactions for the formation of methane operating at moderate temperatures of from about 400&#xb0; C. to about 650&#xb0; C. under moderately elevated pressure (about 5 atm to about 50 atm). A temperature rise in the catalyst above pyrolysis temperature is achieved without the addition of air or oxygen. Gas residence time at elevated temperature downstream of methane formation zones extends beyond the time required for methane formation. This sequence results in low tar deposit levels. The catalyst promotes preferential formation of methane and non-deposit forming hydrocarbons, and coke re-gasification.

Method of hydrogasification of biomass to methane with low depositable tars

A system and method for converting biomass into fluid hydrocarbon products to minimize the use of fossil fuels, provide energy and chemical feedstock security, and sustainable and/or carbon neutral electric power, are disclosed. For example, fast pyrolysis can be performed on biomass to produce pygas and char using a maximum processing temperature of about 650&#xb0; C. The pygas is provided to an independent reactor without the addition of an oxidizing agent for catalytically converting the pygas to hydrocarbons using a maximum processing temperature of about 650&#xb0; C. A system comprising fast pyrolysis means producing a pygas and char, independent catalytic conversion means downstream of the fast pyrolysis for converting the pygas to hydrocarbons, and a hydrogen source, external to the system and/or produced by a steam reformer by steam reformation of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons, coupled to catalytic conversion means, also are described.

Process and system for thermochemical conversion of biomass

Embodiments of a thermochemical method to convert lignocellulosic biomass to a useful fuel are disclosed in a process sequence resulting in low levels of depositable tars in the output gas stream. One disclosed embodiment comprises performing a sequence of steps at elevated pressure and elevated hydrogen partial pressure, including fast (or flash) hydropyrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass feed followed sequentially with catalytically enhanced reactions for the formation of methane operating at moderate temperatures of from about 400&#xb0; C. to about 650&#xb0; C. and under moderately elevated pressure (about 5 atm to about 50 atm). A temperature rise in the catalyst above pyrolysis temperature is achieved without the addition of air or oxygen. Gas residence time at elevated temperature downstream of methane formation zones is extended well beyond the time required for methane formation. This sequence results in low depositable tars in the output gas stream.

The present invention relates to positive displacement pumps, and particularly to diaphragm positive displacement pumps. An inventive diaphragm positive displacement pump is provided comprising at least one pumping chamber containing a deformable hose diaphragm, a working fluid cylinder fluidly connected to the deformable hose diaphragm, and at least one linear motor to displace the working fluid within the working fluid cylinder and thereby increase and decrease the volume of the pumping chamber. An inventive method of controlling an inventive diaphragm positive displacement pump comprising at least one pumping chamber and powered by at least one linear motor is also provided.

Positive displacement pump with a working fluid and linear motor control

An inventive adsorptive gas separation process is provided capable of producing a purified methane product gas as a light non-adsorbed product gas as opposed to a heavy desorbed exhaust gas component, from a feed gas mixture comprising at least methane, and carbon dioxide. In an embodiment of the invention, the feed gas mixture may comprise at least about 10% carbon dioxide, and the purified methane product gas may be desirably purified to contain less than about 5000 ppm carbon dioxide. In another embodiment of the invention, the feed gas mixture may comprise at least about 50% carbon dioxide, and the purified methane product gas may be desirably purified to contain less than about 5000 ppm carbon dioxide.

Separation of carbon dioxide from other gases

Improved adsorbent sheet based parallel passage adsorbent structures for enhancing the kinetic selectivity of certain kinetic-controlled adsorption processes, such as PSA, TSA and PPSA processes, and combinations thereof, are provided. The enhancements in kinetic selectivity made possible through the implementation of the present inventive improved adsorbent structures may unexpectedly enable significant intensification of selected kinetic adsorption processes relative to attainable performance with conventional adsorbent materials in beaded or extruded form. Such process intensification enabled by the present inventive adsorbent structures may provide for increased adsorption cycle frequencies, and increased gas flow velocities within the adsorbent beds, which may increase the productivity and/or recovery of a kinetic adsorption system incorporating the inventive adsorbent structures.

Engineered adsorbent structures for kinetic separation

The present disclosure relates to solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) exploiting gas separation devices in which a first gas mixture including components A (for example hydrogen) and B (for example carbon dioxide) 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 (for example air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen-depleted air) 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 fuel cell anode exhaust, where dilute carbon dioxide (component B) is to be rejected such as to the atmosphere by purging with cathode exhaust oxygen-depleted air (as component C).

Hydrogen recycle for solid oxide fuel cell

Enhanced high temperature fuel cell systems, such as solid oxide fuel cell systems and molten carbonate fuel cell systems are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosure include solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cell systems incorporating gas separation apparati facilitating the recycle of hydrogen fuel from fuel cell anode exhaust for supply to the fuel cell anode inlet. Further embodiments of the disclosure include solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cell systems incorporating inventive combinations of anode materials conducive to combination with enriched hydrogen fuel. Other embodiments of the disclosure include gas separation apparati for providing enriched oxygen feed to the cathode inlet of solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells.

Enhanced solid oxide fuel cell systems

Gas separation by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), to obtain a purified product gas of the less strongly adsorbed fraction of the feed gas mixture, is performed with an apparatus having a plurality of adsorbers. The adsorbers cooperate with first and second valves in a rotary PSA module, with the PSA cycle characterized by multiple intermediate pressure levels between the higher and lower pressures of the PSA cycle. Gas flows enter or exit the PSA module at the intermediate pressure levels as well as the higher and lower pressure levels, under substantially steady conditions of flow and pressure. The PSA module may comprise a rotor containing laminated sheet adsorbers and rotating within a stator, with ported valve faces between the rotor and stator to control the timing of the flows entering or exiting the adsorbers in the rotor.

Life support oxygen concentrator

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.

PSA with adsorbents sensitive to contaminants

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. For example, one embodiment comprises a buffer seal for receiving a buffer gas having a contaminant vapor content substantially the same as or less than a product gas produced by a pressure swing adsorption process over the adsorbers. The buffer chamber may have flushing circulation provided by delivered product flow. As a second example of sealing strategy, a parking seal can be used that typically is engaged when the apparatus is parked. The parking seal can be used alone, or in combination with other contaminant management features. Embodiments of a method for reducing adsorbent degradation by contaminant adsorption while producing a product gas also are described comprising providing described embodiments of the PSA apparatus or system, and operating such PSA apparatus or system to produce a product gas. Various embodiments for operating a PSA apparatus and system during normal product delivery, shutdown, park and start up modes also are described.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Matthew L Babicki